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Free Legal Research Resources

This guide offers recommendations for reliable free legal research tools.

Google Scholar

Google Scholar Search

Google-speed access to Supreme Court decisions from 1791 to present, other federal cases starting in 1923 and state court opinions since 1950. Results also include law journal articles and patents. 

Federal Agencies and Departments

This USA.gov webpage includes links to U.S. Government Departments and Agencies listed alphabetically.

Legal Information Institute

The first legal resource on the web, it contains a growing collection of federal statutes and case law, and Wex, an extensive legal dictionary and encyclopedia. Provides links to a wide range of U.S. and international legal information sites.

GovInfo

(Formerly FDSys) GovInfo provides official government publications including the U.S. Code, the Code of Federal Regulations, and federal court decisions from 2004 to present. A keyword search function allows advance filtering by date and type of resource.  

Congress.gov

 

 

(Formerly Thomas.gov) Legislative information from the Library of Congress. Includes Congressional information and documents, links to Committee sites, and information on the legislative process