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District of Columbia Research Guide

INTRODUCTION

This research guide is designed to facilitate research in District of Columbia law in the modern era. It explains the process of making laws, rules, and regulations in D.C.. It also identifies and describes major publications of statutory law, administrative law, case law, and secondary materials, and explains how to use them. Multiple sources with the same information, print and/or electronic, and useful contact information are also included. All items are located in the Edward Bennett Williams Law Library unless otherwise indicated.

For a discussion of the history of the D.C. legislative and judicial system before the latest major change in the governing arrangements laid out in the District of Columbia Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization Act ("Home Rule Act"), Pub. L. No. 93-198, 87 Stat. 744 (1973) (D.C. Code Ann. §§ 1-201.01 to 1-207.71), please consult:

  • Luis M. Acosta, The Legal History of the District of Columbia Prior to Home Rule: A Bibliographic Essay, 23(4) Legal Reference Services Q. 43 (2004) ( K12 .E357)
  • Governance of the Nation's Capital: A Summary History of the Forms and Powers of Local Government For the District of Columbia, 1790 to 1973 (JK2736 .G68 1990)
  • Legal Research Guide for the District of Columbia (George Washington University, Burns Law Library)
  • Legal Research in the District of Columbia , Maryland and Virginia, 2d ed. ( KF 240 .C43 2000).

For acts relating to the establishment of the District of Columbia and its various forms of governmental organization, check volumes 1 and 2 of the D.C. Official Code (KFD1230 2001 .A2).

Members of the Georgetown University community may seek additional assistance at the reference desk or online.

STATUTORY LAW

I. Legislative Process

The District of Columbia has a single house legislature called the Council. There are 13 council members - a representative from each of the eight wards and four members elected at large, and the Chair. The Council was given power to enact laws, but D.C. legislation and budgets are still subject to Congressional and presidential approval.

Introduction of Bills. A bill is introduced by Council members. The Mayor can request the introduction of a bill and the Chair of the Council may introduce that bill as a courtesy. The Bill is given a bill number such as B15-0606, "Choice in Drug Treatment Advisory Commission Amendment Act of 2004" and assigned to the appropriate committee(s). The bill number tells us that it is the 606th bill introduced in the 15th Council Period (Each Council Period lasts for 2 years, starting January 2nd of an odd-numbered year and lasts through January 1st of the following odd-numbered year).

Committee Stage. The Council Chair assigns the bill to the appropriate committee(s). If a public hearing or roundtable is held, a notice will be published in the D.C. Register for public comment 15 days in advance of a scheduled public hearing. The committee may mark up the bill and vote to recommend that the Council approve or disapprove the bill. The committee may take no action and let the bill die. If the committee reports the bill out, the Council officers review the legislation and report to the Committee of the Whole whether the record is complete and in proper legal or technical order. Council members do not debate the bill at this stage, but can ask for clarification or explanations. The Chairman will place the bill on the legislative meeting agenda with the approval of the Committee of the Whole.

First Reading. At the legislative meeting, Members debate the bill and can offer amendments. If the majority of those present votes no, the bill dies. If the majority votes yes, the bill passes the first reading and is scheduled for a second reading at another legislative meeting. The majority may vote to table the bill or return it to committee for reconsideration.

Second Reading. Council takes a second vote. If the majority votes no, the bill dies. If the majority votes yes, the bill passes.

Mayor. The Mayor has ten days to sign the bill at which point, the bill becomes an act (e.g. A15-390). If the Mayor does not take any action within ten days, the bill becomes an act. The Mayor can veto the bill and return it to the Council. Council, however, may override the Mayor's veto with a two-thirds majority vote within 30 days.

Congress. The Council chair transmits the act to the U.S. Congress to review for 30 legislative days (for criminal acts, Congress has 60 legislative days). If Congress takes no action, the act becomes a law (e.g. L15-155). Congress can pass a joint resolution disapproving the act. The joint resolution has to be approved by the President.

Further Information:

  • For a succinct graphic illustration of how a bill becomes a law, consult pages I-61 of Legal Research in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia, 2nd edition (KF240 .C43 2000).
  • The District of Columbia Council also provides a comprehensive verbal description of how a bill becomes a law.

Where to find Bills and Bill Information?

  • District of Columbia Register (DCR)
    It is the official publication of the D.C. government for acts, resolutions, and various information about the actions of the Council of the District of Columbia (such as resolutions and notices of council hearings), and actions of the Executive Branch and Independent Agencies (such as proposed rulemaking and emergency rulemaking). It comes out every week during Council Period (mid-September to mid-July). It has an annual index.

  • Lexis
    • Legal > States Legal - U.S. > District of Columbia > Find Statutes, Regulations, Administrative Materials & Court Rules > DC Full-Text Bills (Full text of all bills from 2003 to present)
    • Legal > States Legal - U.S. > District of Columbia > Statutes & Regulations > DC Bill Tracking Reports (Summary and legislative chronology of all pending legislation from 2005 to present)
  • Westlaw
    • DC-BILLS (current only, track and view full text of all available bills)
    • DC-LH (Bill histories and committee reports from 1999 to present)
  • Council of the District of Columbia Legislative Information Management System (LIMS)
    It is a searchable and browsable database of full-text bills, proposed and adopted resolutions, and acts. It also gives status information. Laws can be searched by keyword, and browsed by number, by Council Member, or by Committee (13th Council Period, 1999 - present).
  • Subject Index to Bills (KFD1210 .S9, 1982-1995, 2003, now cancelled) provides subject access to bills and bill title, bill number, D.C. Act number, D.C. Law number, and DCR citation.
  • Council Calendar
    Daily schedule, legislative agenda, hearing notices, oversight and budget schedule, and council and committee meetings.
  • Legislative Meeting Agenda (LIMS)
    Provides agendas of meetings (14th Council Period, 2001 to present).

II. Session Laws

Permanent Acts. A bill becomes an act after the Mayor signs it. This permanent act is given a number preceded by an "A" (e.g., A15-390). After congressional and presidential approval, it becomes Law and is given a law number with an "L" (e.g., L15-155). This Law may amend, repeal, or transfer code sections and will be incorporated in the District of Columbia Official Code.

Emergency Acts. An Emergency Act is adopted by a two-thirds vote of the D.C. Council. It does not go through the Committee stage and does not require a second reading. It is only valid for 90 days. It is not subject to congressional approval or pre-publication in the D.C. Register. Identified with an "E" appearing in the act number (e.g., 15E-1), they are always treated as notes in the D.C. Code.

Temporary Acts. A temporary act can be passed along with the emergency act and it remains valid for no more than 225 days. Identified with a "T" appearing in the act number (e.g., 15T-61), it may be treated as notes to Code sections.

Resolutions. Resolutions are used to express simple determinations or decisions of the Council that are of a temporary or special character. A proposed resolution is treated like a bill, except that only one vote of the Council is required. It does not require the Mayor's signature or Congressional review. They are identified with a "R" or "PR" in the act number (e.g., R 15-4 or PR 15-4). "R" stands for Resolution, "PR" stands for Proposed Resolution.

Some acts may amend an agency rule, and these will be incorporated in the D.C. Municipal Regulations (DCMR).

Where to find ACTS and LAWS?

  • Council of the District of Columbia Legislative Information Management System (LIMS) (13th Council Period - present)
    It is a searchable and browsable database of full-text bills, proposed and adopted resolutions, and acts. It also gives status information. Laws can be searched by keyword, and browsed by number, by Council Member, or by Committee.
  • District of Columbia Session Law Service (Thomson/West)
    Includes laws and emergency acts, but not resolutions. It is available:
  • District of Columbia Code: Advance Legislative Service (LexisNexis)
    It includes laws and emergency acts. It is available:
  • District of Columbia Statutes-at-Large KFD1225.D4 (1976-1986, ceased publication)
    Contains the text of D.C. laws, resolutions and Mayor's Orders

  • Legislative Services Division
    The Legislative Services Division (202-724-8050) also makes laws and acts available.

III. Subject Compilations

All the above acts are published chronologically. To facilitate research for current laws, laws are compiled by subject. Like the U.S. Code and state codes, the District of Columbia Code is a subject compilation of enacted legislation, divided into titles, chapters and sections. However, unlike most state codes, the D.C. Code also contains federal statutes which have an impact on the District of Columbia.

There are two D.C. Code publications:

District of Columbia Official Code, published by Thomson West. The current edition is the 2001 edition. It is an annotated version, with legislative history information, references to related statutes and case annotations. The General index provides subject access to the Code. A separate "Tables" volume provides parallel references to earlier (1981 and 1973) editions, a disposition table, a popular name table, a District of Columbia Register Table, an emergency act table, and a D.C. Laws not codified table. The Code is updated by annual pocket parts (published in June) and black paperback "Interim Update Services" (published in October and February).

Lexis District of Columbia Code, Annotated, published by LexisNexis. The current edition is the 2001 edition. It is an unofficial D.C. Code. It is also annotated, with legislative history information, references to related statutes and case annotations. A subject index provides topical access. A "Tables" volume provides a Comparative Sections table, a disposition table, a popular name table, a District of Columbia Register Table, an emergency act table, D.C. Law not codified table, and United States Code Table. The Code is updated by annual pocket parts and "Advance Legislation Service" (updated quarterly).


Where to find the D.C. Code?

  • District of Columbia Official Code
    • Print: KFD 1230 2001 A2
    • Electronic:
      • Westlaw
        • DC-ST (unannotated)
        • DC-ST-ANN (annotated)
        • DC-STMANNYY (historical, annotated) (1990 - ) (Note: YY in the database identifier is the last two digits of the year (e.g., the database for the 1990 version is DC-STMANN90))
  • Lexis District of Columbia Code, Annotated
    • Print:
      • KFD1230 2001.A4
      • The Law Library has old D.C. Code (1967, 1973, 1981) in Historic Core. Ask at the Williams Circulation Desk for these volumes.
    • Electronic:
  • Legislative Services Division of the DC Council
    Suite 2, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, DC 20004 , 202-724-8050
    It maintains a collection of legislative history materials, including recordings of legislative meetings and committee reports (1975-present).

  • District of Columbia Code (Free Online, Unannotated)

IV. Finding the law that covers your legal issue?

Finding the Sections:

Now that you know how bills are enacted and how laws are published and compiled, the first place to find the law is the D.C. Code. You may be tempted to go straight to LEXIS or Westlaw. LEXIS and the web version are convenient to use if you have the citation. The electronic versions are usually more up-to-date, minimizing the need to update what you have already obtained. If all you have is a legal issue and you want to find which sections of the D.C. Code deal with it, the print version and Westlaw are more user-friendly because of the Index, which allows you to look up a legal concept by keyword. The print version also has various finding aids.

Updating your Sections:

If you have access to LEXIS or Westlaw, you can KeyCite (on Westlaw) or Shepardize (on LEXIS) your D.C. Code section.

If you are using the print D.C. Code, you will have to check for any laws that have been passed since the last update of the D.C. Code, which is usually a few months out of date.

The bound volumes of the D.C. Official Code were published in 2001. These bound volumes are supplemented by pocket parts (which reside in a pocket on the inside of the back book cover) which are in turn supplemented by a black paperback "Cumulative Interim Update Service" (which is shelved at the end of the set). For current legislation passed after the last "Cumulative Interim Update Service" was published, check "Where to find ACTS and LAWS".

The bound volumes of the unofficial LEXIS D.C. Code were published in 2001. These bound volumes are supplemented by pocket parts called "Supplements" (which reside in a pocket on the inside of the back book cover) which are in turn supplemented by pale brown paperback "Advance Legislation Service" (which is shelved at the end of the set). For current legislation passed after the last "Advance Legislation Service" was published, check "Where to find ACTS and LAWS".

Even if you are using an electronic version, you may have to check for any pending legislation that will affect your section. That's when you have to look up bills and bill information. Additionally, Keycite and Shepard's now indicate whether a particular Code section may be affected by pending legislation.

District of Columbia Code Finding Aids:

Both the Official and the LEXIS versions of the D.C. Code have a separate General Index volume and another volume containing all of the following tables:

United States Code Table
Unlike most state codes, D.C. Code Annotated contains federal statutes which have an impact on the District of Columbia. This table indicates those sections of the D.C. Code which are also included in the United States Code.

D.C. Laws Not Codified Table
Not all D.C. Laws enacted by the Council are codified. This table accounts for those since January 1, 1982 which are not codified in the D.C. Code but have been published in the District of Columbia Register (DCR).

Emergency Act Table
Emergency Acts are adopted by a two-thirds vote of the D.C. Council. They are only valid for 90 days. They do not require a second reading. Nor are they subject to congressional approval or pre-publication in the DC Register. Identified with an "E" appearing in the prefix of the act number (e.g., 15E-1), they are always treated as notes in the D.C. Code. This table lists emergency acts chronologically by the date of enactment and gives the D.C. Code section where the act was noted.

District of Columbia Register Table
A bill becomes an Act when it is passed and signed by the Mayor. An Act will become a Law upon congressional approval. These laws are published in the District of Columbia Register. The table indicates, by citing to the District of Columbia Register, the disposition of the D.C. Laws in the 1981 edition and 2001 edition.

Popular Name Table
The table is an alphabetical list of names of acts, with dates and citations of the acts.

Disposition Table
This table lists all enactments (including old British statutes, old Virginia statutes, U.S. Statutes at Large, and D.C. Laws) which affect sections of the D.C. Code appearing in the 1981 edition. Using the Disposition Table, one can determine the disposition of the act in the 1981 and 2001 edition.

Comparative Sections OR Parallel Reference Table
This table compares sections of the 1981 Edition of the District of Columbia Code to their respective sections of the 2001 Edition, and the sections of the 1973 edition to the 1981 edition.

V. Legislative History

Unlike Federal legislative history documents, D.C. legislative history documents are not widely available.

In any version of the D.C. Code, at the end of each code section, there is a DCR citation for the text of the Act; there is also a legislative history notes section which gives you the Bill, Act, and Law numbers, which are useful for retrieving the full text of the bill and other legislative history documents. The Official Code (and the Westlaw version) also tells you what committee the bill was referred to.

Legislative History Documents:

  • Legislative History includes
    • The Bill as introduced, the version of the bill adopted by the Standing committee, the version adopted on the First Reading, the version adopted by final vote and the purpose and background of the bill;
      • LEXIS
        • Legal > States Legal - U.S. > District of Columbia > Find Statutes, Regulations, Administrative Materials & Court Rules > DC Full-Text Bills (Full text of all bills from 2003 to present)
        • Legal > States Legal - U.S. > District of Columbia > Statutes & Regulations > DC Bill Tracking Reports (Summary and legislative chronology of all pending legislation from 2005 to present)
      • Westlaw
        • DC-BILLS (current only, track and view full text of all available bills)
        • DC-LH (Bill histories, committee reports, and vote records from 1999 to present)
      • D.C. Council
        • LIMS (13th Council Period, 1999 to present) (full-text of the bill and the vote record)
    • Committee Reports: Committee Reports are not prepared for every piece of legislation.
      • Westlaw: DC-LH (Bill histories, committee reports, and vote records from 1999 to present)
      • The Legislative Services Division maintains files of committee reports, 202-724-8050.
      •  
    • Committee and and Public Hearings:
      • On Demand Video (OCT TV 13): Videos of meetings and hearings from 2003 to present.
      • Legislative Services Division
        • The Legislative Services Division maintains tapes of hearings from 1975 to the present. Hearings are not transcribed. To request the tapes, you must submit a memo stating the name of the Committee and the date the hearing was held. You must also provide the appropriate number of 120-minute cassette tapes.
          • Committee and Public Hearing Files: Every committee maintains a file on every action item taken by the committee, including the public hearing witness list, public testimony and correspondence received, government testimony, amendments, and the committee vote.
          • The Legislative Services Division, 202-724-8050.

    • Legislative Meeting transcripts

      • The Legislative Services Division, 202-724-8050.

ADMINISTRATIVE LAW

I. Regulations

In 1978, D.C. Law 2-153 mandated the publication and compilation of the District of Columbia Rules and Regulations, to be called D.C. Municipal Regulations (DCMR). Before they are compiled in the DCMR, regulations appear in the weekly update, The D.C. Register. The DCMR is organized by subject and is the official code of current D.C. regulations.

There are three types of rules:

  • Mayor's rules - administrative rules issued by the mayor to carry out the duties of the mayor;
  • Agency rules - rules adopted by agencies exercising authority delegated to the agency by the Council; and
  • Emergency rules - rules adopted without public notice or pre-publication in the DCMR that are allowed in narrow instances. These rules are valid for 120 days.

All rules are published in the weekly D.C. Register (DCR) first and then compiled into the DCMR. The DCR is similar to the Federal Register (FR) in that it publishes rules and regulations in chronological order. DCMR is similar to Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

Subject Compilation

District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR). The subject compilation of current D.C. regulations and rules is called the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR). The DCMR, however, does not have an official index. A commercial publication called the DCMR Deskbook provides a subject index and an "Authority Section." Use the D.C. Register to update the information in the DCMR. The D.C. Register contains "List of Sections Amended of D.C. Municipal Regulations" in the first issue of each month. If the List of Sections Amended is not published for the month, check the Final Rulemaking section of the Table of Contents of each weekly edition of the DCR published since the last update of the DCMR.)

Code of D.C. Municipal Regulations (Weil's Code) is an unofficial version of the DCMR. It includes a subject index, a regulation number index, and a table of authorities. Use the D.C. Register to update the information in the DCMR. The D.C. Register contains "List of Sections Amended of D.C. Municipal Regulations" in the first issue of each month. If the List of Sections Amended is not published for the month, check the Final Rulemaking section of the Table of Contents of each weekly edition of the DCR published since the last update of the DCMR.)

[Please note: The DCMR on Westlaw is not available to law school accounts. Electronic access is only available via LexisNexis and Lexis-Nexis State Capital. See below.]

Where to find DC Regulations?

  • District of Columbia Municipal Regulations
    This is the official version of the current regulations. There is no index to the 31-title print set. There is a commercial publication called the DCMR Deskbook (KFD1240 .H3 1989 (updated annually)). Use the D.C. Register to update the information in the DCMR. The D.C. Register contains "List of Sections Amended of D.C. Municipal Regulations" in the first issue of each month. If the List of Sections Amended is not published for the month, check the Final Rulemaking section of the Table of Contents of each weekly edition of the DCR published since the last update of the DCMR.

    It is available:
    • Print: KFD1235 1981 .A23 (print version out of date)
    • Electronic: DCMR Online (official)
      Searchable by Rule Number, Agency, Chapter Number, and full text
      Note: The new official, online version was recently revised and contains the most accurate, official, up-to-date information. Other versions of D.C. municipal regulations may contain errors.

    Code of D.C. Municipal Regulations (Weil's Code)
    The unofficial but up-to-date compilation of the DC administrative code. Updated every month, well-indexed. Use the D.C. Register to update the information in the DCMR. The D.C. Register contains "List of Sections Amended of D.C. Municipal Regulations" in the first issue of each month. If the List of Sections Amended is not published for the month, check the Final Rulemaking section of the Table of Contents of each weekly edition of the DCR published since the last update of the DCMR.

    It is available:
  • District of Columbia Register (DCR) gives brief information of actions of the Council of the District of Columbia (such as resolutions and notices of council hearings), and Actions of the Executive Branch and Independent Agencies (such as proposed rulemaking, and emergency rulemaking). It also publishes all resolutions and enacted Acts. It comes out every week during Council Period (mid-September to mid-July). It has an annual index. Note: In accordance with new regulations that took effect on January 1, 2009, printing of the DCR has ceased. The electronic version available on the Secretary of DC's website is now the official version. Print copies, however, are still available at the D.C. public library and at Advisory Neighborhood Commissions.

    It is available:
    • Print: KFD1235.A25 (1954 - present)
    • Electronic:
      • D.C. Register Online (official)
      • HeinOnline (1986 - )
      • Westlaw: DC-ADR (Jan. 1., 1999 - ) (Text of D.C. Acts not included)
      • LEXIS: Legal > States Legal - U.S. > Find Statutes, Regulations, Administrative Materials & Court Rules > DC - District of Columbia Register (Jan. 2, 1998 - )

II. Administrative Orders, Decisions, and Opinions

COURTS AND CASES

I. Courts

Local Court System:

The D.C. Home Rule Act, Pub. L. No. 93-198, 87 Stat. 744 (1973) (D.C. Code Ann. §§ 1-201.01 to 1-207.71) provided for the establishment of the Superior Court of D.C. and the D.C. Court of Appeals. The appointment of judges for these two courts was granted to the President with the advice and consent of the Senate.

D.C. Court of Appeals

The D.C. Court of Appeals is the court of last resort for the District of Columbia. It was known as the Municipal Court of Appeals from 1942 to 1962 when it was renamed "District of Columbia Court of Appeals." It is authorized to review all final orders, judgments and specified interlocutory orders of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. It also has jurisdiction to review decisions of administrative agencies, boards, and commissions of the District government. It is authorized by Congress to review proposed rules of the trial court and promulgates its own rules.

Superior Court of the District of Columbia

The Superior Court handles all local trial matters, including civil, criminal, family court, probate, tax, landlord-tenant, small claims, and traffic. For more information about the different divisions of the Court, consult the Superior Court of D.C. website.

Federal Court System:

United States Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit


United States District Court, District of Columbia (trial court of DC at the Federal level)   

There are several Directories with District of Columbia Court system information: 

  • Judicial Staff Directory KF8700.A19 J83 (1987-1999, 2001-2002, 2005, 2007-2008)
    It provides contact and biographical information of judges of the D.C. Court of Appeals and D.C. Superior Court.
  • Judicial Yellow Book: Who's Who in Federal and State Courts
    It provides contact and biographical information of the D.C. Court of Appeals judges, but not D.C. Superior Court judges.
  • BNA's Directory of State and Federal Courts, Judges, and Clerks: a State-by-state and Federal Listing KF8700 .A19 K56 (1995 - ) (updated annually)
    It provides a D.C. Court structure chart as well as contact information of all D.C. judges and judiciary staff.
  • Want's Federal-State Court Directory KF8700 .A19 W3 ((updated annually) (1984-2007)
    It provides a D.C. Court structure chart. It also provides contact information of the Court of Appeals, Superior Court, Office of Corporation Council and Mayor's Office. Contact information of the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals is provided along with the names of the associate judges.

II. Court Opinions

Local Court Opinions:
Not all opinions of the D.C. Court of Appeals are published. Signed opinions and per curiam opinions are published. Memorandum Opinions and Judgments (MOJs) are not published. Superior Court proceedings can be requested from the Court Reporting Administration Branch for a fee.

Where to find D.C. Court of Appeals Opinions?

  • Atlantic Reporter (1st & 2nd series) KF135 .A7 & KF 135 .A712
  • Maryland Reporter KFM1245 .A3
  • Lexis: Legal > States Legal - U.S. > District of Columbia > Find Cases > D.C. Court of Appeals cases from 1925
  • Westlaw (DC-CS) (1962-present, Municipal Court of Appeals 1942-1962)
  • Opinions and List of MOJs (from the DC Court of Appeals)
    It includes all published opinions since mid-1998 and monthly list of Memorandum Opinions and Judgments (MOJs) since September 1999. Some D.C. Court of Appeals opinions are not published. It also links to "Opinions of the D.C. Court of Appeals Committee on Unauthorized Practice of Law."
  • The Daily Washington Law Reporter KFD1247.D3 (1959 - )
    Provides abstracts of selected daily cases.
  • The Legal Times
    Contains digests of District of Columbia Court of Appeals opinions

Where to find Superior Court of DC Opinions?

  • Lexis: Legal > States Legal - U.S. > District of Columbia > Find Cases > DC Superior Court of the District of Columbia from 2001
  • The Daily Washington Law Reporter KFD1247.D3 (1959 - )
    Provides abstracts of selected daily cases.
  • Superior Court of the District of Columbia
    Clerk of the Superior Court: Duane B. Delaney
    Moultrie Courthouse
    500 Indiana Ave., NW , Rm 2500
    Washington , D.C. 20001
    Tel: 202-879-1400

Federal Court Opinions:

Where to find United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and US District Court for the District of Columbia opinions?

Finding Aids:

[Digests are also available in Westlaw: DC Custom Digest and Custom Digest of all reported cases.]

 

III. Court Rules

Where to find Rules of the D.C. Court of Appeals?

  • D.C. Court of Appeals (includes Rules of the D.C. Court of Appeals (pre-2004), Current Rules, Order Promulgating Revised Rules, and Schedule of Fees and Costs)
  • District of Columbia Court Rules Annotated KFD1729 .A193 (1982 - )
  • Court Rules Service KFD1729 .A2
    Contains court rules for D.C. Superior Court, D.C. Court of Appeals, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for D.C., and the U.S. Court of Appeals for D.C.
  • Lexis: Legal > States Legal - U.S. > District of Columbia > Find Statutes, Regulations, Administrative Materials & Court Rules > DC - District of Columbia State & Federal Court Rules
  • Westlaw: DC-RULES

Where to Find Superior Court Rules?

  • D.C. Superior Court (Rules and Rule Promulgation Orders)
  • District of Columbia Court Rules Annotated KFD1729 .A193 (1982 - )
  • Citations to the Rules of the Courts of the District of Columbia KFD1729.A14 R8
  • Court Rules Service KFD1729 .A2
    Contains court rules for D.C. Superior Court, D.C. Court of Appeals, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for D.C. and the U.S. Court of Appeals for D.C.
  • Lexis: Legal > States Legal - U.S. > District of Columbia > Find Statutes, Regulations, Administrative Materials & Court Rules > DC - District of Columbia State & Federal Court Rules
  • Westlaw (DC-RULES)

 

PRACTICE MANUALS

LAW REVIEWS, BAR JOURNALS, LOCAL NEWSPAPERS

  • University of the District of Columbia Law Review
  • George Washington Law Review
    Since 1995 (vol. 64), George Washington Law Review has published annual topical surveys of recent decisions of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
    • Print: K7 .E4 (1932 - )
    • Electronic:
      • HeinOnline (1932 - )
      • Westlaw: GWLR (Full coverage, 1984 to present, select coverage, 1981-1983)
      • Lexis: Legal > States Legal - U.S. > District of Columbia > Search Law Reviews & Journals > George Washington Law Review (1982 - )
  • The Daily Washington Law Reporter KFD1247.D3 (1959 - )
  • Legal Times
  • Washington Lawyer
    • Electronic

OTHER USEFUL RESOURCES

WHERE TO LOCATE D.C. LAWS

Where to find Bills and Bill Information?

  • istrict of Columbia Register (DCR)
    It is the official publication of the D.C. government for acts, resolutions, and various information about the actions of the Council of the District of Columbia (such as resolutions and notices of council hearings), and actions of the Executive Branch and Independent Agencies (such as proposed rulemaking and emergency rulemaking). It comes out every week during Council Period (mid-September to mid-July). It has an annual index.

  • Lexis
    • Legal > States Legal - U.S. > District of Columbia > Find Statutes, Regulations, Administrative Materials & Court Rules > DC Full-Text Bills (Full text of all bills from 2003 to present)
    • Legal > States Legal - U.S. > District of Columbia > Statutes & Regulations > DC Bill Tracking Reports (Summary and legislative chronology of all pending legislation from 2005 to present)
  • Westlaw
    • DC-BILLS (current only, track and view full text of all available bills)
    • DC-LH (Bill histories and committee reports from 1999 to present)
  • Council of the District of Columbia Legislative Information Management System (LIMS)
    It is a searchable and browsable database of full-text bills, proposed and adopted resolutions, and acts. It also gives status information. Laws can be searched by keyword, and browsed by number, by Council Member, or by Committee (13th Council Period, 1999 - present).
  • Subject Index to Bills (KFD1210 .S9, 1982-1995, 2003, now cancelled) provides subject access to bills and bill title, bill number, D.C. Act number, D.C. Law number, and DCR citation.
  • Council Calendar
    Daily schedule, legislative agenda, hearing notices, oversight and budget schedule, and council and committee meetings.
  • Legislative Meeting Agenda (LIMS)
    Provides agendas of meetings (14th Council Period, 2001 to present).

Where to find ACTS and LAWS?

  • Council of the District of Columbia Legislative Information Management System (LIMS) (13th Council Period - present)
    It is a searchable and browsable database of full-text bills, proposed and adopted resolutions, and acts. It also gives status information. Laws can be searched by keyword, and browsed by number, by Council Member, or by Committee.
  • District of Columbia Session Law Service (Thomson/West)
    Includes laws and emergency acts, but not resolutions. It is available:
  • District of Columbia Code: Advance Legislative Service (LexisNexis)
    It includes laws and emergency acts. It is available:
  • District of Columbia Statutes-at-Large KFD1225.D4 (1976-1986, ceased publication)
    Contains the text of D.C. laws, resolutions and Mayor's Orders

  • Legislative Services Division
    The Legislative Services Division (202-724-8050) also makes laws and acts available.

Where to find the D.C. Code?

  • District of Columbia Official Code
    • Print: KFD 1230 2001 A2
    • Electronic:
      • Westlaw
        • DC-ST (unannotated)
        • DC-ST-ANN (annotated)
        • DC-STMANNYY (historical, annotated) (1990 - ) (Note: YY in the database identifier is the last two digits of the year (e.g., the database for the 1990 version is DC-STMANN90))
  • Lexis District of Columbia Code, Annotated
    • Print:
      • KFD1230 2001.A4
      • The Law Library has old D.C. Code (1967, 1973, 1981) in Historic Core. Ask at the Williams Circulation Desk for these volumes.
    • Electronic:
  • Legislative Services Division of the DC Council
    Suite 2, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, DC 20004 , 202-724-8050
    It maintains a collection of legislative history materials, including recordings of legislative meetings and committee reports (1975-present).

  • District of Columbia Code (Free Online, Unannotated)

Where to find DC Regulations?

  • District of Columbia Municipal Regulations
    This is the official version of the current regulations. There is no index to the 31-title print set. There is a commercial publication called the DCMR Deskbook (KFD1240 .H3 1989 (updated annually)). Use the D.C. Register to update the information in the DCMR. The D.C. Register contains "List of Sections Amended of D.C. Municipal Regulations" in the first issue of each month. If the List of Sections Amended is not published for the month, check the Final Rulemaking section of the Table of Contents of each weekly edition of the DCR published since the last update of the DCMR.

    It is available:
    • Print: KFD1235 1981 .A23 (print version out of date)
    • Electronic: DCMR Online (official)
      Searchable by Rule Number, Agency, Chapter Number, and full text
      Note: The new official, online version was recently revised and contains the most accurate, official, up-to-date information. Other versions of D.C. municipal regulations may contain errors.

    Code of D.C. Municipal Regulations (Weil's Code)
    The unofficial but up-to-date compilation of the DC administrative code. Updated every month, well-indexed. Use the D.C. Register to update the information in the DCMR. The D.C. Register contains "List of Sections Amended of D.C. Municipal Regulations" in the first issue of each month. If the List of Sections Amended is not published for the month, check the Final Rulemaking section of the Table of Contents of each weekly edition of the DCR published since the last update of the DCMR.

    It is available:
  • District of Columbia Register (DCR) gives brief information of actions of the Council of the District of Columbia (such as resolutions and notices of council hearings), and Actions of the Executive Branch and Independent Agencies (such as proposed rulemaking, and emergency rulemaking). It also publishes all resolutions and enacted Acts. It comes out every week during Council Period (mid-September to mid-July). It has an annual index. Note: In accordance with new regulations that took effect on January 1, 2009, printing of the DCR has ceased. The electronic version available on the Secretary of DC's website is now the official version. Print copies, however, are still available at the D.C. public library and at Advisory Neighborhood Commissions.

    It is available:
    • Print: KFD1235.A25 (1954 - present)
    • Electronic:
      • D.C. Register Online (official)
      • HeinOnline (1986 - )
      • Westlaw: DC-ADR (Jan. 1., 1999 - ) (Text of D.C. Acts not included)
      • LEXIS: Legal > States Legal - U.S. > Find Statutes, Regulations, Administrative Materials & Court Rules > DC - District of Columbia Register (Jan. 2, 1998 - )

Where to find D.C. Court of Appeals Opinions?

  • Atlantic Reporter (1st & 2nd series) KF135 .A7 & KF 135 .A712
  • Maryland Reporter KFM1245 .A3
  • Lexis: Legal > States Legal - U.S. > District of Columbia > Find Cases > D.C. Court of Appeals cases from 1925
  • Westlaw (DC-CS) (1962-present, Municipal Court of Appeals 1942-1962)
  • Opinions and List of MOJs (from the DC Court of Appeals)
    It includes all published opinions since mid-1998 and monthly list of Memorandum Opinions and Judgments (MOJs) since September 1999. Some D.C. Court of Appeals opinions are not published. It also links to "Opinions of the D.C. Court of Appeals Committee on Unauthorized Practice of Law."
  • The Daily Washington Law Reporter KFD1247.D3 (1959 - )
    Provides abstracts of selected daily cases.
  • The Legal Times
    Contains digests of District of Columbia Court of Appeals opinions

Where to find Superior Court of DC Opinions?

  • Lexis: Legal > States Legal - U.S. > District of Columbia > Find Cases > DC Superior Court of the District of Columbia from 2001
  • The Daily Washington Law Reporter KFD1247.D3 (1959 - )
    Provides abstracts of selected daily cases.
  • Superior Court of the District of Columbia
    Clerk of the Superior Court: Duane B. Delaney
    Moultrie Courthouse
    500 Indiana Ave., NW , Rm 2500
    Washington , D.C. 20001
    Tel: 202-879-1400

Where to find United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and US District Court for the District of Columbia opinions?

Where to find Rules of the D.C. Court of Appeals?

  • D.C. Court of Appeals (includes Rules of the D.C. Court of Appeals (pre-2004), Current Rules, Order Promulgating Revised Rules, and Schedule of Fees and Costs)
  • District of Columbia Court Rules Annotated KFD1729 .A193 (1982 - )
  • Court Rules Service KFD1729 .A2
    Contains court rules for D.C. Superior Court, D.C. Court of Appeals, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for D.C., and the U.S. Court of Appeals for D.C.
  • Lexis: Legal > States Legal - U.S. > District of Columbia > Find Statutes, Regulations, Administrative Materials & Court Rules > DC - District of Columbia State & Federal Court Rules
  • Westlaw: DC-RULES

Where to Find Superior Court Rules?

  • D.C. Superior Court (Rules and Rule Promulgation Orders)
  • District of Columbia Court Rules Annotated KFD1729 .A193 (1982 - )
  • Citations to the Rules of the Courts of the District of Columbia KFD1729.A14 R8
  • Court Rules Service KFD1729 .A2
    Contains court rules for D.C. Superior Court, D.C. Court of Appeals, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for D.C. and the U.S. Court of Appeals for D.C.
  • Lexis: Legal > States Legal - U.S. > District of Columbia > Find Statutes, Regulations, Administrative Materials & Court Rules > DC - District of Columbia State & Federal Court Rules
  • Westlaw (DC-RULES)

Revised 4/2007 (BRM)
Updated 8/09 (MS)

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