Law Primary Sources

Primary Sources of Federal Law

Constitution

Constitution text

Documents that show the framers' (or ratifiers') intent, including:

1. speeches and writings of early American statesmen
2. records of the Federal Convention
3. records of state debates on ratification
4. the Federalist Papers (Hamilton, Madison & Jay)
5. writings of the Anti federalists
6. contemporary accouns in newspapers

 

Legislative Branch

Laws

Documents emerging from the legislative process

1. drafts and differing versions of bills
2. House & Senate Committee Hearings
3. House & Senate Committee Reports (Serial Set)
4. floor debate (Congressional Record)
5. Conference Committee reports

 

Judicial Branch

Court Opinions/Decisions interpreting law

Briefs submitted by the parties

Oral arguments

 

Executive Branch

Presidential signing statements

Executive Orders & Proclamations

Regulations and documents coming out of rulemaking procedures

Opinions of the Attorney General

 

How to find primary sources

Compilations of documents

Author search in catalog:
     names of "key players"

Subject search or keyword search:

The following words often appear in the subject headings for primary sources. Since keyword searches search the subject heading field, in  addition to other fields, you may want to include these terms in your searches, or use these words to limit ("Words in subject") after a keyword or subject search.

• sources
• correspondence
• description and travel
• diaries
• journals
• interviews
• notebooks
• personal narratives

Archive of Americana
     Includes American newspapers from 1690-1922 and books, pamphlets, broadsides and other imprints from 1639-1819

 

Constitution

Text:

1. Search catalog by title Constitution of the United States
2. Core Documents of Democracy through GPO Access
3. LexisNexis Academic Legal - Federal and State Codes
4. Encyclopedia Britannica

Documents that show intent:

Catalog subject search or keyword search:
     Constitutional amendments -- United States
     Constitutional history -- United States
     Constitutional law -- United States
     United States Constitution
     United States Constitutional Convention (1787)
     various terms that describe the subject of each amendment:
          e.g. Firearms -- Law and legislation

Author catalog search
     United States. Continental Congress
            Papers of the Continental Congress
            Journal of the Continental Congress
    

 

Legislative Branch

Bills
    LexisNexis Congressional 1989-
    GPO Access 1993/94-
    Thomas 1989-
    Case Microfiche Documents Y 1.4/ 1979-2000

Bill Summary & Tracking
    Thomas 1973-
    LexisNexis Congressional 1989-
    Digest of Public General Bills and Resolutions 1936-1990
        Case Ref Documents LC 14.6:

Committee hearings
Index:
    LexisNexis Congressional 1824-

Full text:
    Case Documents all
    GPO Access (selected )1997-
    LexisNexis Congressional (selected) 1988-

Committee reports/Serial Set
Index:
    LexisNexis Congressional 1789-

Full text  
    Case Documents 1976- 
    GPO Access 1995-
    LexisNexis Congressional 1990/1995-

Congressional Debates
(Annals of Congress, Register of Debates, Congressional Globe, Congressional Record)
Indexes:
   Case Ref Documents X 1.1: (Individual year indexes)
   A Century of Lawmaking 1789-1873
   GPO Access 1983-
   Thomas 1989-

Text:
   LASR Gov't Docs Permanent 1789-1986
   Case Microfiche Documents Permanent 1985-
   Case Ref Documents X 1.1: Daily until permanent arrives
   LexisNexis Congressional Daily 1985-
   GPO Access Daily 1994-
   GPO Access Permanent 1999-
   Thomas Daily 1989-
   A Century of Lawmaking 1789-1873

Laws
   Statutes at Large LASR Gov't Docs AE 2.111:
   (each volume has an index)

    Slip laws
    Case Ref Documents AE 2.110:
    LexisNexis Congressional 1988-  
    GPO Access 1995-
    FindLaw & other websites

Legislative Histories
    LexisNexis Congressional 1988-  
   U.S. Federal Legislative Histories (Hein Online)

 

Judicial Branch

Supreme Court Opinions

United States Reports (each volume has an index)
LASR Gov't Docs JU 6.8: 

GPO Access (1973-75, 1992-2000)

LexisNexis Academic Legal - Federal and State Cases (1790- )
Lawyers Ed. Includes annotated references.

Find Law & other websites

Other Court Opinions

LexisNexis Academic Legal - Federal and State Cases
Includes state and federal court decisions and laws.

Briefs submitted by the parties (Supreme Court)

Landmark briefs and arguments of the Supreme Court of the United States
Case Main KF101.9 .L36

LexisNexis Academic Legal - Federal and State Cases
Supreme Court merit briefs for cases granted cert., amicus curiae briefs, joint appendices and special masters beginning in January 1979, with selected coverage from 1936. All briefs for cases granted cert. begins after 1993. Also includes all briefs for cases petitioning for cert. after 2001.

FindLaw
For October 1999 term to the present includes petitioner, respondent, reply and amicus briefs in multiple formats.

Office of the Solicitor General (Dept. of Justice) From 7/1998 to present, all briefs filed by the Solicitor General, except responses to IFP cases. From 1993-1996, and 1986-1990 Solicitor General merits briefs and responses. From 1982-1985 Solicitor General merits briefs. Please see the web site for information on omissions, arrangement, and formats

Oral arguments

Supreme Court 2000-

Oyez varies

 

Executive Branch

American Presidency Project
    Full text of signing statements, Public Papers of the President, executive orders and proclamations, press conferences, and more. Only place to read signing statments.

Weekly Compilations of Presidential Documents (1965-2008)
    see Journal Finder

Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents (2009-)
    see Journal Finder

Public Papers of the President (Hoover, Truman- )
    Case Ref Documents AE 2.114:
    American Presidency Project

Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents
(1789-1897, Washington-Cleveland)
    Case Ref Documents AE 2.113:
    LASR Main 353.03 Un31

Codification of Presidential proclamations and executive orders
(1945-89, Truman-Regan)
   Case Ref Documents AE 2.113:

Search Presidents as authors in catalog.

Federal Register
    GPO Access 1994-

Code of Federal Regulations
    Case Ref Documents AE 2.106/3:
        current year and all of Title 3 (the president)
    LASR Gov't Docs AE 2.106/3:
    GPO Access 1996-

National Archives Executive Orders (1993- )

Index to executive proclamations and orders (1789-1980)
    CIS Index to Presidential Executive Orders & Proclamations
    Case Ref Documents Z1223.Z7 C65 1987
    can borrow texts

U.S. Attorney General Opinions (Hein Online)
    1791-1982

Opinions of the Office of Legal Counsel of the United States Department of Justice (Hein Online)
    1977-1996