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Statutory Research

This guide discusses what statutes are; how statutes fit into legal research; how statutes are published; where they can be found online & in print; how to update statutes; how to find 50 state statutory surveys; & the role of uniform/model laws.

What are slip laws, and when would I use them?

Slip laws are individual copies of laws published as soon as they are enacted. 

Cite to a slip law if the law is so new that it has not yet appeared in the session law compilation or statutory code for the relevant jurisdiction. Usually you will cite to a code or session law!

How do I cite a slip law?

Federal slip laws may be cited according to Bluebook Rule 12.4(a). Even though they haven't yet appeared as session laws in the official Statutes at Large (see Session Laws tab), new federal statutes are assigned a Stat. citation that may be included.

Example: Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014, Pub. L. No. 113-101, 128 Stat. 1146

Slip laws online

What does a slip law look like?

Public Law 113-101 page