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Law Primary Sources
Primary Sources of Federal Law
Constitution text
Documents that show the framers' (or ratifiers') intent, including:
Laws
Documents emerging from the legislative process
Court Opinions/Decisions interpreting law
Briefs submitted by the parties
Oral arguments
Presidential signing statements
Executive Orders & Proclamations
Regulations and documents coming out of rulemaking procedures
Opinions of the Attorney General
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.
Archive of Americana
Includes American newspapers from 1690-1922 and books, pamphlets, broadsides and other imprints from 1639-1819
Text:
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
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)
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.
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
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
Citation Guides (Chicago, Turabian, etc.)
Law Citation Guides
Bluebook: a Uniform System of Citation
Case Ref KF245 .B58
Introduction to Basic Legal Citation (Bluebook excerpts online)
ALWD Citation Manual
Case Ref KF245 .A45 2003
ALWD Citation Manual Resources selected portions online