Finding the Law:Cases, Statutes, and

Regulations

Ann HemmensUniversity of Washington Gallagher Law Library

September 13, 2007

http://lib.law.washington.edu/ref/basiclegalresearchTLInstitute.ppt

Presentation available online

http://lib.law.washington.edu/ref/basiclegalresearchTLInstitute.ppt

Goals Basic introduction to U.S. legal

research Basic introduction to U.S. legal

citation format Tour of Gallagher Law Library

Primary & Secondary Authority Primary

Statement of "the law" from bodies with law-making authority

Secondary Explain, interpret, and help you locate the

primary law Includes: Treatises, Hornbooks, law review

articles, legal encyclopedias, Restatements, Nutshells etc.

Organization of Federal & State Governments

Constitution

Legislative Judicial Executive

Statutes

Stat., USCRCW

Cases

US, Fed 3dP3d, Wash.

RegulationsAdministrative Decisions

FR, CFRWAC

How do Sources of Law Interact?

Court interprets a statute An earlier court decision is overruled by same court

Statute held unconstitutional by a court

Legislature writes statute in response to a case

Agency proposed rules in response to statute.

Issues in Legal Research What type of law might govern

your question? statutes? regulations? cases?

Which jurisdiction? federal or state or both?

Did you update your research?

Court Structure – Federal & State

Federal StateCourt of Last

ResortU.S. Supreme

CourtWA Supreme

Court

Intermediate Appellate Court

↑

Ninth Circuit* Court of Appeals

* = Circuit map

WA Court of Appeals

Trial Court ↑

U.S. District Court for

Western District of WA

King County Superior Court

U.S. Legal Citation Format

The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (KF245 .U5 2005 18th ed. in Reference Area)

Going Beyond Casebooks Exercise,http://

lib.law.washington.edu/ref/beyondcase.htm

Legal Citation format for CASES

Pate v. Threlkel, 661 So.2d 278 (Fla. 1995)

Party 1 v. Party 2, [volume number] [reporter name] [page number] ([jurisdiction sometimes] [year]).

Tools for finding cases on particular subjects

1. Digestsa. Index to National Reporter System. Find federal and

state cases by legal issue or subject. Topic and Key Numbers. Examples: Federal Practice Digest, Pacific Digest.

2. American Law Reports (ALR) and law review articles (secondary sources)

a. Provide in-depth analysis of legal topic or case.b. Examples:

a. Marjorie A. Shields, Annotation, Liability for Conversion and Misappropriation of Genetic Material, 121 A.L.R.5th 315 (2004).

b. Edward J. Janger, 3 Genetic Information, Privacy and Insolvency, 3 J.L. Med. & Ethics 79 (2005).

3. Lexis Nexis Academic (from UW Libraries LAW webpage)

Lexis Nexis Academic Available from UW Libraries LAW

Subject webpage http://www.lib.washington.edu/subj

ect/Law/ Cases, statutes, regulations

Statutes Organized Organized

chronologicallychronologically Session lawsSession laws

U.S. Statutes at U.S. Statutes at LargeLarge (Stat.) (Stat.)

Laws of Laws of WashingtonWashington

Organized by Organized by subject (current subject (current laws in force)laws in force)

CodeCode U.S. CodeU.S. Code Revised Code of Revised Code of

WashingtonWashington

Legal Citation Format – U.S. laws Public Law

Pub.L. No. 107-56 Statutes at Large

115 Stat. 276 Codes

42 U.S.C. § § 9601-9675 (2004)Title – United States Code – Sections – (year)

Image of U.S. Public Law Health Insurance Portability and

Accountability Act of 1996, Pub. L. No. 104-191.

Annotated Codes Commercially-published Include text of law & history Provide citations to cases, regulations,

law review articles, encyclopedias, forms Updated promptly

United States Code Annotated (USCA)United States Code Service (USCS)*

*on LexisNexis Academic & Congressional

Finding Statutes Popular Names Table

USA Patriot Act (Pub. L. 107-56, 115 Stat. 276)(Oct. 26, 2001)

National Bone Marrow Registry Reauthorization Act of 1998 (42 U.S.C. § 274)

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

Index volume of USCS or USCA Cases Secondary sources (law review

articles etc.)

Finding Statutes - online Lexis Nexis Congressional and

Academic Thomas (http://thomas.loc.gov) Washington State Legislature (

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/)

Where do you find Constitutions?Federal United States Code Annotated (USCA) United States Code Service (USCS) [on

LexisNexis Academic & Congressional] GPO Access,

http://www.gpoaccess.gov/constitution/index.html

State Revised Code of Washington (RCW) All 50 state statutes on LexisNexis Academic Cornell’s Legal Information Institute,

http://www.law.cornell.edu/statutes.html

Administrative Law Rules, regulations, and decisions created by

administrative agencies (federal and state). Authorized by Statute

Power to issue regulations & adjudicate disputes delegated to executive agencies by Congress via an enabling statute.

Procedural Standards? YES = Administrative Procedure Act (APA) (5 USC §551 et seq.).

Notice of proposed rule Comment period Final rule & response to comments

U.S. Regulations Federal Register

Published daily Includes:

proposed regulations & new regulations Presidential documents: Executive Orders &

Proclamations

Code of Federal Regulations Published annually Includes: current rules & regulations in force Index & finding tables

Citation Format: Regulations 65 Fed. Reg. 3415 (Jan. 21, 2000)

Volume – Federal Register – Page (date)

7 CFR § 319.76 (2003)

Title–Code of Federal Regulations–Section (year)

Sample Regulation 42 CFR Part 121

How to find Regulations? Index to the Code of Federal Regulations

CFR Index volume (KF70 at Ref Area) USCS Index to the CFR (KF 62 at Ref Area) West’s CRF Index (KF70 .A34 at Ref Area)

Federal Register Index “Unified Agenda” (published in April & October)

Annotated Codes United States Code Annotated (USCA) United States Code Service (USCS)

Secondary Sources

Regulations Online LexisNexis Academic and

Congressional GPO Access,

http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/

Secondary Sources Law Reviews

Full-Text on Lexis Nexis Academic Use an index to find articles,

LegalTrac Books

Law Library Catalog UW Libraries Catalog

Update Your Research Cases – use online citator

(Shepard’s or Keycite) Statutes – check pocket parts &

supplements (print) Regulations – use List of Sections

Affected (LSA) & Federal Register (print)

Free Websites with U.S. Legal Information

Internet Legal Research http://lib.law.washington.edu/research/research.html

Cornell’s Legal Information Institute http://www.law.cornell.edu/

Findlaw http://www.findlaw.com/ GPO Access http://www.gpoaccess.gov/ Thomas http://thomas.loc.gov/ U.S. Supreme Court

http://www.supremecourtus.gov/index.html

Conclusion

Cases, Statutes, Regulations & law reviews available:

In PRINT – at Gallagher Law Library ONLINE – via UW Libraries “Law” subject

webpage (http://www.lib.washington.edu/subject/Law/)

Questions? Ask a Librarian lawrefst@u.washington.edu