Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

I am a public defender employed by the Kansas State Board of Indigents' Defense Services. Do I need to pay the law library registration fee?

No. K.S.A. 20-3126(c) states in part: “...All attorneys required to register, except those employed solely as public defenders by the state board of indigents' defense services, shall pay to the clerk at the time of registering an annual registration fee....”  You must still fill out...

I am a registered attorney but do not currently have a Law Library key. How do I get one?

Inform the Law Library Manager that you wish to have a Law Library key – the Manager will provide you with a Michael J. Malone Douglas County Law Library Door Key Application Packet. Read the Michael J. Malone Douglas County Law Library Door Key Policy contained in the packet and fill out...

I am an attorney from outside of Douglas County and not required to register for the Law Library. Can I get a Law Library key issued to me? How?

Yes. As a courtesy, the Board of Trustees has authorized the issuing of Law Library keys to attorneys from outside of Douglas County who are not otherwise required to register for the Law Library. 

To be issued a key, contact the Law Library Manager at 785-838-2477.  There is a $...

I am an attorney from outside of Douglas County and will be visiting the Douglas County District Court. Can I get a temporary law library key?

Yes. The Douglas County Law Library shall allow, as a courtesy, temporary access to the law library during court business hours for visiting attorneys who are not registered or otherwise entitled by statute or law library policy.

Each Administrative Assistant of the...

I am an attorney who is required to register for the Law Library. How do I go about registering?

Complete registration instructions and form are in the “Join and Renew Registration” section of our web page

I am an attorney who lives in Douglas County but my office is elsewhere in Kansas. Do I need to complete a law library registration?

No. K.S.A. 20-3126(e) states: “For the purposes of this section, an attorney shall be required to be registered in the county: (1) Where the attorney's principal office is located, if such attorney is a resident of Kansas or a resident of another state; or (2) where the attorney resides,...

I am an attorney who lives in Douglas County but my office is in another state. Do I need to complete a law library registration?

Yes. K.S.A. 20-3126(e) states: “For the purposes of this section, an attorney shall be required to be registered in the county: (1) Where the attorney's principal office is located, if such attorney is a resident of Kansas or a resident of another state; or (2) where the attorney resides,...

I am an attorney whose office is in Douglas County but my residence is elsewhere. Do I need to complete a law library registration?

Yes. K.S.A. 20-3126(e) states: “For the purposes of this section, an attorney shall be required to be registered in the county: (1) Where the attorney's principal office is located, if such attorney is a resident of Kansas or a resident of another state; or (2) where the attorney resides,...

I am not a lawyer. May I use the Law Library?

Yes. The Law Library is open to anyone and everyone during public hours which are Tuesdays from 8:30am-3:00pm, and Wednesdays/Thursdays from 8:30am-12:30pm.

Is legal research software available in the library?

Yes. Westlaw can be accessed through each of the Library’s patron workstations. In addition, Bradley Software for parenting and child custody cases is available on one of the workstations.

Is there a charge for using the legal research software in the library?

No. All public patrons have access to all of the printed and electronic resources in the Law Library including Westlaw.

I’ve lost my library key! What do I do?

If a key is lost or stolen, you must notify the Law Library Manager/staff immediately upon discovery of the loss. During normal business hours, call the Law Library Manager at (785) 838-2477.   After normal business hours,...

I’ve reported my lost library key. How do I get a replacement?

Please see the Law Library Manager to report your missing Library key card.   There will be a $25.00 reissuing fee charged to replace the key. After you have paid the reissuing fee, the Law Library Manager will provide you with a Michael J. Malone Douglas County Law Library Door...

May Law Library staff answer my legal question?

No. Answering legal questions is considered to be giving legal advice. Library staff members are prohibited from giving legal advice in any form at any time. An attorney should be consulted to answer your legal questions.

What are the library’s public hours?

The general schedule for the Law Library’s public hours is below. For a more complete schedule including holidays that the Library will be closed, see the Library Hours page of this web site.

Sunday - Closed to...

What is the amount of the annual law library registration fee?

The Michael J. Malone Douglas County Law Library Board of Trustees has the current annual fee set at $50.00.  This is re-evaluated each year and is subject to change.

Why should I register for the Law Library?

1. K.S.A. 20-3126(c) states in part: “All attorneys required to register in such county shall register annually with the clerk of the district court….” 
2. K.S.A. 20-3126(d) states in part that the Court Clerk: “…shall not file in the clerk's office in any matter or...

What happens after a protection order is approved by a judge?

You will be assigned a case number and set for hearing on a Tuesday at 1:30pm. The defendant will be summoned to appear also, if they were served notice to appear before the court. This first hearing is not the hearing where evidence is presented. The first hearing is a status conference,...

What happens if my protection order is not approved by a judge?

Then there is no active protection order in place. You may choose to file again with more information.

What happens when I submit a protection order petition?

When a protection order is submitted before noon on a weekday, the judge has until 5:00pm the same day to either grant or dismiss the request. If the protection order is submitted after noon, the judge has until noon the next business day to decide to grant or dismiss the order. Protection...

What if the protection order goes to trial?

Both sides, the petitioner and the defendant, get to present evidence to support their claims. If you have pictures or screenshots to present to the judge, you must also provide a copy for the other side. If there is video evidence, then you would need to load the video(s) to a flash drive...

Where can I submit a protection order request?

If a person is seeking a protection order against someone else, they can apply online at kspop.gov. Click “Get Started.”