Guide
Overview
Almost everything a lawyer pays for, you can read for free. Federal statutes, state statutes, court opinions, regulations, agency rules. All of it is published by the government and searchable in plain text. Lawyers still pay for Westlaw because the bells and whistles save them time, not because the underlying law is locked behind a paywall.
If you are researching your own legal situation, drafting a contract, prepping for small claims, or just trying to read the actual statute someone is quoting at you, this page is the starting point. Use the same sources legal aid attorneys and law librarians use.
Guide
Federal Law & Statutes
The U.S. Code is where every permanent federal statute lives, organized into 54 titles by subject. The Code of Federal Regulations is where the rules issued by federal agencies live. The House Office of the Law Revision Counsel publishes the U.S. Code, eCFR shows the current regulations, and GovInfo is the source to use when you need an authenticated copy for filings or citations.
- eCFRCurrent Code of Federal Regulations, updated daily
- Congress.govBills, laws and votes from the Library of Congress
- GovInfo, GPO Official DocumentsAuthenticated U.S. Code, CFR, Federal Register and opinions
- Federal RegisterDaily publication of proposed and final federal agency rules
- U.S. Code, House Office of Law RevisionOfficial classification and codification of federal statutes
Guide
Case Law & Court Opinions
Court opinions are where the law actually gets applied. A statute tells you what is prohibited. The case law tells you how courts have interpreted those words in real disputes. GovInfo publishes opinions from the federal courts free, the Supreme Court posts its own opinions, and the PACER Case Locator finds a federal case by party name, at $0.10 per page with fees waived for anyone under $30 in a quarter.
- United States Courts Opinions (GovInfo)Free federal court opinions
- PACER Case LocatorFederal cases by party name
- Law Library of CongressResearch help on federal, state and foreign law
- Supreme Court OpinionsOpinions from the official Court website
- Supreme Court Oral Argument AudioOfficial recordings, listed by term
Guide
Court Forms & Self-Help Resources
Filing your own case is harder than it should be, but it is doable for simple matters like small claims, name changes, basic uncontested divorces, and debt-collection responses. The federal court forms are standardized. State forms vary by jurisdiction. Most states publish self-help packets specifically for people without lawyers. Legal aid organizations are the next step if you need actual guidance and cannot afford counsel.
Guide
Search by State
Select your state to find state-specific public records resources.
Straight answers
Questions about free legal research
Where can I find free copies of federal laws?
The House Office of the Law Revision Counsel publishes the full U.S. Code free, and eCFR shows the current Code of Federal Regulations. GovInfo.gov provides authenticated official versions of all federal legal documents. Congress.gov is best for tracking current legislation.
How do I find a court opinion for a specific case?
For federal cases, search GovInfo's court opinions collection or the PACER Case Locator by party name (PACER charges $0.10 per page, waived under $30 a quarter); many courts also post recent opinions on their own websites. For Supreme Court cases, supremecourt.gov posts its opinions, the bound volumes of the U.S. Reports, and oral argument audio by term.
What legal research tools do lawyers actually use?
Many law firms pay for commercial research services. The source documents themselves, statutes, regulations and court opinions, are free on GovInfo, eCFR, the House U.S. Code site, supremecourt.gov and court websites, and PACER holds federal case files for a small per page fee; the paid services add organizing and search tools.
Can I find state laws online for free?
Yes. Every state legislature publishes its statutes free online. Each legislature's website has its own code search. State supreme court opinions are freely available on state court websites. The challenge is that state laws vary enormously, always verify you are looking at the current version of the statute for your specific state.
Are legal forms from the internet reliable?
Forms from official court websites (uscourts.gov for federal; each state court's website for state proceedings) are reliable. Generic forms from commercial sites may be outdated or jurisdiction-specific in ways that are not clearly marked. For anything involving significant rights or deadlines (evictions, custody, bankruptcy), have a legal aid attorney or law librarian review the form before filing.