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Guide to Finding Legal Resources
The following is intended to be a guide to some of the legal resources at the Library as well as to some legal sites on the World Wide Web. If you have any questions, inquire at the Reference Desk, at (262) 524-3682.
Finding Federal Public & Private Laws & Regulations
Finding Wisconsin State Laws & Codes
Locating Congressional Bills & Resolutions
Locating Court Cases
Finding Local Ordinances
Legal Sites on the Web
Finding Federal Public & Private Laws & Regulations
The United States Statutes at Large
• R 348.7322 Un3s
Initially, a newly enacted law is published as a slip law. These are filed in numerical order in boxes in Reference. At the end of each congressional session, enacted laws are published in The United States Statues at Large. The Statutes are indexed by popular name, subject, and by the sponsor of legislation. To track a law, go either to the index or directly to the text if you already know the congressional session and law number.
United States Code
• R 348.7323 Un3
The Code contains laws that are currently in effect and provides detailed legislative history of these laws. To check the current status of a law, consult one of the general index volumes or one of the general index supplemental volumes under the subject of the law.
The Federal Register
• R 348.732 F31
Published daily, except for weekends and holidays, the Register contains regulations dealing with complex social and economic issues from Federal departments and agencies.
The Code of Federal Regulations
• R 348.732 C64
The CFR classifies the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register.These two publications must be used together to determine the latest version of any given rule.
Finding Wisconsin State Laws & Codes
Wisconsin Statutes
• R 348.775022 W753
You can find what you are looking for by using the table of contents in the front of the book or the index in the last volume.
Wisconsin Administrative Code
• R 348.775025 W753a
The Code includes the rules of Wisconsin executive agencies and pages are issued monthly. The index to the complete Code will be found in the last volume of the set.
Locating Congressional Bills & Resolutions
The Congressional Quarterly Almanac
• R 328.73 C76cq
A good source to locate the previous year's bills and resolutions. Checking the index will lead to the descriptive digest of a desired bill, the actions taken, its amendments, and present status. The voting record associated with a bill is included in an appendix.
For current year information check CQ Weekly Report R 328.73 C76.
United States Reports
• R 348.73 Un32
This U.S. Supreme Court reporter is the "official" reporter commissioned by Congress. If you have the case citation, find the indicated reporter, volume and page. If you do not have a citation, but know the approximate year the case was decided, use the Table of Cases in the front of each volume for the cases decided during that period of time.
Wisconsin Reporter: Covering Cases Reported in the North Western Reporter, 2nd Series
• R 348.775 W75
Each case reporter has a Table of Cases at the front of the volume, indicating page number in that volume. There is a subject index in the back of each volume, indexing cases decided during that time.
Waukesha County Code: General Ordinances of the County
• R 348.7759023 W357w
Search the table of contents or the index by subject.
Municipal Code of Waukesha, Wisconsin
• R 348.77593 W35 v.1-3
• Municipal Code of Waukesha, Wisconsin
Search the index by subject.
The Government Printing Office offers this site for rapidly accessing many online federal databases such as Supreme Court opinions, U.S. Code, Public Laws, Federal Register, and many more.
Internet Legal Resources Guide
Comprehensive index serving as an information resource on law and the legal profession with an emphasis on the United States.
Martindale-Hubbell Lawyer Search
Included here are lawyers and law firms in private practice in the United States, Canada, and more than 150 foreign countries. Find a list of State Bar Associations under the Professions heading.
Web site from Nolo Press, an established publisher of self-help legal books. Nolo Press provides good, reliable information to aid the average person in handling routine legal problems without hiring an attorney.
This comprehensive guide includes links to resources in over 30 practice areas, state specific, federal and international materials, case law and codes, legal associations, legal forms, law firms, law reviews and LawCrawler, a search engine directed to legal and government sources.
This state web site contains updated Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations, Wisconsin Acts, and both the Wisconsin and U.S. Constitutions.
This site links to information about Wisconsin law, such as court rulings and statutes. Includes Legal Explorer for consumers.
THOMAS (U.S. Legislative Information
Since 1995, the THOMAS web site has been THE site for U.S. legislative information. Accessible at this site are: the entire texts of bills or Congressional Record articles; the status of legislation; listings of roll call votes; public laws by number, etc.
The Wisconsin Administrative Code files found at this web site are reproduced in Adobe Acrobat format from the files used to produce the official printed Code. The files found at this web site are unofficial.
Wisconsin Circuit Court Access & Forms
Provides access to those records of Wisconsin Circuit Court System that are open for public inspection. Search for civil, criminal, traffic or family law cases statewide or by county using this Circuit Court Automation Program.
Wisconsin Court System Web Site
Director of State Courts Office web site which provides an overview and history of the courts along with Supreme Court and Appeals Court opinions and schedules for oral arguments.
Wisconsin Family Justice Clinic
This clinic offers free volunteer legal assistance with forms and procedures and referrals for those who cannot afford representation. The volunteer facilitators provide legal information, but not legal advice.
Wisconsin Legal Information Center
World Wide Legal Information Association provides a non-profit legal information web site for Wisconsin.
State government web site which provides access to legislative proposals and acts with subject index, Legislatorsí email addresses, composition of legislative committees, etc.
The Wisconsin State Law Library strives to serve the legal information needs of judges, attorneys, state employees, and the general public. The library provides reference and referral assistance, collection circulation, document delivery, interlibrary loan, conducts group tours and orientation sessions for new users.
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