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UNITED STATES
The legislative branch of the government makes the law.  A full explanation of the federal legislative process can be found in LexisNexis Congressional.

The following databases can help you track legislation and also provide full-text or citations to associated documents.

PENNSYLVANIA
The state legislative process produces far less documentation than the federal process.  A general description of the state legislative process can be found in LexisNexis State Capital.

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UNITED STATES
Once a bill is signed into law, it must often be implemented by an agency of the executive branch.  An executive branch agency may issue administrative regulations explaining how it intends to put the law into effect and what a citizen or entity must do to comply with the law.

For information on executive branch agencies consult government organization manuals or agency web sites.

MANUALS and AGENCY WEB SITES

To find executive branch agency web sites use USA.gov, the United States' official web portal.  Click on the A-Z Agency Index or Federal Government link in the Government Agencies box on the right of the screen.

Agencies issue proposed, interim, and final rules and regulations in the newspapers or registers of the executive and administrative branches.

REGISTERS and CODE
The Federal Register is the source for United States rules and regulations.  For a guide to using the Federal Register see the the National Archives web page About the Federal Register.  You can access the Register, via GPO Access (1994-date), LexisNexis Academic (1980-date), and LexisNexis Congressional (1981-date).  Academic lets you search by keyword only, Congressional lets you search by keyword or by Federal Register or Code of Federal Regulations citation.

After publication in the Federal Register, rules and regulations are gathered in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).  Online versions of the CFR are available via GPO Access (1996-date), LexisNexis Academic (2005-date), and LexisNexis Congressional (1981-date).  Academic lets you search by keyword only, Congressional lets you search by keyword or by Code or CFR citation.

You can view and comment on regulations and other actions of federal agencies via Regulations.gov.

PROCLAMATIONS and EXECUTIVE ORDERS
The President can issue proclamations and executive orders that have regulatory impact.  These are published in the Federal Register, the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents and collected in the CFR (Title 3, The President) and the Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States.  The Weekly Compilation is available via GPO Access (1993-date) and ProQuest Research Library (1992-date).

Agencies are also involved in administrative decision making.  Administrative Decisions and Other Actions by Agency is a web site created by the University of Virginia Library that provides links to administrative actions that are outside the scope of the CFR or the Federal Register.  Federal Administrative Decisions and Opinions, created by the Pace Law School Library, is another site that links to agency decisons and opinions .

PENNSYLVANIA
MANUALS and AGENCY WEB SITES
At the state level, just as the federal, once a bill is signed into law, it must often be implemented by an agency of the executive branch.

For information on state executive branch agencies consult state government organization manuals [often referred to as blue books], or agency web sites.

The Pennsylvania Manual is a guide to Pennsylvania government and includes profiles of officials from the executive, judicial, and legislative branches as well as information on local government.  The most recent print Manual is available at the Canaday Reference Desk.  Earlier years are shelved on Floor A. The current Manual is also available online via the Pennsylvania Department of General Services web site.

Links to the Pennsylvania and other state blue books are available via the American Library Association Government Documents Roundtable.  Links to state agencies and commissionas are available via the LexisNexis State Capital List of Links.

REGISTERS and CODE
Links to Pennsylvania executive agency web sites are available on PAPowerPort.  For other states use the State Sites link in LexisNexis Congressional.

Agencies issue proposed, interim, and final rules in the newspapers or registers of the executive and administrative branches.  The Pennsylvania Bulletin is the source for Pennsylvania rules and regulations.  The Bulletin (1996-date) is available from the Commonwealth and from LexisNexis State Capital (1994-date).  Links to many state registers are available via the University of Michigan Documents Center State Legal Sources on the Web.

After publication in the state newspapers or registers, rules and regulations are gathered in official Codes.  An online version of the Pennsylvania Code is available from the Commonwealth and also from LexisNexis Academic and LexisNexis State Capital.

PROCLAMATIONS and EXECUTIVE ORDERS
The Governor can issue proclamations and executive orders that have regulatory impact.  For Pennsylvania these are published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.  Executive orders are are also available on the Pennsylvania Office of Administration web site.  For other states try the University of Michigan Documents Center State Legal Resources on the Web.

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The judicial branch applies the laws enacted by the legislative branch and the rules and regulations issued by the executive branch.

SECONDARY AUTHORITIES
Law libraries will be your best source for extensive selections of legal encyclopedias, treatises, and periodicals.  The Tri-Colleges do purchase titles relevant to the curriculum, but these may be geared more to the general scholar or layman.  To locate, search Tripod by Subject or Keyword and look for the subject subdivisions Cases or Law and legislation or Legal status, laws, etc.

Listed below are links to online secondary authorities and case citator available in the Tri-Colleges.

American Jurisprudence 2d
Am Jur 2d collects, examines, and sumarizes the broad principles of American law.  The publication is divided alphabetically into hundreds of topic headings or 'titles'.

American Law Reports
Contains ALR Federal, 5th,4th,3rd, and 2d (1948-date)
In LexisNexis Academic General search, click on Power Search and select All Law Reviews & ALR from the pull down Select Sources box.  Click on [+] Show under Select Sources, select Section CITE, enter ALR and click on Add to Search.

Law Reviews & Legal Periodicals
Click on the LexisNexis Academic Legal search tab and then on the Law Reviews link on the right.  You can search all at the same time, or select and area of law from the pull-down Select Sources box.

Shepard's Citations
This case citator is available online via LexisNexis Academic.  It allows you to check citations, find parallel citations, and view the subsequent history of the cite case or statute, and the treatment accorded it by subsequent cases.

UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT

FEDERAL and STATE CASES
Bryn Mawr has access to Federal Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, District Court, assorted specialized courts, and state court decisions via the Legal section of LexisNexis Academic.  Click on the Legal search tab and then on the Federal & State Cases link on the right.  You can search by keyword, case name, citation, law firm name, or judge's last name.  To focus a keyword search you can select the Court level from the pull-down Select Sources box.

OTHER JUDICIAL BRANCH INFORMATION SOURCES

UNITED STATES LOWER COURTS

PENNSYLVANIA and OTHER STATE COURTS

Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, District Court, and Common Pleas Court decisions are available online via LexisNexis Academic.  Click on the Legal search tab and then on the Federal & State Cases link on the right.  To focus a keyword only search, select the desired state from the pull-down Select Sources box.  After you retrieve your search results, you can use the Cases link under Result Groups on the left to limit to a particular court.

Links to state courts are also available via FindLaw and the National Center for State Courts

Associations, advocacy groups, and policy research organizations are often good sources for information on law and legislation.

Please come to the Canaday Library Reference Desk for personalized help with your research.

Reference Desk hours:

Mon-Wed
10 am-noon
1-5 pm
7-10 pm

Thu-Fri
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1-5 pm

Sat-Sun
1-5 pm

Reference desk email: library@brynmawr.edu    

Reference desk phone: 610-526-5279