LibGuides: POL 390: Constitutional Law: Resources on the U.S. Constitution

Welcome!

This guide is intended to support your research for your course. Use the information below and the resources on the tabs above to explore various places to search.

Don't hesitate to ask if you've got questions! Send me (Julie Gilbert) an email - I enjoy helping you solve any research problems you have. We can work via email or set up a virtual or in person time to chat.
You can also find library and research help at the library's Information Desk or via Reference Services.

If you need a refresher on using the library, consult our Library FAQs and an overview of the Library. We also have a guide on how to do research well - use it to brush up and expand your research skills!

You might also find the library's research guide for Law useful, too, as well as the research guide for Political Science.

Current Supreme Court News

The Constitution of the United States

U. S. Constitution
A PDF version of the Constitution and its amendments, proposed amendments that were not ratified, and a detailed index, printed for Congress in 2007.
Constitution of the United States
Provides a facsimile of the original document, a transcription, and supporting information from the U.S. National Archives.
Constitution of the United States of America Analysis and Interpretation
Also known as the Constitution Annotated, this resource delves deeply into the case law that has interpreted elements of the Constitution over the years.

Supreme Court Resources

Use these resources to track down opinions, briefs, and other documents related to the Supreme Court.

Caselaw Access Project
CAP includes all official, book-published state and federal United States case law — every volume or case designated as an official report of decisions by a court within the United States.
Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation - Ref KF 4527 C6 1996 (supplements for later years in Government Documents)
Provides the text of the constitution with extensive annotations that refer to cases decided by the Supreme Court to 1992, with supplements for later years in Government Documents. Online versions are available at Findlaw (includes supplements to 2000, and includes links to decisions cited) and at GPO Access (includes supplements to 2008). Tip: use the Table of Cases or Index to target your search.
Findlaw
A commercial directory to law resources. Includes a handy law dictionary and a well-designed full text database of US Supreme Court decisions from 1893 to the present. Site requires free registration.
Legal Information Institute, Cornell University
A directory to legal information on the web, including texts of case law and statutes for state, federal and international jurisdictions. The site - organized alphabetically by topic - also provides links to court opinions and directories to law organizations and journals. From the Cornell University Law School.
Oyez
A website that provides audio versions of arguments before the Supreme Court since it began recording them in 1955. Includes information about the court and its justices as well as current news and commentary.
SCOTUSblog
Focused on the Supreme Court of the United States, SCOTUSblog is an excellent resource for keeping up with the happenings of the court, including schedules, transcripts and analyses of current cases.
The Supreme Court Database
From Washington University, the Supreme Court Database is an excellent source for anyone studying the Constitution, especially for researchers interested in conducting a quantitative analysis.
Supreme Court Opinions
Includes the text of opinions from 2010 to present. Oral arguments (both audio and text transcripts) are available for recent years.
Supreme Court Opinions via Findlaw
Includes decisions from 1760 to present, searchable by date, party name, or case number.
United States Reports (Official opinions of the U.S. Supreme Court)
This digital collection was made possible by an agreement between the Library of Congress and the William S. Hein & Co, Inc. and is provided for personal, educational, and research use. Reports from volume 1 through recent years are made available to the public by the Library of Congress. Browseable by volume, authoring justice and major case topic. Searchable by case title only.

Librarian

Julie Gilbert

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Contact:

Hello! I look forward to working with you. If you have any questions about research, an assignment, or the library in general, please contact me via email or make an appointment. You can reach any of the reference librarians at folke @ gustavus.edu or via the Ask Us! button on the library's homepage.

Subjects: African Studies, Communication Studies, Physics, Political Science, Scandinavian Studies