Research Guides: Legal Resources for Journalists: Administrative Law

Administrative law and agencies

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How Administrative Laws Are Organized

Administrative laws are regulations that come from government agencies. They can be from federal agencies (the Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Communications Commission), state agencies, or local/municipal codes.

Finding Federal Administrative Law

Thomson Reuters Westlaw Campus Research This link opens in a new window
Westlaw offers access to current and historical federal and state regulations. Click on "Regulations" to search this content.

U.S. Federal Agency Documents, Decisions, and Appeals - HeinOnline
Search federal agency documents by keyword, or browse by document title or agency name.
Congressional Publications (ProQuest)
From the main search page click on the "Regulations" menu at the top of the page to search the Federal Register.
University of Virginia Library - Administrative Decisions
This site from the University of Virginia Library provides links to decisions, guidance documents, advisory opinions, and policy letters.

Federal Agency Directories

USA.gov Federal Agency Directory
A-Z index of U.S. government departments and agencies
United States Government Manual
A manual of federal government agencies. Includes a description and history of each agency as well as websites and contact information.

Finding State Administrative Law

Thomson Reuters Westlaw Campus Research This link opens in a new window
Westlaw offers access to current and historical federal and state regulations. Click on "Regulations" to search this content.

Administrative Rules Online by State
This site provides links to the administrative codes and registers of every state.
New York State Register
Search the administrative laws of New York State. Available as PDFs by year or in fully searchable format.

New York State Agency Directories

New York State Agencies
A searchable directory of New York State agencies. Organized alphabetically and by topic.

Finding New York City Administrative Law (Municipal Law)

New York City Administrative Charter
The NYC Administrative Code contains the codified local laws of NYC. It is compiled by subject and contains 30 titles.