Quick link: Cornell LII – Constitutions, Statutes and Codes
In 1999, I discovered Cornell University Law School’s Legal Information Institute (LII) and I was hooked. Cornell’s presence on the Web was progressive at the time. Here was a law school giving me access to all state and federal laws in one place! Today, I still consider it a favorite one-stop place for legal research and like to recommend it to other library students. I have not found another law school to match Cornell’s service and coverage.
Cornell’s page, Constitutions, Statutes, and Codes, is the place to go when you need to access federal or state laws. Even if you know where to find your state’s codes online, remember LII for researching the laws of other states when the need comes up.
For state law:
- Just click on the name of the state you are researching
- The link will take you to more than just codes (including pending legislation, opinions, court rules, and bar associations)
For federal law:
Choose from the following links:
- U.S. Constitution
- Full U.S. Code
- Uniform Commercial Code (UCC)
- and more
Here’s a tip:
If you are unfamiliar with the code sections of a state but are clear about your topic, click the State Statutes by Topic link instead of clicking on the state’s name.
Example: I am researching South Carolina’s motor vehicle laws, but once I get to the code I probably will be lost trying to find the right sections.
Solution: By going to State Statutes by Topic, I can see the links to the motor vehicles laws of all states. The link for South Carolina takes me straight to Title 56, South Carolina’s motor vehicle laws.
I encourage everyone to explore LII. You’ll be glad you did.
