We often get asked questions at the library about local laws and ordinances as well as questions about how to find an attorney or court forms. Below please find a helpful LibGuide full of free resources to find information that you might need whether you need a lawyer, access to federal laws, or information about building a deck in a Chemung County jurisdiction.
| Federal Government | Name of Database/Web Site | Description | Availability |
| Congress.gov | Contains full-text of legislation from the 103rd Congress (1993) to the present and member profiles from the 93rd Congress (1973) to the present. | Free Access | |
| Congressional Record | Contains the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress from Volume 140 (1994) to the present. | Free Access | |
| Cornell Legal Information Institute | The LII publishes electronic versions of core materials in numerous areas of the law, primarily on the Web. They range from the Constitution to the U.S. Code, from Supreme Court decisions to the Code of Federal Regulations as well as the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Bankruptcy Procedure, and Criminal Procedure. | Free Access | |
| Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS) | U.S. Department of State site presenting the official documentary historical record of major United States foreign policy decisions and significant diplomatic activity, primarily covering 1945 to 1980. | Free Access | |
| Library of Congress Guide to Law Online | Vast network of links to content-based Web sites of primary and secondary legal information from foreign jurisdictions and all U.S. federal, state and territorial government entities. | Free Access | |
| Library of Congress U.S. Statutes at Large | Digital copies of the U.S. Statutes at Large, from Congress 1 (1789) through Congress 81 (1950). | Free Access | |
| LLRX Court Rules, Forms and Dockets | This site includes links to over 1,400 sources for state and federal court rules, forms and dockets. You can browse to find the resource you need, or search by keyword. | Free Access | |
| Precedents of the U.S. House of Representatives (FDsys) | Includes Deschler’s, Cannon’s, and Hinds’ Precedents; contains rulings made by the chair of the House of Representatives. | Free Access | |
| Judicial Resources | Library of Congress How to Find Free Case Law Online | This Law Library of Congress research guide includes links to free websites which contain full text federal and state court decisions. | Free Access |
| OYEZ | A multimedia database about the United States Supreme Court which includes audio files of oral arguments, abstracts of key constitutional cases, and information on Supreme Court justices. | Free Access | |
| Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) | The Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) service provides electronic public access to federal court records. PACER provides the public with instantaneous access to more than 1 billion documents filed at all federal courts. | Free Access | |
| Treaties | Human Rights Library | Digital copies of core human rights documents, including treaties and other primary international human rights instruments. | Free Access |
| Indian Affairs: Laws & Treaties | Digital copies of documents dealing with the legal status and laws, government relations, and treaties of North American Indians. | Free Access | |
| Regulatory Information | Federal Register | Provides the full-text of the Federal Register, volumes 1-58, 1936-1993. | Free Access |
| Regulations.gov | Allows for browsing and searching of proposed and final federal regulations, submitted comments regarding proposed regulations, supporting agency documentation, and reports related to regulations. | Free Access | |
| New York State | Consolidated Laws of New York | Contains full-text NYS laws | Free Access |
| Law Help NY | Provides inforation about legal right, self-help information including court forms and how the court system works, and information about obtaining free or low-cost legal services. For Spanish Speakers, click this link: https://www.lawhelpny.org/es | Free Access | |
| LawNY | Provides free legal aid to people with civil legal problems in western New York | Free Access | |
| NY Crime Victims Legal Help | Crime victims often have legal needs as a result of becoming a victim of crime. Get information about your legal needs and what your rights are. You can also search the directory to find a trusted nonprofit legal aid program that may be able to help and find legal forms for matters that you can handle yourself. | Free Access | |
| NYcourts.gov Court Help | Helpful information about legal problems for those without a lawyer | Free Access | |
| NYS Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service (LRIS) | Confidential service will refer to a vetted lawyer based on your location and nature of your case. | Free Access | |
| NYS Ecourts | Searchable active (some disposed) cases from the State Supreme Court, Criminal Courts, Family Courts, and local Civil Courts in NYS. Option to sign up for updates to track selected court caases. | Free Access | |
| Chemung County | Chemung County Board of Elections | Voting dates, candidate information, sample ballots, and voting locations for Chemung County NY | Free Access |
| Chemung County Charles B. Swartwood Law Library | Hours and location for the Chemung County Law Library located in Elmira NY | Free Access | |
| Chemung County Charter | The county charter is approved law which provides for the basic structure and organization of the county government, specifices county government powers and authority, and prescribes procedures for the exercise of county powers | Free Access | |
| Chemung County Government Meetings | Video Archive of meetings of the Chemung County Legislature, IDA/CRC, and Civil Service Commission. 2020 to present | Free Access | |
| Cities, Towns, & Villages of Chemung County | Big Flats NY Municipal Code | General ordinances of Big Flats, NY | Free Access |
| Chemung TOWN Zoning Code | General ordinances of the Town of Chemung | Free Access | |
| Elmira CITY Code of Ordinances | General ordinances of the City of Elmira | Free Access | |
| Elmira CITY Council Meeting Minutes | Meeting minutes online from 2011 to present | Free Access | |
| Elmira TOWN Codes & Legislation | Information about the Town of Elmira Codes, Regulations, and Governance. | Free Access | |
| Erin NY Local Law | Local Laws of Erin, NY | Free Access | |
| Horseheads NY Code | Local Laws, Zoning laws, and Code for Horseheads NY | Free Access | |
| Southport information & Ordinances | Ordinances and Information about the Town of Southport NY | Free Access | |
| Van Etten website | Information about the Town of Van Etten, including links to Codes, laws, meeting minutes, and the court calendar | Free Access | |
| Wellsburg Village | Website of the Village of Wellsburg NY | Free Access |