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Guide to Sources for New York Law

The constitution, statutory law (bills proposed and passed by the legislature), administrative law (rules and regulations decided upon by the executive and various departments and bureaus to carry out statutory laws) and case law (disputes concerning the law and violations of the law which are resolved in the courts) together make up the body of New York State law:

• I. State and Federal Constitutions
• II. Statutory Law
• III. Administrative Law
• IV. Case Law
• V. Interpreting a Legal Citation

The following web sites contain a lot of information on New York State law.

• FindLaw: State Resources: New York
  Primary materials, courts, bars and associations, law schools, law firms, etc. Includes links to New York City ordinances and laws.
• LexisNexis Academic Universe
  See Legal Research.
• New York Legal Materials (Cornell Legal Information Institute)
  Constitution, statutes, pending bills, judicial opinions, directory information, etc.

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I. New York Constitution

Print Versions

• New York (State) New York Consolidated Laws Service: Annotated Statutes with Forms (KFN 5030 1976 A25)
  Kept up to date with paper pocket pamphlets. Includes NY constitution and all cases currently bearing on related points of law.
• New York State. New York State Constitution: amended to January 1, 1984 [i.e. 1985] (KFN 5680 1938 A36 1985) [Albany, N.Y.: Dept. of State, 1985?]
• New York (State) Department of State. [Legislative manual.] Manual for the Use of the Legislature of the State of New York (Ref. JK 3430 A25) 1858-current.
  Latest year (1988-89) in Reference. Info on NYS government including NY constitution.

Online Versions

• LEXIS-NEXIS Academic Universe
  Legal Research/State Codes/New York. Current. Updated annually via pocket part supplements.
• New York State Constitution (New York State Assembly)

II. Statutory Law

Proposed Laws or Bills

Print Versions

• New York Legislative Service. (Ref. KFN 5012 L432) 1943-91. Weekly.
  Latest year only in reference. Titles of bills with short explanations under broad categories such as "Taxation," "Labor," "Education," etc. Lists approved laws, legislators by committee, vetoes, action record.
• New York State Senate Research Service. Summary of Legislation (Ref. KFN 5014 S86)
  Library keeps latest 5 years, currently 1998-2002.

Online Versions

• New York State Bill Search
  Current New York State bills from the New York State Assembly web site.

The Laws or Statutes

Print Versions

• New York (Colony) The Colonial Laws of New York from the Year 1644 to the Revolution... (KFN 5030 A3 1894) 1894. 5 vols.
• New York (State) Laws of the State of New York Passed at the Session of the Legislature (KFN 5025 N53x) 6th session. 1777-current. Some years missing. Includes a general index, 1777-1901.
• New York (State) New York Consolidated Laws Service (KFN 5030 1976 A23) 1976-current.
  Annotated statutes with forms and cumulative suppls. Includes subject index.
• New York (State) New York Consolidated Laws Service: Annotated Statutes with Forms. (KFN 5030 1976 A24) 1976. 120 vols. Kept up-to-date with paper pocket pamphlets.
  Laws currently in force arranged in broad subject categories (titles) with cross references and references to cases relating to the various points of law.
• New York (State) New York Consolidated Laws Service: Session Laws. (KFN 5030 1976 A24) 1982-current.
  Chronological publication of laws passed in each annual legislative session.
• New York (State) New York Consolidated Laws Service: Research Guide. (KFN 5030 1976 A25) 2001.
  A single-vol. collection of scope notes, cross references and annotations from all the titles in the set.
• New York (State) Department of State. Local Laws of the Cities, Counties and Villages. (KFN 5754 N48x) 1924-1972.
• New York State Senate Research Service. Summary of Legislation (Ref. KFN 5014 S86)
  Library keeps latest 5 years, currently 1998-2002.

Online Versions

• LEXIS-NEXIS Academic Universe
  Legal Research/State Codes/New York.
• New York State Laws (FindLaw)
  Includes NYS constitution, consolidated laws, unconsolidated laws.
• New York State Bill Search
  Current New York State bills from the New York State Assembly.

III. Administrative Law

Print Version

• The New York State Register (KFN 5036 N48) Weekly. Latest 5 years and current year only.
  Lists rules, hearings on proposed rules, securities offerings, notices to bidders, executive orders, opinions of the attorney general, etc.

Online Version

• Guide to New York State Agency Rules & Regulations

IV. Case Law

Texts of Court Decisions

Print Versions

• Hamlin, Paul Mahlon. Supreme Court of Judicature of the Province of New York, 1691-1704. (KFN 5045 H3) 3 vols.
  Vol. 1 is a history; vol. 2 reports the cases with notes; vol. 3 is a biography of court personnel and an index.
• New York (State) Court of Appeals, [Abbr. N.Y. and N.Y. 2d] [New York Reports] Reports of Cases decided in the Court of Appeals of the State of New York. (KFN 5045 A33) v.1-309, Sept. 1947-1955 and 2d ser. v. 1-33, 1956-1974.
• New York Supplement. v.1-300, 1888-1938. [abbr. N.Y.S. or N.Y. Supp.] (KFN 5045 A332)
  "Cases argued and determined in the Court of Appeals, Supreme, and lower courts of record in New York State, with key number annotations."

Online Versions

• LEXIS-NEXIS Academic Universe
  Legal Research/State Case Law/New York.
• New York Legal Materials (Cornell Legal Information Institute)
  Includes constitution, statutes, pending bills, judicial opinions, directory information, etc.
• New York State Court Decisions on FindLaw

Subject Access to Cases

• Women's Rights Law Reporter. (KF 478.A45 W6) v.1, 1971-current.
  State and federal cases.

V. How to Interpret a Legal Citation

Legal citations consist of a volume number, the abbreviation of the name of an official or unofficial reporter, and a page number. The citation for a single case may include several locations.

Example: De Anglis v. Lutheran Medical Center

Name of case: De Angelis v. Lutheran Medical Center 445 N.Y.S. 2d 188
Location: v. 445 of New York Supplement, 2d edition, page 188.