New Jersey Legal Resources

Have you ever wondered if there is a specific law? 

When visiting the library, we offer you a variety of choices to research the New Jersey Statutes.  Databases such as Lexis and Westlaw allow you to search for laws using citations or keywords.  Once found, you can easily email the information to yourself. In addition, we have the WestLaw New Jersey Statutes Annotated book in print, which provide the full-text of the statutes, as well as editorial materials which provide history and context information, along with case law information.

If you are not at the Law Library, you can easily search the complete New Jersey Statutes from the New Jersey Legislature's website using keywords.  This database contains the full-text of all the New Jersey Statutes.  If you find a law you are interested in, but would like additional information, send us an email with the citation, and we will send you the information and annotations from Lexis or Westlaw.  

To Search the Public Database of New Jersey Statutes:

1. Go to the New Jersey Legislature Webpage:  https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/
2. Using the navigation tools in the gold band at the top of the page, find the Bill tab, click on it to see the pull down menu.  Select the Statutes link from the pull down menu.
3. This takes you into a searchable database of the current New Jersey Statutes.  Find the search box located in the black band at the top of the page.
4. Within the search box place you keyword, phrase, or citation and hit enter.  When searching for phrases or citations, be sure to enclose your search items in quotes.  For example, if you want to search for real estate, you should enter “real estate”.  To look for a law that you have a citation for, for example, if NJSA 4:22-26 is your citation, enter “4:22-26” and hit enter.
5. This will return a list of statutes that contain your keyword, phrase, or statute number.  To see the full-text of any result, click on the large blue link at the beginning of the entry. 
6. Once in the full-text of any law, you can easily move through the statutes by using the Next Doc/Prev Doc buttons located directly above the text.  To return to your result list, click on the Results button located on the left side of the large blue band at the top of the page.

Hiring an attorney is not an easy task.  There are many things to consider when searching for a lawyer.  Below are some resources to help you when searching for a NJ Lawyer:

• Consumers’ Guide to Legal Help :  The American Bar Association has an FAQ section dedicated to assisting the public in how to find a lawyer.  This section uses a question/answer format, and many topics are covered.  The topics include what to look for in an attorney, specialized practices, and where to look for an attorney (including their state by state referral service).
• Legal Services of New Jersey (LSNJ):  LSNJ is a statewide service providing legal assistance to low income New Jersey residents for their civil legal issues.  In addition to assistance with finding legal representation, LSNJ has a number of low or no cost digital publications about topics including divorce, landlord/tenant issues, foreclosure, and expunging criminal records.
• New Jersey State Bar Association Lawyer Referral Services:  Every county in New Jersey has a County Bar Association that participates in a Lawyer Referral Service .  This link goes to the list of each county, with a link to their referral service.  Initial consultations can be as low as $35 for 30 minutes.  You should contact the bar association for the county where you reside.
• New Jersey Judiciary Pro Bono Portal:  The New Jersey Judiciary has a web-based portal for finding pro bono representation.
• New Jersey Judiciary Attorney Search:  You can use the Statewide Attorney Index to search for certified attorneys in your area.. 
• Rutgers University Law School Clinics:  Rutgers Law School offers numerous law clinics where law students, supervised by full-time Law School faculty, provide legal services and assistance to clients covering a wide range of topics including child advocacy, domestic violence, education, entrepreneurship, immigration, and intellectual property.
• Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ):  VLJ provides free legal services throughout New Jersey to economically disadvantaged adults, children, and families.

Recommendations:

Do not discount the power of a recommendation--if you have worked with an attorney in a different practice area, they may be able to provide you with a recommendation for an attorney whose practice area meets your needs. 

Likewise, friends, family, and associates can all be good sources of information.  Be sure to ask them what they liked about the attorney, what area of the law they specialize in, and how the attorney communicated with them,

Many large employers offer Employee Assistance Programs that have a legal assistance component.  Unions may also offer legal services and/or assistance to members.  Check with your Employer or Union to see if such a service is available to you.