Paralegal Certification PrepLegal Research and WritingEasy
A paralegal is tasked with finding the most current version of a specific federal statute. Which primary source is the most up-to-date and authoritative for federal statutory law?
- AUnited States Code (U.S.C.)
- BFederal Register (Fed. Reg.)
- CCode of Federal Regulations (CFR)
- DUnited States Reports (U.S.)
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. United States Code (U.S.C.)
The United States Code (U.S.C.) is the official codification of federal statutory law. While the Federal Register and CFR deal with federal regulations, and United States Reports contain Supreme Court opinions, the U.S.C. is the authoritative source for statutes.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. The Federal Register (Fed. Reg.) publishes proposed and final federal regulations and notices, not codified statutes.
- C. The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) organizes and codifies final federal regulations, not statutes.
- D. United States Reports (U.S.) publishes Supreme Court opinions, not federal statutes.
United States Code (U.S.C.)
The official compilation and codification of the general and permanent federal statutes of the United States.
- Organized by subject matter into titles.
- Updated regularly to incorporate new laws.
- Primary source of federal statutory law.
Memory trick: Statutes are Coded, Regulations are Registered.