Federal & State Lawfederalstatelaw.com

Editorial Team & Standards

Our Editorial Team

The Federal & State Law Editorial Team is a collective of experienced legal researchers and technologists dedicated to making U.S. law accessible to everyone. Our team brings together expertise in legal research methodology, plain-English communication, and cross-jurisdictional analysis spanning all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, and the federal government.

Every member of our editorial team has a background in legal research, legal technology, or public-interest information design. We specialize in translating complex statutory language and case law into clear, accurate summaries that non-lawyers can understand without sacrificing legal precision.

Content Creation Process

Every piece of legal content published on Federal & State Law follows a rigorous five-step process before it reaches our readers.

1

Research

All content begins with primary sources: official government publications, court records, and legislative databases. We never rely on secondary summaries as our sole authority.

2

Drafting

Plain-English summaries are drafted following our internal style guide. Sentences stay under 25 words. Legal jargon is always defined on first use. Every claim includes a citation.

3

Fact-Checking

Every statute number, case citation, and regulatory reference is cross-referenced against official sources including state legislature websites, the U.S. Code, the CFR, and court databases.

4

Editorial Review

A second editor reviews every piece for accuracy, clarity, and completeness. Content must meet our standards for readability, proper citation format, and legal correctness before approval.

5

Publication & Monitoring

Content is published with a last-reviewed date. Our team actively monitors for legislative changes, new court decisions, and regulatory updates that affect published material.

Our Sources

All legal data on Federal & State Law is sourced from official, authoritative publications. Below is a detailed breakdown of our primary and secondary sources by category.

Federal Sources

  • U.S. Code — via the Legal Information Institute (LII) at Cornell Law School and GovInfo.gov
  • Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) — via eCFR.gov, the official Government Publishing Office digital edition
  • Federal Register — daily journal of the federal government via FederalRegister.gov
  • Congress.gov — maintained by the Library of Congress for bills, resolutions, and legislative history
  • Supreme Court Opinions — via supremecourt.gov, the official Supreme Court website

State Sources

  • Official state legislature websites — direct access to enacted statutes and session laws for all 50 states
  • State court databases — official court opinion repositories maintained by state judiciaries
  • Secretary of State offices — for administrative codes, business regulations, and election law

Case Law

  • CourtListener— Free Law Project's comprehensive database of federal and state court opinions
  • Caselaw Access Project— Harvard Law School's digitized collection of U.S. case law
  • State court repositories — official opinion archives maintained by individual state court systems

Secondary & Supplemental Sources

  • Congressional Research Service (CRS) — nonpartisan policy and legal analysis reports
  • Attorney General opinions — official legal opinions issued by state and federal AGs
  • Open-access law reviews — peer-reviewed legal scholarship from accredited law schools

Accuracy & Corrections

We take accuracy seriously. If you find an error in any of our content — whether a wrong statute number, an outdated case citation, or a factual inaccuracy — we want to know about it immediately.

How to Report an Error

  • Email corrections@federalstatelaw.com with the page URL and a description of the error.
  • Include the correct information and a citation to the authoritative source, if possible.
  • Our team will acknowledge your report within 48 hours.
  • Verified corrections are published promptly with a note indicating the change and the date of correction.

What We Are and Are Not

We are a legal information platform. Our mission is to make U.S. law accessible, searchable, and understandable to the general public, students, journalists, researchers, and legal professionals.

We are NOTa law firm. We do not provide legal advice, represent clients, or create attorney-client relationships. No communication with Federal & State Law — whether via this website, email, or any other channel — creates an attorney-client relationship.

If you need legal advice, consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction. Our content is for informational and educational purposes only.

Update Cadence

  • Quarterly reviews: All published content is reviewed at least once every three months for continued accuracy.
  • Statute pages: Updated whenever underlying laws change, typically within days of enactment or amendment.
  • Comparison tables: Updated annually or when significant legislative changes occur across multiple states.
  • Breaking legal developments: Major court decisions, executive orders, and landmark legislation are covered within 72 hours.

AI Disclosure

Some plain-English summaries on Federal & State Law are drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by our editorial team for accuracy. All citations are verified against primary sources. AI is used as a drafting tool only — every piece of content is reviewed, edited, and approved by a human editor before publication.

Last Reviewed: April 2026. This page is reviewed quarterly to ensure accuracy and completeness. If you identify any inaccuracies, please contact us at corrections@federalstatelaw.com.

Legal Disclaimer:Federal & State Law provides legal information for educational purposes only. Nothing on this site constitutes legal advice. Laws change frequently — always verify current law with official sources and consult a qualified attorney for legal matters.