While the sources noted here may provide access to the government documents you seek, remember to consult the Bluebook to see what version of the source you should be citing to.
Links to other research guides in our collection pertaining to government information:
The following databases are great resources for accessing an array of government documents, from historical to current.
On Websites:
Supreme Court: Opinions - access to the latest slip and in-chambers opinions, as well as access to the Bound Volumes of the U.S. Reports from 1991 to 2007; however, they caution that these are NOT the official versions of these opinions, and any discrepancies will be resolved by adherence to the official print version of the opinion
U.S. Courts Opinions - select federal appellate and bankruptcy courts' opinions can be found on FDsys, back to 2004; while these are authenticated government documents, you should still consult the Bluebook to determine the best source for citing these opinions
Google Scholar: Legal Documents - select legal documents beneath the search bar, and you'll have the option to choose your court; then you can simply run your search by keyword, case name, or citation; however, the opinion you retrieve will once again not be the official version, so this source is good for tracking down the text of opinions, but is not a substitute for tracking down the official version
Also consider the websites of state supreme courts for access to state court opinions
On Databases:
The usual suspects: Lexis Advance | Westlaw Next | Bloomberg Law
HeinOnline: U.S. Supreme Court Library
In Print:
U.S. Reports, Supreme Court Reports, and other federal reporters can be found in the back half of the U.S. Reference Collection
Regional Reporters from the National Reporter System can be found on the ground floor
On Websites:
U.S. Code - official version can be accessed electronically, back to 1994, on FDsys
Congressional Bills - can be accessed from the 103rd through the current Congress, on FDsys
THOMAS - another great resource for tracking down congressional legislation, brought to you by the Library of Congress
Congress.gov - also from the Library of Congress, this beta site, which will eventually replace THOMAS, provides access to congressional bills and legislation back to 1993, as well as access to the Daily Digest of the Congressional Record, back to 1995; in addition you can access committee reports and other congressional documents, such as roll call votes
On Databases:
The usual suspects: Lexis Advance | Westlaw Next | Bloomberg Law
HeinOnline: United States Code, U.S. Congressional Documents, U.S. Federal Legislative History Library, State Statutes: A Historical Archive, Session Laws Library, U.S. Statutes at Large
In Print:
Current state and federal codes can be found in the U.S. Reference Collection
Superseded codes can be found on the 4th floor
On Websites:
Regulations.gov - this site is designed to enable citizens to submit comments to proposed regulations; thus it provides access to the text of proposed and final federal regulations; this site does not, however, provide access to the CFR, so you'll still want to track down the official version of the regulation
CFR - official, authenticated versions of the Code of Federal Regulations can be accessed online, back to 1996, from FDsys; an unofficial, though very current, version of the CFR can be found at ecfr.gov
Federal Register - official, authenticated versions of the Federal Register can be accessed online, back to 1994, from FDsys; an unofficial, though very current, version of the federal register can be found at federalregister.gov
For state regulations, check official state websites; often the state administrative code is accessible online, along with the text of the state's codes and constitution
On Databases:
The usual suspects: Lexis Advance | Westlaw Next | Bloomberg Law
HeinOnline: Code of Federal Regulations, Federal Register Library, U.S. Federal Agency Documents, Decisions, and Appeals
In Print:
Current versions of the CFR and and Federal Register can be found in the U.S. Reference Collection
Superseded volumes can be found on the 4th floor
