Statutory Research- Federal & State: Commercial Databases

There are several commercial databases, all of which have their own unique features, that provide access to the United States Code. Some are listed below. To access these databases, please go to the Law Library's Databases page.

Commercial databases such as LexisNexis and Westlaw that these databases take the researcher directly to a commercial publication of the U.S. Code (U.S.C.A. for Westlaw and U.S.C.S. for LexisNexis). These are unofficial versions of the code and should not be cited. Check the official version of the code for any changes to the text and always cite to the U.S.C., not the U.S.C.A. or U.S.C.S. When using LexisNexis or Westlaw to search for statutes, remember that you have several tools at your disposal. Depending on your search terms (citation, topic, or popular name), LexisNexis and Westlaw have tools such as the Statutes at Large Table, Revised Title Table (Lexis), Public Laws Table, Popular Names Table, and the topical index.

• HeinOnline has several libraries that provide access to federal statutes: U.S. Congressional Documents Library, Session Laws Library, and Treaties and Agreements Library. 
• Lexis Advance
• ProQuest Congressional contains congressional publications dating back to 1789 as well as detailed legislative histories for public laws going back to 1970, and a wealth of information for the individual researching legislative history.
• Westlaw

Remember that not all patrons of the Law Library have the same access to these resources. HeinOnline can be accessed by all patrons while here at the library using the public terminals. However, Lexis Advance and Westlaw require a personal log on. (Students are given access through the Law School. Others wishing to use these databases can subscribe respectively).