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Ralph Szymczak
Reference/Documents Librarian
Fall 2007
The Main Library has a separate Legal Reference Collection. Some of these sources, plus other legal materials owned or accessible by the Brandeis Libraries, are described in this guide. Many legal materials can be found in LexisNexis Academic , a computerized, primarily full-text legal information system. It is available for Brandeis users only.
LexisNexis Academic provides up-to-date access to both federal and state laws and court opinions. It also includes many valuable secondary sources, such as law reviews. Some of the LexisNexis Academic files are listed in this guide. Westlaw Campus , which includes about 200 additional law reviews beyond Lexis and the full run of American Law Reports Annotations , LexisNexis Congressional , which features congressional publications, legislative histories, federal bills and regulations and LexisNexis State Capital , which focuses on state bills and regulations, are all online databases which are of great value to the legal researcher as well. We now also have a subscription to Hein Online, which has, among other legal resources, the full text of very early, older issues of more than 650 law journals. Selected World Wide Web Sites are also included.
The Legal Reference Collection is located on the main level of the Library at the beginning of the stack area and is not in call number order. It follows the same legal hierarchical approach that is used in law libraries and is color coded for ease of use.
The first section, which is green, contains legal encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other legal reference sources.
The second section, which is blue, contains U.S. legal materials beginning with the Constitution and, following the legal hierarchy, U.S. laws, the Supreme Court cases, the lower federal court cases and administrative regulations and cases.
The third section, which is red, contains the Massachusetts laws and then cases.
For sources not owned by the Libraries, please consult with a Reference Librarian. A letter of introduction is required to use a law library.
Comments or feedback on this guide are appreciated; please email us.
Table of ContentsHow to Find the Law. 1989. Cohen, Morris.
A comprehensive manual to law and legal research. Very well written, clear, concise--the best in the field. Well indexed, so can be used for quick reference.
Reference Desk KF240.C538 1989
Fundamentals of Legal Research. 1994. Jacobstein, J. Myron.
A classic guide to legal research.
Reference Desk KF240.J3 1994
Legal Research in a Nutshell. 1996.
A brief guide to legal research.
KF240.C54 1996 [2nd Copy at Reference Desk]>
Legal Information: How to Find It, How to Use It. 1999.
Reference Desk KF240.O365 1999
Bieber's Dictionary of Legal Citations. 1997.
An essential source to use to interpret and properly cite legal citations and abbreviations.
Reference Desk KF246.P73 1997
Introduction to Basic Legal Citation.
By Peter W. Martin, Cornell Law School. 2003 ed. Includes information on citing electronic sources.
Green/Legal Reference KF4557.U555 1996
The Constitution of the United States is available on LexisNexis Academic in the 'Federal Code' search form.
To find other sources on the Constitution of the United States, search LOUIS using subject headings such as "United States. Constitution," "United States - Constitutional History" and "United States - Constitutional Law."
Black's Law Dictionary. 2004.
Definitions of the terms and phrases of American and English jurisprudence, ancient and modern.
Reference Desk KF156.B53 2004
Law Dictionary for Nonlawyers. 1991.
Main Reference KF156.O7 1991
The American Law Dictionary. 1991.
Clear and well-written with a focus on the American court system.
Main Reference KF156.R46 1991
Dictionary of International & Comparative Law. 1992.
Includes definitions of words, phrases, agencies, organizations, events, cases and documents.
Green/Legal Reference JX1226.F69 1992
The Oxford Companion to Law. 1980.
Provides concise information about courts, judges, systems of law, legal ideas and doctrines.
Green/Legal Reference K48.W34
A Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage. 1995.
Defines thousands of law-related words and includes counsel on matters of style, grammar, usage and pronunciation.
Main Reference KF156 .G367 1995
The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics and the Law. 1998.
Main Reference K487 .E3N48 1998
Duhaime's Legal Dictionary
Concise entries written in plain language.
Lectric Law Lexicon
Explanations for thousands of law-related words, terms & phrases.
Everybody's Legal Dictionary
Nolo Press' plain-English definitions for hundreds of legal terms.
Legal encyclopedias, while not primary sources, do provide a good starting point for legal research. Alphabetically-arranged essays on points of law cite court cases and laws which may open fruitful lines of research.
Cyclopedia of Law and Procedure. 1901-1912.
Superseded by Corpus Juris and Corpus Juris Secundum below; however, it has superior discussions of common law actions.
>Green/Legal Reference KF154.C9
Corpus Juris. 1911-1936.
The text is entirely superseded by Corpus Juris Secundum, but not the case citations. Corpus Juris Secundum cites only cases decided after Corpus Juris.
Green/Legal Reference
Corpus Juris Secundum. 1936 to date.
Updated by annual cumulative pocket parts for each volume, meaning the case and statute citations are very current.
Green/Legal Reference K.C66
The following encyclopedias about the American constitutional and legal system are particularly directed at non-lawyers. They contain articles by contemporary historians, political scientists, sociologists, as well as lawyers, on various aspects of American law.
Encyclopedia of the American Constitution. 2000.
Excellent summaries of American constitutional history, important doctrines, and critical cases. Many articles include short bibliographies for further research. Updated by Supplement I, 1991.
Green/Legal Reference KF4548.E53 2000
Encyclopedia of the American Judicial System. 1987.
Covers the major topics in constitutional law, substantive areas of non-constitutional law, the structure of the judicial system, how people affect it, the activities and methodology of the judiciary, and legal, historical and behavioral studies of the legal system.
Green/Legal Reference KF154.E53 1987
West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 1998.
Presents a comprehensive yet concise overview of the American legal system in plain English. Cites cases and statutes. Many helpful cross-references and bibliographic citations.
Green/Legal Reference KF154.W47 1998
Historic U.S. Court Cases, 1690-1990: An Encyclopedia. 1992.
Thoughtful essays that explain the significance of selected important cases in U.S. legal history. Includes indexes.
Reference Desk KF385.A4J64 1992
Law and Politics: A Cross-Cultural Encyclopedia. 1995.
Provides definitions for the central concepts of law and politics which are based on information gathered from different legal and political systems around the globe.
Main Reference K487.P65S77 1995
Religion and American Law: An Encyclopedia.
Main Reference KF4783.A68 R45 2000
Great American Court Cases. 1999-
Profiles provide backgrounds of the cases and issues involved, main arguments, and explanations of the courts’ decisions. Bibliographies included.
Main Reference KF385.A4 G68 1999
Native Americans and the Law. 2000.
Main Reference KF8203.6.S66 2000
Note: For other reference works that provide a good starting point for legal research, see the titles listed under "The Constitution" and "The Supreme Court - Background Materials" below.
Law reviews are important secondary sources. They reference the legal thinking of the day and analyze cases, statutes and various legal issues and problems. Law review articles include many citations to primary and other secondary legal sources, which can then be examined for further information. Two of the major indexes to legal periodicals are located in the Index and Abstract area of the Reference section.
Index to Legal Periodicals. Series 1: Vols. 1-6 (1770-1937). Series 2: Vols. 1-32 (1926-Feb. 1993)
Indexes approximately 620 legal periodicals by author, subject, case and statute.
Reference Index/Abstract Z6453.I531
Jones & Chipman’s Index to Legal Periodical Literature (1786-1922).
Part of the online Nineteenth Century Masterfile .
Current Law Index. Vol. 7(1986) to the present
Indexes approximately 900 legal and law-related journals by subject, author, case and statute.
Reference Index/Abstract Z6453.C8
Comprehensive Bibliography of American Constitutional and Legal History. Vols. 1-5, 1896-1979. Supplement , vols. 1-2, 1980-1987.
Indexes journal articles as well as books and doctoral dissertations on the history of American legal culture published between 1896 and 1987. Includes author and subject indexes. Be sure to consult both the table of contents and the indexes in order to find all relevant material on a topic.
Main Reference KF4541.H34 1984
LexisNexis Academic now has approximately 650 full text law reviews and journals in its 'Law Reviews' section. Dates of coverage vary for each title, but seldom begin before 1982. Click on 'Sources' for exact dates of coverage for a particular title (e.g. Duke Law Journal). Westlaw Campus has more than 900 current law journals. Hein Online has the full text of very early, older issues of more than 650 law journals.
Table of ContentsThe Constitution of the U.S. is the supreme law of the land which guides and controls all of our laws and lawmaking. Copies, as well as analysis and interpretation, of the document can be found in:
The Constitution of the United States of America; Analysis and Interpretation. 1982.
Includes annotations of cases decided by the Supreme Court of the U.S. Updated by a 1991 pocket part.
Green/Legal Reference KF4527.U54 1996
Constitutional Interpretation. 1983.
Appendix C has the text of the Constitution.
Green/Legal Reference KF4747.5.C6
CQ's Guide to the U.S. Constitution: History, Text, Index and Glossary. 1994.
Designed to help readers better understand the Constitution and find specific provisions within it.
Reference Desk KF4528.5.M57 1994
The Constitutional Law Dictionary. 1985.
Provides analysis of Constitutional law. Comprehensive index of cases and topics provides excellent access to the text of the dictionary. Kept up-to-date by supplements.
Green/Legal Reference KF4747.5.C6 1985
The Founders' Constitution. 1987.
An excellent anthology of the primary documents relating to the founding of the U.S. Constitution until 1830, including letters. The material is arranged in such a way as to direct the user to major themes and sections of the Constitution.
Green/Legal Reference KF4502.F68 1987
Encyclopedia of Constitutional Amendments, Proposed Amendments, and Amending Issues, 1789-1995. 1996.
Focus on amendments, proposed amendments as well as influential individuals, organizations and Supreme Court decisions. Includes index, list of cases and the text of the Constitution and Amendments in Appendix A.
Green/Legal Reference KF4557.U555 1996
The Constitution of the United States is available on LexisNexis Academic in the 'Federal Code' search form.
To find other sources on the Constitution of the United States, search LOUIS using subject headings such as "United States. Constitution," "United States - Constitutional History" and "United States - Constitutional Law."
Table of ContentsLaws or statutes constitute a major category of primary legal sources. Because American legal education tends to focus on case decisions, the role of statutory law in legal research tends to be underemphasized. In practice, however, statutory law is central to many legal issues. In fact, the vast majority of appellate decisions today involve the application or interpretation of statutes.
U.S. Statutes at Large. 1789 to the present.
All the laws passed by Congress are reproduced here in chronological order. Each volume has a subject index. Updated by a separate pamphlet text of each law as it is passed (called a slip law). These are numbered chronologically as in PL 100-10, meaning the 10th law passed by the 100th Congress.
Blue/Legal Reference
U.S. Code Annotated.
Consolidates and codifies by subject all current U.S. laws with their amendments. Repealed and expired laws are not included. It stands next to the official edition, the U.S. Code. The official edition, however, is slow and its form of updating is inadequate and cumbersome. The most significant features of the U.S.C.A. are its speed, and the ease of use of the updates and the excellent and thorough annotations.
Blue/Legal Reference KF62 1927 .U6522
The current United States Code Service , which is the other commercial version of the U.S. Code, is available on LexisNexis Academic in the 'Federal Code' search form.
Table of ContentsActs and Resolves Passed by the General Court. 1853-
All the laws passed by the Massachusetts General Court (the state legislature) in chronological order. Updated by the Massachusetts Legislative Service below.
Reference/Legal Reference KFM2425.M37
Acts and Resolves (Session Laws Massachusetts) online version. 1997 to date.
Massachusetts General Laws Annotated.
A codification of the current laws by subject. Good indexing and updated by pocket parts and the Massachusetts Legislative Service below.
Red/Legal Reference KFM2430 1958 .A43
Massachusetts Legislative Service.
Provides fast access to newly enacted laws. Acts and an update for both the Acts and Resolves and the M.G.L.A.
Red/Legal Reference KFM2430.A4
The current Massachusetts law is available on LexisNexis Academic in the 'State Codes' search form.
Table of ContentsThe current laws of other states are available on LexisNexis Academic in the 'State Codes' search form.
Table of ContentsCases held in an open court bring about the actual interpretation of cut-and-dry statements of law. Therefore, the reports of cases form a very important part of our legal system and, some say, the most important. The Supreme Court is the highest court. Below it are the 13 Circuit Courts of Appeal. They have jurisdiction over appeals from the final decisions of the U.S. District Courts, which is the federal trial court level. There is at least one district court in each state. There are also several special federal courts, for example, the U.S. Court of Claims and the Tax Court of the U.S.
U.S. Reports. Vol. 1 (1754 - Present)
The official source of Supreme Court decisions. Contains summaries of cases and text of the majority rulings (not a transcript of the case). Includes minority opinions. Updated by preliminary prints and slip decisions to fill the gap between the time of the decision and the bound volumes.
Documents Microfilm: Vols. 1-278, 1754-1928
Blue/Legal Reference: Vol. 279, 1929 to the present [paper edition]
United States Supreme Court Reports, Lawyers Edition. 1790-1955. Series 2: 1956 to the present.
The text is the same as U.S. Reports above. However, the more important decisions are annotated. Summaries of counsels' arguments are included, which are not in any other Supreme Court reports.
Blue/Legal Reference KF101.U72
United States Supreme Court decisions from 1790 to the present are available on LexisNexis Academic in the 'Federal Case Law' search form.
Landmark Briefs and Arguments of the United States: Constitutional Law. Vol. 1 (1793) to the present.
The actual briefs presented and the arguments for one or two significant cases of each year brought before the Supreme Court. No other standard law book provides this material, but rather publishes only the decisions.
Blue/Legal Reference KF4549.S9 1975
Supreme Court briefs from October 1970 to the present are available on LexisNexis Academic in the 'Federal Case Law' search form.
United States Supreme Court Decisions: An Index to Excerpts, Reprints and Discussions. 1983.
A bibliography of books and journal articles (non-law reviews) citing significant Supreme Court cases from 1792 to 1980. Cites are taken from works published from 1960 to 1980.
Green/Legal Reference KF101.6.G83 1983
Supreme Court of the U.S. 1789-1980: An Index Arranged by Justice. 1983.
Indexes all Supreme Court decisions by Justice from 1787 through the October 1979 term. Includes dissenting and concurring opinions.
Green/Legal Reference KF101.6.B57 1983
Congressional Quarterly's Guide to the U.S. Supreme Court. 1996.
Covers the Court's history, operation, major decisions and biographies of the justices. Includes name, subject and cases indexes.
Main Reference KF8742.C64 1996
The Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States. 1992.
Includes cases, trivia, procedure, policies and biographies of the Supreme Court. Includes an index and table of cases. One of the appendixes includes the text of the Constitution of the United States.
Reference Desk KF8742.A35O93 1992
The Supreme Court Compendium: Data, Decisions and Developments. 1996.
Comprehensive collection of data on the U.S. Supreme Court from Senate votes on nominees to the public's views on its decisions. Includes index.
Green/Legal Reference KF8742.S914 1996
Encyclopedia of the U.S. Supreme Court. 2001.
Main Reference KF8742.A35 E53 2001
The Supreme Court of the United States: Hearings and Reports on Successful and Unsuccessful Nominations … 1916-1972. 1975.
Includes Justice Louis Brandeis in volumes 1-3.
Main Stacks KF8744.J8 1975
In the law field digests are defined as indexes to judicial decisions (cases). Each case has a short summary of the facts and points of law decided by the court followed by its legal citation (e.g. 45 US 209). Digests have a topical/subject index and a case index (e.g. Roe vs Wade).
U.S. Supreme Court Digest. Lawyers' Edition.
Indexes Supreme Court cases from the earliest cases to the present day. Updated by pocket parts.
Blue/Legal Reference KF101.1.D52
LexisNexis Academic provides full-text keyword searching of United States Supreme Court decisions in its 'Federal Case Law' search form.
Table of ContentsFederal Cases. 1789-1880.
The most important decisions of the U.S. District Courts and the U.S. Courts of Appeals during this time period.
Blue/Legal Reference KF105.F4
Federal Reporter. 1st Series, 1880-1924.
Blue/Legal Reference KF105.F43
Federal Reporter. 2nd Series, Vols. 1-947, 1925-1991.
Continues Federal Cases and includes the U.S. Court of Customs and Patent Appeals and the U.S. Court of Claims. In the 2nd Series, because the volume of litigation was growing so great, the decisions of the U.S. District Courts were dropped.
Blue/Legal Reference KF105.F435
Federal Supplement. Vols. 1-775, 1932-1991.
Contains the U.S. District Court decisions dropped from the Fed. 2d beginning in 1932.
Blue/Legal Reference KF105.F45
United States Courts of Appeals and District Courts decisions are available on LexisNexis Academic in its 'Federal Case Law' search form.
There is a successive series of digests that index the decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Courts of Appeals, the U.S. District Courts and several other specialized federal courts. If you know that you are looking for a Supreme Court case, it is easier to use the U.S. Supreme Court Digest, but if you are unsure of the level or know the case is from one of the lower federal courts, then the digests following are the best choice. These digests also have a topical/subject and a case index.
Federal Digest. Earliest Times to 1938.
Blue/Legal Reference KF127.F4
Modern Federal Practice Digest. 1939-1961.
Blue/Legal Reference KF127.W48
Federal Practice Digest 2d. 1961-Nov. 1975.
Blue/Legal Reference KF127.W48
Federal Practice Digest. 3rd-4th, Nov. 1975-1991.
Blue/Legal Reference KF127.W48 1984
LexisNexis Academic provides full text keyword searching of United States Supreme Court and other federal court cases in its 'Federal Case Law' search form.
Table of ContentsMassachusetts Reports. Vols. 1-294, 1804-1936.
Reports of cases decided in the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, the highest court in the state.
Red/Legal Reference KFM2445.M372
Massachusetts Decisions Reported in North Eastern Reporter. 2nd Series, Vol. 1, 1937 to the present.
Reports of cases decided in the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and the Massachusetts Appeals Courts. Updated by pamphlet parts.
Red/Legal Reference KFM2445.2.M35
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decisions are available on LexisNexis Academic from 1899 to the present in the 'State Case Law' search form. Massachusetts Appeals Courts decisions are available from December 1972 to the present in the same file.
Massachusetts Digest Annotated.
Indexes cases from 1761 to the 1930's.
Massachusetts Digest, 2nd. 1930's to the present.
Updated by pocket parts and pamphlets.
LexisNexis Academic provides full text keyword searching of Massachusetts cases in the 'State Case Law' search form.
Table of ContentsCases from other state courts are available on LexisNexis Academic in the'State Case Law' search form, but beginning dates of coverage vary. To get information about dates of coverage for cases from a particular state, choose a state, and then click on "Source List."
Table of ContentsThe following are a group of selected and annotated early cases from various states, sometimes called the Trinity Series:
American Decisions. Vols. 1-100, 1700-1868.
Decisions of selected leading cases from many states with annotations and accents of the arguments of counsel.
Microfilm KF133 .A38
American Reports.Vols. 1-60, 1869-1887.
Also selected cases, but expanded to cases of probable usefulness as illustrative of established principles. Occasional notes.
Microfilm KF133 .A39
American State Reports. Vols. 1-140, 1887-1911.
Continues the above.
Microfilm KF133 .A4
American and English Annotated Cases. 1906-1918.
Continues the above and includes Canadian and English cases.
Main Stacks KF132 .A56
Digest of Decisions...of the American Decisions and the American Reports. Rapalje, Stewart. 1700-1887. Vols. 1-3.
Micro Reference KF133 .A392 [paper copy] and Microfilm KF133.A392 [microfilm copy]
Digest of Decisions...of the American State Reports. Green, Edmund Sampson. 1887-1911.
Micro Reference KF133.A42 [paper copy, vols. 4-5 only] and Microfilm KF133.A42 [microfilm copy, vols. 1-5]
The United States Congress empowers federal agencies to pass regulations which have the force of law. Regulations, which are the major component of administrative law, are often referenceerred to as those rules which lead to the actual implementation of statutory laws.
Federal Register. Vol. 1, 1936 to the present.
Contains new regulations, proposed regulations, executive orders, presidential proclamations as well as past regulations which are no longer in force.
Documents Microfilm [Latest Year in Paper at the beginning of the Documents Collection]
CIS Federal Register Index.1984 - 1998.
Comprehensive index to the Federal Register.
Reference Index/Abstracts KF70.A25
Full text searching of the Federal Register is available on GPO Access and LexisNexis Congressional from 1994 to the present date.
Code of Federal Regulations. Latest Edition.
Contains cumulated federal regulations as well as presidential proclamations and executive orders which are currently in force in a codified, subject arrangement.
Documents Microfiche AE2.106/3:
CFR Index. Latest Edition.
Indexes the Code of Federal Regulations.
Located on top of the Documents Microforms cabinets
Full text searching of the Code of Federal Regulations is available on GPO Access and LexisNexis Congressional .
Note: The United States Code Service, which is available on LexisNexis Academic in the 'Federal Code' search form, provides many footnotes containing references to the Code of Federal Regulations, thus clarifying which regulations are applicable to particular laws.
Note: Massachusetts regulations (i.e., Code of Massachusetts Regulations or CMR) as well as the regulations of other states are available in LexisNexis State Capital
Table of ContentsA vast compilation of information including national and international organizations, bar associations, bar examination and admission requirements, federal and state courts, regulatory agencies, law schools, scholarships and grants, libraries, research centers, legal aid and public defender offices, small claims courts, law enforcement agencies and more.
[Oversize]+KF190.L35 [Latest Edition at the Reference Desk]
Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory.
Lists attorneys and law firms in the United States and Canada. Inside the front cover of each volume is a key that explains the entries. The volumes are arranged geographically by state and then alphabetically by city. The first section or "Blue Pages" gives brief information about attorneys and law firms. The second section or "White Pages" lists law firms with "professional biographies" provided for each of the attorneys associated with a particular firm. An alphabetical index volume gives the city and state for each attorney.
Biographic Reference K.M3674 [Latest Edition Only Kept]
Martindale-Hubbell International Law Directory.
Provides information on attorneys and firms in countries other than the United States and Canada. Includes its own index.
Biographic Reference K.M3676 [Latest Edition Only Kept]
Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory (online) (Available on LexisNexis Academic under "Legal Research.")
Details on more than 900,000 lawyers and law firms around the world.
Who's who in American Law. Vol. 1, 1978 to the present.
Provides biographical information on approximately 22,000 lawyers and professionals in law-related areas including, among others, judges, legal educators, law librarians, legal historians and social scientists. Includes "Fields of Practice" and "Professional" indexes.
[Oversize]+KF190.W45 [Latest Edition in Biographic Reference]
Judges of the United States. 1983.
Sketches of United States federal judges from 1789 to 1981.
Biographic Reference KF8775.J84 1983
Biographical Dictionary of the Federal Judiciary. 1976.
Biographical information about United States federal judges from 1789 to 1974.
Biographic Reference KF353.B5
The Supreme Court Justices: A Biographical Dictionary . 2001.
Biographical essays of varying length with photos. Includes bibliographies and information on the location of personal papers as well as a topical index and table of cases.
Main Reference KF8744.H35 2001
The Supreme Court Justices: Illustrated Biographies, 1789-1993.
Biographical sketches of the justices with excellent bibliographies.
Biographic Reference KF8744.S86 1993
The Justices of the United States Supreme Court: Their Lives and Major Opinions. 1969-1978.
Scholarly biographical essays on each of the justices with select bibliographies.
Biographic Reference KF8744.F75
The Library owns many book-length biographies of justices and other legal professionals. Search LOUIS using subject headings such as "Judges - United States" and "Lawyers - United States" as well as entering individual names as subjects.
Table of ContentsThe following is a selective list of legal Web sites that are particularly well designed. Law researchers will find federal, state, foreign and international legal materials. Some examples include statutes, court decisions, treaties, administrative regulations, law reviews, legislative materials, constitutions and other historical documents, directories, listservs, job information and links to other sites. If you do not find what you are seeking at one site, click on the next site and explore.
The U.S. House of Representatives Internet Law Library
Includes the U.S. Code, Code of Federal Regulations, court decisions, treaties, United Nations documents, information on law schools, directories, congressional documents, a subject listing to laws of all jurisdictions and many other resources.
Washlaw WEB - Washburn University School of Law
Experts/consultants, law jobs, law schools, foreign law, law discussion groups and legal organizations are just some examples of useful information at this site.
Find Law Index of Legal Resources
Law reviews, legal publishers, statutes, case law, state law, foreign and international law, legal employment and links to other sites are among the resources available here.
Legal Information Institute - Cornell Law School
Includes federal courts decisions, U.S. Code, e-mail address directory of law school faculty as well as legal materials organized by topic.
Hieros Gamos
A comprehensive legal site, international in scope, that gives the "visitor a general understanding of the law."
Guide to Law Online
Library of Congress metasite indexes online resources for legal information worldwide. Includes U.S., Nations, International, Multinational, and Subjects sections. The Nations section offers links for over 200 countries.
Federal Judicial Center
Education and research agency for the Federal Courts. Site includes publications, histories of individual federal courts and biographies of federal judges.
Supreme Court of the United States
THOMAS - Legislative Information on the Internet
Includes the Congressional Record, bills , congressional reports, historical documents, How Our Laws Are Made and links to other sites.
GPO Access
Older Supreme Court decisions, bills, congressional reports, public laws, the Constitution of the United States with analysis, the U.S. Code, Federal Register and Code of Federal Regulations are just some of the resources available at this Government Printing Office site.
West's Legal Directory
Provides easy fill-in-the-blank forms to search for lawyers and law firms in the United States and Canada.
Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) - United States Army
Provides the text of the "Congressional Code of Military Criminal Law applicable to all military members worldwide." Discusses court-martial jurisdiction and related provisions.
| 50 C.J.S. 10 | Corpus Juris Secundum, Title 50, Section 10 |
| 109 Harv. L. Rev. 889 | Harvard Law Review, volume 109, page 889 |
| 90 STAT 1418 (1976) | U.S. Statutes At Large, volume 90, page 1418 |
| 18 U.S.C.A. 242 | U.S. Code Annotated, Title 18, Section 242 |
| 26 U.S.C. 2709 | U.S. Code, Title 26, Section 2709 |
| 208 Mass.Gen.Laws Ann. 17 | Mass. General Laws Annotated, Chapter 208, Section 17 |
| 492 US 195 | United States Reports, volume 492, page 195 |
| 35 LEd 2d 147 | U.S. Supreme Court Reports, Lawyers' Edition 2nd volume 35, page 147 |
| 93 S.Ct .705 | Supreme Court Reporter, volume 93, page 705 |
| 13 F.Cas.135 | Federal Cases, volume 13, page 135 |
| 385 F.2d 457 | Federal Reporter, 2nd Series, volume 385, page 457 |
| 230 F. Supp. 998 | Federal Supplement, volume 230, page 998 |
| 239 Mass. 265 | Massachusetts Reports, volume 239, page 265 |
| 623 N.E.2d 482 | North Eastern Reporter, 2nd series, volume 623, page 482 |
| 47 F.R. 50007 | Federal Register, volume 47, page 50007 |
| 47 C.F.R. 76 | Code of Federal Regulations, Title 47, Part 76 |
For interpretations of other legal citations, see Bieber's Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations
(Reference Desk KF246.B46 1993)
[Based on a guide by V. Massey-Burzio]
