Research Guides: Where to Find Reliable Imaged Documents for Legal Research: Federal Primary Sources

Judicial Materials

Judicial Decisions

United States Reports:

U.S. Reports (bound volumes) and Preliminary Prints (paperback volumes)
PDFs of the opinions as they appear in the U.S. Reports volumes. Coverage from vol. 502 (1991) to the latest bound volume. Posted on the Court's website. Also copies of U.S. Reports Preliminary Prints (paperback "advance pamphlet" volumes) that precede publication in the permanent bound volumes of U.S. Reports.
U.S. Supreme Court Slip Opinions
Click on the "Opinions of the Court" link to access the slip opinions. “Slip” opinions are the first version of the Court’s opinions. These opinions are posted on the Court's website within minutes after the opinions are issued and will remain posted until the opinions for the entire Term are published in the bound volumes of the United States Reports (an approximate lag time of over 6 years).
HeinOnline, Supreme Court Library, Official Reports
Includes complete coverage of the official U.S. Reports bound volumes as well as preliminary prints and slip opinions. Note: Preliminary Prints are a PDF version of the brown, soft-cover "advance pamphlets" that contain, in addition to the opinions themselves, all of the announcements, tables, indexes, and other features that make up the U. S. Reports.

Miscellaneous Federal Courts:

Westlaw This link opens in a new window
Note: many of the opinions available on Westlaw include links to scanned PDF versions of the case as it appears in the corresponding print Reporter volume.
LLMC Digital This link opens in a new window
Click on the "Search Collections" link (right column) and the "U.S. Federal Government" link on the next menu. On the next menu click on the "Judicial" link to access the Federal court opinions (coverage varies by court).

Court Dockets, Pleadings & Briefs

United States Supreme Court Records and Briefs:

Making of Modern Law: United States Supreme Court Records and Briefs, 1832 - 1978 This link opens in a new window
Browse and full text searching available. Search by specific keywords or phrases, author (counsel or organization), case name, court term, document filing date and U.S. Reports citation. Document types include: briefs, applications, jurisdictional statements, opposition for review, oral transcripts, petitions, among other sources.
ProQuest Supreme Court Insight This link opens in a new window
This collection spans from 1975 through the 2016/2017 term. It includes a complete collection of full opinions from U.S. Supreme Court argued cases, including per decision, dockets, oral arguments, joint appendices and amicus briefs.

Other Federal Court Dockets and Litigation Documents

Bloomberg Law This link opens in a new window
Bloomberg Law's Dockets collection contains records and briefs from a variety of federal courts. Coverage varies by court (8th Circuit courts begin around 1989/1990).

Legislative Materials

Public & Private Laws

United States Statutes at Large (HeinOnline) This link opens in a new window
Includes complete coverage of the Statutes at Large, and features multiple browsing and searching options to enhance access.

United States Statutes at Large (govinfo)
PDF versions of U.S. Statutes at Large volumes beginning with vol. 65 (1951, 82nd Congress, 1st Session).
GovInfo.gov - Public and Private Laws
Coverage is from 104th Congress (1995-1996) to current.
Public Laws (Congress.gov)
Coverage from the 93rd Congress (1973-1974) to current.
Private Laws (Congess.gov)
Coverage from 93rd Congress (1973-1974)

United States Code

United States Code (HeinOnline) This link opens in a new window
Includes complete coverage of the U.S. Code from inception in 1925-1926. Also includes the Early Federal Laws Collection, the most complete collection of federal statute compilations prior to the US Code.

GovInfo.gov - U.S. Code
govinfo.gov provides access to the main editions of the U.S. Code. Previous editions are available back 1994.

Congressional Bills & Resolutions

American Memory Collection
House 6th-42nd Congress, 1799-1873 and Senate 16th-42nd, Congress, 1819-1873.

govinfo 103rd Congress- 1993/94-date

Congressional Publications:

American State Papers

American Memory Collection 1789-1838

HeinOnline (U.S. Congressional Documents) 1789-1838

Readex Archive of Americana 1789-1838

ProQuest Congressional (Advanced Search, search within Congressional Record, Permanent Ed.) 1789-1838

Annals of Congress

American Memory Collection 1st - 18th Congress 1789-1824

HeinOnline (U.S.Congressional Documents) 1st - 18th Congress 1789-1824

Congressional Documents

Administrative Materials

Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)

govinfo 1996-date

HeinOnline 1938-date*

Federal Register

HeinOnline (Federal Register Library) Vol. 1- 1936-date

govinfo Vol. 1 - 1936 - date

Agency Decisions

HeinOnline (Federal Agency Documents) Most decisions begin with vol. 1. Dates vary.

LLMC Digital (U.S. Federal Government Collection) Dates vary.

Attorney General Opinions

HeinOnline Official Opinions of the Attorneys General of the United States, Vols. 1-43 1791-1982

LLMC Digital (U.S. Federal Government Collection) Vol. 13-43 1869/1871-1982

Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents

govinfo 1993-date

HeinOnline (U.S. Presidential Library) 2009-date*

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents

govinfo Vol. 29 1993-2009

HeinOnline (U.S. Presidential Library) Vol. 1 1965 - 2009

Treaties

Treaties and International Acts (TIAS)

HeinOnline (Treaties and Agreements Library) TIAS 11060- 1982-date*

Treaty Series

HeinOnline (Treaties and Agreements Library) TS 491-A, TS 668-TS 892

United States Treaties and Other International Agreements (UST)

HeinOnline (Treaties and Agreements Library) Vol. 1-35 1950-1984