{"id":371213,"date":"2016-03-31T21:20:14","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T02:20:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/company\/contact-us\/cases-and-codes.html"},"modified":"2026-05-07T11:00:45","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T16:00:45","slug":"cases-and-codes","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/contact-us\/cases-and-codes.html","title":{"rendered":"Cases &#038; Codes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 fl-sectionWithSidebar fl-container fl-flex fl-flex-wrap fl-gap30\">\n<div class=\"fl-page-articles fl-section-main fl-section-main-full-width\"><h1 class=\"fl-no-margin-top\">Cases &amp; Codes<\/h1>\n\n    <div class=\"fl-callout-text article-blockquote\">\n        <p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Answers to common questions about FindLaw&#8217;s free Cases &amp; Codes tools are available below.<\/span><\/p>\n\n    <\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Last reviewed\u00a0<time>May 7, 2026<\/time><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team.html\">FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a>\u00a0and in accordance with\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/company-history\/editorial-policy.html\">our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2><strong>What Free Information Does FindLaw Provide?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FindLaw provides free case law resources for all users. This includes:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">U.S. Supreme Court decisions dating back to 1893<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">California Supreme Court Appellate Court decisions dating back to 1934 (with citations and internal page numbers)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recent U.S. Circuit Court cases<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other state court decisions<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Federal and state codes<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Where Can I Look Up U.S. Codes?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can look up legal code for United States Laws on FindLaw.com. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=FindLaw+Codes&amp;mstk=AUtExfAJjyVS9TzX_ki-T5YbKTHkdzrsMJyD42nTgS_sH95jirZlOAC-vhFENzc4K2ZLru5ApRg6fjALfLoa_53Ubi_hJvEz0xdCDnFIsGaZi7uc3DH2CdX5rvTQiyOrAoA8uxnN0z3CoFW38cJnmLf1PLKd33cSktmvsYQYoKunlMl0JFwbabGYbNb4ObT1PzGR45sdHqGAj4g0lZh98xtiEsVo5Q&amp;csui=3&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjpxPyy5dmTAxWVG9AFHWEKLaEQgK4QegQIBRAB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>FindLaw Codes<\/b><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">will give you access to federal and state statutes and the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>What Are the 7 Stages of a Legal Case?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The seven stages of a civil lawsuit generally include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Investigation and retaining counsel<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pleadings (filing the complaint)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Discovery (evidence gathering)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pre-trial motions\/hearings<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Settlement negotiations\/mediation<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Trial<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Potential appeal<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These phases move from initial legal assessment through investigation, negotiation, and final resolution.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FindLaw Cases and Codes is useful during the investigation phase if you are unsure whether you have a case. It can also be helpful to learn if you need an attorney or can handle the legal matter on your own.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>How Current Is the U.S. Code on FindLaw?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FindLaw Codes are provided courtesy of Thomson Reuters Westlaw, the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/legal.thomsonreuters.com\/en\/westlaw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">industry-leading online legal research system.<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Update frequency varies by state\/code.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FindLaw Codes may not reflect the most recent version of the law in your jurisdiction. Please verify the status of the code you are researching with the state legislature or via Westlaw before relying on it for your legal needs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Westlaw is a premium, subscription-based, comprehensive database of case law and statutory codes. It is a standard tool for lawyers, law students, and legal professionals to find and verify the law.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>How Can I Access Court Opinions on Findlaw?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Access court opinions on FindLaw by visiting\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/caselaw.findlaw.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FindLaw Caselaw<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (U.S. Supreme Court, federal appellate, and state courts).<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>How Do I Search for Specific Legal Cases on FindLaw.com?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use the search bar to look up cases by party name, citation, or keyword, or browse by jurisdiction and court. Select a specific jurisdiction (e.g., <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/caselaw.findlaw.com\/court\/mn-court-of-appeals\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Minnesota Court of Appeals<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) to browse cases by date.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The U.S. Supreme Court covers decisions from Volume 1 through 557+ of U.S. Reports, with summaries from 2000-present.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FindLaw provides summaries of cases, which are helpful for quick research. If a search yields too many results, use more specific keywords or citations, such as party name or docket number. Use the state-specific pages to find relevant state court cases and codes.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>What Full Text Searching Options Are Available?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/caselaw.findlaw.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cases and codes search<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> provides state and federal resources based on your keywords.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For overviews of a general legal topic, check out our<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law.html\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Learn About the Law<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> section. 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