legal resources on the web

Researched and prepared by Robert P. Donaldson.  (Revised and updated, March, 2012.)

The following web sites are excellent sources for legal information on statutory laws, courts, legal topics, government agencies, legal research and writing.

Table of Contents

• Comprehensive Legal Sites
• Legal News
• United States Government
• U.S. Supreme & Federal Court Information and Rulings
• U.S. Code (Federal Laws)
• State Laws
• New York State Government
• New York State Laws
• New York State Court System
• New York State Case Law
• Dutchess County Agencies & Local Municipalities
• Ulster County Agencies
• Criminal Justice
• Legal Writing
• Supplementary Sites
• Consumer Law
• Health Care and Elder Law
• Family Law
• Civil Rights

 

 

Comprehensive Legal Sites

Legal Information Institute at Cornell Law School – http://www.law.cornell.edu

The Public Library of Law – http://www.plol.org/Pages/Search.aspx

New York Official Reports Legal Research Portal  –  http://www.courts.state.ny.us/reporter/research.htm

 

Legal News

FindLaw – http://www.findlaw.com/

FindLaw Legal News Sign-up Website – Sign up for free emails with weekly summaries for case laws and different legal news topics – http://newsletters.findlaw.com/

FindLaw Comprehensive Legal Blog Site – Provides access to the latest legal news and information for consumers and legal professionals – http://www.findlaw.com/blog-index/

Jurist Legal News and Research – Excellent archives of topic-based commentaries – http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/

 

United States Government

Law Library of Congress – http://www.loc.gov/law/

Thomas-Library of Congress – In the spirit of Thomas Jefferson, legislative information from the Library of Congres http://thomas.loc.gov/

United States House of Representatives – http://www.house.gov/

United States Senate – http://www.senate.gov/

U.S. Federal Government – http://www.firstgov.gov

U.S. Government Federal Digital System – http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/

U.S. Copyright Office – http://www.copyright.gov/

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office – http://www.uspto.gov/

 

 

U.S. Supreme & Federal Court Information and Rulings

U.S. Courts Research– http://www.uscourts.gov/FederalCourts.aspx

U.S. Supreme Court – http://www.supremecourt.gov/

Supreme Court Historical Society – http://supremecourthistory.org

Justia U.S. Supreme Court Center – http://supreme.justia.com/

Supreme Court at Oyez – Cases arranged by year – http://www.oyez.org/

FindLaw U.S. Supreme Court Center – http://supreme.lp.findlaw.com/

U.S. Courts Locator– http://www.uscourts.gov/courtlinks/

Federal Courts in NY

U.S. 2^nd Circuit Court of Appeals – http://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/

U.S. District Court, Southern District – http://www.nysd.uscourts.gov/

2^nd Circuit Court of Appeals Opinion Summaries Blog – http://blogs.findlaw.com/second_circuit/

 

 

U.S. Code (Federal Laws)

United States Code – Provides topical listings and links to official government site – http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/

U.S. Code of Federal Regulations – http://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/

 

State Laws

State Codes – http://www.law.cornell.edu/statutes.html

 

New York State Government

NYS Government Information Locator Service  – http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/ils/ 

NYS Government Agencies – http://www.nysegov.com/citGuide.cfm?superCat=102&cat=449&content=main

NYS Legislature – http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us/menuf.cgi

NYS Assembly – http://assembly.state.ny.us/

NYS Senate – http://www.senate.state.ny.us/senatehomepage.nsf/home?openform

Navigate NYS Agencies –http://www.nysegov.com/citGuide.cfm?superCat=129&cat=150&content=main

Law Help – New York – http://www.lawhelp.org/NY/index.cfm

NYS Office of the Attorney General  – http://www.oag.state.ny.us/

NYS Crime Victim’s Board – http://www.cvb.state.ny.us/

NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision –  http://parole.state.ny.us

NYS Sex Offender Registry – http://www.criminaljustice.state.ny.us/nsor/search_index.htm

NYS Consumer Protection Board – http://www.consumer.state.ny.us/

NYS Division of State Police – http://www.troopers.state.ny.us/Introduction/

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation – http://www.dec.ny.gov/about/259.html

NYS Department of Education Contact Sit – http://usny.nysed.gov/contact.html

NYS Phone Directory  –  http://www6.oft.state.ny.us/telecom/phones/index.jsp?mode=P

NYS Bar Association –  http://www.nysba.org/

Free Legal Services in New York State (LawHelp.Org/NY)  – http://www.lawhelp.org/NY/StateDirectory.cfm/County/%20/City/%20/demoMode/%3D%201/Language/1/State/NY/TextOnly/N/ZipCode/%20/LoggedIn/0

NYS Criminal Justice System Handbook – http://www.nycourts.gov/litigants/crimjusticesyshandbk.shtml

NYS Birth, Death, Marriage & Divorce Records – http://www.health.ny.gov/vital_records/death/htm

 

New York State Laws

NYS Consolidated Laws – http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us/menugetf.cgi?COMMONQUERY=LAWS

NYS Criminal Laws (Penal, Criminal Procedure, V & T, and ABC Laws) – http://ypdcrime.com/

NYS Uniform Commercial Code – http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/nycodes/LLUCC.html

NYS Open Government Laws –   http://www.dos.state.ny.us/coog/Right_to_know.html

Public Access to the Records of the Office for Technology – http://www.cio.ny.gov/Policy/FOILRegs.htm

New York Laws at FindLaw – User-friendly summaries of NY laws –
http://law.findlaw.com/state-laws/new-york/

 

New York State Court System

New York Court Help –  http://www.nycourthelp.gov/

NYS Unified Court System – http://www.courts.state.ny.us/home.htm –
Includes access to  New York’s Statewide Court Forms, E-Court system, Court of Appeals, Court of Claims, Town & Village Justice Courts, Drug Treatment Courts, Domestic Violence Courts, Integrated Domestic Violence Courts, Court Law Libraries, and  public access to NYS court records.

National Center for State Courts  –  http://www.ncsc.org/Web%20Document%20Library/IR_BrowseTopicsA-Z.aspx

 

New York State Case Law

NY Official Reports (Most Recent Court Decisions) –  http://www.courts.state.ny.us/reporter/Index.htm

 

Dutchess County Agencies & Local Municipalities

Dutchess County Government Agencies – http://www.co.dutchess.ny.us/CountyGov/AllServices.htm

Dutchess County Bar Association –  http://www.dutchesscountybar.org/

Town of Rhinebeck  –  http://www.rhinebeck-ny.gov/

Village of Rhinebeck – http://www.rhinebeckvillage.org/

 

Ulster County Agencies

Ulster County Government  – http://www.co.ulster.ny.us/

 

Criminal Justice

FindLaw Criminal Law Center – http://criminal.findlaw.com/

New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services – http://criminaljustice.state.ny.us/index.htm

NYS Criminal Justice Statistics – http://www.criminaljustice.state.ny.us/crimnet/ojsa/stats.htm

National Archive of Criminal Justice Data – http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/NACJD/

Federal Bureau of Prisons – http://www.bop.gov/

 

 

Legal Writing

Official Reports & Style Manual – http://www.courts.state.ny.us/reporter/Styman_Menu.htm

Legal Research & Writing – http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/sg_resch.htm

Nolo Legal Glossary – http://www.nolo.com/glossary.cfm

 

 

Supplementary Sites

American Civil Liberties Union – http://www.aclu.org/

Death Penalty Information Center – http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/index.php

The Sentencing Project – http://www.sentencingproject.org/template/page.cfm?id=143

NYS Neighbor Law – http://www.worldcat.org/profiles/KSC_Law_Library/lists/31235

NYS Neighbors & Trees – http://nylawthoughts.com/2010/05/18/fallingtrees/

Neighbor Notification Fact Sheet on Pesticide Use – http:/www.health.ny.gov/environmental/pests/public_notification_law.htm

Famous Trials in American History – http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/ftrials.htm

Welcome to Dumb Laws – http://www.dumblaws.com/

Class Action World (Class Action Lawsuits) – http://www.classactionworld.com/

FindLaw Traffic Law Center – http://public.findlaw.com/traffic-ticket-violation-law/

FindLaw Accident/Injury Law – http://injury.findlaw.com/

You and the Drinking Driving Laws in NYS – http://www.dmv.ny.gov/broch/c-39DDL-web.pdf

 

Consumer Law

U.S. Govt. Consumer Protection Publications – http://publications.usa.gov/USAPubs.php?NavCode=XA&CatID=12

NYS Office of the Attorney General – Find links to Consumer Resources; Consumer Fraud Bureau; Consumer Publications; Debt Settlement Companies; Compaint Forms; Tenants’ Rights; Lemon Law; Identity Theft; Free Credit Reports and more  –
http://www.oag.state.ny.us/

NYS Know Your Contractor  –  http://www.nyknowyourcontractor.com/cfmqstaticdocs/

NYS Consumer Protection Board – http://www.consumer.state.ny.us/

New York Court Help – Housing (Landlord/Tenant) – http://www.courts.state.ny.us/courthelp/faqs/housing.html

FindLaw Bankruptcy and Debt – http://bankruptcy.findlaw.com/

FindLaw Real Estate Center – http://realestate.findlaw.com/

Federal Trade Commission Identity Theft Site – http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/

Lawyer’s Fund For Client Protection in New York State – http://www.nylawfund.org/

 

Health Care and Elder Law

NYS Office of the Aging – http://www.aging.ny.gov/

Elder Law Legal Resources on the Web – http://www.seniorlaw.com/resource.htm

FindLaw Estate Planning – Includes Wills, Estates, Trusts, Health Care & Power of Attorney, Estate Planning Forms – http://estate.findlaw.com/

NYS Office of Attorney General Health Care Bureau – Includes Tips for Health Care Consumers, Health Care Proxy, Doctor Rankings, Complaint Forms – http://www.ag.ny.gov/bureau/health-care-bureau

 

 

Family Law (Marriage, Divorce, Child Support & Custody, Domestic Violence)

FindLaw Family Law Center – http://family.findlaw.com/

NYS Unified Court System – Includes access to: Divorce Resources, Divorce Forms, Parent Resources for Divorce, Legal Resources for Unrepresented Litigants in NYS, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Family Law Self-Help, Family Court Forms, Domestic Violence Forms – http://www.courts.state.ny.us/home.htm

NYS Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence – http://www.opdv.state.ny.us/

FindLaw Same Sex Couples – http://family.findlaw.com/same-sex-couples/

FindLaw Changing Your Name – http://family.findlaw.com/changing-your-name/

 

Civil Rights

NYS Division of Human Rights – http://www.dhr.state.ny.us/contact_us.html

NYS Office of the Attorney General – Includes Civil Rights Complaint Form, Sexual Harassment in the Workplace FAQs, Discrimination Law, Your Rights as an Employee, Sexual Orientation Non-Descrimination Act – http://www.ag.ny.gov/bureaus

Southern Poverty Law Center – Excellent general introduction to Civil Rights issues and laws – http://www.splcenter.org/

Sexual Harassment – U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission – http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/sexual_harassment.cfm

Title IX, Education Amendments of 1972 – http://www.dol.gov/oasam/regs/statutes/titleix.htm

Title IX, Athletics –  (Note: page loads slowly) http://www.usccr.gov/pubs/TitleIX-2010-rev100610.pdf

FindLaw U.S. Guide to Disability Law – http://public.findlaw.com/bookshelf-disability-rights-laws/