Guides: Corporate Law Research Guide: Primary Law Sources

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Case Law - Federal and State

Cases related to corporate law are published in general case reporters. Annotated state codes are also an efficient and reliable way to find cases pertinent to specific statutory provisions. There are also several databases that focus on corporate law cases specifically, and we have listed them below.

Corporate Cases, Federal and State (Dates of coverage vary by court)
Combined federal and state case law related to corporation law subject matters.

Statutory Law - Federal

For an introduction to statutory research, see our Statutes Research Guide guide. The following is a list of sources for the full text of federal laws:

U.S. Statutes at Large (Stat.) - Free Web (GovInfo) Coverage: 1951 to 2011
U.S. Statutes at Large (Stat.) - In Print Call Number: KF50 .U5 (Williams 2nd Floor: Williams Reading Room)
U.S. Code (U.S.C.) - Free Web (OLRC) Available via the Office of the Law Revision Counsel (OLRC) of the U.S. House of Representatives. Coverage: 1995 to Present
U.S. Code (U.S.C.) - Free Web (GovInfo) Coverage: 1994 to Present
U.S. Code (U.S.C.) - In Print Call Number: KF62 2006 .A2 (Williams, Reading Room & 5th Fl.)
U.S. Code Annotated (U.S.C.A.) - Westlaw Paid subscription database; requires log in.
U.S. Code Annotated (U.S.C.A.) - In Print Call Number: KF62 1927.A3 (Williams Reading Room & 5th Fl.)
U.S. Code Service (U.S.C.S.) - Lexis Paid subscription database; requires log in.
U.S. Code Service (U.S.C.S.) - In Print Call Number: KF62 1972.U5 (Williams Reading Room & 5th Fl.)

Statutory Law - Uniform Laws and Model Acts

Model Business Corporation Act
A general corporation statute that can be enacted substantially in its entirety by a state legislature. The Model Act is the general corporation statute for over 30 states and the District of Columbia, and is the source of many provisions in the general corporation statutes of other states. 5th ed. (2020)
Uniform Partnership Act (UPA) - Free Web (Uniform Law Commission)
The Uniform Partnership Act of 1997 (UPA) modernizes the Uniform Partnership Act of 1914, adopted in every state except Louisiana. It establishes a partnership as a separate legal entity, and not merely as an aggregate of individual partners. The UPA (1997) has been adopted by 43 states to date.
Uniform Limited Liability Company Act, Revised - Free Web (Uniform Law Commission)
ULLCA (2006) (Last Amended 2013) is Article 5 of the Uniform Business Organizations Code. The first Uniform Limited Liability Company Act was promulgated in 1996 and adopted in 12 jurisdictions. ULLCA was extensively revised in 2006, also known as the Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. ULLCA (2006). The 2011 and 2013 amendments, enacted as part of the Harmonization of Business Entity Acts project, conformed the language in ULLCA (2006) with language of similar provisions in the other uniform unincorporated entity acts and made additional updates and changes.

Statutory Law - Delaware Code

The main title of the Delaware Code dealing with corporate law is Title 8 (Corporations). Titles 5 (Banking), 6 (Commerce and Trade), and 10 Ch. 3 (Court and Judicial Procedures -- Chancery Court) also contain relevant statutes.

Westlaw
Delaware Code Annotated
Lexis
Delaware Code Annotated
Delaware Division of Corporations
The Delaware Code is also available online from the Delaware Division of Corporations. This free online version does not contain annotations.

Regulatory Law - Federal

For a guide to the federal executive-branch regulatory process and the process of conducting federal administrative law research in general, see the Law Library's Administrative Law Research Guide. Federal agencies' regulations appear in the following publications:

Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) - Westlaw
Index available in the right-hand menu.
Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) - Lexis
The CFR Index is available here.
Code of Federal Regulations / Federal Register Library - HeinOnline
Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) - Free Web (GovInfo) Available via the U.S. GPO's GovInfo.gov. Coverage: 1996 to the Present.
List of CFR Sections Affected (L.S.A.) - Free Web (GovInfo) Lists proposed, new, and amended Federal regulations that have been published in the Federal Register since the most recent revision date of a CFR title. Available via the U.S. GPO's Federal Digital System (FDsys). Coverage: 1997 to the Present.
eCFR - Free Web A currently-updated version of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR); not an official legal edition of the CFR.
Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) - In Print Call Number: KF70 .A3. Microfiche: 1938 - date (Media Services, Cabinets B13-B14)
Federal Register (Fed. Reg.) - Westlaw
Federal Register (Fed. Reg.) - Lexis
Code of Federal Regulations / Federal Register Library - HeinOnline
Federal Register (Fed. Reg.) - Free Web (GovInfo) Available via the U.S. GPO's Federal Digital System (FDsys). Coverage: 1960 to Present
"Federal Register 2.0" - Free Web An unofficial web edition of the Federal Register (also known as “Federal Register 2.0″ or “FR2″), provided by the Office of the Federal Register. Includes links to related material. Coverage: 1994-present.

Corporate Law Research Guide

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