Gallagher Law Library - UW School of Law

Links to Primary Law Sources on Free Websites

Updated Feb. 5, 2009.
Prepared by Cheryl Nyberg for the Shidler Journal of Law, Commerce + Technology.

Many free websites contain primary legal sources such as constitutions, statutes, regulations, court opinions, and treaties. But which sites are the most stable? Which sites provide a mechanism for permanent links to legal content? Is the content itself stable? Is the information designated as "official"?

This guide directs users to selected free websites for primary law sources from the U.S. (federal), Washington State, and other U.S. states.

Consult the Gallagher guide to Internet Legal Resources for links to additional free websites for primary law sources.

Constitutions

Constitutional provisions are good candidates for stable Internet links because they are not frequently updated.

Jurisdiction Website Notes
United States Cornell's Legal Information Institute  
Washington State Washington State Legislature Site undergoes periodic reorganization resulting in broken links
Other States Cornell's Legal Information Institute Links to government sites, some of which may not be stable
Findlaw Links to government sites, some of which may not be stable

 

Statutes

Unlike constitutional provisions and cases, statutes are subject to frequent change. Although a website provides stable links to statutory sections, the language of the statute may change between the date when it is cited and the date when a user follows the link.

Jurisdiction / Source Website Notes
United States Code GPO Access Follow instructions for creating links to documents
Cornell's Legal Information Institute Current edition.
Stable URLs but information derived from GPO Access.
Revised Code of Washington Washington State Legislature Current edition.
Site undergoes periodic reorganization resulting in broken links
LegalWA Current edition.
After finding the citation, click on the Get Link icon and use the resulting URL
Other states Findlaw Links to government sites, some of which may not be stable
Law Librarians' Society of Washington, DC Links to government sites, some of which may not be stable

 

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Cases

Court opinions are good candidates for stable URLs because they do not change.

Jurisdiction / Court / Source Websites Notes
U.S. Supreme Court: U.S. Reports Cornell's Legal Information Institute Full coverage 1990-date; selected earlier cases.
Content is from slip opinions, not bound volumes.
U.S. Supreme Court PDF images of bound volumes, 1991 (vol. 502)-date.
A complete volume is a single document; no pinpoint URLs possible.
Findlaw After retrieving a case, look for the permanent URL above the case name.
Star pagination available.
Site contains advertising.
Justia Coverage from vol. 1 with star pagination. Relatively new site; still in beta.
U.S. Courts of Appeal /  Federal Reporter Public Resource A mixed bag; some PDF images of bound volumes and some HTML.
1st series, vols. 1-281.
F.2d, 1950-93, vols. 178-999.
F.3d, 1993-2007, vols. 1-491.
U.S. District Courts    
Washington State / Washington Reports & Washington Appellate Reports LegalWA Coverage back to territorial courts.
Star pagination available.
After finding the citation, click on the Get Link icon and use the resulting URL
Other states Findlaw Coverage varies; slip opinions derived from court websites.
After retrieving a case, look for the permanent URL above the case name.
Site contains advertising.

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