Paralegal Certification PrepLegal Research and WritingMedium
A paralegal is asked to find a specific federal statute that was recently passed by Congress. Which of the following is the most efficient primary source to locate the enacted statute in its original, uncodified form, soon after its passage?
- AA legal encyclopedia
- BThe United States Code (U.S.C.)
- CA slip law or public law number
- DThe Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. A slip law or public law number
A slip law is the first official publication of an act of Congress. It is issued individually shortly after it has been enacted into law, making it the most efficient way to find a recently passed federal statute in its original, uncodified form.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. A legal encyclopedia is a secondary source and would not contain the full text of a newly enacted statute.
- B. The U.S.C. contains codified statutes, which takes time to update after a new law is passed, so it wouldn't be the most efficient for a *recently* passed law in its *uncodified* form.
- D. The CFR contains regulations, not statutes.
Slip Law
The first official publication of a federal statute, issued individually shortly after it has been enacted into law.
- Uncodified, presents the law exactly as passed.
- Identified by a public law number (e.g., Pub. L. No. 117-103).
- Precedes publication in the U.S. Statutes at Large and U.S. Code.
Memory trick: First, the 'Slip' is 'Passed,' then it's 'Collected,' then 'Coded'!