Sources of Free Legal Information on the Internet

CASES

• GoogleScholar: Legal opinions and journals.

• LexisOne: State and federal case law.

• Findlaw: State and federal case law.

• Library of Congress State opinions: State court opinions.

• Open Jurist: Cases from the Federal Reporters and United States Reports

• U.S. Supreme Court website: Latest slip opinions, orders, opinions, decisions from the U.S. reports and docket information.
• Supreme Court cases from 1937-1975: Decisions from the U.S. reports.

Note: court websites (at the state and federal level) may provide access to opinions --- coverage will vary.

• Links to courts at the state level ( Law Library of Congress) or alternative site (National Center for State Courts).
• Links to courts at the federal level (U.S. Courts): Additional state case law links found here (Cornell's Legal Information Institute).

 

STATUTES

Federal

• Office of the Law Revision Counsel (US Code)
• FDsys (US Code)
• Thomas:  Access to bills, public laws, and other Congressional documents from the 93rd Congress onwards.

• FDsys (previously GPO Access):  U.S. Government Printing Office’s new website with access to laws, Congressional documents, and regulations.

State

• Legal Information Institute: Links to state codes or the links to state codes organized by topic (Cornell's Legal Information Institute)

• Find Law: Links to official state codes or Browse by state or Browse by topic

 

REGULATIONS/Agency material

• Code of Federal Regulations (FDsys)
• E-CFR (Government Printing Office) 
• Federal Register (FDsys)

Note: Agency website are a great place to start for regulations, administrative decisions, and general information about the agency, agency procedures, and the laws that it implements and enforces. 

• USA.gov: Links to federal agency website
• Law Library of Congress: state agency websites can be found here (look under ‘Executive’ branch material for each state)
  

 

EXPLANATIONS/Secondary material

• Find Law: Basic information about legal topics
• Legal Information Institute (Cornell)
• Congressional Research Reports (Open CRs): Reports prepared for Congress that cover a variety of current political events
• Legal Research Guides by topic (Georgetown)

LIBRARY GUIDES

• U.S. Government resources (Northwestern)
• American Law, By Subject (Georgetown)
• LLRX: (Law and Technology Resources

FORMS/COURT RULES

• Federal Rules (Cornell's LII)

Note: Court websites (at both the state and federal level) will usually provide copies of local rules and any applicable forms that lawyers need. 

• Links to courts at the state level (Law Library of Congress): or National Center for State Courts.
• Links to courts at the federal level: (US Courts)