Legal Websites

The following links may be useful to you in your legal research. These sources are not provided or endorsed by the Lynchburg Public Library. Always verify the accuracy of any information you find before relying on it to make a legal decision.

CITY OF LYNCHBURG

VIRGINIA STATE WEBSITES

FEDERAL LEGAL WEBSITES

  • United States Code – Federal Laws of the United States.
  • Code of Federal Regulations – The code that regulates the various agencies of the U.S. government
  • Congress.gov – Valuable information on legislation currently active in Congress and Senate, such as bill status, sponsors, member voting records, etc.
  • U.S. Senate – Official site for the Senate. Information on members and bills.
  • U.S. House of Representatives – Official site for the House of Representatives. Information on members and bills.
  • U.S. Supreme Court – Official site for the U. S. Supreme Court.  Recent opinions.
  • LLRX.com – A web guide to U.S. Supreme Court research created by Gail Partin, associate law librarian at Penn State's Dickinson School of Law.
  • The Oyez Project – Created by Northwestern University political science professor, Jerry Goldman. With finds from an NEH grant, the Oyez Project site includes biographies of Supreme Court justices, a case database, a virtual tour of the Supreme Court Building, and more.
  • Government Printing Office – Many useful government documents such as the Federal Register and the Congressional Record.

GENERAL LEGAL WEBSITES

  • Cornell University Law School Information Institute – State and federal resources as well as legal information by topic.
  • Findlaw – Legal topics, legal organizations, law schools, and more. Be sure to take a look at their Constitutional Law Center, an educational resource site dedicated to the U. S. Constitution and the U.S. Supreme Court.
  • LawSmart – A free service designed to help consumers and businesses resolve their legal issues. Included are samples of legal forms and documents, such as a contract to sell an automobile, a will, or an employment agreement. Includes answers to a wide variety of commonly asked legal questions.
  • Nolo Press Legal Encyclopedia – Legal information by topic on everything from accidents to wills. 

MISCELLANEOUS

  • Landmark Cases of the Supreme Court – Learn about the cases you've heard mentioned in movies or heard on the news (e.g. Dred Scott, Plessy, Gideon, Roe) as well as how to analyze political cartoons.