Government & Law

REMEMBER: Websites providing legal information are intended to supplement, not substitute for, professional advice. Please consult an attorney about your legal concerns.

General Government & Law Resources

U.S. Capitol in Washington DC FIND YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS - Enter your address to get a list of your U.S., state, and local officials, with contact information for each. Part of USA.gov's About the U.S. and its government page, which also includes contact information for U.S. government departments & agencies, state & local government services, governors, and more. See also League of Women Voters: Find Your Elected Officials.

Ebsco Legal Information Reference Center Legal Information Reference Center [SP library card required] - With a user-friendly interface, Legal Information Reference Center provides access to thousands of state-specific legal forms and more than 250 full-text publications, with more content being added on a regular basis.

Gale Legal Forms Plus Law Digest Gale Legal Forms [SP library card required] - Provides access to thousands of customizable legal document templates, allowing you to create accurate, reliable legal documents specific to your state. Also includes legal definitions, articles, Q & A, and more, that can help you understand common legal procedures.

ABA Legal Resources for the Public - Legal information designed for non-lawyers, including practical guides to real estate, auto/vehicle, finance, family law, workplace law, health care, personal injury, and technology law, plus estate planning & real estate FAQs, resources for military families, a virtual legal advice clinic, and more. (American Bar Association)

Civics 101 AUDIO - 'The podcast refresher course on the basics of how our democracy works.' Each brief episode (many are less than 10 minutes) covers a specific topic, such as What's the Electoral College? What are Executive Orders? and How a Bill (really) Becomes a Law (New Hampshire Public Radio). The National Constitution Center podcasts AUDIO feature in-depth constitutional conversations and debates, with arguments on all sides of the constitutional issues at the center of American life (a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization chartered by Congress in 1988).

Finding Legal Help - Resources for finding lawyers in your state, including free legal assistance and resources for active-duty servicemembers & veterans. (American Bar Association)

Guide to Law Online - See Research Guides to Law, below.

How to Research a Legal Problem: A Guide for Non-Lawyers - 'This guide is intended to help a person with a legal problem find legal rules that can resolve or prevent conflict.' (2022, American Association of Law Libraries)

Legal Terms - Brief definitions of commonly-used legal words and phrases; arranged A to Z (United State Courts). For more legal terms, and more detailed definitions, see Wex Legal Encyclopedia; entries are collaboratively created and edited by legal experts (Cornell Law School).

Locating Lawyers - See Finding Legal Help, above.

Research Guides to Law (formerly Guide to Law Online) - Guides that provide a starting point for researching legal topics and recommend relevant materials in the Law Library of Congress collections and online, on topics ranging from business and landlord-tenant law to enviromental law, gender studies, and history. Also offers beginner guides on many subjects, and guides to laws of individual U.S. states and foreign countries (Law Library of Congress).

Volunteer Opportunities - See our Volunteering links.

Women's Law - Easy-to-understand legal information and resources to women living with or escaping domestic violence or sexual assault. Inclused state-specific legal information for domestic violence and information on getting help in your community, as well as direct email assistance (non-profit organization). For additional resources on coping with domestic violence or sexual assault, see 911 for Women and related links.

Elections & Voting

Click here for NJ online voter registration

Disinformation Stops With You!

For election information, including voter registration, primary dates, polling locations and more, see:

See the links below for more information about elections, candidates, and issues.

Ballotpedia, the Encyclopedia of American Politics - Enter your address to see which federal & state candidates (and what public questions) will appear on your ballot, with details on candidates' issue positions and other useful information. (Sponsored by the Lucy Burns Institute; nonpartisan, nonprofit organization)

Campaign Spending & Political Contributions - See Vote Smart and related links, below.

Common Ground Scorecard - 'Provides an objective, easy-to-understand assessment of the degree to which elected officials and candidates for office... seek points of agreement and solutions on social and political issues through listening and productive conversation.' (Common Ground Committee; non-partisan, non-profit organization)

League of Women Voters of N.J.: Voting - Nonpartisan guide to voting in New Jersey, including information on how to register and who is eligible, primary and election dates, upcoming election information, and more. See also New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government and League of Women Voters of the U.S., which also hosts the Vote 411 election information site, and offers tips on How to Judge a Candidate.

N.J. Division of Elections - You can Register to Vote, Check Your Voter Registration Record, Track Your Vote, find your Polling Location, and use a variety of other resources for voters (including past election results and information about important deadlines for upcoming elections), for candidates, and for those interested in becoming poll workers. There is a NJ Elections Mobile App which you can download to your mobile device from Apple or Google Play. This site also offers links to current and past NJ Congressional and Legislative Voting Districts Maps. (State of New Jersey)

NJ.com Election News [Paid subscription required for full access] - Coverage of state and local elections in New Jersey; affiliated with The Star-Ledger and other daily and weekly newspapers.

Opensecrets.org - See Vote Smart, below.

USA.gov: Voting & Elections - A federal government website where you can find out about voting on Election Day, voter ID requirements, and the election process. See also Vote.gov.

Vote Smart (formerly Project Vote Smart) - Information about candidates' voting records and positions on key issues, plus a Side by Side candidate comparison tool. Also includes candidate biographies, campaign finances, special interest group ratings, and voting records, where available. Now also includes information about the Federal Court System and State Supreme Courts. Opensecrets.org allows you to search by a candidate's last name for detailed disclosure on their campaign funding. You can also enter a zip code, donor name, organization, keyword, or industry to retrieve a list of political contributions. Includes an online newsletter / blog which tracks contribution paybacks and aims 'to educate its readers and encourage them to examine the role of money in the U.S. political system' (Center for Responsive Politics). On TrackYourCompany you can search for information on election-related spending of leading U.S. public companies (Center for Political Accountability). See also Common Ground Scorecard, above.

Federal Government

USA.GOV: GOVERNMENT INFORMATION BY TOPIC - One-stop access to all online U.S. federal government resources, including disability services, disasters & emergencies, education, government benefits, health, housing, immigration & citizenship, jobs, military & veterans, scams & frauds, and small business. Also includes Contact Information for Federal, State, and Local Government Agencies and Elected Officials.

U.S. Government Publications (formerly Federal Citizen Information Center) - Free U.S. Government brochures and pamphlets on cars, computers, education, employment, family, food, health, housing, money, small business, travel, and more. You can read the publications online or order printed copies (there is a charge for some printed documents). For other official U.S. government publications including the Code of Federal Regulations, Congressional bills, hearings, & reports, Economic Indicators, Federal Register, U.S. Code, Federal Court opinions, U.S. Government Manual and many more, see Government Publishing Office Catalog.

Benefits.gov - If you need government benefits but aren't sure which ones are available to you, check this website. See also Grants.gov, GovLoans.gov, and Government Benefits, Grants, and Loans. See Transferring Benefits Across States [2022; some information may be out of date] to find out how federal benefits can be transferred state to state. (U.S. government sites)

Challenge.gov - 'A collection of challenge and prize competitions where the U.S. government seeks innovative solutions from the public, bringing the best ideas and talent together to solve problems.' Includes hundreds of competitions covering a wide range of interests and require varying levels of skills and abilities. Substantial prize money is offered for some challenges! (U.S. General Services Administration)

Citizenship and Immigration - See our Information for New Americans page.

Congressional Votes: Legiscan Tracking - A way to check on the status of U.S. legislation from 2010 to the present; you can also use Legiscan to track of state legislation. For a record of U.S. Roll Call Votes in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives from 1789 to the present, see GovTrack.us (a project of Civic Impulse, LLC; site includes advertisements). See also C-SPAN: Congressional Chronicle, and U.S. Legislative Branch, below.

Disability Law: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) NEW! - Plain-language explanations of topics covered by the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Includes an Introduction to the ADA, as well as information about businesses, criminal justice, emergency planning, child care, parental rights, parking, service animals, telehealth, and more, plus additional Guidance & Resource Materials for people with disabilities, state & local governments, and businesses. See also Discrimination Law in N.J., below.

Employment Law - See our Employment Law, Health & Safety links.

Fake News - See Fact Checking & Fake News links.

Federal Budget FAQ UPDATED LINK! - Explains common concepts such as Debt vs. Deficits, Discretionary vs. Mandatory Spending, What is Driving our Debt, What's an Entitlement, and more (2020; Concord Coalition, 'a nationwide, non-partisan, grassroots organization,' founded by two former Senators and a former U.S. Secretary of Commerce). Congressional Budget Office Publications provide economic analyses on many current issues; arranged by subject.

Federal Jury Service: Information for Jurors VIDEO - Explains federal jury service, juror qualifications & exemptions, and more. The United States Courts YouTube channel VIDEO offers videos explaining jury service (Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts). See also 2015 Trial Juror Guide [Link opens a PDF] (2015, New Jersey State Bar Foundation).

Flags: Guide to Displaying the American Flag - A brief guide to the American flag and how to display it properly (USA.gov). For information about flags of the world, see our HOMEWORK LINKS: States & Countries.

Government Accountability: High Risk Programs VIDEO - 'Highlights major programs that are at high risk for waste, fraud, abuse mismanagement or in need of broad reform.' If you know of any person or company misusing federal funds, you can Report Fraud, Waste, Abuse and Mismanagement online, or by phone or email (U.S. Government Accountability Office). ProPublica's Bailout Tracker tracks where taxpayer money has gone (and what's been repaid) in the bailout of the financial system, 2008 - 2022; click on the What's New tab to see the latest bailout activity (ProPublica is an independent, non-profit newsroom).

Government Publications / GPO - See U.S. Government Publications, above.

Homeland Security - See Ready.gov, below.

Jury Service - See Federal Jury Service and related links, above.

Post Office - See U.S. Postal Service.

Ready.gov - Advice for families and business on preparing for and dealing with emergencies, including natural disasters, technological & accidental hazards, and terrorist threats (U.S. Department of Homeland Security). For additional info on preparing for and dealing with emergencies, see our Disasters Webfinder.

Regulations.gov - Online access to U.S. government regulations from nearly 300 federal agencies. You can use this site to view proposed rules and other regulatory documents, submit a comment or read comments, sign up for e-mail alerts about a specific regulation, and more (USA.gov).

Selective Service System - Explains who must register for potential military service (draft), when and how to register, and related information. (Government site)

Social Security Administration - Use this website to request a Social Security number/card, compute your benefits, get the address of your local office, find out how to apply for benefits, and more. Includes information on disability, medicare, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

State Department Services - Forms and application information for visas and passports, plus travel publications and travel warnings, international business, international adoption / family issues, and other State Department services (Government site). See also International Government, below.

U.S. Code - The most current official text of the laws of the United States. Browse by Title/topic, or search by keywords (United States House of Representatives). U.S. Constitution (Annotated) provides the full text of the Constitution, with historical background, commentary, and related resources (Congress.gov). See also Constitution of the United States (U.S. Senate), Interactive Constitution (National Constitution Center), and America's Founding Documents.

U.S. Courts - Official website for the U.S. federal court system, including the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Courts of Appeals, U.S. District Courts, Bankruptcy Courts, and Article I Courts. Includes a court locator, news, FAQs, fees, forms & publications, and more. Supreme Court Nominations provides background information on current and recent nominees (Library of Congress). Guide to U.S. Case Law has links to federal & state court decisions and related resources (Law Library of Congress). See also Oyez Project (Northwestern University), and Justice 101 & Courts links.

U.S. Legislative Branch: Congress.gov - Official website for U.S. federal legislative information. Includes current bills & legislation from 1973 to the present, The Congressional Record, and links to the U.S. House of Representatives & U.S. Senate websites and external sites, and more (Library of Congress). The Senate's Virtual Reference Desk serves as a clearinghouse of information about the Senate on the web, and guides to resources in libraries and archives. See also Congressional Votes, above. The Legislator Misconduct Database lists hundreds of instances of alleged and actual misconduct by legislators in the United States Congress from 1789 to the present (by GovTrack.us, government transparency website; site includes advertisements).

U.S. Postal Service - Links to Post Office information.

Vital Documents - See Vital Records.

White House Online - Includes news and press statements, facts about the Presidency, the history of the White House, and more. For links to federal agencies & departments, state & local governments, elected officials, federal laws & regulations, federal, state, territory, county, & municipal courts, and more, see Contact Information for U.S. Government Departments and Agencies.

State & Local Government

See also:
LOCAL INFORMATION

South Plainfield seal BOROUGH OF SOUTH PLAINFIELD HOME PAGE - Includes information on the mayor and council, departments and agencies, municipal court, recreation, and more. Also offers the Community Bulletin Board and Senior Corner.

South Plainfield seal South Plainfield Outreach and Referral Resources - Phone numbers for local, county & state resources such as emergency shelters, crisis hotlines, counseling, employment, unemployment, and more. See also South Plainfield Social Services - Welfare Department (Borough of South Plainfield) and Community & Social Services brochures & resources (Middlesex County & NJ).

NJ state seal STATE OF NEW JERSEY HOME PAGE - Connect to the Governor's office, state departments and agencies, tourism information, education, and business resources for the state of New Jersey.

Call 2-1-1 when you need to find state or local resources to address urgent needs or everyday concerns, including health & mental health services, food banks, shelter, rental or utility assistance, adult day care, Meals on Wheels, transportation, childcare, crisis intervention services, job training, education, and more. 2-1-1 is free, confidential, multi-lingual, confidential, TTY accessible, and available 24/7 2-1-1 resource specialists will guide callers to the most helpful available resources. Visit the website for more information. You can also reach 2-1-1 by dialing 877-652-1148. (United Way, in partnership with the State of New Jersey) NOTE: 2-1-1 calls are generally toll-free; however, if you are calling 2-1-1 from your cell phone, please check with your cell phone service provider first to find out whether you will be charged for the call.

Data (NJ) - See YourMoney.NJ.Gov, below.

Discrimination Law in N.J. - The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination prohibits unlawful discrimination in employment, housing, places of public accommodation, credit and business contracts. This page and the related Multi-Language Fact Sheets explain your rights under state law (N.J. Division on Civil Rights). See also Legal Topics: Discrimination (Legal Services of New Jersey), and Disability Law, above.

Homeland Security in N.J. - See ReadyNJ, below.

Institute for Local Self-Reliance AUDIO VIDEO - Innovative strategies, models and information to support citizens and communities working toward environmentally sound and equitable community development. Areas of focus are Energy, Banking, Broadband, Independent Business, and The Public Good. Formerly New Rules Project (non-profit organization). Stateline offers research and analysis on state policy issues such as healthcare, tax and budget policy, the environment, and welfare reform (Pew Charitable Trusts).

Jury Service in N.J. - See Federal Jury Service and related links, above.

Labor Laws in N.J. - See our Employment Law, Health & Safety links.

Middlesex County Bar Association - Professional association serving the Middlesex County legal community and general public. Includes county find a lawyer service and reduced-fee program UPDATED LINK! for eligible clients. The New Jersey State Bar Association also offers Lawyer Referral Service (all County Bar Associations), free Military Legal Assistance Program, and free legal information & assistance for mass disaster victims. For low-income individuals and families with civil law problems, N.J. Legal Services provides free help; site includes information on LSNJ's telephone hotline, 1-888-LSNJ-LAW (1-888-576-5529). To find legal aid programs in other states, see LawHelp.org [Site was down when checked 7/24] (Pro Bono Net, in partnership with hundreds of nonprofit legal aid, pro bono, court-based programs and libraries). See also Find Legal Help (American Bar Association), and N.J. Legal Information for Non-Lawyers, below.

Middlesex County Surrogate - 'In New Jersey, the person who passes on the validity of a will, gives the executor proof of his authority to administer the estate and sees to it that the executor handles the estate properly, is called the Surrogate.' The website provides information about wills, probate, estate taxes, adoption, and more.

N.J. County & Municipal Governments - Information and links to local governments throughout the state (State of New Jersey).

N.J. Courts Online - Official website of the New Jersey Judiciary, covering everything relating to courts in N.J., including a catalog of forms, court record requests, attorney registration, court opinions, jury information, and more (State of New Jersey). See also N.J. Court Cases (Rutgers).

N.J. Law - A gateway site with links to everything relating to New Jersey laws which is currently accessible online, including the state Constitution, Statutes, Legislative Information, Court Rules, Court Decisions, Executive Orders, Regulations (Administrative Code), Administrative Decisions, Municipal and County Ordinances, Legal Newspapers, Law-Related Organizations, and more (2018, Rutgers University). See also Guide to N.J. Law Online (Law Library of Congress). N.J. Statutes provides the most current official text of the laws of New Jersey.

N.J. Legal Information for Non-Lawyers - Resources to help you answer a legal question, get help with a legal problem, or just learn more about the law. Covers topic such as family law, landlord-tenant law, employment, immigration, and many others. Formerly You and the Law in N.J. (Legal Services of N.J.). See also printable (PDF) Legal Guides, under the heading Publications for the Public (New Jersey State Bar Foundation). N.J. Self-Help Resource Center includes forms and information for people who choose to represent themselves in a New Jersey court (State of New Jersey). See also Middlesex County Bar Association and related links, above.

N.J. State Legislature - Link to your elected legislators (State Senate and Assembly) in Trenton. Also includes legislative committees and leadership, current bills, statutes, state constitution, and legislative calendar.

Professional Licensing in N.J. - See New Jersey Professional Licensing Boards.

ReadyNJ - Official website for the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management, covering updates & info on States of Emergency declared by the governor, and related concerns. For statewide security and preparedness information, see NJ Homeland Security. See also New Jersey's Most Wanted. For more emergency resources, see our Disasters Webfinder on WordPress.

Sex Offenders Registry - Information about certain offenders required to register under Megan's Law. plus sexual assault education and prevention resources. (N.J. State Police)

State Blue Books [CAUTION: This site includes a link to Wikipedia] - A 'Blue Book' is the official reference manual for a state, containing information about the state's government, geography, economy, history and culture. This website provides the Blue Book's title for each state, the URL (if available), and Notes (if any) (American Library Association). U.S. State Directory has links to offficial websites in all 50 states (State of New Jersey). State Law links to state governments, constitutions, legislatures, courts, etc., for all 50 states (Social Law Library, a legal research institution in Boston, MA).

Unclaimed Property Search - Search state records to find out whether any unclaimed property is being held in your name, such as bank accounts and safe deposit box contents; stocks, mutual funds, bonds, and dividends; uncashed checks and wages; insurance policies, CD's, trust funds; utility deposits and escrow accounts. Covers all 50 states. Does not include real estate. (National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators)

YourMoney.NJ.Gov - Online access to a variety of N.J. statistics and records, including property tax records, public employee payroll records, agency budgeting data, seven years of State spending & revenue data, pension recipient records, and more (State of New Jersey). For more public data, see Data: Free Public Data & related links.

International Government

Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments - Lists of the names of foreign government officials; no links, just names. Arranged by country; currently, updates appear to be irregular, so some information may be out of date. Part of the CIA World Factbook, which provides information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 266 world entities. (U.S. Central Intelligence Agency)

Foreign & International Law Guide - Links to international law topics, transnational organizations & treaties, and U.S. government sources on foreign & international law (Cornell University). See also Public International Law, below.

JuriGlobe - A multilingual online data bank containing general information about the different legal systems in the world, the different official languages, and important international commercial conventions, as well as other multilateral commercial tools. Covers civil law, common law, Muslim law, customary law, and mixed systems (University of Ottawa).

Public International Law: A Beginner's Guide - Resources for public international law, including treaties, customary international law, principles of international law, writings of publicists, and judicial decisions. Nations of the World: Guide to Law Online is an A to Z directory of legal resources on the laws of nations, territories, and affiliated jurisdictions across all continents. (Law Library of Congress)

U.S. Embassies - Links to U.S. embassies and consulates in foreign countries. (U.S. State Department)