General Research Databases | Book Finders | Government Documents | Journals, Newsletters & Indexes
Non-Legal Databases | Subject-Specific Databases | Treaties & International/Foreign Docs

Most of the databases listed on this page are only accessible by current CUNY Law students and faculty. Databases that do not require individual passwords can be accessed from computers outside the law school's network using a current library patron barcode issued by the CUNY School of Law Library.

Accessing the Databases

Unless otherwise indicated, the databases linked on this page are available only to current CUNY students, faculty and staff. For home access to non-Lexis or Westlaw databases you must obtain a library barcode number and enter it when prompted. If you are having trouble accessing any of the databases, see our database access help page for more information.

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General Research Databases

LexisNexis for Law Schools (password required)	Westlaw (password required)
Alternate Link to Lexis	Alternate Link to Westlaw
Additional Lexis links: Source Locator "Knowledge Base" - Search Tips Support Center CUNY Law School's Lexis Rep. Info Web Courses LexisOne (a limited free version of Lexis)	Additional Westlaw links: Database Directory Research & Technical Suport CUNY Law School's Westlaw Rep. Info TWEN

BNA

This link lists all the BNA databases our library subscribes to and provides a convenient link to sign up for email summaries from BNA. The BNA databases we subscribe to are also listed separately in the Subject-Specific category of the page you are now viewing. Many BNA databases are also available through Westlaw if you prefer to access them that way.

HeinOnline

Initially known for its large archive of law reviews, this constantly expanding collection of resources now also includes many historical federal primary source materials.

Loislawschool.com

CUNY Law students can go to this Web site and sign-up for a password. Ask a librarian for details on gaining access.

LexisOne

A free version of Lexis that allows you to search all U.S. Supreme Court decisions going back to 1781, as well as most federal and state appellate decisions from the last 5 years. Over 6,000 free legal forms are also available through this site. Additionally, there is a "pay-as-you-go" option that allows you to use Lexis to obtain other documents without a password by using a credit card.

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Book Finders

CUNY+Plus Online Catalog

If you click on this link from a computer on the law school's network, you should enter the law school's catalog by default (indicated at the top of the search screen). Accessing the catalog from outside the law school will default to the general catalog containing the holdings of all CUNY libraries, or to a different individual CUNY library if you are on their campus network. Use the links on the search page to select any individual CUNY library you wish, or all libraries at once.

IndexMaster

Use keywords to search a database containing the indexes and tables of contents of thousands of legal and non-legal treatises from large and small publishers. A very useful tool for identifying broad treatises that contain chapters or sections relevant to a specific area of research. Also helpful for finding law-related material in non-legal treatises. The full text of the treatises is not searchable, readable or downloadable through this site. If the treatise you wish to read is not in our library's collection, current law students, faculty and staff may contact the circulation department to request the item through interlibrary loan.

Law Library Online Catalogs - WashLaw

Provides direct links to law library catalog search pages. Mostly U.S. law schools, but includes some other types of law libraries and a few Canadian law libraries as well.

Legal Classics Library - HeinOnline

From the provider: "The HeinOnline Legal Classics Library offers more than 1,200 works from some of the greatest legal minds in history, including Joseph Story, Louis Brandeis, Benjamin N. Cardozo and Edwardo Coke. In addition to many "classics", this collection includes rare items that are found in only a handful of libraries around the world. The collection focuses on constitutional law, political science, and other classic topics."

WorldCat

An online catalog that allows you to search millions of bibliographic records from OCLC member libraries. Note that this particular resource is not a "legal database" as it contains records for books from all disciplines, not just law. It has been included on this Web page as a source to find books that aren't contained in the collection of the CUNY School of Law Library. Please contact our library if you are having difficulty finding a specific book or wish to obtain one through interlibrary loan.

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Government Documents

U.S. Congressional Documents - HeinOnline

Coverage includes the U.S. Statutes and Large as well as the Congressional Record and its predecessor publications containing the debates of Congress going back to the earliest volumes.

U.S. Federal Legislative History Library - HeinOnline

The "U.S. Federal Legislative History Title Collection" includes full-text legislative histories for a small group of laws selected based on historical significance, The "Sources of Compiled Legislative History Database" provides citations to books, journal articles and other sources that have compiled legislative histories for other laws. Additional documents provide guidance on how to compile your own legislative history.

Federal Register - HeinOnline

Provides access to the Federal Register from its inception in 1936 to within a few months of the current date.

Historical Code of Federal Regulations (1938 - 1983) - HeinOnline

U.S. Federal Agency Library - HeinOnline

A growing collection of federal agency decisions from the Board of Immigration Appeals, National Labor Relations Board, Federal Trade Commission, Securities & Exchange Commission and many others.

U.S. Presidential Library - HeinOnline

A collection of various historical Presidential documents, executive orders, inauguration speeches, etc. Includes the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents from inception to within a few months of the current date.

U.S. Attorney General Opinions - HeinOnline

Includes official opinions from 1871-1982, annual reports from 1870-2005, and opinions of the Office of Legal Counsel of the U.S. Department of Justice from 1977-1996. Also includes various historical documents, such as the Opinions of the Confederate Attorneys General 1861-1865.

LLMC Digital

Provides searchable databases of old U.S. Government documents, most of which are not available through Lexis, Westlaw or Internet sources. Also includes state law sources, as well as some foreign and international law. The collection is constantly growing, so check the information links on the site to learn more about what is actually contained in each database. Produced by the Law Library Microform Consortium, which is gradually converting its huge repository of government documents from microform to digital format.

More Sources of Government Documents and Information

See our Federal Law and Government page.

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Journals, Newsletters & Indexes

Clearinghouse Review

The publisher, the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, describes this as "The nation's intellectual marketplace for legal aid lawyers and others to share ideas and plant seeds for legal and policy innovation."

Global Jurist

This site provides access to three peer-reviewed law journals: Global Jurist Fontiers, Global Jurist Advances and Global Jurist Topics.

GreenFILE

A free environmental index database hosted by EBSCO. This is not a legal database, but it is included on this page because it includes much law-related content. GreenFILE indexes scholarly and general interest titles, as well as government documents and reports. The database contains nearly 300,000 records, full text for selected titles and searchable cited references for more than 200 titles as well.

HeinOnline

Provides full-text access to articles from hundreds of law review titles and goes back much further than Westlaw or Lexis in many cases.

Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals

Indexes legal literature concerning foreign (non-Anglo-American) law. Coverage from 1985 - present.

Index to Legal Periodicals & Books (Current & Retrospective)

This link provides access to two H.W. Wilson databases: "Index to Legal Periodicals and Books" (1982 - present) and "Index to Legal Periodicals Retrospective" (1918 - 1981). You may select either database or search both simultaneously. These databases provide digital access to the complete book series that previously required searching through multiple hard copy volumes.

Index to Periodicals Related to Law - HeinOnline

Covers 1958 - within past year. Indexes journals that are not included in legal periodical indexes. This was originally a print based index and can be browsed by time period. The search feature doesn't search the actual print copies but searches a separate database that was created for that purpose. Be sure to read the search tips under the "Resources" tab to make the best use of this database.

LegalTrac/InfoTrac

Access to the LegalTrac legal periodicals index, as some InfoTrac non-legal databases. When you arrive at the database screen, make sure to click on the LegalTrac link to search only LegalTrac and see all the available search options. See the Web site for more information about the other databases.

U.S. Law Week - BNA

This is a weekly update service on developments in all areas of law from across the United States. Previous issues are searchable back to 1997. Links are provided to access the full text of U.S. Supreme Court and other decisions reported in this publication. A separate link is available to take you to the Supreme Court Today portion of this site, which includes docket information and and search capabilities for U.S. Supreme Court Opinions. Published by the Bureau of National Affairs (BNA).

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Non-Legal Research Databases

Go to our Non-Legal Databases page.

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Subject-Specific Databases

ABA/BNA Lawyers' Manual on Professional Conduct

Antitrust & Trade Regulation Report - BNA

Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse - Washington U. St. Louis

This free database collects cases on selected civil rights topics where injunctive relief was the objective rather than money damages. Includes links to decisions, docket information and some court documents such as complaints and briefs. More information.

Criminal Law Reporter - BNA

A searchable database containing BNA's weekly publication Criminal Law Reporter going back to August 7, 1996. This publication reports news about criminal law cases across the country. Includes links to the full-text of cases discussed.

Employment Discrimination Report - BNA

Environment & Safety Library - BNA

Our subscription provides access only to the environment materials in this database.

Family Law Reporter - BNA

International Environment Reporter - BNA

Labor & Employment Law Library - BNA

An extensive resource for labor and employment law research. Includes links to cases, reference manuals, finding aids and more.

Labor Relations Reporter General Index & Table of Cases - BNA

Provides online access to the index and table of cases for the BNA Labor Relations Reporter. The full text of sources cited in the index can be found in the hard copy version of that set, located in our Library under call number KF 3420.5 .L3.

Poverty Law Library

Publisher's description: "A collection of over 500,000 legal documents, the Poverty Law Library is the information source for frontline legal aid attorneys. Whether they are preparing for an individual case or a class action suit or drafting legislation, our library is their virtual law firm." Provided by the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law.

Securities Regulation & Law Report - BNA

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Treaties, International and Foreign Law Documents

Constitutions of the Countries of the World

Includes archival access to earlier versions of constitutions. Note that pop-up blockers may disable certain functions, so check the "help" menu on the vendor's site if you experience problems.

English Reports, Full Reprint 1220- 1865 - HeinOnline

From HeinOnline: "This collection encompasses the decisions of the English Courts prior to the commencement of the Law Reports in 1865. It represents reprints of 275 separate series of reports, arranged by the English Courts: House of Lords, Chancery, Rolls Court, etc. The English Reports, Full Reprint contains over 100,000 cases reprinted verbatim and spans the years 1220 to 1867." More information.

Foreign Law Guide: Current Sources of Codes and Basic Legislation in Jurisdictions of the World

From the publisher's introduction: "This work endeavors to provide the lawyer or legal researcher with relevant information on sources of foreign law, including complete bibliographic citations to legislation, the existence of English translations whenever possible, indications of currentness of the legal materials listed, and, finally, selected references to secondary sources in English." Also includes information on international convention and treaty sources.

Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals

Indexes legal literature concerning foreign (non-Anglo-American) law. Coverage from 1985 - present.

Readex AccessUN (1966 - ) - Index to United Nations Documents and Publications

Indexing is it's primary function, but it also includes the full-text of selected documents. If the particular documents you want are not available in full-text on this database, note the citations and ask our Reference Librarians where you might be able to obtain the documents. Many UN documents are also available in full-text from the UN Documentation Centre Web site, listed above.

Treaties and Agreements Library - HeinOnline

Includes a wide range of official and unofficial treaty documents, indexes, guides and other materials. This collection focuses on U.S. treaties. For international conventions and treaties to which the U.S. is not a party, consult the Foreign Law Guide using its "Conventions & Treaties" link. Additional treaty research sites are linked under the "Treaties" category of our International & Foreign Law page.