Law and Legal Help Resources

Legal Assistance

• Asian Law Alliance – Free and low-cost assistance for Asian/Pacific Islanders with limited English or who do not understand the American legal system. Specializes in: public benefits, housing, domestic violence, victims of violent crime, immigration and deportation defense, civil rights.
• Bay Area Legal Aid – Specializes in housing, public benefits, consumer law, domestic violence.
• California Rural Legal Assistance – Provides free civil legal services to low-income residents of California's rural counties.
• India Community Center Free Legal Clinic (Milpitas) – Consultations provided by the South Asian Bar Association.
• Katharine and George Alexander Community Law Center – Advice and representation regarding worker's, consumer, and immigration rights.
• Law Foundation of Silicon Valley – Multi-lingual advocacy, education, counseling, and free access to the legal system for those who were traditionally unrepresented, with special focus on health, fair housing, children and youth, and mental health.
• Muslim Community Association Free Legal Clinic (Santa Clara) – Consultations, reference center and workshops.
• Pro Bono Project of Silicon Valley – providers of "Lawyers in the Library". Specializes in: domestic violence, paternity, child support, child custody, guardianship, and record expungement.
• Project Sentinel – Landlord-tenant dispute resolution.
• Step Forward Foundation – Immigration and family law services for survivors of domestic violence / sexual assault.
• Superior Court of Santa Clara County Family Law Facilitators – Self Help Center and Restraining Order Help Center.
• Vietnamese American Service Center – Serves all residents. Spanish-speaking staff can also be scheduled to help.

Copyright, Patents, Trademarks

• U.S. Copyright Office
• U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Courts

• Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara - Court locations, jury duty, forms, fees.
• Santa Clara County Superior Court: Case Info
• Supreme Court of the U.S. - opinions, cases, docket, calendar.
• United States Courts - Federal courts, district courts, bankruptcy courts.
• U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of California - locations, procedures, forms, fees.

Law and Legislation

• Local

  • San Jose Municipal Code
  • Santa Clara County Ordinance Code

• California

  • California Constitution & Code
  • California Municipal and County Codes, Ordinances, and Charters
  • California State Legislature: Bill Tracking Database

• Federal

  • U.S. Constitution Annotated (FindLaw.com)
  • National Archives - Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, U.S. Constitution.
  • Constitute - The world's constitutions to read, search, and compare.
  • U.S. Code
  • THOMAS: Bill Search and Texts (1989/101st Congress to present)
  • U.S. Government Printing Office, Federal Digital System - search Code of Federal Regulations, Federal Register, Congressional Documents and more.

Law - History and Primary Sources

• Avalon Project - Yale - 3,500+ primary source documents, historic & current.