Washington State Law Library

06/17/2026

The Library will be closed on Friday, June 19, 2026 to commemorate Juneteenth.

A story telling commemoration is happening on Thursday night at the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma (https://www.washingtonhistory.org/event/juneteenth-2026/).

More events can be found at ACLU of Washington (https://www.aclu-wa.org/event/juneteenth-across-wa-2026/) and Washington State Commission on African American Affairs (https://caaa.wa.gov/news-and-events/calendar-month).

The Washington State Historical Society app and website is a great place to learn more about legacy of Washington State’s Black community (https://www.washingtonhistory.org/across-washington/special-projects-and-events/blackwashington/).

[IMAGE: A bright yellow flyer features bold words that say: "The Library will be closed on Friday, June 19, 2026, to commemorate Juneteenth." The word "Juneteenth" is shown in big red letters, and "Freedom Day" appears below it in large dark green letters, separated by a decorative vine border. In the bottom right corner, there’s a small picture of a note with the message "Sorry We Are Closed!" written in bold.]

06/16/2026

Our latest blog post is a review of the book 'Medicine River: A Story of Survival and the Legacy of Indian Boarding Schools' written by Mary Annette Pember, an enrolled member of the Bad River Ojibwe tribe. If you like books that mix personal experiences with historical events, this book is an important one to read. It will help you better understand how the government forced the separation of Indian families.

Read our book review here:
Medicine River: A Story of Survival and the Legacy of Indian Boarding Schools - A Book Review
https://medium.com/walawlibrary/bedb76cf92e5

[IMAGE: A book cover is shown. The author and title of the book are at top, along with a graphic of a flower. The colors fade from red to orange to yellow. A black and white picture at bottom shows seven Indian children standing in a field and looking at the camera. Some of them are in traditional dress and others are in western attire.]

My mother filled my childhood with constant cleaning and scrubbing. Get down on those prayer bones, girl, she’d say as she instructed me on…

06/15/2026

Over 800 years ago, the Magna Carta was signed at Runnymede on this day, June 15, in the year 1215. This ‘Great Charter’ was the first written document establishing that the king and his government were not above the law.

Over 500 years later, the liberties outlined in the Magna Carta influenced the founding documents of the United States, including provisions for due process of law, trial by jury, and protection from unjust government actions.

Our library has a printed copy of the Magna Carta and many books about its influence on history. You can see a list of related titles in our catalog at bit.ly/magnacarta250.

Here are some online sources for learning more about this important document:

Magna Carta
- National Archives: https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured-documents/magna-carta/legacy.html
- British Library: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xo4tUMdAMw (video)
- Hood County News (Texas): https://www.hcnews.com/stories/happy-magna-carta-day,128034 (Opinion)
- Cato’s Letter:https://www.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/pubs/pdf/catosletter-v13n3.pdf

[IMAGE: A graphic showing a faded manuscript of the Magna Carta in the background. In front, a beige box displays the title “Magna Carta, June 15, 1215” and a quote comparing the American struggle for rights in the late 1700s to the events at Runnymede, attributed to Roger Pilon of the Cato Institute, along with four related book covers.]

06/12/2026

Today is Loving Day. Nearly 60 years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Virginia ruling that punished Mildred and Richard Loving under laws that banned in*******al marriage. In the post below, the Fred T. Korematsu Institute shared a short video about how the Loving case helped advance civil rights and equality.

You may also want to read this blog post from the Law Library of Congress to learn more: https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2025/06/loving-day-pic-of-the-week/

“Tell the court I love my wife, and it is just unfair that I can’t live with her in Virginia.” - Richard Loving

June 12 is , commemorating the SCOTUS decision that struck down state laws banning in*******al marriage in 16 states - Loving v. Virginia (1967). The Lovings argued that the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment outlawed miscegenation statutes, and the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in their favor, striking down Virginia's anti-miscegenation laws as unconstitutional and marking a high point in the fight for civil rights. Learn more about the case and how it paved the way for Obergefell v. Hodges (2015), requiring states to license and recognize same-sex marriage: https://tinyurl.com/mvdkztuj

06/11/2026

Did you know that most court cases in the U.S. happen in state courts? Washington Courts shared a video from the National Center for State Courts that explains how state courts affect our neighborhoods and are a key part of our justice system.

Discover the significance of state courts in the U.S. legal system ...

06/10/2026

Washington Family & Youth Justice Programs recently provided a Family & Youth Justice Case Law & Legislative Update at the May 2026 Dependency Judicial Training Academy. This and other videos are available at https://fyjp.org/annual-judicial-academy/.

[IMAGE: Family & Youth Justice Case
Law & Legislative Updates
Washington Family & Youth Justice Programs
2026 Dependency Judicial Training Academy
https://fyjp.org/annual-judicial-academy/]

06/09/2026

The Washington Business Resource Group, WA State Blacks United In Leadership and Diversity - BUILD, is hosting a special event to raise the Juneteenth flag at the Capitol Campus at 416 S Sid Snyder Ave SW, Olympia, WA. The event will take place at the at the flag circle on June 15, 2026, from 12:00 to 12:30 PM.

BUILD shares that this event is about honoring the strength of those who endured hardship, remembering voices that fought for justice, and celebrating the ongoing work for freedom and equality for everyone. They want this moment to remind us “that freedom is not just history — it’s a living promise we carry forward together.”

The flag raising will happen at the flag circle, which is located between the Legislative Building (the big dome) and the Temple of Justice to the north of the dome. Visitors can find more information about getting there at https://capitol.wa.gov/visit. Please note that some parking areas on the campus are closed because of construction.

Olympia’s annual Juneteenth celebration will be held on June 20, 2026, at Rebecca Howard Park (911 Adams St SE) from 1:00 to 5:00 PM.

There are also other Juneteenth events listed on the Washington State Commission on African American Affairs website at https://caaa.wa.gov/news-and-events.

[IMAGE: A graphic showing a picture of the Capitol building, three flagpoles, a raised fist symbol, and event details for June 15 from 12 to 12:30 PM in Olympia, Washington, announcing the Juneteenth flag raising.]

06/08/2026

¡Washington Law Help está disponible en español!
Washington Law Help ofrece un sitio web en español con el mismo contenido que el sitio en inglés, que incluye guías legales, herramientas de autoayuda y actualizaciones. Visite WashingtonLawHelp.org/es para explorar el sitio web en español.

Washington Law Help is available in Spanish!
Washington Law Help offers a Spanish-language website with the same content as the English site, including legal guides, self-help tools, and updates. Visit WashingtonLawHelp.org/es to explore the Spanish-language website.

[LA IMAGEN: En el centro de la imagen, se pueden ver capturas de pantalla del sitio web de Washington Law Help tanto en español como en inglés.
¡Washington Law Help está disponible en español!
El acceso a la información legal no debe depender del idioma que usted hable.
Washington Law Help is available in Spanish!
Access to legal information should not depend on the language you speak.
In the center of the image, you can see screenshots of the Washington Law Help website in both Spanish and English.
washingtonlawhelp.org/es]

06/05/2026

June is Immigrant Heritage Month, and we want to share some reading suggestions for adults, students, and legal professionals.

If you're looking for books for kids, the Washington Education Association has shared a suggested reading list found at https://bit.ly/44Vv7Fa.

For adult readers, we found a list of recommended books on the Denver Public Library's website at https://www.denverlibrary.org/adult/list/cultural-observances/immigrant-heritage-month-books-adults.

We recently posted on our blog about new immigration books in our collection and other helpful immigration resources. You can read more at https://medium.com/walawlibrary/7e10edfdf49e.

If you're not in Olympia but want to borrow a book from our library, ask your local public library if they can get it for you through interlibrary loan.

Bar members and state employees can contact us directly about borrowing at [email protected].

June is Immigrant Heritage Month. Many educators and students have immigration in our family histories, distant and recent. Help young students understand the immigrant experience with these books: https://bit.ly/44Vv7Fa

06/04/2026

The Minority and Justice Commission , together with the Gender & Justice Commission, is hosting an event called Judging Justice: Rethinking Personal and Systemic Accountability. This yearly Supreme Court Symposium will take place next week on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, from 9:00 A.M. to 3:15 P.M. It will be held at the Temple of Justice in Olympia, Washington, and can also be watched live on TVW.org. You can find the agenda, speaker biographies, handouts and the link to TVW at https://www.courts.wa.gov/?fa=home.sub&org=mjc&page=symposium&layout=2.

Skip the commute. Join the conversation.

The 2026 Supreme Court Symposium, Judging Justice: Individualized and Systemic Accountability Reimagined, is happening Wednesday, June 10and you can attend from anywhere.

This free virtual event brings together judges, legal professionals, community members, and partners from across Washington to explore sentencing policy and examine how accountability can be reimagined at both the individual and systemic levels.

Each year, the symposium creates space for learning and dialogue about issues within our legal system that disproportionately impact Washingtonians of color.

Hosted by the Minority and Justice Commission in partnership with the Gender and Justice Commission.

Watch live on TVW.org
Wednesday, June 10
Free and open to everyone

Join us online and be part of the conversation.

TVW -- Washington Public Affairs Network Livestream: https://tvw.org/video/washington-supreme-court-minority-and-justice-commission-symposium-2026061036/?eventID=2026061036