Guides Mostly Free Resources Cornell Legal Information Institute
We believe that everyone should be able to read and understand the laws that govern them, without cost. We carry out this vision by: We hope you'll learn more about us, and help support our work. Cornell's Legal Information Institute is a non-profit site that is free for anyone to use. It hosts Supreme Court cases from 1990 to present in both HTML and PDF and often provides links to users looking to access various federal and state cases, statutes, and regulations. Please note that, when it comes to lower Federal and State cases, LII mostly links users to other sites where they will find the case and does not have the case itself on the...
If you have an idea of what you're looking for, such as a party name, you can use the search bar to locate your resource. Another way is to hover over the "Get the Law" tab at the top of the page and selecting "Supreme Court." However, you can also scroll down and find a section titled "Legal Resources,"... Both links will redirect you to a page with a list of the most recent decisions. Below that list, there will be a text box with a variety of resources, such as the "Archive of Decisions" and "Current Awareness." Using these links, you can easily find those same recent decisions,... See below for an example of the text box. The easiest way to locate Federal Cases is to hover over the "Get the Law" tab then hover over the "Law by Jurisdiction" option.
From there, you'll be able to select "Federal Law" and can scroll down to the "Judicial Branch" section, where you'll find links to decisions from the Supreme Court, Federal Court of Appeals, and other... One way to find state cases is to hover over "Get the Law," then "Law by Jurisdiction." You'll then be given the option for "State Law." From there, you'll want to select "Listing by... You can select a state, which will redirect you to a page with links to various websites that can be accessed to locate state court level opinions. For example, if you select Alabama, you will be redirected to a page that has various links to: Alabama's Constitution and Legislation; their Judiciary; Regulations and Other Agency Materials; and Additional Collections of State... This guide contains selected, free, online United States federal and state legal research materials. Many lawyers have access to paid databases.
Yet, combining paid and free resources, can help them to avoid potentially expensive searches. According to a 2020 Legal Technology Survey Report, nearly 60% of lawyers “say they regularly use free online resources to conduct legal research.” For researchers without access to paid databases, the following resources may be essential. Legal research is often more effective when using a local law library. To learn more about law libraries throughout the United States, visit: Statutes and legislative materials are becoming available freely online, with increasing frequency.
Free resources can be a great starting place for statutory research. However, always make sure you confirm your findings in an authoritative version of the law. Federal case law and court documents are often available freely online, particularly recently decided cases. Check the website of the deciding court for digital copies of their cases. In addition, the following resources provide free case law. There are many sources for free legal information on the Internet, especially for legislative bodies and regulatory agencies.
It can be cost-effective to begin your research on free (but authoritative) websites before moving to fee-based legal databases. © 2022 Fowler School of Law, Hugh & Hazel Darling Law Library. All Rights Reserved. GovInfo.gov The Government Publishing Office provides analysis and interpretation of the U.S. Constitution at GovInfo.gov. There are links to the text and to constitutional law cases.
Cornell University Law School LII: U.S. Constitution Cornell University Law School provides free access to the text of the constitution and amendments. Ross-Blakley Law Library: Federal Legislature Research Guide This research guide is designed to assist you in identifying and locating federal legislation at all stages of its progress through Congress, from proposal to enactment. The guide links to both free resources and subscription resources. Office of the Law Revision Counsel: U.S. Code (1994-current) The Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S.
House of Representatives prepares and publishes the United States Code. The currency date for each section of the Code is displayed above the text of the section. If the section has been affected by any laws enacted after that date, those laws will appear in a list of "Pending Updates". If there are no pending updates listed, the section is current as shown. GovInfo.gov: U.S. Code (1994-current) GovInfo.gov, the website of the Government Publishing Office, provides access to the U.S.
Code for the years 1994-present. GovInfo does not provide the most current version of the code but it is a good source for historical research. This research guide covers resources available in the Law Library and online which are either freely available, or when so indicated, available to members of the Loyola law school community with a valid Loyola... These helpful sites provide links to a variety of free and subscription databases granting access to a wide range of legal research resources, including primary and secondary authority at the state and federal level. We have created legal research guides on a number of common topics, such as researching case law, statutes, and secondary sources. Research guides are lists of librarian-recommended resources on your specific topic, and are an excellent starting point for any legal research project.
See our research guides here. There are many resources available for legal research. Consider starting your search with secondary sources: materials that explain and discuss primary law like cases, statutes, and regulations.The library's guide to Secondary Sources can give you more information on finding and using these... A legal dictionary can help you interpret and understand legal terms. See the library's guide to Dictionaries. General sources for legal research include:
There are many good sources for case law online. Some options include: Cornell Community - available to entire Cornell community Law School Computers - available only using Law School workstations Personal Account - law students and faculty access using personal accounts. Contact lawref@cornell.edu for more information.
These sites are great for researchers at all levels In the 1991 remake of The Addams Family (a movie to die for), an Uncle Fester imposter has taken control of the family home. Gomez tells his clan not to worry, that the courts will make them whole. “They say a man who represents himself has a fool for a client,” says Gomez. Then he raises a defiant finger: “Well, with God as my witness, I am that fool!” This decision put Gomez among the ranks of self-represented, or pro se (Latin for “for oneself”), litigants.
These litigants are one of the main categories of people who use law libraries. Others include solo attorneys, academic researchers, and government officials. Generally, there are three types of law libraries: academic, public, and private. Some are open to anyone at any time; others restrict access at certain times to certain individuals. Almost all of them, however, have websites. Here are some of the best law library websites.
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We Believe That Everyone Should Be Able To Read And
We believe that everyone should be able to read and understand the laws that govern them, without cost. We carry out this vision by: We hope you'll learn more about us, and help support our work. Cornell's Legal Information Institute is a non-profit site that is free for anyone to use. It hosts Supreme Court cases from 1990 to present in both HTML and PDF and often provides links to users looking ...
If You Have An Idea Of What You're Looking For,
If you have an idea of what you're looking for, such as a party name, you can use the search bar to locate your resource. Another way is to hover over the "Get the Law" tab at the top of the page and selecting "Supreme Court." However, you can also scroll down and find a section titled "Legal Resources,"... Both links will redirect you to a page with a list of the most recent decisions. Below that...
From There, You'll Be Able To Select "Federal Law" And
From there, you'll be able to select "Federal Law" and can scroll down to the "Judicial Branch" section, where you'll find links to decisions from the Supreme Court, Federal Court of Appeals, and other... One way to find state cases is to hover over "Get the Law," then "Law by Jurisdiction." You'll then be given the option for "State Law." From there, you'll want to select "Listing by... You can s...
Yet, Combining Paid And Free Resources, Can Help Them To
Yet, combining paid and free resources, can help them to avoid potentially expensive searches. According to a 2020 Legal Technology Survey Report, nearly 60% of lawyers “say they regularly use free online resources to conduct legal research.” For researchers without access to paid databases, the following resources may be essential. Legal research is often more effective when using a local law lib...
Free Resources Can Be A Great Starting Place For Statutory
Free resources can be a great starting place for statutory research. However, always make sure you confirm your findings in an authoritative version of the law. Federal case law and court documents are often available freely online, particularly recently decided cases. Check the website of the deciding court for digital copies of their cases. In addition, the following resources provide free case ...