Skip to Main Content

Legal Research: A Guide to Administrative Law

Administrative law (rules and regulations) is the body of law enacted and enforced by agencies. This Law Library of Congress guide cites resources for locating and identifying U.S. federal administrative law using primary and secondary sources.

Introduction

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.

This research guide focuses on primary and secondary sources of administrative law promulgated by federal agencies. The Law Library of Congress has also published the following related research guides: