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Case Law Lookup
Choose Legal tab.
Search Options include:
Case name: plaintif v. respondent
e.g. Brown v. Board
Citation number: use brief legal citation style
e.g. 99 L. Ed. 1083
Code Lookup (via FindLaw)
United States Code citation look-up:
Use Title and section boxes.
Note: 42 USC § 5101 would be
e.g. Title: 42 Section: 5101
California Code citation look-up:
Choose appropriate title (e.g. Family).
Section numbers listed on right side of table of contents. |
Key Resources
Choose Legal tab, and then either Federal & State Cases or Federal & State Codes
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Use the "Legal Professional" features.
Access to Case Law requires free registration.
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More sources for:
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Federal
United States Constitution
Description: Fundamental or basic law of the United States.
Text online: FindLaw
Text online: United States Government Printing Office (includes official annotations)
State
California Constitution
Description: Fundamental or basic law of California.
Text online: State of California
Federal Statutes
Bills in the U.S. Congress (proposed)
Typical Citation: H.R. # or S.# (Examples: H.R. 810, S. 3)
Description: Laws proposed by a member of the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate but not yet passed.
Text online: Thomas (from the Library of Congress, covers 101st Congress [1989] - present)
Text online: U.S. Government Printing Office (103rd Congress [1993] - present)
Public Laws of the United States (individual laws as passed)
Typical Citation: PL ###-## (Example: PL 101-35)
Description: Text of a law as written when it was passed by Congress.
Text online: U.S. Government Printing Office (1995 - present only)
United States Statutes at Large(individual laws bound together in order of passage)
Typical Citation: ## Stat ### (Example: 79 Stat 453)
Description: Text of laws as written when they were passed by Congress, bound together sequentially into a printed book.
Text online: Library of Congress (1795 - 1875 only)
Text: U.S. Government Printing Office (2004 only)
United States Code (all laws in force arranged by subject)
Citation (official version): ## USC §#### (Example: 29 USC §3291 )
Other Citation styles: ## USCS §#### & ## USCA §#### (private, annotated versions published by Lexis and West - the citations should be interchangable with official government version)
Description: All federal laws (statutes) currently in force arranged by subject.
Text online: FindLaw (easiest if you have a citation)
Text online: LexisNexis (good for sophisticated word searching)
Text online: U.S. House of Representatives
Text online: U.S. Government Printing Office
Text online: Cornell University Law School
California Statutes
Bills proposed in the California Legislature
Typical Citation: AB # or SB # (Examples: AB 1433 or SB 735)
Description: Laws proposed by a member of the California State Assemly or the California State Senate but not yet passed.
Text online: California Legislature (1993 - present)
California Statutes or Chaptered Bills (laws as written when passed by the legislature)
Typical Citation: Most commonly still cited by the bill number (e.g. SB 629, AB 35), bills that actually become law each year are also given a Chapter number (e.g. Stats 1981 ch 782).
Description: Text of laws as written when passed by the Legislature.
Text online: State of California (1993 - present)
California Codes (all California statutes in force arranged by subject)
Typical Citation: ### (name of code) §### (Example: 34 Educ. Code §3423 )
Citation Note: There are 29 different codes, each representing a broad area (e.g. Health and Safety, Food and Agriculture, Public Utilities, etc.).
Description: Text of all California laws (statutes) currently in force, arranged by subject.
Text online: State of California
Text online: FindLaw
Text online: LexisNexis (search interface for Deering's California Codes Annotated)
Text online: LexisNexis (browse table of contents for Deering's California Codes Annotated)
Federal Regulations
Federal Register (proposed regulations, regulations as written when passed)
Typical Citation: ## FR ##### (Example: 34 FR 10391)
Description: The text of newly proposed as well as newly adopted federal regulations (aka rules).
Text online: U.S. Government Printing Office (volume 59 [1994] - present)
Text online: LexisNexis
Text online: Regulations.gov (only proposed regulations currently open for comment)
Code of Federal Regulations (all federal regulations in force arranged by subject)
Typical Citation: ### CFR §### (Example: 34 CFR §3423 )
Description: Text of all federal regulations in force at the time of printing arranged by subject.
Text online: U.S. Government Printing Office (official version, updated annually)
Text online: FindLaw (includes forms to search by citation)
Text online: eCFR (updated daily by the government, but not official)
Text online: LexisNexis (search interface)
Text online: LexisNexis (browse contents and individual titles)
California Regulations
California Regulatory Notice Register (proposed regulations, notice of new regulations)
Typical Citation: #### Cal. Reg. Notice Register #### (Example: 2003 Cal. Reg. Notice Register 685)
Description: Text of newly proposed regulations and announcements of the adoption of new or revised regulations.
Text online: California Office of Administrative Law (2002 - present)
California Code of Regulations (all federal regulations in force arranged by subject)
Typical Citation: ## CCR §### (Example: 3 CCR §432 )
Description: Text of state regulations currently in force arranged by subject.
Text online: State of California
LexisNexis: Federal & State Cases
The Federal & State Cases main page searches all cases (federal and state) available in LexisNexis Academic. This should include all U.S. Supreme Court decisions, almost all relevant U.S. Appellate and District Court decisions, and most of the decisions made by the highest court and the appellate courts in all fifty states.
Federal Case Law
U.S. District Court Opinions
Typical Citation: plaintif v. respondent, ## F. Supp. ##### (Example: Azalea Meats v. Muscat, 246 F. Supp. 780 )
Other Citations: There are multiple series, F. Supp., F. Supp. 2d., F. Supp. 3d., etc.
Citation Notes: The citation sometimes includes an abbreviation for the specific court district and the year, e.g. (S.D. Fla. 1965).
Description: The text of rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Text online: Available via LexisNexis: Federal & State Cases
Text online: LexisNexis (all available case law from 1789 - present)
District court websites: FindLaw (selected opinions available at some sites)
U.S. Appellate Court Opinions
Typical Citation: ## F. ##### (Example: 22 F. 354)
Other Citations: There are multiple series: F., F. 2d., F 3d., etc.
Description: The text of rulings by each U.S. Court of Appeals.
Text online: Available via LexisNexis: Federal & State Cases
Text online: LexisNexis
Text online: FindLaw (1995 - present, choose the appropriate appellate court)
U.S. Supreme Court Opinions
Typical Citation: ## US ##### (Example: 546 U.S. 189)
Other Citation style: ## L Ed. ##### (Example: 168 L. Ed. 2d 508)
Other Citation style: ## Sup. Ct. ##### (Example: 127 S. Ct. 2738 )
Description: The text of rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Text online: Available via LexisNexis: Federal & State Cases
Text online: LexisNexis (Lawyer's Edition, 1790 - present)
Text online: FindLaw (150 US [1983] - present)
Text online: U.S. Supreme Court (502 US [1991] - present)
California - State Case Law
California Superior (local) Court Opinions
Typical Citation: plaintif v. respondent (Example: People v. Lewis and Oliver)
Description: The text of rulings by California Superior courts (e.g. local trial courts in California).
Text: Not generally available. Usually most relevant to case law if the case is appealed and the appellate courts make a ruling affecting interpretation of law.
California Appellate Court Opinions
Official Citation Sytle: ## Cal.App.4th ##### (Example: 39 Cal.App.4th 970)
Alternate Citational Style: ## Cal. Rptr. 3d ##### (Example: 47 Cal. Rptr. 3d 467)
Alternate Citation style: ## P.3d ##### (Example: 140 P.3d 775)
Citation Notes: Each of these citation styles add new numbers for new series: Cal Rprtr., Cal Rptr. 2d, Cal Rptr. 3d., P., P.2d, P3d., Cal.App., Cal.App.2d, Cal.App.3d, Cal.App.4th, etc.
Description: The text of rulings by each California Court of Appeals.
Text Online: FindLaw (excellent official citation finder, 1934 - present)
Text Online: LexisNexis (1905 - present)
California Supreme Court Opinions
Official Citation Style: ## Cal. 4th ##### (Example: 39 Cal. 4th 970)
Alternate Citation Style: ## Cal. Rptr. 3d ##### (Example: 47 Cal. Rptr. 3d 467)
Alternate Citation Style: ## P.3d ##### (Example: 140 P.3d 775)
Citation Notes: Each of these citation styles add new numbers for new series: Cal Rprtr., Cal Rptr. 2d, Cal Rptr. 3d., P., P.2d, P3d., Cal., Cal.2d, Cal.3d, Cal.4th, etc.
Description: The text of rulings by the California Supreme Court.
Text Online: FindLaw (excellent official citation finder, 1934 - present)
Text Online: LexisNexis (1850 - present)
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