Administrative Law

What is Administrative Law?

"Administrative law (commonly called regulatory law) is law promulgated and enforced by an administrative body (usually an agency) according to that body’s area of responsibility. Administrative law sometimes receives less attention than its more prominent 'law' siblings (statutes and case law), but from building a bridge to baking a bundt (and everything in between), administrative law has a big impact on the everyday lives of citizens." - Library of Congress

"Administrative law is the practice of law before federal and state governmental administrative agencies, dealing with the creation and operation of those agencies and interpretation of the regulations they generate.  Most administrative agencies function under the executive branch of government (either at the state or federal level), although there are some agencies created and functioning under both the legislative and judicial branches of government.  Areas of governmental action which are handled administratively include employment discrimination, operation of police and fire departments, international trade, manufacturing, immigration, transport, taxation, environmental, gaming, broadcasting, occupational safety and health (OSHA), workers compensation and Social Security Disability, just to name a few." - State Bar of Nevada

Databases & Websites

  • AILALink - Provides access to primary and secondary sources related to immigration law. Resources include immigration statutes, regulations, cases, administrative decisions, government manuals.
  • American Indian Law Collection (Hein) - Includes treaties, legislative histories, federal statutes and regulations, federal case law, tribal codes, constitutions, and jurisprudence related to American Indian Law.
  • e-CFR - The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is the official legal print publication containing the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the departments and agencies of the Federal Government.
  • Environment and Energy Daily - Covers legal, legislative, and regulatory developments in the areas of environmental and energy law.
  • Govinfo - Provides full-text access to Congressional Record volumes from 140 (1994) to the present, United States CodeCode of Federal RegulationsFederal Register, presidential papers, and a wide variety of federal legislative and administrative materials.
  • Greenwire – Focuses on legal, legislative, and regulatory developments in the area of environmental law.
  • HeinOnline - Provides PDF versions of federal legislation and regulatory materials, state session laws, foreign and international law materials, law review articles (from the first issue), moot court competition materials, and more.
  • Making of Modern Law: Foreign Primary Sources, 1600-1970 – Includes historical legal codes, statutes, regulations, and commentaries on codes from the United Kingdom, Australia, India, France, Germany, Brazil, and other countries in Europe and Latin America.
  • ProQuest Regulatory Insight - Contains federal regulatory histories based on the proposed and final rules stemming from laws and executive orders.