Maria Steinberg
Library Director
(845) 279-6421
(845) 279-0043 Fax
brewsterlibrary
@yahoo.com

Library Hours: Monday 10-7 Tuesday 10-4 Wednesday 10-7 Thursday 10-4 Friday 9-4 Saturday 10-1 Sunday Closed

LEGAL RESOURCES

The Brewster Public Library is pleased to provide links for legal resources, with thanks to the Thrall Library, Middletown, NY. Please click the appropriate category, below, to find the link listings.

American Civil Liberties Union
InternetLaw Library

General & Comprehensive

FedLaw

This site links to legal home pages that actually maintain the information. As its name suggests, FedLaw primarily includes links to federal laws, rules, and regulations, federal judicial decisions, and general research and reference sources. It is nicely presented with explanatory information as needed. The topical and title index, an alphabetical listing, not a search engine, is comprehensive and a good place to start research.

FindLaw

This topic index provides links, not actual content, to sources of primary legal materials, government resources, publications, law schools, directories and the like. Its home page is quite similar, by accident or design? to Yahoo's! FindLaw is home to LawCrawler, a legal search engine that allows you to search all of FindLaw or specific parts like the U.S. Supreme Court cases since 1893. If you are comfortable with Yahoo's organization, you will like this resource too.

GPO Access

This site offers free access to an enormous amount of information produced by the federal government. It is probably best known for its more than 70 searchable databases that permit full text retrieval of information. Some of the most important databases are the Code of Federal Regulations, Federal Register (1994-), Public Laws (1995-), Supreme Court decisions (1937-1975), Congressional Record (1994-) and the US Code.

This Guide, prepared by the U. S. Law Library of Congress, is superb. It consists of annotated links to the most useful and reliable sites for legal information available in the United States and many foreign nations. There is a lot of "meat" here and totally without charge. Often sites offer the full text of laws, regulations, court decisions, and commentary from members of the legal profession.

A well-designed, easy-to-use index by category of 3100+ web sites. It is particularly strong with respect to law-student topics with indexes for student services, legal studies, law journals, law-school rankings, and directories. The main index features academia, the legal profession, and USA research-federal and state.

This is a large, excellent navigation site, and in fact the name "yahoo" has itself become something of a brand name on the Internet. Web content is presented via a hierarchical subject directory of pre screened sites. Yahoo Law Resources either delivers high quality hits via links to government and law sites or, if necessary, uses AltaVista as a search engine to get you what you want.

United States Federal Law

Administrative Law

CFR

The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is the codification of the general and permanent rules published by Executive departments and agencies of the Federal government. The CFR is divided into 50 titles which represent broad subject areas subject to Federal regulation. The majority of titles are available online. Search this database by keyword within the books available and by citation.

Proposed regulations and rules adopted so recently that they are not yet in the CFR may be found in the Federal Register (1994-) which is the official, daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of Federal agencies and organizations, as well as Executive Orders and other Presidential documents. Search by sections, issue, date, and key words.

Federal Register

Case Law

Supreme Court Decisions (Findlaw)

Supreme Court Decisions from FindLaw are available since 1893-. This is browseable by year and US Reports volume number. Searchable by citation, case title, and full text.

Supreme Court Decisions from Cornell's Legal Information Institute are available from May 1990-. This site provides the court's own electronic dissemination project called "Project Hermes" which provides a free current awareness service of decisions handed down within hours after their release. Searchable by party name, topically, and from the current term by date.

United States Courts of Appeals Decisions can be accessed from the Federal Court Locator. This service is provided by the Center for Information Law and Policy of Villanova University School of Law. It provides links to all Federal Courts of Appeals (the eleven circuits plus the D.C. Circuit and the Federal Circuit). Dates of coverage vary with most decision dating from 1995 forward. United States District Courts are also accessible from the Federal Court Locator. Most of the District Courts are not online in any form. Those that are primarily provide just directory information.

Code

United States Code

The United States Code database from GPO Access contains the searchable text of current general and permanent public laws enacted by Congress. Titles are updated periodically and is current through January 16, 1996. Searchable by title, section, field, and topic.

U. S. Code (House of Representatives)

Another site for the USC is from the House of Representatives Internet Law Library. Search by title, section, keywords, field, and topic.

Constitution

Many sites link to the Constitution. The site at the Library of Congress includes useful background information on the creation and interpretation of this document.

U. S. Constitution

Another source for the Constitution and its attendant debates (Madison Debates) is from the Avalon Project of Yale University.

Legislative Information - Bills, Laws, Legislative History

Thomas (Congressional Database)

A wealth of information is available at the Library of Congresses's Thomas web site including, but not limited to, searchable databases on: Congress This Week, Bills - major legislation 104th and 105th Congresses, Bill Summary and Status 1973-1997, Bill Text 93rd - 105th Congresses, Public Laws by law number 93rd -105th Congresses, and the Congressional Record.

Legal Process

The Legal Process

This site traces the process by which a bill becomes a law in the United States. It begins with the bill's introduction in Congress and ends with its interpretation by the federal court systems. In addition to the named print sources, links to the major Internet sources are provided for the documents produced at each step in the process.

History & Philosophy

Yale Law School: The Avalon Project

The Avalon Project has mounted digital documents on the subjects of Law, History, Economics, Politics, and Government. From the Code of Hammurabi and the Athenian Constitution through the Hamas Covenant (1988) and the Inaugural Address of George Bush(1989). Arranged chronologically into Pre 18th Century, 18th Century, 19th Century and 20th Century. Cross links provided within the text of any document to any other document that is part of this collection.

U.S. Founding Documents (Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Federalist Papers) in a key word searchable format. Links to historical notes where amendments have affected original text. Original text is scannable. Site contains a section for Constitutional amendments that were never ratified.

National Archives and Records Administration site. The Exhibit Hall contains original documents like Eleanor Roosevelt's file copy of her 1939 resignation from the DAR when they refused to permit Marian Anderson's performance at Constitution Hall, the documents involving the Louisiana Purchase , and the casualty list from the 54th Mass. Infantry Regiment on which the film "Glory" was based. This site has wonderful commentaries that bring the significance of the documents that are on display to light and puts them in the context of their times.

National Archives and Records Administration "Charters of Freedom" page shows photographs of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution , the Bill of Rights with a link to the Magna Carta which is on indefinite loan to NARA. There is a link to the Founding Fathers Page which offers biographies of each of the 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention.

Law Enforcement

New York State

New York State Department of Correctional Services

Oversees 69 State Correctional facilities. Site includes addresses and phone numbers of all facilities as well as press releases and position papers.

Features include information on becoming a State Trooper, maps, addresses and telephones numbers of Troop locations, New York's 12 Most Wanted and the Missing and Exploited Children Clearinghouse.

National

America's Most Wanted

From the television series, this site includes fugitive fact sheets, on-line "Tips" reporting, and missing children. Site uses extensive graphics and requires the latest Netscape or Explorer to view.

Written for Law Officers and interested others, this site features extensive directories of agencies and organizations in the US and world wide, as well as information on employment and training and investigation resources.

A service by the National Criminal Justice Reference Center, this site includes extensive leads for corrections, law enforcement, crime statistics and juvenile justice. Major headings often include documents, WWW sites and Listservs. Good general site.

Features a "Crime Alert", the FBI's Most Wanted, major investigations, information on employment and statistics, publications and unusual sites such as the "Kids Page" and "Forensic Science".

Mostly statistical, but includes employment announcements, some articles, links to other State facilities, quick facts and sources for locating information on inmates.

"Responsible for the management and disposal of seized and forfeited assets", this site gives an overview, addresses of offices, recruitment programs and information on auctions of forfeited assets.

Part of the US Department of Treasury, responsible for "reducing violent crime, collecting revenue and protecting the public" by working cooperatively with other agencies. Includes, "Most Wanted", jobs, publications and hotlines.

Overview of the workings of the CIA, including publications, employment opportunities and connections to related web sites.

International

Defense Intelligence Agency

A combat support agency of the Department of Defense, the DIA's mission is military intelligence. Site includes some full text reports and answers to FAQ's.

Includes information on the Attorney General, a topical index, press releases, a "Kids Page", important issues and URL's to other sites.

Part of the Department of Justice, this site includes information on the agency, its programs, publications and employment opportunities as well as congressional testimony, intelligence reports, press releases, training programs and information on organized crime and drug trafficking.

A general site including a paragraph or two on subjects ranging from basic principles, administration and structure to FAQ's. includes contact information and can be read in either English, Spanish or French.

Information about UN current peace-keeping operations including Security Council documents, press releases, make-up of the General Assembly and general information.

International & Foreign

International Court of Justice or World Court

"The International Court of Justice is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. Its seat is at the Peace Palace in the Hague (Netherlands)." Site includes function, composition and procedure of the court as well as information on pending cases.

Global Legal Information Network (GLIN)

Library of Congress "database of national laws from contributing countries", consisting of "searchable legal abstracts in English and some full texts of laws in the language of the contributing country."

Marshall Library International and Foreign Law Page

A comprehensive site including international and foreign law as well as specific topics such as environmental, human rights, war crimes and trade. Includes primary sources, organizations and associations, journals, research tools and indexes.

Member of the Mid-Hudson Library System