Multi-State Legal Research
This guide provides resources to legal matters across all fifty U.S. state jurisdictions. Resources are listed by format and by topic.I. Internet Resources
1. All state homepages can be accessed by using the URL www.state.XX.us where XX is the postal abbreviation for the state. Many states have formally adopted their state name as a URL, but this formula still works. There is also a site for state and local government homepages.
2. General Legal Meta-sites: The Washlaw web site provides a breakdown by state of legal information. Cornell has a similar site. Both places begin with the state name and provide legal resources by topics.
3. Nonprofit Interest Groups:
a. The Council of State Governments web site is a nonprofit group which is the premier multi branch organization forecasting policy trends for the community of states, commonwealths and territories on a national and regional basis. CSG alerts state elected and appointed officials to emerging social, economic and political trends; offers innovative state policy responses to rapidly changing conditions; and advocates multi state problem-solving to maximize resources and competitiveness.
b. The National Association of Secretaries of State web site provides links to their members and useful information. Most secretaries of state oversee elections within a state.
c. The National Center for State Courts is another nonprofit group that seeks to improve the administration of justice through leadership and service to state courts, and courts around the world.
d. The National Conference of State Legislators is a bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staffs of the nation's 50 states, its commonwealths and territories. NCSL provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on the most pressing state issues.
e. The National District Attorneys' Association is another national organization that has a web site with information and publications.
II. LexisNexis and Westlaw
Both Westlaw and LexisNexis offer cross-jurisdictional searching capabilities as part of their online databases. Each service provides searching through cases, statutes, and regulations for all fifty states at once. Additionally, Westlaw provides 50 State Surveys, a section of their database divided into subject topics based on the print version of National Survey of State Laws and Multijurisdictional Surveys. Additionally, both LexisNexis and Westlaw can be searched for news by state. For Harvard affiliates without full access to LexisNexis and Westlaw, you can use LexisNexis State Capital and get cross-jurisdictional bills, statutes, and regulations.
III. Print Resources
There are several print resources that provide cross-jurisdictional state information.
The Book of the States (Lang Ref JK 2403.B6) is published annually, beginning in 1935, by The Council of State Governments. A good place to start for multi-state statistical information as well as many other types of cross-jurisdictional information.
Subject Compilations of State Laws: An Annotated Bibliography by Cheryl Rae Nyberg (Lang Ref KF1.S92) is published annually, beginning in 1960 and current through 2004/5. This work is divided into legal topics such as abortion, labor law, and taxation and provides citations to legal publications where multi-state information can be found. This book can be a real time saver if you need all the state laws on subjects ranging from state overtime rules to corporate tax rates.
National Survey of State Laws (Lang Ref Desk KF386.N37) [latest edition 5th, 2005]. Published every three years (1st edition in 1993), this work is divided into topics such as marriage age requirements or protective orders and summarizes the law for each of the fifty states including citations to the state's code.
State Yellow Book: Who's Who in the executive and legislative branches of the 50 state governments. (Lang Ref Desk JK 2679.S735). Published quarterly. The most complete and current listing of all state governmental officials with titles, phone numbers, addresses, etc.
BNA's Directory of State and Federal Courts, Judges, and Clerks by Catherine A. Kitchell (Lang Ref Desk KF8700.A19 B53). Published annually.
State Legislative Sourcebook: A Resource Guide to Legislative Information in the Fifty States by Lynn Hellebust (Lang Ref JK2495.S689). Published annually.
State Constitutions of the United States by Robert L. Maddex (2d ed., 2006) (Lang Ref KF4530.M33 2006) lists all fifty state constitutions as well as the territorial constitutions of American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands and Puerto Rico. A related work is The Constitutions of the States: A State by State Guide and Bibliography to Current Scholarly Research by Reams and Yoak (Lang Ref KF 5429 .R43 1988). Although published in 1988, it is still a great resource on secondary literature published previous to that date on each of the states' constitutions.
Martindale-Hubbell Law Digest (Lang Ref KF190.M36 138th 2006) provides a state-by-state subject digest of the laws of the fifty states.
Annuals and Surveys Appearing in Legal Periodicals: An Annotated Listing by Catherine L. Kerr (Lang Ref K8. K47). Last published in 1996, but updated through 2006 by supplements, this work lists cross-jurisdictional works such as "family law in the fifty states" that appear in law reviews or legal newspapers.
Searching the Laws--The States by Francis R. Doyle (4th ed., 2003) (Lang Ref KF1.D69 2003). This two-volume set is broken down by state and further into legal subject areas. The author then presents a list of treatises and practice guides for that subject area for that state.
For searching in HOLLIS, know that the Library of Congress subject headings for multi-state legal works are formulated in this manner: Legal Topic--United States--States, where legal topic is anything from criminal law to torts. Another quick search is using the keyword "state-by-state survey" where you need to use the hyphens.
IV. Topics
Abortion. The state's abortions laws (as well as all countries in the world) are compiled here at Harvard Law.
Adoption/Foster Care. This recent pdf document by Adoption Day gives a state by state analysis.
Agencies. This wiki page has links to all 50 states and their agencies and what information they provide online. By clicking on a state you see the agencies listed.
Bar Directories. This LLRX article gives all 50 states with their online bar directories as well as locating lawyers including corporate counsel.
Bar Examinations. The Bar-Bri homepage gives information on passing the bar examination by state.
Bluebooks. An Internet listing of all state bluebooks can be found here.
Business Filings. Another LLRX website which lists all 50 states' business and corporate filings available online.
Capital Punishment. A state by state guide from the Death Penalty Information Center.
Data Breach. U.S. Data Breach Notification Law: State by State by John P. Hutchins, et al. (ABA Section of Science & Technology Law: 2007), KF1263.C65 U15 2007.
Disciplinary Action. HALT, an organization for legal reform, has an all-state report card for legal disciplinary actions called the 2006 Lawyer Discipline Report Card.
Economics. A snapshot economic picture for each state and the District of Columbia is available from the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress. The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has a detailed economic report for each state entitled Rich States Poor States.
Election Finances. A state by state listing on the disclosure laws of state election finances.
Employment Law.
Covenants Not To Compete: A State-by-State Survey by Brian M. Malsberger (4th, ed., 2004), KF3463.Z65 C68 2004.
Employee Duty of Loyalty: A State-by-State Survey by Brian M. Malsberger (3d, ed., 2005), KF3197.Z95 E47 2005.
Tortious Interference in the Employment Context: A State-by-State Survey by Brian M. Malsberger (2004), KF3463.Z95 T67 2004.
Wage and Hour Laws: A State-by-State Survey by Gregory K. McGillivary (2004), KF3490.Z95 W34 2004.
Environment. This Congressional Research Report dated December 5, 2007, gives greenhouse gas emissions per state.
ERISA. ERISA and Health Insurance Subrogation in All 50 States by Gary L. Wickert (2nd ed., 2006), KF3515.Z95 W53 2006.
Facts. This site from LLRX offers a click and print list of quick state facts. Links are provided for education, agriculture, health and many other statistics. Also see Pension below.
Fiscal Survey. This June 2007 pdf report on the fiscal status of all 50 states was done by the National Governors Association and the National Association of State Budget Officers.
Good Samaritan Laws. A downloadable word document is available here with the law as of September, 2005.
Hate Symbols. A pdf report from the Congressional Research Service on state statutes that proscribe symbols of fear and violence (October 2007).
Health. State Health Legislation and Statute Database is part of the terrific National Conference of State Legislatures, and all it does is provide you with legislation and current law from the various states on health promotion. Just choose an issue area (ranging from Arthritis to Work site Wellness) and the state, and you'll be taken to a summary of laws from that particular state on the issue. Health facts for each state is available from the Kaiser Foundation here. The latest impact on each state regarding Medicaid regulations are in this report.
Homeland Security. A listing of states with laws which restrict access to information deemed critical to homeland security (from Stateline.org).
Identity Theft. Financial Privacy Now.Org has a list of all states with security freeze laws. A security freeze lets consumers stop thieves from getting credit in their names. A security freeze locks, or freezes, access to the consumer credit report and credit score.
Industries. From the 2002 U.S. economic census, here are the top ranking industries organized by state.
Insurance. Insurance Law Digest contains links to summaries of the insurance laws of the 50 states, each written by a law firm in that particular state. This is a very helpful way to get a quick education on the insurance laws of other states.
Jury Instructions. This useful website at LLRX provides jury instruction for all 50 states.
Lawyers. See also on this list: Bar Examinations; Bar Directories; and Disciplinary Action.
Lawyer Licensing. This website at LLRX provides a listing of all state online databases for lawyers licensed to practice within that state. Another such website is available here.
Legislation. The National Council of State Legislators have a 50 state legislative tracking website.
Legislative Histories. State Legislative History Research Guides lists sites for all fifty states where there are guides to help compile legislative histories at the state level. Another useful tool is a CD in the Langdell Microforms room called Legislative Intent Research: A 50-State Guide (KF 425.L44x 1996). See also the print resource: State Legislative Sourcebook.
Newspapers. There are several online newspaper directories which divide by state: U.S. Newspaper List, 50States.com, and Online Newspapers.
Pension Obligations. The Pew Charitable Trust has a report on the enormous pension obligations faced by states. Each state is outlined.
Probate. This website enables you to calculate what happens to the value of an intestate estate in each of the fifty states.
Rape and Violence Against Women. This site from the American Prosecutors Research Institute provides all fifty-state statutes in the following categories: Privacy Rights of Victims of Violence Against Women; Statutes of Limitations for Sexual Assault Statutes; State Rape Statutes; State Definitions of Penetrations for Sex Crimes; Rape Shield Statutes; Sexually Violent Predator Statutes; State Criminal Incest Statutes; State Spousal Rape Statutes.
Religion and the Law. The Religious Liberty Archives breaks down all state constitutions and statutes. Also see A State-by-State Survey on the Law of Religion in the Workplace by Peter M. Panken (2001), KF3466.5.Z95 P36 2001. The American Constitutions and religion : religious references in the Charters of the thirteen colonies and the constitutions of the forty-eight states : a source-book on church and state in the United States by Conrad Henry Moehlman, KF4783.Z95 M64 2007x is another good source.
Same-Sex Marriage. Current laws and information from Freedom to Marry web site.
Security Freeze Laws see Identity Theft.
Sex Crimes see Rape.
Taxation. One meta-site for state tax information is provided by the Tax and Accounting Directory. Another site is hosted by the Federal Tax Administrators. See also the HLS research guide on Tax Law. Lastly, this book by Susan Pace Hamill, As Certain As Death: A Fifty-State Survey of State and Local Tax Laws (2007) is in the Langdell stacks.
Trade Secrets. Trade Secrets: A State-by-State Survey by Brian M. Malsberger (2d ed., 2003), KF3197.Z95 M35 2003.
Uniform Codes. There are two Internet sites that provide information on the Uniform Commercial Code and Uniform State Laws and Model Acts. See also our research guide on Uniform Laws and Model Acts.
Voter Registration. This site provides online state voter registration verification.
Workers' Compensation. Workers' Compensation Subrogation in All 50 States by Gary L. Wickert (2nd ed. 2006), KF3623.S8 W53x 2006. Also the workers' compensation boards in all fifty states can be viewed here.
Compiled by Martin E. Hollick, December, 2006; Last updated March, 2008.