University Library > Internet Resources > Law Resources

Law Resources

ATTENTION: This web page is no longer updated (while it is converted into a library guide) --Sept. 2011

Table of Contents:

State/Local (U.S.): Wisconsin All States Taxation International Law

Federal (U.S.): Administrative Law Court Cases Legislation Constitution Taxation

Gov't Agency/ Organization Lists Dictionaries Electronic Law Reviews (Journals) Indexes Legal Encyclopedia

Citation Guide Directories Legal Forms Shepardizing Miscellany Search Internet

State & Local Law (U.S.)

Wisconsin

• Wisconsin.gov or List of State Agencies - Locate state government agencies here.
• LexisNexis Academic database: Select "Area of Law" and Filter by Country: "United States." Next select "Wisconsin." Then select a publication type, such as "cases" or "legislation, statutes & codes,"or "constitutions." Browse/search Wisconsin Statutes, Constitution, Court Rules & Advanced Legislative Service, Combined -

  Search Wisconsin Supreme Court cases since Jan. 1944 and/or Wisconsin Appeals Court cases since Aug. 1978, by case name, citation, or keywords. Search the Wisconsin Code, Constitution, or court rules by specific citation or search for keywords in the text.

• Campus Research (Westlaw) -

  Click the "Law" tab, then type search term(s) into the "Search for:" box, then

  • for court cases select "State Jurisdictions:" with Wisconsin in the drop-down box, or
  • for statutes select "State Statutes:" with Wisconsin in the drop-down box, or
  • for administrative code select "State Administrative Codes:" with Wisconsin in the drop-down box.

• WISBAR Legal Resources (The State Bar of Wisconsin)

  Recent decisions and rules of the state Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, other state courts, and Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations. Also available in Andersen Library's Documents & Reference collections: state appellate court cases in Wisconsin Reports (v.1-275, 1853:Jun.-1957:May) and West's North Western Reporter (1 N.W.-600 N.W.2d). 

• Consolidated Court Automation Programs (CCAP) Wisconsin Circuit Court Access

  Click on the "I agree" button to begin. How far back cases go depends on the county (See When Wisconsin Counties Began Using CCAP. Case information is kept on WCCA for 10 years or the minimum period of time for the case type as set by the supreme court rules (SCR Chapter 72 Retention and Maintenance of Court Records), whichever is longer.

• Wisconsin Briefs (University of Wisconsin Law Library)

  This searchable site contains briefs for all published Wisconsin Supreme Court and Court of Appeals published cases and all unpublished Court of Appeals cases beginning with 173 Wis.2d (November, 1992). Briefs from very recent or pending cases may not be available.

• Wisconsin State Legislature

  State law available from here includes legislation (proposed bills, acts, resolutions) from the current and previous (since 1995/1996) legislative sessions, state statutes, and the Wisconsin Constitution. Also available in Andersen Library: Current and historical session laws and state statutes. The Wisconsin Legislator Briefing Book, 2007-08 explains the legislative process.

• Wisconsin Legislative Notification Service - Internet Explorer browser required

  Citizens using the system will receive daily or weekly emails when specified legislative activity occurrs. For example, users may choose to be notified about every action affecting a specific proposal, bills introduced by a particular legislator, activities of a specific committee, or introductions relating to a particular topic.

• Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau

  Provided in full text are several LRB publications related to the topics of recent legislative activity and the Wisconsin Blue Book (since the 1995-1996 edition), which contains state agency addresses and descriptions. Current and previous editions of the Blue Book and other LRB publications are available in print in Andersen Library (listed in the online catalog). Blue Books back to 1853 are available through the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections. An excellent guide to Researching legislative history in Wisconsin is online, and indicates that the bill drafting records (documents to examine as part of this research) are online since 1999 via the University of Wisconsin Law School Library .

• Wisconsin Administrative Code (Wisconsin Revisor of Statutes Bureau)

  A link to the Administrative Register is provided also. Both the register and the entire state administrative code are available in print in Andersen Library.

• Equal Rights Decision Digest (Wisconsin Labor and Industry Review Commission) - and selected LIRC Equal Rights Decisions
• LIRC Unemployment Insurance Decisisons (Wisconsin Labor and Industry Review Commission) - Selected full­text cases.
• LIRC Workers Compensation Decisisons (Wisconsin Labor and Industry Review Commission) - Selected full­text cases.
• WI Law: Codes & Ordinances (Wisconsin State Law Library)  includes Whitewater

  See also the links for municipal codes at the bottom of the next section "All 50 States."

All 50 States

• LexisNexis Academic database -

  Contains codes, constitutions, court rules, and court cases from all fifty states. Search for specific citations, case name, or keywords in fulltext, sections, or headings. To search only materials for a particular state, click on the "Sources" tab. Select "Area of Law" and filter by country United States, then select a particular state. Also select a publication type (cases, constitutions, etc.) if desired.

• Campus Research (Westlaw) -

  Type search term(s) into the "Search for:" box, then

  • for court cases select "All State Cases," or "State Jurisdictions:" with a specific state highlighted in the drop-down box, or
  • for statutes select "State Statutes:" with a specific state highlighted in the drop-down box, or
  • for administrative codes select "State Administrative Codes:" with a specific state highlighted in the drop-down box.

• StateLaw: State Government & Legislative Information (Washburn University)
• State and Local Governments (Library of Congress) - Scroll down to states listing.
• Administrative Law Resources Arranged by State (ABA Administrative Procedure Database, via Florida State University) - Alternatively, see the listing of Internet Access to Rules by the National Association of Secretaries of State.
• Court Web Sites (National Center for State Courts)
• Drafts of Uniform and Model Acts (The National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, via University of Pennsylvania.
• Uniform Commercial Code Locator (via Cornell University) - From this site the text of the UCC may be viewed, as well as locating state statutes corresponding to Articles of the UCC. There are similar sites for the Uniform Probate Code, Uniform Rules of Evidence, uniform matrimonial, family, & health laws, and uniform business & financial laws.
• Municipal Codes Online (Seattle Public Library)
• Online Library (Municipal Code Corporation) - Includes several Wisconsin codes, including Fort Atkinson, Madison, and the Walworth County Code of Ordinances. Also available in Andersen Library at the Reference Desk: Whitewater (Wisconsin) municipal code.

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Federal (U.S.) Administrative Law

Agency Decisions

• Administrative Decisions & Other Actions (University of Virginia Library)
• Bureaus and Offices (Federal Communications Commission) - Most full­text notices and orders are found under the appropriate bureau of the FCC. Brief synopses of FCC orders, as well as news releases and speeches, can be found in the Daily Digests, online since 1994. Browse by bureau, by document type, or use the FCC Search Tools to look for keywords.
• United States National Labor Relations Board - Decisions (since v.321, July 1996) and Weekly Summary of NLRB Cases are available. Also available in the University Library's Federal Documents collection: Decisions and Orders at LR 1.8:

Regulations & Rules

• Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) (National Archives and Records Administration, via GPO Access)

  Administrative agencies' regulations and rules are arranged into 50 titles, which are revised annually. Search here by keyword(s) or by citation. It is possible to limit a search to specified title(s) of the CFR. Also available in Andersen Library's Documents collection: current edition only.

• Code of Federal Regulations (LexisNexis Academic database) -

  Under "Sources" select "CFR - Code of Federal Regulations."

• Federal Register (daily issues since v.59, 1994, via GPO Access)

  This publication updates the CFR, containing proposed and newly adopted administrative agency regulations and rules. Also available in the University Library's Federal Documents collection: daily issues since 1986 at AE 2.106: (microfiche format 1986-Nov. 1994).

• Regulations.gov

  This U.S. Government website facilities public comment on proposed regulations printed in the Federal Register. Search by federal agency or by keyword(s).

• Unified Agenda (1994­ to date, via GPO Access)

  Scroll down to select from the database list. The agenda is published in the Federal Register semi­annually, summarizing pending regulatory actions by Federal agencies.

• Campus Research (Westlaw) -
  Type search term(s) into the "Search for:" box, then select either "Code of Federal Regulations" or "Federal Register."

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Federal (U.S.) Court Cases

About the Courts | Court Rules
U.S. Supreme Court | U.S. Circuits/Courts of Appeals | U.S. District Courts

About the Courts

• Understanding the Federal Courts (Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts)
• About the Supreme Court (U.S. Supreme Court) | The Supreme Court Historical Society
• The Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States -
• The Oxford Guide to United States Supreme Court Decisions -

Court Rules

Federal Rules of Civil Procedure | Federal Rules of Evidence | Rules of the Supreme Court of the U.S. (Cornell University)

U.S. Supreme Court

Also available in Andersen Library's Reference Collection (U.S. Supreme Court Reports, Lawyers' Edition), and in the Federal Documents Collection (U.S. Reports).

• U.S. Supreme Court Cases (LexisNexis Academic database) -
  Decisions since 1790, briefs since 1970. (See also under choices under "US Legal").
• Opinions (U.S. Supreme Court) since vol.502 U.S. Reports (1991:Oct.)
• Oyez (Jerry Goldman, Northwestern University) Access to abstracts of U.S. Supreme Court cases, with digital audio of oral arguments for cases since 1995, selected audio for earlier cases, and links to written opinions for all cases since 1891.
• U.S. Supreme Court Collection (decisions since 1990, via Cornell University)
• Campus Research (Westlaw) - Click on the "Law" tab and then check the "Supreme Court Cases" option.
• Search U.S. Supreme Court cases since 1893, v.150 U.S. Reports (via Findlaw):

Browse by U.S. Reports volume | by year

Citation Search U.S. e.g. 410 U.S. 113

Title Search e.g. Roe v. Wade

Full-Text Search [options ]

• Seminal Supreme Court Cases Regarding Federal Indian Law (Wisconsin Judicare's Indian Law Office)

U.S. Courts of Appeals/Circuit Courts

- Court Locator/map (Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts)

Also available in Andersen Library's Reference Collection (Federal Reporter)

• U.S. Circuit Courts (FindLaw) - Select one circuit or search all.
• Federal Case Law (LexisNexis Academic database)-
  Contains decisions since 1789.
• Search (Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute) - Search one or all U.S. circuit courts.
• Campus Research (Westlaw) - Click on the "Law" tab and then select "All Federal Cases."
• First Circuit (decisions since Jan. 1992)- ME,MA,NH,PR,RI
• Second Circuit - CT,NY,VT
• Third Circuit (decisions since May 1994, via Villanova University) - DE,NJ,PA

  Opinions Archive Search Form provided at the Court's website.

• Fourth Circuit (decisions since Jan. 1996) - MD,NC,SC,VA,WV
• Fifth Circuit (decisions since 1992) - LA,MS,TX
• Sixth Circuit (decisions since Jul. 1999)- KY,MI,OH,TN
• Seventh Circuit - IL,IN,WI
• Eighth Circuit (decisions since 1995) - AR,IA,MN,MO,NE,ND,SD
• Ninth Circuit (decisions since 1995) - AK,AZ,CA,HI,ID,MT,NV,OR,WA
• Tenth Circuit (decisions since 1995) - CO,KS,NM,OK,UT,WY
• Eleventh Circuit (decisions since 1994) - AL,FL,GA
• D.C. Circuit (decisions since Apr. 1995, via Georgetown University)
• Federal Circuit (decisions since Jul. 1995, via Georgetown University)

U.S. District Courts

Also available in Andersen Library's Reference Collection (Federal Suplement)

• Federal Case Law (LexisNexis Academic database) -
  Contains decisions since 1789. Under "Sources" select "U.S. District Court Cases." Under "Date" make an appropriate selection.
• Campus Research (Westlaw) -
• Federal Courts Finder (Emory University School of Law) - Scroll down to links to official WWW sites, by state. Content varies, many do not provide full-text opinions on the WWW.
• District Courts (FindLaw)

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Federal (U.S.) Legislation

The legislative process:

• Enactment of a Law (U.S. Senate)
• How Our Laws Are Made (U.S. House)

U.S. Code

Laws currently in force in the United States, enacted by the U.S. Congress and arranged into 50 broad subject "titles". Also available in Andersen Library's Documents collection.

• U.S. Code (via GPO Access) - Scroll down to the search box.
• U.S. Code (via Cornell University)
• United States Code Service (LexisNexis Academic database) -
  Under "Sources:" select more specific titles within the U.S. Code if desired. It is also possible to browse the U.S. Code.
• United States Code Annotated (Campus Research, powered by Westlaw) -
  Type search term(s) into the "Search for:" box, then select "United States Code Annotated."

Bills & Public Laws

• LexisNexis Congressional database -
  

  CIS Index to legislation, with links to full-text bills since the 101st Congress (1989-1990).

• Bills & Public Laws (via Thomas, Library of Congress)
• Bills & Public Laws (via GPO Access) - Scroll down to select from the database list.

  Legislation introduced (bills) & enacted (public laws) by the U.S. Congress since the 103rd Congress (1993/1994) available at both online sites above.

• Search public laws by keyword (LexisNexis Congressional database) -

  Enacted legislation since 1988 (100th Congress) may be searched here. Select "Public Laws."

• United States Statutes at Large (Library of Congress)

  Here are the enacted laws of the first forty-three Congresses, 1789-1875. Vol. VII is an early collection of treaties with Indian tribes, although it is not complete to date. Also available in Andersen Library's Documents collection: slip laws (current session's enacted laws) and previous sessions' public laws in U.S. Statutes at Large (The earliest volumes are in microfiche format in the Reference Microforms Room).

• United States Statutes at Large: Main Page (U.S. Government Printing Office)

  Here is searchable full text of the statutes only for the 108th Congress (2003-2004, vol. 117).

Congressional Record

Official daily record of proceedings and debates on the Senate and House floors of the U.S. Congress, online full­text since 1994 (104th Congress). The index is available via GPO Access since 1983. Also available in Andersen Library's Federal Documents collection: daily issues since 1983 and bound volumes since 1873.

• Congressional Record (101st Congress, 1989/1990 to date, via "Thomas", Library of Congress)
• Congressional Record. (v.140, 1994 to date, via GPO Access)
• Congressional Record Index (since 1983, via GPO Access)

The three titles that were published covering the years before the Congressional Record are available online via the Library of Congress:

• Annals of Congress, 1789-1824 (1st-18th Congresses) - also known as The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States)
• Register of Debates, 1824-1837 (18th Congress:2d session-25th Congress:1st session)
• Congressional Globe, 1833-1873 (23rd-42nd Congresses)

Congressional Committee Publications

See WWW sites of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives for links to committee WWW sites, where some full-text hearings, prints, reports, and documents may be found.

Selected Congressional committee documents and reports since the 104th Congress (1995/1996- ) are full-text online. These materials also are available in the University Library's Federal Documents collection, along with committee hearings - some in microfiche format (search the online catalog for exact classification numbers).

• Senate, House, & Treaty Documents (since 104th Congress, 1995/1996, via GPO Access)
• Senate, House, & Executive Reports (since 104th Congress, 1995/1996, via GPO Access)

Presidential Signing Statements

• Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents (via GPO Access, since 1993)

  Also available in the University Library since 1983.

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U.S. Constitution

• About America: The Constitution of the United States of America with Explanatory Notes (America.gov - U.S. Dept. of State, International Information Programs)
• The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation (via GPO Access, sponsored by the U.S. Senate) - This publication includes annotations of U.S. Supreme Court cases, and also is available at Andersen Library's Reference Desk.
• The Constitution of the United States of America (via FindLaw)
• The Constitution of the United States (National Archives) - Also available here: the Declaration of Independence.
• Constitution of the United States of America (LexisNexis Academic database) -
  Under "Sources:" select "Constitution of the United States."

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International Law

• Foreign and International Law (Washburn University) - alphabetical list
• International Constitutional Law (via University of Bern, Germany) - Select a country.
• Law by Source: Global (Cornell School of Law) - Select a continent, then countries listed alphabetically. Many country listings include consitutions.
• UN Documentation Centre (United Nations) - Selected official UN documents are posted here.

International Courts

• Court of Justice of the European Communities - Recent decisions are full-text online. Descriptions of other institutions of the European Union also available.
• The International Court of Justice (via Cornell University) - Also known as the World Court, this is the supreme judicial body of the United Nations. Its decisions since 1996 are online.
• International Court Web Sites (National Center for State Courts)

International & Multilateral Treaties

• Environmental Treaties & Resource Indicators (ENTRI) (via Columbia University)
• Multilaterals Project (Tufts University) - Select a subject category, or a chronological listing
• Treaties in Force (annual, U.S. Dept. of State)

  This is an annual listing of treaties and other international agreements with the United States.

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Dictionaries

For legal abbreviations use Bieber's Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations, searchable via LexisNexis Academic's "US Legal" -- "Legal Reference" section Also available at Andersen Library's 2ndd-floor Reference Desk

• (Highly Recommended:) Black's Law Dictionary, searchable via Campus Research's "Law" tab. - Also available in Andersen Library's 2nd-floor Reference Collection
• Ballentine's Law Dictionary, 3rd ed., 1969 (and a couple other legal dictionaries), searchable via LexisNexis Academic's "US Legal" -- "Legal Reference" section Also available in Andersen Library's 3rd-floor Main Collection
• A Dictionary of Law (Oxford Reference Online) -
• Duhaime's Law Dictionary
• Everybody's Legal Glossary (Nolo.com)
• Legal Lexicon's Lyceum (The 'Lectric Law Library)
• Oxford Companion to American Law (Oxford Reference Online) -
• Search the Legal Dictionary (Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law ©1996 via FindLaw)
• Wex (LII, Legal Information Institute, Cornell University)

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Electronic Law Reviews (Journals)*

*Not all law reviews are full­text online; some provide abstracts and/or table of contents only.

• Law Reviews (LexisNexis Academic database) -
  Contains more than 200 law reviews and law journals. Click on the gray "i" to see a list of titles.
• Academic Law Reviews and Journals - Journals listed by topic or law school; annotations show abstracts/full-text availability online.
• Law Journals on the Net (Cornell University)
• University Law Review Project (Indiana University)
• Campus Research (Westlaw) -

  Type search term(s) into the "Search for:" box, then select Journals and Law Reviews (also select a specific state or "All Journals and Law Reviews" in the drop-down box as appropriate).

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Indexes

• Law indexes that may be used to identify articles on legal topics
• LexisNexis Academic database -
• Campus Research (Westlaw) -

  Type search term(s) into the "Search for:" box, then select Journals and Law Reviews (also select a specific state or "All Journals and Law Reviews" in the drop-down box as appropriate).

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Legal Encycopedia

- Also available in Andersen Library's 2nd-floor Law Collection: Corpus Juris Secundum.

• American Jurisprudence 2d (Campus Research, powered by Westlaw) -

  Type search term(s) into the "Search:" box, then select American Jurisprudence 2d under "Encyclopedias and law Reviews," or click "Table of Contents to browse legal topics.

• American Jurisprudence 2d (LexisNexis Academic) -

  Under "US Legal" select "Legal Reference" and then check American Jurisprudence and enter search words into "Search For:" box above. Click "Browse" by the AmJur option to browse through legal topics.

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Citation Guide

• Introduction to Basic Legal Citation (Cornell University)

  Based on A Uniform System of Citation (aka the "Blue Book"), which is available at the University Library's Reference Desk

• Universal Citation Guide (Committee on Citation Formats, American Association of Law Libraries)

  Product of an effort to reform citation of legal materials.

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Directories of Lawyers, Law Firms, Law Schools, & Legal Associations (searchable)

• Chambers Global Search for names of lawyers or firms, or browse by area of practice.
• Chambers USA Search for names of lawyers or firms, or browse by area of practice.
• Chambers UK Search for names of lawyers or firms, or browse by area of practice.
• GaleNet -
  Three databases are available: Associations Unlimited, Biography and Genealogy Master Index, and Contemporary Authors.
• Law Schools:Full List A - Z or USA Law Schools By State (Findlaw)
• Martindale-Hubbell® Law Directory (LexisNexis Academic database) -

  Either search for Martindale or click on "Law Directories" and then select Martindale from the list of course.

• Martindale-Hubbell® Lawyer Locator
• FindLaw Lawyer Directory

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Legal Forms

• ILRG Legal Forms Archive (Internet Legal Resource Guide)
• Law Practice Forms (The 'Lectric Law Library)
• Practice and Legal Forms (The State Bar of Wisconsin)

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Shepardizing

• How to Shepardize - This guide shows how to use print Shepard's titles
• Shepard's® (LexisNexis Academic database) -

  Updating and citing information is available for federal and state court cases, law review articles, and attorney general opinions.

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Miscellany

• ABA Lawinfo.org (American Bar Association)
• Browse WisBar by Topic (The State Bar of Wisconsin)
• Court TV Online
• EFF: Legal Guide for Bloggers (Electronic Frontier Foundation)
• Guide to Law Online (Library of Congress)
• How to Research a Legal Problem (American Association of Law Libraries)
• Legal Subjects Index (FindLaw)
• Podcasting Legal Guide (Creative Commons)
• Seminal Supreme Court Cases Regarding Federal Indian Law (Wisconsin Judicare's Indian Law Office)
• Tribal Courts (National Tribal Justice Resource Center)

  History of the courts, links to courts on the Web, tribal court constitutions and codes.

• Topical Index of Legal Resources (Internet Legal Resource Guide) - Includes links to law school course outlines, law school rankings, and links related to practice areas.

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Search Internet

• FindLaw
• LawCrawler
• LawGuru
• LawRunner
• Meta-Index for U.S. Legal Research (Georgia State University)