Laws, Rules & Legal Research
IMPORTANT: If you represent yourself in court, you are responsible for knowing the law and rules. Representing yourself is risky because each step in the process may have consequences that you might not think about. You should get legal advice.
Constitutions
In the U.S., there is a Federal Constitution (US Constitution) and individual State Constitutions (MN Constitution). These written documents created the powers, duties and limits of the government, and the rights of people within the U.S. Constitutions are a part of the "law."Statutes, Administrative Rules, and Local Ordinances
Statutes, Administrative Rules, and Ordinances also known as “black letter law,” are laws written by the Legislative body of government on many topics. Statutes, Administrative Rules, and Ordinances usually direct or command that certain actions be carried out, or that certain actions are prohibited.Case Law
Case law, also known as "common law," refers to decisions put in writing by judges. The written decisions are called court “opinions.” The legal system of the U.S. is based on the common law tradition, and this means that judges usually must rely on case law (prior written decisions) to determine how laws, including statutes and rules, are to be understood and applied to the facts of new cases. Judges in lower courts, such as trial courts, usually have to make decisions that agree with the case law (i.e., opinions) from higher courts, such as the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals.Court Rules
The Supreme Court writes many kinds of Rules that set out procedures for how courts function and what parties must do to have their cases handled in court.Legal Research
- Get help with legal research from a law librarian at the MN State Law Library. Other law libraries also have free or low-cost access to legal research databases for the public.
- "How to Research a Legal Problem: A Guide for Non-Lawyers"(AALLNET)
- Basic Legal Citations (how to refer to the law in your legal papers)
- Sign up for free, online legal research classes through the Law Library of Congress
Other Legal Resources
- Federal Poverty Guidelines
- Find a Notary (Call4Justice.org)
- LawHelpMN.org Legal services and resources for Minnesota residents
- Legal Fact Sheets (laws explained for non-lawyers)
- MN Attorney General’s Office: Consumer Protection Division
- MN Secretary of State
- Business & Lien Search
- Legal Newspapers in MN (for publishing legal notices)
- MN State Law Library Internet Legal Resources
- U.S. Code
- U.S. Supreme Court Opinions
- U.S Court of Appeals Opinions
- U.S. Code of Federal Regulations