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Learn how to find Federal and State legislative information (including current and past bills drafted in the General Assembly. Learn how to find state agency regulations. Search both state and federal codes and find legal opinions

and find information on environmental law, labor law, insurance law, intellectual property law, and probate law.  Use the library's online databases to find legal information.

 Federal and State Legislative Information

Federal and State Court and Case Information

  Attorney Information

  Legal Search Engines

Online Databases

Federal and State Legislative Information

• Thomas

• http://thomas.loc.gov

• can search by bill name or subject

• can search by bill patron in House or Senate

• provides short summary of the bill

• provides full-text of the bill

• provides legislative history of the bill

• provides links to committee and subcommittee reports where bill was referred.

• provides link to United States Senator’s information pages

• provides link to United States Representatives’ information pages.

• GPO Access

• http://www.access.gpo.gov

• provides links to Congressional bills

• provides link to Congressional Record where bill is discussed

• contains the text of public and private laws enacted from the 104^th Congress to the present.

• Provides access to the United States Code

• Provides access to the Federal Register from 1994

• Provides access to Presidential executive orders

• Virginia General Assembly

• http://legis.state.va.us

• can search by bill name or subject

• can search by bill patron

• provides short summary of bill

• provides full-text of bill

• provides legislative history of bill

• for some bills, a link will be provided to an impact report by a committee, sub-committee or the Legislative Research Group

• provides link to the Virginia Code

• provides link to the Virginia Administrative Code

• provides link to the Constitution of Virginia

• provides link to Virginia Senators’ information pages

• provides link to Virginia Delegates’ information pages

• provides a look-up to identify your State Senator and Delegate.

Federal and State Court and Case Information

• United States Supreme Court

• http://www.supremecourtus.gov

• provides access to opinions

• provides access to docket information

• provides access to oral arguments

• provides information about visiting the court

• provides access to orders and the Supreme Court journal.

• Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals [includes Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia]

• http://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/

• provides access to court opinions

• provides access to court docket information

• provides access to court rules and procedures

• provides access to court forms and notices

• United States District Court for Eastern District of Virginia

• http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov/

• provides access to notable cases

• provides access to court locations and court schedules

• provides access to information regarding jury duty

• provides access to court forms and fees

• United States District Court for Western District of Virginia

• http://www.vawd.uscourts.gov/

• provides access to court opinions

• provides access to court locations and court schedules

• provides access to information regarding jury duty

• provides access to court forms and fees

• provides access to standing orders

• Virginia’s Judicial System

• http://www.courts.state.va.us/

• provides access to the Virginia Supreme Court including opinions.

• Provides access to the Virginia Court of Appeals including opinions

• Provides access to the Virginia Circuit Courts including opinions

• Provides information on Virginia Justices and Judges.

• Provides information on Virginia Magistrates

• Provides information on Court Certified Mediators

• Provides information on Guardians Ad Litem

• Provides access to publications covering a wide array of topics.

Attorney Information

• Martindale-Hubbell

• http://www.martindalehubbell.com

• provides search template for attorneys working in corporate firms, private firms, or government agencies.

• Provides general biographical information including date of birth education, bar admission, publications and academic awards

• Provides link to the law firm’s web homepage for further information about the firm.

• Virginia Bar

• http://www.vsb.org

• provides access to tips and how to find an attorney

• provides access to guidelines regarding filing a complaint against an attorney

• provides recent disciplinary action against an attorney

• provides information about whether an attorney carries malpractice insurance

• provides information about administrative suspensions for attorneys

• provides selected articles from the magazine Virginia Lawyer

Legal Search Engines 

•         Findlaw

o      http://www.findlaw.com

• provides access to federal and state court homepages

• provides access to federal and state legislative homepages

• provides access to various business legal resources

• provides access to public and consumer legal resources

• provides access to various legal subjects and topics

• provides access to legal reference resources

• provides access to foreign and international legal resources

•         HierosGamos

o      http://www.hg.org

• provides access to legal news

• provides access to legal reference resources

• provides access to law firms’ webpages

• provides access to legal forms

• provides access to law libraries

• provides access to law journals

• provides access to United States law

• provides access to international law for 230 countries

• provides access to United Nations materials

• provides access to national and state bar associations

• provides access to various legal topics

Online Databases

§        LegalTrac

o   Find major law reviews, legal newspapers, law specialty publications, bar association journals and international legal journals.

o      To access from home:

• Go to the library’s homepage, www.wrl.org

• Click on “Online Databases” (bottom right)

•  Click on, “At Home Use”

• Select LegalTrac

• When prompted enter your library barcode number (all 14 digits without spaces)

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