As lawyers and law students, you must stay updated with legal terms and changes always. However, the challenge lies in how to achieve this, given a tremendously busy schedule as legal personnel. Finding time to acquaint yourself with legal information and the latest changes can get complicated when you have to manage cases, interact with clients, work on documentation, etc. Even though lawyers need to constantly be in touch with the law books and always engage themselves in studying, there are new-age ways of staying updated.
The internet unlocks a host of trusted, free online legal resources to remain informed all the time. You can browse through any legal information website and read up on the section you want to research about. Even if you’re not yet qualified, reading legal information online can be invaluable. For example, you can now take an LSAT prep course online in preparation for undertaking the LSAT exam, a pre-requisite for law school. Similar resources also be helpful to brush up on certain skills once you’re in law school or even when you’re practicing.
Here are six of the best free online law resources for lawyers, law students, and legal teams to make your job easier.
1. Legal Information Institute
If you are looking for free online law resources to read about the laws and understand them, you may try Legal Information Institute. The website is one of the best legal resources you can always fall back upon for free. The website makers comprise researchers and engineers from Cornell Law School, Ithaca. They have got together with legal scholars, publishers, and agencies to provide you with helpful information.
What do you get here?
- Regulations of all the 50 states in the USA.
- Executive Orders from the President after release from the White House.
- Legislative, administrative, judicial, and regulatory orders in the USA during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Sections of the U.S. Constitution
- World law
- U.S. Codes
- Legal Citation
- Criminal Law
- Family Law
- Employment Law
- Real estate laws
2. GOVinfo
GOVinfo is one of the best legal research websites for an in-depth study about your case or to keep yourself updated and well-read about recent legal documents. This free website hosting legal information is run by the United States Government Publishing Office (GPO). It offers the public access to the documents published by the branches of the Federal Government.
Here you can browse through the website to find all the latest legal documents in alphabetical order or by specific categories. You can also go through the records datewise to find the latest releases or those within a particular timeframe to help you frame your case. Moreover, you can also search the legal documents according to the issuing committee or by government authors.
A few things you can find here are:-
- Congressional Record Daily Digest
- U.S. Codes
- House Calendar
- Senate Calendar
- Congressional Bills
- Congressional Committee Prints
- Congressional Directory
- Congressional Documents
- Congressional Record
- Congressional Hearings
- Presidential Documents
- U.S. Government Budget
- Code of Federal Regulations
- Private and Public Laws
- U.S. Courts Opinions
3. Lawrina
Lawrina is one of the best free online legal resources you can find on the internet. It offers you the right platform to read about the new and updated laws, recent court decisions, and legal precedents. It’s your destination to read everything about the law to benefit as a legal professional. Whenever you need any information while framing a case or researching about it, just look up Lawrina. It has got everything covered that might be of help.
The extensive database and productivity tools at Lawrina are made to benefit anybody from a law student to an experienced attorney.
What do you find here?
Use Lawrina to read in detail about:
- Free legal information
- U.S. codes
- Sports law
- Latest legal news
- State regulations
- Federal laws
- U.S. military law
- Family law
- Internet law
4. CourtListener
If you need to have a website for all kinds of legal opinions, CourtListener is your go-to platform. The Non-Profit Free Law Project sponsors this free website to help legal professionals. Here you can find all kinds of legal opinions on all matters discussed by the state and federal courts in the USA.
You can search the website and go through the legal opinions and oral legal arguments. These files and documents are categorized by date, name, topic, and citation. The information is updated from time to time to let you have free access to legal verdicts, understand precedents, or use them to plan the strategies of your case.
5. Supreme Court of the United States
The honorable Supreme Court of the United States has an official website dedicated to the service of law students, attorneys, and legal teams. It has all the reports related to the opinions of the court, opinions related to the orders, in-chambers opinions, etc. You can also have access to the oral arguments and case documents discussed at the Supreme Court to help you understand the judicial system. It prepares you to frame your cases better or guide your clients. Moreover, the website lets you stay updated regarding the latest press releases about the legal proceedings at the Supreme Court of the United States.
What do you find here?
- Oral arguments
- Argument transcripts
- Noted case lists
- Court orders
- Case documents
- News and media information about the Supreme Court
- Recent decisions
To further improve your understanding of legal principles and judicial reasoning, the website also provides access to detailed case briefs, which are summaries of significant legal rulings. You can view these case briefs to analyze how precedents are established and applied in various contexts. This resource is invaluable for law students preparing for exams or attorneys crafting arguments based on precedent.
6. American Bar Association
As a lawyer, there isn’t a better place to read about the laws than an official legal information website like the American Bar Association.
The American Bar Association was founded to provide resources to legal practitioners and accredit law schools. In recent years, the ABA has extended access to resources over the online platform to reach more students and professionals.
Never miss out on recent statutes as a law student or a legal team member by having daily access to this website. Without paying any fee, you can read about the state and federal laws or go through the latest news concerning legal practice.
Use the website to get reliable information about:
- Top legal news of the week
- Legal books
- Law practice
- Ethics and rules of professional conduct
Conclusion
The legal scene is constantly going through modifications, additions, and updations according to the changing times. Lawyers and legal teams have to spend their lives in intense research to become the best in the profession. The above-discussed list of legal law websites helps you make the most out of technology to remain updated about U.S. laws and the recent modifications in federal and state laws. Browse and bookmark them so that you never lose touch.