The traditional “no talking” policy usually enforced in libraries will be revoked when the Payne County Bar Association holds its third annual Ask-A-Lawyer and Law Day at the Stillwater Public Library.
Stacy DeLano of the Stillwater Library said legal questions are probably in the top five types of questions library employees receive.
“We can’t answer those questions, except to refer patrons to other resources or to organizations outside the library,” DeLano said. “Law Day is always a wonderful opportunity for us to get to finally say ‘Why, yes, I can help you with your legal question in the library today!’”
DeLano said participants can come to the library Thursday between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Participants will be assigned to speak to a Payne County attorney, DeLano said.
She said participants can ask attorneys any legal question except those dealing with a pending case.
In addition, all sorts of organizations will have information booths available, DeLano said.
She said these are organizations that assist those who are going through a legal issue or organizations that relate to the legal process.
DeLano said the greatest impact of this event has been to make citizens aware of the legal resources in Payne County.
She said many organizations exist in Payne County to help people who have legal issues.
“I think another important impact has been to cast a better light on the legal profession,” DeLano said. “Despite the jokes we hear about attorneys on TV or in newspapers, our own local attorneys are incredibly helpful and service-oriented.”
Jodie Gage, an attorney with Gage and Wooten PLLC in Stillwater, said May 1 is the national day to celebrate the nation’s judicial system.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower established Law Day in 1958 as a day of national dedication to the principles of government under law, Gage said.
A joint resolution of Congress designated May 1 as the official date for celebrating Law Day in 1961, she said.
“Ask-A-Lawyer is a unique opportunity for lawyers to provide a valuable service to their community,” Gage said.
She said a bilingual attorney will be available from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. for Spanish-speaking residents.
Gage said The Payne County Bar Association will participate in the statewide Ask-A-Lawyer TV show sponsored by the Oklahoma Bar Association, which will air from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Local attorneys will be available from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. to answer legal questions by telephone at 405-624-8383, she said.
DeLano said she and others will organize the event for as long as people come. She said she hopes everyone who attends the event receives advice and a sense that they have somewhere to go when tough circumstances come along in their lives.
The Stillwater Public Library is at 1107 S. Duck St. For more information regarding the event, visit http://library.stillwater.org.
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