Winning Research Skills - Westlaw

Chapter 4
Using Print Sources to Update the CFR
Using print sources to update the CFR is a mechanical process. Follow the instructions below.
1. Look up your section in the most recent CFR paperback volume. Note the date of revision on the
front cover.
2. Consult the most recent monthly List of CFR Sections Affected (LSA) pamphlet to see if your CFR
section is listed. The LSA directs you to changes in the CFR that were published in the Federal
Register. Entries for rules are arranged numerically by CFR title, chapter, part, section, and
paragraph. If there has been a change, the LSA will refer you to the pages in the Federal Register on
which the change is published. There will also be a descriptive word or phrase indicating whether the
change was an addition, revision, or removal. Make certain the coverage of the LSA pamphlet begins
the day after the date of revision on the paperback CFR volume, and note the month printed
prominently on the front of the LSA.
3. Consult the last issue of the Federal Register for each complete month since the month on the cover
of the LSA pamphlet. Check the CFR Parts Affected During [month] table near the back of the issue.
This table cumulates throughout the month, so you only need to check the last issue for each month.
4. Consult the most recent issue of the Federal Register available and check the CFR Parts Affected
During [month] table near the back. Note the date of the issue.
5. Finally, remember to check to see if the regulation is still valid. Using the KeyCite citation research
service on Westlaw, check for cases that have cited the regulation and determine how the regulation
has been treated.
Administrative Decisions
In addition to promulgating regulations, agencies also issue orders and adjudicate disputes.
Agencies report their decisions just as courts do. The official reports of federal administrative
agencies are published by the U.S. Government Printing Office.
Administrative decisions and other official documents issued by many federal and state agencies
can be located in various looseleaf services, so named because they are published in binders with
removable pages. A looseleaf service is kept current with new pages. There are two common
formats for looseleaf services. The newsletter format adds new pages at the end of each unit. A
different format replaces pages that are out-of-date in addition to adding new information. The
information in many looseleaf services is now available online as well.
The Federal Administrative Materials All database (FADMIN-ALL) contains all federal agency
documents currently available on Westlaw. Coverage varies by agency and document type.
Presidential Documents
The president can direct agency action by issuing executive orders. The president can also issue
proclamations that may be either ceremonial or substantive. Both types of actions have the effect
of law.
The Federal Register contains presidential documents including proclamations and executive
orders as well as other documents that the president orders to be published, such as
46 Winning Research Skills