us

For statutes and regulations use web search on official sources: uscode.house.gov and govinfo.gov (federal statutes), ecfr.gov (federal regulations), and each state legislature's official code site. Cross-state comparisons are built by looking up each state's statute and tabulating the official text. Use web search also for recent developments, news, and commentary.

Research protocol

1. Identify jurisdiction — Federal? Which state(s)? Does it cross state lines?
2. Find the statute — web search the official code for the jurisdiction; quote the provision text, not a summary
3. Cross-state comparison — when state variation matters, look up each relevant state's statute and tabulate the differences
4. Find case law — search_cases, then fetch_passages for the language you rely on
5. Validate citations — verify_citations for every case cited; how_cited to confirm it is still good law
6. Check currency — confirm the statute's effective date and recent amendments on the official site
7. Web search — For recent changes, news, commentary

• Supremacy Clause — Federal law preempts conflicting state law
• 10th Amendment — Powers not delegated to federal government reserved to states
• Concurrent jurisdiction — Both federal and state may regulate (employment, environment, etc.)
• Exclusive federal — Immigration, bankruptcy, patents, federal crimes
• Exclusive state — Family law, property, most criminal law, contracts

Court System

Supreme Court of the United States
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US Courts of Appeals (13 Circuits)
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US District Courts (94 districts)
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Magistrate Courts / Bankruptcy Courts

State Supreme Courts
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State Appellate Courts
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State Trial Courts (Superior, Circuit, District)
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Limited Jurisdiction Courts (Small Claims, Traffic, etc.)

Key US legal areas

Employment Law

• At-will employment — Every state except Montana; employer can terminate for any reason that is not discriminatory, retaliatory, or in breach of contract
• Federal protections — Title VII, ADA, ADEA, FMLA, FLSA, NLRA, PWFA (pregnancy accommodation, since 2023)
• State variations — California, New York, Massachusetts, Washington have stronger worker protections
• Non-competes — The FTC's 2024 nationwide ban was set aside in court and the FTC dropped its appeals in Sept 2025; state law governs. Void or near-void in California, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oklahoma; many states bar them below an income threshold — check the state statute
• Minimum wage — Federal $7.25/hr (unchanged since 2009); most states and many cities are higher and adjust each January
• Discrimination charges — File with the EEOC within 180 days, or 300 days where a state or local agency also covers the claim

Contract Law (UCC + Common Law)

• UCC Article 2 — Governs sale of goods
• Common law — Governs services, real estate, employment
• Formation — Offer, acceptance, consideration, capacity, legality
• Statute of Frauds — Contracts over $500 (goods), real estate, 1+ year must be written

Criminal Law

• Miranda rights — Right to remain silent, right to attorney
• 4th Amendment — Protection against unreasonable search and seizure
• 5th Amendment — Self-incrimination, due process
• 6th Amendment — Right to speedy trial, counsel, confrontation
• Felony vs. misdemeanor — Varies by state; generally felony = 1+ year prison

Business Law

• Entity types — Sole proprietorship, LLC, C-Corp, S-Corp, Partnership, LLP
• Delaware advantage — Most corporations incorporate in Delaware
• Securities law — SEC regulates; state "Blue Sky" laws also apply
• Antitrust — Sherman Act, Clayton Act, FTC Act

Privacy & Data Law

• Federal — HIPAA (health), COPPA (children; amended rule 2025), GLBA (financial), FERPA (education); no comprehensive federal privacy law
• States — About 20 states have comprehensive privacy laws in force in 2026 (Indiana, Kentucky, Rhode Island joined 1 Jan 2026); California CCPA/CPRA is the strictest and has its own regulator (the California Privacy Protection Agency, now branded CalPrivacy)
• AI — State laws move fast: Colorado replaced its 2024 AI Act with SB 26-189 (automated decision-making disclosures, effective 1 Jan 2027); verify current status and any federal preemption litigation before citing
• State breach notification — All 50 states have laws; compare by looking up each state's statute on its official site

Immigration Law

• Visa categories — B-1/B-2 (visitor), F-1 (student), H-1B (specialty worker), L-1 (intracompany), O-1 (extraordinary ability), EB (employment-based green card)
• USCIS — Handles most immigration applications; policy changed sharply in 2025–26 (e.g. the Sept 2025 $100,000 H-1B petition fee proclamation), so verify on uscis.gov and state.gov before stating any rule
• Recommend an immigration attorney or DOJ-accredited representative — mistakes can be irreversible, and "notarios" are not lawyers

Intellectual Property

• Patents — USPTO; utility (20 yr), design (15 yr), plant (20 yr)
• Trademarks — USPTO; renewable indefinitely with use
• Copyright — Automatic upon creation; life + 70 years
• Trade secrets — DTSA (federal) + state laws

Deadlines that commonly decide cases

• Answering a lawsuit — 21 days after service in federal court (FRCP 12(a)); state courts commonly 20–35 days; missing it risks default judgment
• Statutes of limitations — Vary by state and claim (often 2–3 years for personal injury, 3–6 for written contracts); always look up the specific state statute
• Small claims — Limits range roughly $2,500–$25,000 by state; check the state court site for the current figure

Legal aid resources

• Legal Services Corporation — lsc.gov (free civil legal aid finder)
• State bar lawyer referral — Each state bar has a referral service, often with a low-cost first consultation
• Law school clinics and state court self-help centers — Free help and forms for self-represented people
• ACLU — Civil liberties issues
• EEOC — Employment discrimination
• FTC (reportfraud.ftc.gov) and the state attorney general — Consumer protection
• CFPB — Consumer financial complaints; its funding and staffing were contested in 2025–26, so also file with the state AG or banking regulator