United States law is divided into three types, which parallel the three branches of government: Statutory Law, or the laws passed by the legislative branch; Administrative Law, or the rules and regulations created and enforced by the executive branch; and Case Law, the interpretations of statutory and executive law given by the judicial system. These same structures apply at the state level. And each branch of government publishes its portion of the law separately.
STATUTORY LAW
Consolidation and codification
United States Statutes at Large GOV DOC/ REF
AE 2.111: 1967-currentGOV DOC/ MF
AE 2.111: 1949-1972The official compilation of the acts and resolutions of each session of Congress. The Statutes at Large consist of two parts, the first comprising public acts and joint resolutions; the second, private acts and joint resolutions, concurrent resolutions, treaties, proposed and ratified amendment to Constitution and presidential proclamations. The arrangement is by the Public Law number.
Public and Private Laws, 104th Congress forwardThe Public and Private Laws data base is a collection of laws enacted beginning in 1995 and is prepared and published by the Office of the Federal Register (OFR), National Archives and Records Administration.
Wisconsin Acts GOV DOC/INDEX TABLE Wisconsin Session Laws GOV DOC/INDEX TABLE The body of laws enacted by the Wisconsin Assembly during a biennial session. The Acts are published in pamphlet form through out a legislative session. At the end of the session the Acts are bound, in the order of their enactment, into the Wisconsin Session Laws.
Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations GOV DOC/ INDEX TABLE
KFW 2430 .A2Consist of the Statues of 1898 and the additions and amendments and less the repeals made by the legislature. All laws and parts of laws relating to each subject-matter are brought together under various headings and arranged systematically.
Search Uniform Commercial Code to retrieve relevant chapters.
Statutes and Laws of Minnesota (Session Laws)
United States Code GOV DOC/ REF Y 1.2/5: The consolidation and codification of the general and permanent laws of the United States. This is the official version of the U.S.Code.U.S. Code Service (USCS) available via LexisNexis Academic
USCS is a privately produced version of the U.S. Code that contain additional proprietary content.
United States Statutes And The United States Code Historical Outlines, Notes, Lists, Tables, and Sources (Law Librarians' Society of Washington, D.C.)
Wisconsin Statutes GOV DOC/ INDEX TABLE REF KFW 2430 .A2
ADMINISTRATIVE LAW
Administrative Agencies: an overview [Legal Information Institute at Cornell]Federal Regulations see Federal Regulations slide showAdministrative law encompasses laws and legal principles governing the administration and regulation of government agencies (both Federal and state). Such agencies are delegated power by Congress (or in the case of a state agency, the state legislature) to act as agents for the executive. Generally, administrative agencies are created to protect a public interest rather than to vindicate private rights.
The Federal Register is issued each Federal working day. Many laws enacted by Congress require agencies to issue regulations, since the Federal Register is the medium for notifying the public of official agency actions, all regulations must be published in it. Once the regulations are finalized they are codified into the Code of Federal Regulations.
Federal Register GOV DOC/FED AE 2.106: The Federal Register is arranged by AGENCY, then by classification, e.g., Presidential Documents, Rules and Regulations, Proposed Rules, Notices, Sunshine Act Meetings, Corrections.
For additional explanation consult the Federal Register Tutorial
This publication is also known as the CFR. The CFR is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the Executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government. The CFR is divided into 50 titles that represent broad subject areas of Federal regulations. Each title is divided into chapters that often bear the name of the issuing agency. Each chapter is further subdivided into parts covering specific regulatory areas.
Code of Federal Regulations GOV DOC/REF AE 2.106/3-2: Title 3 of the CFR contains a compilation of Presidential documents and a codification of regulations issued by the Executive Office of the President.
GOV DOC/REF AE 2.106/2: The List of CFR Sections Affected lists proposed, new, and amended Federal regulations that have been published in the Federal Register since the most recent revision date of a Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) title. It is published by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration.
The Register is issued twice monthly and consists of the following parts:
Wisconsin Administrative Register GOV DOC/ WIS REF A 5/4: Register Wisconsin Administrative Code and Wisconsin Administrative Register The Notice Section lists by agency any proposed rules or hearing to be held on a proposed rule. The Emergency Rules Now in Effect section provides a cumulative list by agency of all emergency rules currently in effect. The rules are published in summary only, with full text appearing in the official state newspaper, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The Notice of Submission of Proposed Rules to the Presiding Officer of Each House of the Legislature, Under S. 22.19, Stats., indicates proposed rules that are at the stage of review. Clearinghouse Rule number are provided and with this number, action on the rule can be traced using the Administrative Rules section of the Bulletin of the Proceedings of the Wisconsin Legislature GOV DOC/ WIS Z 1: pt. The Administrative Rules Filed with the Revisor of Statues Bureau alerts the reader to permanent rules that have already gone through the approval process and will become effective after their publication in the Register. A tentative effective date is given for each rule so listed. A phone number is also provided so the reader can contact the Revisor of Statues Bureau for updated information. The Final Regulatory Flexibility Analyses lists the final regulatory flexibility analyses for rules that have been published that month. This is included on in the end-of-month Register. Two other sections occasionally appear in the Register: Public Notices, which includes information on informational public hearings about rule related matters, and Notice of Nonacquiescence, which give notice of agencies who are not appealing a court decision but who will not consider that decision as binding upon them in other cases.
The Wisconsin Administrative Code is a multi-volume compilation of agencies' permanent rules.
Wisconsin Administrative Code GOV DOC/ WIS REF A 5/4: 1956- Wisconsin Administrative Code and Wisconsin Administrative Register
An administrative rule is a general statement adopted by an agency to make the law it enforces or administers more specific or to govern the agency's organization or procedure.
Minnesota Register Minnesota Administrative Rules
Keyword search Search MN Rules
by agency nameAn agency may adopt a rule only after the legislature has enacted a law granting this authority to the agency. An agency rule that is adopted under the rulemaking provisions of Minnesota Statutes, chapter 14, has the force and effect of law. Rulemaking in Minnesota: A Guide explains each step of the rulemaking process in Minnesota.
Administrative Codes and Registers : State-by-State National Association of Secretaries of State
CASE LAW
FEDERAL
United States Reports GOV DOC/FED JU 6.8:
Covers 1963 to currentSupreme Court Decisions, 1937 to 1975 Supreme Court Decisions 2000- Bound Volumes 502 (1991) - [a very large PDF files]
The decisions printed in the United States Reports are the official versions of cases decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. These cases usually includes a syllabus, the opinion of the Court, concurring and dissenting opinions, if any, the disposition made of each case, and order of the Court.
Cases Argued and Decided in the Supreme Court of the United States, 1794-1881 Periodicals Stacks Federal Judiciary OYEZ The OYEZ Project contains many hundreds of hours of audio materials delivered through a free player available from Real.com Supreme Court Supreme Court Decisions [Legal Information Institute at Cornell] Supreme Court Reporter GOV DOC/FED
JU 5.9x: Covers 1883-1988
Databases
LexisNexis Academic
Secondary Literature
Contents Legal News Secondary Literature Contents Law Reviews Articles from law reviews
Law review explain legal principles and cite relevant cases.Case Law
Federal & State Cases combined Federal & state legal cases
Searches case by name. Use when unsure of the court a
case heard in.Federal Case Law Decisions from all federal court levels Federal Codes Code of Federal Regulations Shepard's citations Used to track of precedents, validate citations and to locate additional legal authorities Codes & Regulations
Federal Code, U.S. Code Service (USCS) U.S. Constitution & court rules
Federal Regulations Code of Federal Regulation State Codes Statutory laws, court rules from all states & Attorneys General opinions from all states State regulatory materials. U.S. Constitution Tax Law IRS Bulletin, tax regulations & more
click here to see all GPO Access titles
Code of Federal Regulations
(1996 forward)The Code of Federal Regulations is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the Executive Department and agencies of the Federal Government. The CFR is divided into 50 titles which represent broad areas subject to Federal regulation. Each title is divided into chapters which usually bear the name of the issuing agency. Each chapter is further subdivided into parts covering specific regulatory areas. The database will be updated throughout the calendar year as the individual title databases are updated. It is now possible to search on individual titles or multiple titles at once. Constitution of the United States of America Analysis and Interpretation The Constitution of the United States comprises the primary law of the U.S. federal government. It also describes the three chief branches of the Federal government and their jurisdictions. In addition, it lays out the basic rights of citizens of the United States. In this database, GPO Access makes available editions and supplements from 1992 forward of Constitution Analysis and Interpretation. The Congressional Research Service in the Library of Congress prepares this service. Federal Register (1994 forward) Contains the daily issues of the Federal Register (FR). The current database is updated by 6:00 a.m., Eastern time each day the FR is published. The FR databases for prior years contain the daily issues of the Federal Register from 1994 forward. All information in the Federal Register is included: Notices, Rules, Proposed Rules, Executive Orders, Presidential Documents, Table of Contents, Preliminary Information, Sunshine Act Meetings, List of the CFR Parts Affected and other Reader Aids. The Unified Agenda (Semi- Annual Regulatory Agenda) is available as a separate database. Public Laws Online (104th Congress forward) The Public Laws database is a collection of laws enacted during the 104th Congress (1995-1996) forward. The header of each section indicates when a recent Public Law affects that particular section but the text remains unchanged until the annual revision cycle. Prepared and published by the Office of the Federal Register (OFR), National Archives and Records Administration, each law is first published as a slip law and then later compiled into a volume of the Statutes at Large. The Public Laws database contains the text of each law enacted, and is updated irregularly as the publication of a slip law is authorized by the OFR. Supreme Court Decisions (1937-1975) The U.S. Air Force compiled and released this historic file of Supreme Court decisions from its FLITE ("Federal Legal Information Through Electronics") system. It includes more than 7,000 decisions from 1937-1975, from volumes 300 through 422 of U.S. Reports. This database is being made available as a finding aid. It is not an official version of the Supreme Court's opinions, which will be found in the United States Reports Unified Agenda (Semiannual Regulatory Agenda) The Unified Agenda, also known as the Semi-Annual Regulatory Agenda, summarizes pending regulatory actions by Federal agencies. The database is updated semi-annually (usually April and October) when the Unified Agenda is published in the Federal Register. The Unified Agenda is available from 1994 forward. United States Code The United States Code is prepared and published by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives. It is the codification of the general and permanent laws of the United States, and is updated in print format every six years.
Printed Resources
Finding AIDS CFR Index and Finding Aids GOV DOC/REF
AE 2.106/3-2:Index to the Code of Federal Regulations GOV DOC/ INDEX TABLE Shepard's Acts and Cases by Popular Names: Federal and State GOV DOC/INDEX TABLE General Legal Information : How to Find It, How to Use It GOV DOC/REF
KF240 .O365 1999It's the Law : a Primer on Wisconsin's Legal System GOV DOC/ WIS LEG.6/2:L 38/1999 West's Encyclopedia of American Law REF KF154 .W47 1998 Supreme Court Historic U.S. Court Cases 1690-1990: An Encyclopedia REF KF 385 .A4 J 64 How to Research the Supreme Court GOV DOC/REF
KF 8741.A1 M36 1992The Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States REF KF 8742 .A 35 O93 United States Supreme Court Decisions: An Index to Excerpts, Reprints, Discussion REF KF 101.6 .G83 1983 We the Students : Supreme Court Decisions for and about Students GOV DOC REF KF4150.A7 R37 2000 Other Sources of Information Bieber's Current American Legal Citations REF KF246 .B45 1986 Black's Law Dictionary REF KF156 .B53 1999 Congressional Quarterly's Desk Reference on American Courts GOV DOC REF
KF8720 .B37Encyclopedia of the American Constitution REF KF4548 .E53 2000 The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation GOV DOC FED/REF
Y 1.1/2:14152Legal Information : How to Find It, How to Use It GOV DOC REF
KF240 .O365 1999West's Encyclopedia of American Law REF KF154 .W47 1998
General Legal Sites
FindLaw Internet Law Library Introduction to Legal Materials: A Manual for Non-Law Librarians (Law Librarians Association of Wisconsin) Global Legal Monitor (GLM) from the Law Library of Congress Global Legal Information Network (GLIN) from the Law Library of Congress Guide to Law Online from the Law Library of Congress Legal Information Institute [Cornell Law School] National Agricultural Law Center [University of Arkansas School of Law] State Legal Sources on the Web (University of Michigan Library) Understanding The Federal Courts (Administrative Office of the United States Courts) Wisconsin State Law Library: Wisconsin Law & Government Wex a public-access law dictionary and encyclopedia. (Cornell Law School)
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