Research Finding Tools: Law & Government

Databases

CQ Weekly
  CQ Weekly covers virtually every act of Congress. Search by topic, committee, bill number, or full-text. Access goes back to 1983.
  EndNote Instructions (PC)
EndNote Instructions (Mac)
GPO Access
  An index to and full text of the Congressional Record, Congressional bills, History of Bills, Federal Register, and the US Code. Dates covered vary by database.
  EndNote Instructions (PC)
EndNote Instructions (Mac)
Index to Legal Periodicals
  An index to 620 legal journals, yearbooks, institute publications, bar association organs, law reviews, and government publications. Covers 1981 to the present.
 
Print index in the Rolvaag Reference Room and Rolvaag Storage Basement
(R.R.K9 .N32; 2003-present; 1952-2003 in Rolvaag Storage Basement)
LexisNexis Academic
  Provides access to a wide range of news, business, legal, and reference information. Excellent source for full-text articles in national and international newspapers. Contains Country Profiles, Company Financial Information (including 10-K, Bankruptcy, & Hoover's Reports), and US Code, Constitution, & Court Rules.
  EndNote Instructions (PC)
EndNote Instructions (Mac)
LexisNexis Congressional
  Provides access to full text of Congressional documents, bills, and hearings, as well as information on committees and members of Congress. Includes public laws and legislative histories.
  EndNote Instructions (PC)
EndNote Instructions (Mac)
LexisNexis Government Periodicals Index
  Covers articles in approximately 170 current federal publications. It includes retrospective coverage through 1988 of over 70 additional federal publications that have major research, reference, or general interest value. Updated quarterly.
  EndNote Instructions (PC)
EndNote Instructions (Mac)
Westlaw Campus Research
  Provides access to primary and secondary legal resources, news, and company information.
  EndNote Instructions (PC)
EndNote Instructions (Mac)

Websites

Biographical Directory of the United States Congress 1774-Present
Offers biographical information for all U.S. Congressmen and women and members of the Continental Congress.
Constitution Finder
"This database offers constitutions, charters, amendments, and other related documents. Nations of the world are linked to their constitutional text posted somewhere on the Internet."
Famous Trials
Extensive materials (maps, legal documents, newspaper accounts, images, bibliographies) for dozens of famous trials. Covers 399 B.C. (Socrates) to 2006 (Moussaoui).
Global Legal Information Network
GLIN is a "public database of official texts of laws, regulations, judicial decisions, and other complementary legal sources contributed by governmental agencies and international organizations".
GPO Access
Government Printing Office site that provides access to various legal sources including: The U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulation, public laws, bills, and federal legislative material.
History of the Supreme Court
A teacher-authored site containing essays, images, personal histories, lesson plans, and short historical articles pertaining to issues within the American judicial system.
LawMoose
Provides links to MN, WI and some international legal resources.
Minnesota Courts
Website of the MN courts. Provides access to court forms, court rules, appellate decisions and trial court records
Public Library of Law
Includes: cases from the U.S. Supreme Court and Courts of Appeals; cases from all 50 states back to 1997; federal statutory law and codes from all 50 states; regulations, court rules, constitutions.
Thomas
Excellent source for federal legislative information. Includes: bills, public laws, roll call votes, floor activity, Congressional Record, committee reports, treaties, presidential nominations & Congressional calendars.
U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
Home to millions of records about the U.S.