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Law Library Access

This guide provides information for non-law CU faculty, staff, and students, members of the bench and bar, and members of the general public on how to access the Law Library's collection.

Welcome

Text Colorado Online Legal Research over a picture of the flatirons

  • Colorado Constitution

  • Colorado Statutes

  • Colorado Case Law

    • Colorado Supreme Court Opinions

    • Colorado Appellate Court Opinions

    • Other Colorado Courts

    • Colorado Court Resources

  • Colorado Administrative Law

    • Colorado Administrative Documents

    • Colorado State Agency Resources

  • Colorado Local Government 

  • Colorado Legislative History

  • Self-Help Resources

Colorado Constitution

The Colorado Constitution creates the branches of government and address issues such as elections (Article VII), education (Article IX), revenue (Article X), among others. Article II is Colorado's Bill of Rights, which includes the federal Bill of Rights as well as additional rights for Colorado citizens.

Colorado Statutes

The Colorado Revised Statutes is the current version of Colorado's official statutes and is an essential resource for understanding the legal framework governing a wide range of legal matters. The current form of the statutes was first published in 1973. Prior iterations of Colorado's statutes are referenced below in the Colorado Legislative History section.

Colorado Case Law

Colorado Supreme Court opinions are the official written decisions of the state’s highest court. They interpret Colorado law and set binding precedent for all lower courts in the state.

The Colorado Court of Appeals is the state’s intermediate appellate court, handling most appeals from district courts and state agencies. Though appeals involving the death penalty, life sentences, or certain constitutional issues go directly to the Colorado Supreme Court.

Colorado Adminstrative Law

Administrative documents are official publications issued by Colorado agencies to communicate rules, proposed rules, notices, guidance, and other regulatory actions, in accordance with the Colorado Administrative Procedure Act (see C.R.S. § 24-4-101, et seq.). These materials are primarily published in the Colorado Register and provide transparency to the public into agency decision-making. The Code of Colorado Regulations contains the final version of promulgated regulations as well as the history of each rule. The online versions of the Colorado Register and the Code of Colorado Regulations are the official versions.

Provided below are links to Colorado state agency materials regarding rules, hearings, and locating agencies.

Colorado Local Government: Ordinances

The following provide access to ordinances from a number of local governments in Colorado.

Colorado Legislative History

Research Process

It is best to complete legislative history research using these steps to ensure every relevant resource is reviewed.

  1. Identify relevant section(s) of the Code and review its annotations.

  2. Identify the session law in the source note. Make note of the year, page number, and title if possible.

  3. Locate and read the session law, in the print session laws or online.

  4. Locate the bill number in the session law.

  5. Find the all versions of the bill. (starting in 2004, bill versions are on the General Assembly's website; older bills require using the print collections of the House and Senate Journals).

  6. Consult the table of History of House Bills in the House and Senate Journals, online or in print.

  7. Compare the bill versions with any amended language found in the House and Senate Journals.

  8. Review any committee hearings and floor debates. (applicable to post-1972 legislation, when audio recordings began). Be sure to note the bill number and dates of action. (You can find this information on either the Joint Legislative Library or at the State Archive.)

  9. Consult any additional sources as needed, such as law journals or The Colorado Lawyer, Legislative Council reports, or news reports.

Researching Historic Colorado Statutes

Colorado's statutory compilations have included the previous official code iterations, referenced below, which is useful when navigating the source notes/history for older codifications.

 
Revised Statutes of Colorado (1868)      R.S. p.___, § ___.
General Laws of Colorado (1877)      G.L § _____.
Revised Statutes of Colorado (1908)      R.S. 08: § ___.
Compiled Laws of Colorado (1908)      C.L. § ____.
Colorado Statutes Annotated (1935)      CSA: C. ____, § ____.
Colorado Revised Statutes (1953)      CRS 53: § ____.
Colorado Revised Statutes (1963)      C.R.S. 1693: § ____.
Colorado Revised Statutes (1973)      C.R.S.

Self-Help Resources & Legal Clinics

Self-Help Tools & Resources

Legal Clinics in Colorado

Linked below are legal clinics in Boulder County as well as across Colorado.

Locate an Attorney