Comparing State Laws and Constitutions  

Legal researchers are often called upon to compare laws from multiple states on a particular topic. Comparing a few states is straightforward, but a comprehensive survey of state laws is notoriously tedious to compile. Before beginning, it is worthwhile to find out if a survey on your topic already exists.

This brief guide lists selected sources that either themselves compare state constitutions and statutes, point to the location of comparisons, or that aggregate state constitutions or statutes together for searching. Because state laws change frequently, previously compiled surveys are quickly outdated. Even with a survey in hand, the careful researcher must ultimately locate and review each statute they wish to compare in its current form.

For assistance in creating a survey, locating a previously compiled survey, or updating a survey, please see the Getting Help tab on this page or chat with us via the chat box to the left.