Statutory Law Research

Kimberlee Gee Legal has more than 15 years industry experience in statutory law research. Prior to hanging her own shingle, Ms. Gee worked as a policy analyst and research assistant for a national organization, researching statutes, tracking legislative trends, developing policy data products and drafting white papers on various national policies, statutes and federal initiatives.

What is Statutory Law?

Statutory law refers to the collection of laws that are passed by legislatures and governments. These laws seek to establish public policy and rules for society at large. The main correlation between statutory law and common law is that common law cases are based on statutes passed by the legislatures. They are the interpretation of the courts in enforcing these laws. Statutory laws also do not rely on precedent and merely have to be voted on by the elected body to become law.

Why is Researching Statutory Law Important?

Understanding statutory law is more of an art than a science since it involves understanding and interpreting the legislative intent and evolving history as to how and why each law was drafted and passed. . Since elected officials may change at any moment, and the political climate in the country is always in a constant state of flux, there remains much uncertainty about whether current laws will remain or new ones will come to replace them.

Understanding statutory law is also important since there is so much variation from state to state. While there are certainly common trends throughout the country, you cannot assume that the law will be uniform across every state or jurisdiction.

Why Hire a Consultant for this Research?

Anticipating potential changes to the laws is something every lawyer should be worried about as it affects their ability to effectively represent their clients. Whether a new political movement emerges or a political candidate threatens to overturn the law or implement some other substantive legal change, staying abreast of these statutory changes should be of paramount importance to any lawyer. Outsourcing statutory research to a freelance attorney can ensure that you are up to speed on legislative developments, and you have the most accurate up-to-date information affecting your cases and your clients. .