A basic legal research guide Anyone who starts a legal research project without first going to law school faces a huge challenge. Trying to understand the maze of the different publications can be confusing and daunting. Codes are compliations of laws passed by Congress and the state legislatures. Cases are decisions on lawsuits made by state and federal judges.
Regulations are rules made by state and federal government agencies.
Laws passed by Congress can be found in the United States Code. The U.S. Code has fifty titles that cover different areas of the law, from veterans benefits to patents to food and drugs to foriegn affairs. If you're looking for state laws, you have to familiarize yourself with the system used in your state. Some states, like Texas, are in the process of switching from one system to the other, and it can be very confusing to find the appropriate code. The important thing in researching all codes is to look in the back of the book.