LibGuides: Criminal Justice: Government and Law Reference Sources

Federal Agencies

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is a law enforcement agency in the United States’ Department of Justice that protects our communities from violent criminals, criminal organizations, the illegal use and trafficking of firearms, the illegal use and storage of explosives, acts of arson and bombings, acts of terrorism, and the illegal diversion of alcohol and tobacco products.

The mission of the Department of Justice is to uphold the rule of law, to keep our country safe, and to protect civil rights.

The FBI's mission is to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States.

Learn about the USAGov program and the U.S. government's official website, USA.gov.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) ensures the safety and health of American communities by combating criminal drug networks bringing harm, violence, overdoses, and poisonings to the US.

ADJ 100/120 Resources

Federal Government Resources

The United States Government Manual
The Government Manual is a regularly updated special edition of the Federal Register. Its contents include leadership tables and descriptions of agency activities and programs of the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of Government, as well as activities and programs of quasi-official agencies and international organizations in which the United States participates as a member.
Crime/Law Enforcement Stats
The Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program generates reliable statistics for use in law enforcement. It also provides information for students of criminal justice, researchers, the media, and the public. The program has been providing crime statistics since 1930.
Office on Violence Against Women (OVW)
The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) provides federal leadership in developing the national capacity to reduce violence against women and administer justice for and strengthen services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

Federal Law Resources

Code of Federal Regulations
The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is a codification (arrangement of) the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government.
Federal Register - The Daily Journal of the United States Government
The Office of the Federal Register (OFR) of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), and the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) jointly administer the FederalRegister.gov website. We developed this website to make it easier for citizens and communities to understand the regulatory process and to participate in Government decision-making.
Find Law - The United States Supreme Court
The decisions that shape the U.S. legal system and the justices who make them.
Supreme Court of the United States
The Court is the highest tribunal in the Nation for all cases and controversies arising under the Constitution or the laws of the United States. As the final arbiter of the law, the Court is charged with ensuring the American people the promise of equal justice under law and, thereby, also functions as guardian and interpreter of the Constitution.

Virginia Resources

Virginia General Assembly
The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western Hemisphere, the first elected legislative assembly in the New World and was established on July 30, 1619.
Government of Virginia
The government of Virginia combines the executive, legislative and judicial branches of authority in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Code of Virginia
The Virginia General Assembly is offering access to the Code of Virginia on the Internet as a service to the public.
Find Law - Virginia
Welcome to the Virginia Law section of FindLaw's State Law collection. This section contains user-friendly summaries of Virginia laws as well as citations or links to relevant sections of Virginia's official online statutes.

International Resources

United Nations
UN documents include resolutions from legislative bodies, such as the General Assembly, Security Council, and the Economic and Social Council, which often contain a work mandate to be carried out by the UN Secretariat, or the UN system. On this website, you can search for meeting records, summaries of conferences, UN reports, treaties, maps, yearbooks and more.
Research Center Law Library of Congress
The mission of the Law Library of Congress is to provide authoritative legal research, reference and instruction services, and access to an unrivaled collection of U.S., foreign, comparative, and international law.