Florida Law Sources
: Many of these titles have already been moved to the Law Library
WARNING: The materials and information at this site are intended to assist the FIU community in using the legal materials located in the FIU Green Library. THEY ARE NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS LEGAL ADVICE. For legal advice, please consult an attorney.
I. MAJOR FLORIDA REFERENCE TOOLS:
1. Laws of Florida (Fla Law) KFF25.A213.
An annual chronological record of "new legislation" in order as passed by the legislature and signed into law by the governor. The main body lists acts of the legislature chrono-logically by session law (year, hyphen, number of the law: 81-1, 81-2, for the first and second laws passed in 1981.) There are indexes after the acts by Senate and House Bill Numbers, and by subject. (Updated in between annual publications by West's Florida Session Law Service, I4, and the Florida Dept. of State.)
2. Florida Statutes (Fla Stat) KFF30.A2F55 and online .
Published biennially in odd-numbered years with a one-volume supplement for even-numbered years. This contains the laws of Florida arranged by code (i.e., subject.) The last volume of each set is a subject index to the other volumes. It also includes "tracing tables" for the Senate and House Bill Numbers, U.S. and Florida constitutions, a mortality table, and population census by county.
3. West's Florida Statutes Annotated (FSA) KFF30.W4.
This set is published by West Publishing Company and is arranged by code (title and chapter), same as #2. It is updated annually by pocket parts. Each volume has its own subject index, but there is also an index to the whole set at the end of the volumes. This set contains the same statutes as #2, but includes for each section a brief history and a summary of court cases relevant to that section, as well as references to CJS and to the West Key Number.
4. Florida Session Law Service . KFF30.W42.
This series of paperback publications, published as a supplement to West's Florida Statutes Annotated (I3), also serves as a supplement to #1 (Fla.Laws) by reporting the laws in the order in which they become law. In addition, the statute assignment is usually given. Includes tables cross-referencing laws to statutes and a cumulative index by subject. (Also available online from the Florida Dept. of State.)
5. Florida Administrative Code Annotated (F.A.C.A.) KFF35.1982.A2.
The "official compilation of the rules and regulations of Florida regulatory agencies," this set of books is arranged by title number. Each title number represents a department, commission, board, or other agency. Each rule is followed by the statutory authority upon which the rule is based, plus the history and implementation in italicised type.
6. Southern Reporter (So) KF135.S8 Ser 1: KFF45.F54
Southern Reporter, Second Series (So2d) KF135.S8 Ser 2: KFF45.F55
Southern Reporter, Second Series, Florida Cases (So2d) KFF45.F55.
The Southern Reporter, part of West's National Reporter System, reports cases in four states: Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. After volume 200 a "second series" was begun to keep the volume numbers low, thus producing the Southern Reporter, Second Series. In both of these series, case reports are grouped by state. Therefore, it was a simple matter for West to pull out cases dealing with only Florida and publish them separately in Southern Reporter, Second Series, Florida Cases. However, since these cases retain the same page numbers as in the Southern Reporter, Second Series, this source (Florida Cases) is cited as So.2d. The FIU library has been receiving the Florida cases edition since volume 37. NOTE: In Florida Cases, because of fewer pages per volume number, more than one volume number is included in each bound volume. So make sure you are in the right volume number when looking for cases in this source.
7. Florida Supplement (Fla Supp) KFF51.F56.
Florida Supplement Second (Fla Supp 2d) KFF51.F56 2d Ser.
This publication supplemented West's Southern Reporter" by providing reports of cases decided in "lower courts of record and state commissions." Each volume includes a digest at the end, arranged by subject. Ceased publication in 1992.
8. Florida Digest . KFF38.F55: KFF57.F55.
Florida Digest, 2d. KFF57.F56.
These are primarily indexes by point of law to cases relevant to Florida in the
Southern Reporter, the Federal Reporter, and other sources. The Digest is the primary place where West's Key Number System is used (see above.) Also included in the digests are tables of cases, cases by plaintiff-defendant, and by defendant-plaintiff.
9. Shepard's Florida Citations. KFF59.S5; online via Library’s webpage from 1999.
I. Statute Edition: A compilation of citations to the United States Constitution, United States statutes, Florida Constitution, statutes, laws, charters, ordinances, court rules, and jury instructions. Especially useful are citations under statute to specific cases in the Southern Reporter.
II. Case Edition: A compilation of citations to Florida cases reported in Florida Reports, Florida Supplement, and Southern Reporter. (The F.I.U. library does not have
Florida Reports.) These citations will guide the user to later cases which have cited a known case. (1999 – current available online only; see Library webpage.)
10. Florida Jurisprudence, Second (Fla Jur 2d) KFF80.F56.
This is the legal encyclopedia for Florida. Arranged by legal titles, it discusses the laws and how they have been interpreted in the courts, complete with citations to relevant cases. In addition to subject indexes in each volume, there is a general subject index at the end of the set. All volumes are updated by pocket parts.
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