Understanding the ins and outs of legal research can take years. However, learning the basic types of law and where you can go to access it will be enough to get you started deciphering the law. Listed below are the three primary Types of Law with some accompanying examples and links.
Statutory Law: Constitutions and Statutes/Laws passed by Congress
Bills are introduced and voted on in both houses of Congress. If a bill is passed, it becomes a public law. See How Our Laws are Made, written by the Parliamentarian of the U.S. House of Representatives, for a comprehensive explanation.
Current U.S. statutory law is codified (arranged by subject) in the U.S. Code.
Current Ohio statutory law is codified (arranged by subject) in the Baldwin's Ohio Revised Code Annotated
Refer to the Legal Sources page to locate sources of statutory law.
Case Law/Decisions of the Courts: The decisions of courts and administrative bodies. Courts interpret statutory and administrative law.
Case Law comes from a variety of courts. We're probably most familiar with the opinions of the U.S. Supreme Court, and have heard of such cases as Roe vs. Wade or Brown vs. the Board of Education.
Case Law is also handed down from the U.S. District Courts, the U.S. Courts of Appeals, Bankruptcy courts, state courts, and many other courts and administrative bodies.
U.S. Supreme Court Decisions are located in United States Reports, Supreme Court Reporter, & Supreme Court Decisions on the Web.
Ohio Supreme Court Decisions are located in West's North Eastern Reporter. Other court decisions are located in various reporters. (Refer to the Legal Sources page to locate.)
Administrative Law/Regulations: The rules and regulations promulgated by government agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) & Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Regulations are published chronologically in the Federal Register, which is issued every business day. The same regulations are then published in a more accessible format arranged by issuing agency and subject, in the Code of Federal Regulations.
Current Ohio Administrative Regulations are published in the Ohio Administrative Code.
Refer to the Legal Sources page to locate sources of administrative/regulatory law.
