As a free service to our clients, colleagues and the general public, we have created this list of no-cost and low-cost internet resources. Many of these may help improve a layperson’s understanding of the laws and legal system in New York State, New Jersey, New York City and Brooklyn. In addition, this list includes resources not exclusively of a legal nature that we believe the general public may find useful.
Highly Recommended Sites
Accurint
Accurint® is the most widely accepted locate-and-research tool available to government, law enforcement and commercial customers. Published by LexisNexis.
Department of Finance, New York City, ACRIS (Automated City Register Information System)
Legal Terms and Definitions for New York City Civil Court
New York Unified Court System “E-Courts”
Supreme Court 2nd Judicial District, Kings County Clerk’s Office
United States Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of New York
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
U.S. Code Collection from Cornell Law School, Legal Information Institute
The United States Code as generated by Cornell Law School from the most recent official version made available by the U.S. House of Representatives.
Westlaw®
The online legal research service.
Government Resources
New York State Government Information Locator Service
“The New York State Government Information Locator Service (NYS GILS) provides a single point of access to information services provided by New York State Government agencies, the State Legislature and the Judiciary….” Site hosted by the New York State Library.
New York State Small Business Development Center
Personal Finance Resources
Annual Credit Report.com
Get your free annual credit report.
Kelley Blue Book
Research the current value of your car.
Public Business Libraries
The libraries below are exceptional resources and contain a vast amount of free and inexpensive business and legal information. Some resources are digital and can be accessed online, for others you may wish to visit the library itself.
Business Library of the Brooklyn Public Library
New York (City) Public Library
Small Business Resource Center
A department of the New York Public Library Science Industry and Business Library.
Legal Organizations, Associations and Services
American Arbitration Association
The leading organization for alternative dispute resolution.
The Association of the Bar of the City of New York
LawHelp.org
“Free legal aid in New York, learn about your legal rights, get information about the courts, and more.”
Martindale-Hubble
For help finding a lawyer in your area.
Research Resources
Free Advice.com
“Free Legal Advice”
Written in plain language so everyone can understand, this site explains the basics of a wide variety of legal and business topics using short summaries. As one would expect, this site does not substitute for competent legal representation, but it is a good starting point for those who wish to be better educated about basic elements of business and law.
Laws of New York
New York State Laws in an organized format.
Martindale’s “The Reference Desk”
An extensive general reference site that is a whole lot better than its appearance would seem to indicate.
NFIB — “The Voice of Small Business,” Legal Issues section
Includes several excellent articles, including topics such as how to hire the right attorney and then work cost-effectively with your legal representative.
New York Times’s Business Navigator
An excellent research tool for business information.
WikiPedia (the on-line encyclopedia)
Contains articles on a variety of legal topics. Richard Klass has originated at least one of the articles in this international encyclopedia.
Free on-line news and information
Brooklyn
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
The Brooklyn Paper
Bay Currents
City Search Brooklyn
Customer experiences and information about local businesses.
New York City, New York State and the U.S.A.
International
Wiki News
News from around the world.
