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Texas Resources

This State Guide lists the major sources of law in this state. Members of the Georgetown University community seek additional assistance at the reference desk or online.

RESEARCH GUIDES

• Researching Texas Law, by Brandon D. Quarles & Matthew C. Cordon, published by Hein, 2008. KFT 1275 .Q37 2008
• Texas Rules of Form, KFT 1275 .T4 2006 is intended as a supplement to the Bluebook's citation rules and focuses on Texas sources.

STATUTES & LEGISLATION

Constitution

• State Constitution

Statutes/Code

• Print:
• Vernon's Texas Codes Annotated (VTCA), KFT1230.5.V4
• Vernon's Texas Revised Civil Statutes Annotated (VTRCSA), KFT1230.5.V4 A3
  • Statutes that are currently in force are published in the VTCA or the VTRCSA.
  • Note: Texas is reorganizing its statutes and moving from a unified code, the VTRCSA, to a subject-matter code, the VTCA. Currently, twenty-three of the eventual twenty-six subject-matter codes have been codified into the VTCA.
• Electronic:
  • Westlaw: TX-ST-ANN
  • Lexis: TX - Texas Code, Constitution, Court Rules & ALS, Combined
  • Internet: Texas Statutes

Legislative History

• Session Laws: HeinOnline, 2001-
• Compiling Legislative History in Texas (Texas Legislative Reference Library)
• Legislative Reference Library of Texas
• Texas Legislative History (Research Guide from Southern Methodist University)
• Chapter 9 of Legal Research for the Texas Practitioner, by Brandon D. Quarles & Matthew C. Cordon, published by Hein, 2003. Reference Desk, FKT1275 .Q37 2003

Legislature

• Texas Legislature Online
• Texas Legislative Council

REGULATIONS & AGENCIES

Regulations

• Print:
  • Texas Administrative Code, (1979-2008, now cancelled; volumes older than 2008 are in historic core), KFT1235 1988 .A215 1988
• Electronic:
  • Westlaw: TX-ADC
  • Lexis: TX Administrative Code
  • Internet:
    • Texas Administrative Code
    • Texas Register (current six months)

Agencies

• Office of the Governor
• Attorney General's Office (Includes opinions, 1939-)
• Texas State Agencies

CASES & COURTS

Cases

• Print:
  • South Western Reporter (1st, 2nd & 3rd series), KF135 .S713 3d
• Electronic:
  • Westlaw:
    • TX-CS (state cases)
    • TX-CS-ALL (state and federal cases)
  • Lexis:
    • TX State Cases Combined
    • TX State and Federal Cases Combined
  • Internet:
    • Texas Supreme Court and Court of Criminal Appeals Opinions

Courts

• Texas Courts Online
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
• United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
• United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

• Texas County Information
• Texas City Information

BAR JOURNALS

• Texas Bar Journal, K24 .E8

ETHICS

• State Bar
• Dallas Bar Association Ethics Opinions (1972 - present)
• Texas Professional Ethics Opinions (Supreme Court) (1966-2005)
• Westlaw:
  • TXETH-EO (1977 - present)
  • METH-EO (Combined State Opinions, 1977 - present)
• Lexis:
  • National Reporter on Legal Ethics and Prof. Responsibility - TX Opinions (Selected opinions from opinion #469 through present)

GENERAL

• Print:
  • Texas Practice KFT1280 .T4: provides practical instruction on practice and procedure in a number of different subject areas.
  • Texas Jurisprudence (3rd edition) KFT1280 .T37 1979: provides background information on different areas of Texas law.
• Electronic:
  • Westlaw: TX-JUR
  • Lexis: Texas Jurisprudence 3d
• Internet:
  • Business Organization Forms
  • FindLaw: Texas
  • Internet Law Library: Texas
  • Law Library of Congress: Texas
  • Local Bar Associations
    • Austin Bar Association
    • Dallas Bar Association
    • Denton County Bar Association
    • Houston Bar Association
    • Houston Northwest Bar Association
  • State Bar of Texas
  • Texas Comptroller's of Public Accounts (Includes tax forms)
  • Texas Electronic Ethics Reporter (Includes ethics codes and opinions)
  • Texas State Law Library

Updated 07/09 (SKB)

Page last saved on 07/14/2009