U.S. Administrative Law Research:
General Sources, Directories & Guides
Updated June 10, 2009.
Prepared by Cheryl Nyberg; updated by Jackie Woodside (2008).
Administrative law is the body of law created by administrative agencies in the form of rules, regulations, procedures, orders, and decisions. Agencies are given the authority for these activities by laws enacted by Congress. The Administrative Procedure Act, 5 USC §551 et seq., establishes the basic procedural standards for federal agencies.
This guide identifies the sources of federal agency rules, regulations, and decisions, in print and online sources. It also describes research techniques and tools.
Some commercial sources require passwords; other sources are UW Restricted.
See also the Gallagher guide on Washington State Administrative Law Research.
General Sources
RegInfo.gov
A portal to federal
regulatory information.
Contains the semiannual Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and
Deregulatory Actions, related documents, and links to relevant websites.
The ABA Administrative Procedure Database, Federal Resources, links to sources dealing with federal administrative law, including statutes, important cases, and websites.
For scholarly treatments see:
Administrative Law Treatise, 4th ed. 3 vols. Table of contents
KF5402.D32 2002 at Reference Area
Administrative Law and Practice. Westlaw: ADMLP
For a much-abbreviated overview, see Administrative Law and Process in
a Nutshell, 5th ed. Table of contents & index
KF5402.Z9G4 2006 at Reference Area
Directories & Guides
The U.S. Government Manual (annual) provides overviews of Congress, the judicial branch, and executive branch agencies and departments. Includes historical information on changes in agency organization.
| Current edition | JK421.U57 at Reference Area & Reference Office | |
| Earlier editions, 1973- | JK421.U57 at Classified Stacks | |
| Internet | GPO Access, 1995-date | |
| Westlaw | US-GOVMAN, 2002-03 ed. | |
The Federal Regulatory Directory contains extensive descriptions
about individual regulatory agencies, with appendices of the Administrative
Procedure Act and the Freedom of Information Act.
KF5406.A15F4 at Reference
Office, current edition
Guides
The National
Archives offers a
Federal Register Tutorial and
other
information about the Federal Register, the Code of Federal
Regulations, and the U.S. Government Manual.
A Research Guide to the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations by the Law Librarians' Society of Washington, DC, covers history, contents and organization; citations; the Unified Agenda; indexes; and the List of Sections Affected.
Georgetown Law Library's Administrative Law Research Tutorial illustrates the regulatory process and the sources of law that process creates (agency regulations and decisions). It includes review questions to help you assess your understanding of the process and materials.
Tracking Current Federal Legislation and Regulations: A Guide to Basic Sources, by the Congressional Research Service, describes official and commercial sources and services..
The Law Library of Congress's Administrative Law Guide covers presidential, executive branch, and agency-specific material.
CALI lessons also provide useful reviews: