Legal Resources for the Federal Jurisdictions and General U.S.
: Many of these titles have already been moved to the Law Library
WARNING: The materials and information at this site are intended to assist the FIU community in using the legal materials located in the FIU Green Library. THEY ARE NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS LEGAL ADVICE. For legal advice, please consult an attorney.
II. MAJOR UNITED STATES FEDERAL AND GENERAL LEGAL REFERENCE TOOLS:
Check this Federal Government legal research site.
1. United States Code Congressional and Administrative News (USCCAN) KF50.U5.
This publication by West is an official record of what takes place in Congress, organized by Congress number and session/year. As such it includes Presidential Proclamations and Executive Orders. The first volume of each session includes a list of the President, Vice President, Secretaries, Supreme Court Justices, all members of Congress, and Congressional committee membership. Thereafter are summaries of the new Public Laws followed by their legislative histories, including research and committee reports. The final volume of the hard bound annual issue includes cross-referencing tables to U.S.C. and U.S.C.A., with an index in the last volume of odd-numbered years.
2. United States Statutes at Large (Stat at L) KF50.U57.
Similar to Fla. Laws, this set lists the laws of the United States in the order in which they become law. Unlike the Florida equivalent, U.S. laws are numbered by Congress number (instead of year), then by item number. For instance, "Public Law 96-423 Oct. 10, 1980" refers to the 423rd public law passed by the 96th Congress, which was passed on October 10, 1980. In addition to public laws, the Stat. at L. also include private laws, concurrent resolutions, and proclamations. A subject index is included at the end of each volume.
3. United States Code. (USC) KF62 1982.A2 1983 and online.
This is the collection of statutes of the United States (i.e., the public laws after they have been put in order by subject title and chapter.) The current edition (1982) covers through January 14, 1983. Annual supplements are published to keep it current. Also, U.S.C.A. may be used instead of the U.S.C. The set is completed by a general index and a "popular names" index, the latter for finding statutes by the popular name of the act while in Congress.
4. United States Code Annotated. (USCA) KF70.A3.
This set is organized by the titles and section numbers of the U.S.C., plus the United States Constitution. In addition to the actual statute, the U.S.C.A. gives historical notes, explanatory notes, "library references" to other statutes, Code of Federal Regulations, and "notes of decisions" to court cases. Each title has an index, and there is a general index to the whole set. Updated by pocket parts.
5. Shepard's Federal Statutes Citations: Statute ed. KF78.S57 1994.
This is the statute edition of Shepards, used to find cases which have cited the United States Constitution, U.S.C., Stat., treaties, or court rules. (1999 – current available online only; see Library webpage.)
6. Shepard's Acts and Cases by Popular Name. REF DESK KF80.S5 1986.
This is an alphabetical index to federal and state acts (laws) and cases by popular name. Updated by paperbacks. AT REF. DESK.
7. United States Reports. (US) (DOC) JU6.8: (:KF101.1.A)
This government publication is the official record of Supreme Court decisions. It includes a table of cases reported and a table of cases cited, as well as court orders and opinions rendered by individual justices. Each volume concludes with a subject index. Updated by paperback issues and "slip opinions."
8. Supreme Court Reporter. (SCt) KF101.1.S8.
This reporter, part of West's National Report System, reprints the contents of U.S. S.Ct. precedes the report of each case with West's Key Numbers and a brief description of each point of law, along with the appropriate citation. Each volume has a list of Supreme Court Justices, special business of the court, tables of cases, and a summary of term decisions.
9. U.S. Supreme Court Digest. KF101.1.S82.
This subject guide to Supreme Court cases is published by West. In addition to the digest by subject, this set includes indexes to cases by defendant-plaintiff and plaintiff-defendant. The subject section of the digest is arranged by West's Key Number System. Updated by pocket parts.
10. U.S. Supreme Court Reports, Lawyers Ed. (LEd) KF101.1.U5.
U.S. Supreme Court Reports, Lawyers Ed, Annotated, 2nd. (L.Ed.2d.) KF101.1.U5.
Lawyers Cooperative's set covering U.S. . includes the "opinion of the court" from U.S., but adds a preceding statement of the court's decision and a summary (both reprinted in, as well as a discussion of points of law called "headnotes," similar to West's Key Number System. The "headnotes" are keyed to L.Ed., above.)
11. Shepard's United States Citations: Case ed. KF101.2.S54.
This is the case edition for Shepards indexing citations to cases of the U.S. Supreme Court, regardless of reporter (U.S., S.Ct., L.Ed.2d). (1999 – current available online only; see Library webpage.)
12. Landmark Briefs and Arguments of the Supreme Court of the United States Constitutional Law. KF101.9.L36.
This set contains the briefs and oral arguments, including amici curiae, presented to the Supreme Court in constitutional cases which led to landmark decisions. Table of contents cites the final decision in United States Reports.
13. American Law Reports: Federal. (A.L.R. Fed.) KF105.A54.
This set covers cases in the lower federal courts beginning in 1969. Following the practice in L.Ed., this Lawyers Cooperative publication begins each report with the case citation, a summary of decision, "headnotes", and then the opinion of the court. After the opinion there is a detailed discussion of the major point of law in the case and related cases. Each volume begins with a table of cases.
Associated with this set is the Federal Quick Index, which indexes ALR Fed, ALR, L Ed, USCS, Am Jur, Am Jur Forms, and other Lawyers Cooperative publications.
14. Federal Reporter, 2nd. (F2d) KF105.F4.
Federal Reporter, 3rd. (F3d) KF105.F4.
This part of West's National Reporter system reports the decisions of "cases argued and determined in the United States Courts of Appeals and Temporary Emergency Court of Appeals." Some older issues include other federal courts. Makes use of West's Key Number System to outline main points of law in each decision.
15. Federal Supplement. (F.Supp.) KF105.F42.
Split off from the Federal Reporter, this reporter covers the decisions of U.S. District Courts and U.S. Court of International Trade, as well as rulings of the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation. Each case is annotated by West's Key Number System.
16. Shepard's Citations for ALR. KF105.2.S416.
Shepardizes West's National Reporter system, U S Reports, & the ALR system to cases cited in ALR's publications.
17. Shepard's Federal Citations. KF105.2.S42.
This is the edition of Shepard's Citations to use when shepardizing cases recorded in the Federal Reporter or the Federal Supplement. (1999 – current available online only; see Library webpage.) For Supreme Court cases, see Shepard's United States Citations: Case Ed.
18. Shepard's Federal Case Names Citator, Eleventh Circuit. KF112 11TH .2.S48.
An index by case name to cases in federal courts in the eleventh circuit, Florida, Alabama, & Georgia, from 1940 to present. (1999 – current available online only; see Library webpage.)
19. West's Federal Practice Digest 2d. KF127.W48 1976
West's Federal Practice Digest 3d. KF127.W48 1984.
West's Federal Practice Digest 4th. KF127.W48 1989.
Another of the West's key number digests using the same key numbers as West's other publications. These sets index federal cases. Latest edition is updated by pocket parts.
20. American Law Reports . (A.L.R.)
American Law Reports, 2nd Series. (A.L.R. 2.) KF132.A52.
American Law Reports, 3rd Series. (A.L.R. 3.) KF132.A53.
American Law Reports, 4th Series. (A.L.R. 4.) KF132.A535.
American Law Reports, 5th Series. (A.L.R. 5.) KF132.A537.
Lawyers Cooperative has published these series of reports of selected state court cases. Federal cases are included up to 1969. Like ALR Fed, these sets include lengthy discussions of points of law (called "annotations") after relevant cases. Also, each volume begins with an index to subjects annotated and a table of cases with citations to court and to West's reporters, as well as to the ALR series. Table of cases is arranged by both plaintiff and defendent. A "Quick Index" is provided each for ALR and ALR2. A digest if provided for 3 & 4, updated to 5 by the pocket parts.
21. American Jurisprudence, Second Ed. (Am. Jur. 2d.) KF154.A42.
This legal encyclopedia dealing with American law is published by Lawyers Cooperative. Am Jur 2d is continually updated by pocket parts. Like Fla Jur 2d, it is arranged by legal title and section, which should be included in place of the page number when citing. The encyclo-pedia articles discuss each section as it has been practiced in courts and give citations to court cases reported by publications of both West and Lawyers Cooperative. Each volume has an individual index, plus there is a general index to the whole encyclopedia at the end of the set.
22. Corpus Juris Secundum. (C.J.S.) KF174.C6.
West's legal encyclopedia covers American law but also takes into account decisions of other common law court systems. As with Am Jur 2d, citations include title and section in place of page. (E.g., 43A C.J.S. Inns, Hotels, and Eating Places §5, NOT 43A C.J.S. 793.) Updated by pocket parts. Each volume has an index by title and the whole set has a complete index at the end of the set.
23. Words and Phrases.
This is a set of digests of court decisions based on the interpretation of a single word or phrase. Thus this set is intended primarily as a finder of court definitions of terminology.
NOT UPDATED.
III. OTHER LEGAL REFERENCE TOOLS:
In LEGAL REFERENCE:
1. West's Education Law Reporter. KF4110.A2W47.
2. American Jurisprudence Legal Forms, Second Ed. (Am. Jur. Legal Forms 2d.) KF170.A542.
3. Internal Revenue Code. (I.R.C.) KF6276.526.A19I57.
4. Internal Revenue Acts. KF6276.526.A19I58.
5. Federal Tax Regulations. (Fed. Tax Reg.) KF6301.A4U5.
Located In ABSTRACTS & INDEXES:
1. Index to Legal Periodicals. A&I KF174.I53; also available through FirstSearch.
This is the annual index to law reviews and other legal journals. The main section is arranged by subject, but there are also index sections by case name and by author.
Located In GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS:
1. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) DOC REF AE2.106/3:(vol #) and
online.
Much like the Florida Administrative Code (FAC), this is the source of regulations promulgated by U.S. federal government agencies.
2. Index to the Code of Federal Regulations. DOC REF KF70.A34I5 1984.
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