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Florida Resources

This State Guide lists the major sources of law in this state. If you are a member of the Georgetown University community, the reference librarians are happy to assist you over the phone (202) 662-9140 or by e-mail.

RESEARCH GUIDES

• Barbara J. Busharis & Suzanne E. Rowe, Florida Legal Research KFF 75 .R69 2007

STATUTES & LEGISLATION

Statutes/Code

• Guide to Using Florida Statutes (University of Florida Law Library)
• Print: Official Florida Statutes, KFF29 .F56 (official - updated infrequently) & West's Florida Statutes Annotated, KFF30 1941 .A43 (unofficial - updated much more regularly)
• Electronic:
  • Westlaw: FL-ST-ANN
  • Lexis: Legal > States Legal - U.S. > Florida > Statutes & Regulations > FL - LexisNexis Florida Annotated Statutes
  • Internet: Florida Statutes (1997 - ) From the Official Website of the Florida Legislature

Legislative History

• Research Guides:
  • Florida Legislative History Research (University of Miami Law Library)
  • Florida Legislative History Research (University of Florida Law Library)
• Microform:
  • Acts of the Legislative Counceil .......of the State of Florida
• Electronic:
  • Laws of Florida (Session Laws 1997-) from the Florida Department of State, State Library and Archives
  • House & Senate Bills (1998 - ) from the Florida Senate webpage
  • Florida Constitution Revision Commission
  • General acts, resolutions and memorials adopted by the ... Legislature of Florida: HeinOnline
  • Westlaw: FL-LH (1998 - )

Legislature

• On-Line Sunshine: The Florida Legislature's Home Page
  • Florida Senate
  • Florida House of Representatives

REGULATIONS & AGENCIES

Regulations

• Guide to Using the Florida Administrative Code (University of Florida Law Library)
• Print: Florida Administrative Code Annotated, KFF35 1986 .A23 (updates have been cancelled in Print)
• Electronic:
  • Westlaw: FL-ADC
  • Lexis: Legal > States Legal - U.S. > Florida > Agency & Administrative Materials > FL - Florida Administrative Code Annotated
  • Internet:
    • Florida Administrative Code
    • Florida Administrative Weekly

Agencies

• Florida Government Information Locator Service
• Governor's Office
• Office of the Attorney General
  • Attorney General Opinions (1972 - )
• State Agencies & Commissions

CASES & COURTS

Cases

• Guide to Locating Florida Case Law (University of Florida Law Library)
• Print: Southern Reporter, KF135 .S8 (1st series) & KF135 .S812 (2nd series)
• Electronic:
  • Westlaw: FL-CS (state cases) & FL-CS-ALL (state and federal cases)
  • Lexis: Legal > States Legal - U.S. > Florida > Cases > FL State Cases, Combined & Legal > States Legal - U.S. > Florida > Cases > FL Federal & State Cases, Combined
  • Internet: Opinions, Rules, & Other Court Documents
    • Florida Supreme Court Opinions (1999 - present)
    • 1st District Court of Appeal (2004 - present)
    • 2nd District Court of Appeal (2001 - present)
    • 3rd District Court of Appeal (2001 - present)
    • 4th District Court of Appeal (2005 - present)
    • 5th District Court of Appeal (2001 - present)
    • Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee (1972 - present)
  • Florida Supreme Court Briefs and Opinions (September 1985 - present): maintained by Florida State University

Courts

• Florida State Courts: see Structure of Florida's Judicial System
  • Florida Supreme Court - in addition to Supreme Court opinions, the following are available on the website:
    • Supreme Court Oral Arguments - Audio/Video
    • Briefs in high profile Supreme Court Cases (2000 - )
  • Florida District Courts of Appeal
  • Florida Circuit Courts
• Florida Standard Jury Instructions (available from the Florida Supreme Court), includes links to both the Criminal and Civil Jury Instructions
• Court Rules:
  • Florida Rules of Procedure (links to Civil Procedure, Judicial Administration, Criminal Procedure, Probate Rules, Traffic Court, Small Claims Court, Juvenile Procedure, Appellate Procedure, Family Law Procedure)
  • Proposed Court Rule Amendments

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

• Florida League of Cities
• County Web Sites
• Municipal Codes (selected)

STATE BAR JOURNAL

• Print: Florida Bar Journal, K6 .L6
• Electronic:
  • Westlaw: FLBJ (selected coverage 1983-)
  • Lexis: Legal > States Legal - U.S. > Florida > Law Reviews & Journals > The Florida Bar Journal (Oct. 1995-)
  • Internet: Florida Bar Journal (selected articles only)

ETHICS

• State Bar:
  • Ethics Opinions
• Westlaw
  • FLETH-EO contains documents released by the Florida State Bar Association Committee on Professional Ethics from 1959
• Lexis
• Legal > Area of Law - By Topic > Ethics > Administrative Materials & Regulations > National Reporter Ethics Opinions > National Reporter on Legal Ethics & Prof. Responsibility - FL Opinions
  • Contains selected decisions from 1989- (no coverage for the year 1993).
• Legal > Area of Law - By Topic > Ethics > Administrative Materials & Regulations > Judicial Ethics Opinions > Florida Judicial Ethics Opinions
  • Contains Florida Judicial Ethics Opinions from 1972 to current.

GENERAL

• Print: Florida Jur 2d, KFF80 .F56 1977 & West's Florida Practice, KFF80 .W46
• Electronic:
  • Westlaw: FL-JUR
  • Lexis: Legal > States Legal - U.S. > Florida > Restatements & Jurisprudences > Florida Jurisprudence 2d
  • The Florida Bar
  • Legal Information Institute on Florida
  • Tax Forms
  • Florida Law Weekly
  • Internet Law Library: Florida
  • FindLaw: Florida
  • Law Library of Congress: Florida

Updated 05/09 (LS)

Page last saved on 05/28/2009