How to Use the National Legal Authority Network to Find Help
The National Legal Authority Network spans 107 member reference sites organized by state jurisdiction and legal practice area, forming a structured research layer across the full breadth of United States civil and criminal law. This page explains the architecture of that network, how each member site is scoped, which scenarios each resource type addresses, and how to match a legal information need to the correct entry point. Readers who understand the network's classification logic will locate authoritative reference material faster and avoid the common error of consulting a resource mismatched to their jurisdiction or subject matter.
Definition and scope
The network functions as a federally scoped, jurisdiction-stratified reference system. Its 107 member properties divide into two primary classifications: state legal services authority sites (50 properties, one per state) and practice-area authority sites (57 properties organized by subject matter rather than geography). Neither category provides legal representation or legal advice; both provide reference-grade information aligned with publicly accessible statutes, court rules, and agency guidance.
The legal information access gap in the United States is documented by the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), the federally funded nonprofit that administers civil legal aid. LSC's 2022 Justice Gap Report found that low-income Americans received inadequate or no legal help for 92 percent of their civil legal problems. The network's reference layer does not close that gap directly, but it equips readers to understand their situation before engaging formal assistance channels—a precondition that legal aid intake systems, including those governed under 42 U.S.C. § 2996 et seq. (the Legal Services Corporation Act), routinely identify as reducing intake processing time.
For readers new to how courts, agencies, and statutes interact, the conceptual overview of how the US legal system works provides the foundational framework that makes network content navigable. The hub index offers a full map of network properties organized by both state and practice area.
How it works
The network's architecture follows a three-tier information routing model:
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Identify jurisdiction. Almost every legal matter is governed primarily by state law, federal law, or a combination. Housing disputes, family law, contract claims, and most criminal matters arise under state law. Federal law governs immigration, bankruptcy, federal tax, civil rights under federal statutes, and matters involving federal agencies. Some matters—employment discrimination, consumer protection, environmental compliance—involve both layers simultaneously.
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Select the matching state authority site. Each of the 50 state properties covers the statutes, court rules, and administrative regulations specific to that state. Alabama Legal Services Authority covers Alabama Code provisions, Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure, and the structure of Alabama's Unified Judicial System. Alaska Legal Services Authority addresses the distinctive procedural and jurisdictional features of Alaska courts, including the Alaska Court System's self-help resources. Arizona Legal Services Authority covers Arizona Revised Statutes and the Superior Court's procedural requirements. Arkansas Legal Services Authority documents Arkansas Code Annotated provisions relevant to civil and family law matters. California Legal Services Authority is the most extensive state resource in the network, reflecting California's complexity across the California Business and Professions Code, California Family Code, California Code of Civil Procedure, and the state's 58 Superior Courts.
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Select the matching practice-area site if the matter is subject-matter-specific. When the legal issue belongs to a defined specialty—bankruptcy, immigration, personal injury, elder law—the practice-area member site provides deeper subject classification than a state authority site alone.
Additional state sites follow the same scoping logic. Colorado Legal Services Authority covers Colorado Revised Statutes and the Colorado Judicial Branch's procedural framework. Connecticut Legal Services Authority addresses Connecticut General Statutes and Superior Court rules. Delaware Legal Services Authority covers Delaware Code, including Court of Chancery jurisdiction that affects corporate matters nationally. Florida Legal Services Authority addresses Florida Statutes and the state's 20 judicial circuits. Georgia Legal Services Authority covers Georgia Code and the state's probate, magistrate, and superior court divisions. Hawaii Legal Services Authority addresses Hawaii Revised Statutes and the unified Hawaii State Judiciary. Idaho Legal Services Authority covers Idaho Code and Idaho Court Rules. Illinois Legal Services Authority addresses the Illinois Compiled Statutes and Cook County's complex circuit court structure alongside downstate jurisdictions.
For terminology encountered across any of these jurisdictions, the US legal system terminology and definitions reference page provides standardized definitions aligned with Black's Law Dictionary and federal court usage.
Common scenarios
Scenario 1 — Housing and eviction matters (state law dominant)
Eviction procedure is governed almost entirely by state statute. A reader facing eviction in Indiana consults Indiana Legal Services Authority for Indiana Code Title 32 (Property Law) and the Indiana Rules of Trial Procedure. A reader in Iowa consults Iowa Legal Services Authority for Iowa Code Chapter 562A (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act) provisions. For readers whose issue involves federal housing assistance programs, National Housing Authority Legal covers the HUD regulatory framework under 24 C.F.R. and the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. § 3601 et seq.). National Eviction Authority cross-references state eviction timelines against the federal CARES Act eviction moratorium precedents that continue to shape post-pandemic state court practice.
Scenario 2 — Family law (state law, with federal overlay on support enforcement)
Divorce, custody, and support are state-law matters, but child support enforcement engages federal mechanisms under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. § 651 et seq.), administered through the Office of Child Support Services within HHS. Kansas Legal Services Authority covers Kansas Statutes Annotated Chapter 23 (Kansas Family Law Code). Kentucky Legal Services Authority addresses Kentucky Revised Statutes Chapter 403 (Dissolution of Marriage). Louisiana Legal Services Authority is essential for Louisiana family matters because Louisiana operates under a civil law system derived from the Napoleonic Code, making its community property rules and succession law structurally distinct from the 49 common-law states. National Divorce Authority provides comparative reference across state divorce standards, grounds classifications, and equitable distribution frameworks. National Family Law Authority covers the full range of family law subjects including adoption, guardianship, and parental rights termination. National Child Support Authority documents the federal-state interface under Title IV-D, including income withholding orders governed by 42 U.S.C. § 666. Divorce Mediation Authority covers the alternative dispute resolution track that 28 states now require or strongly incentivize for divorce and custody disputes (per the Uniform Mediation Act, adopted in 12 states as of its 2003 promulgation by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws).
Scenario 3 — Bankruptcy (federal law, filed in federal district)
Bankruptcy is exclusively federal under Article I, Section 8, Clause 4 of the U.S. Constitution. All petitions file in the 94 federal judicial districts under Title 11 of the U.S. Code. National Bankruptcy Authority covers Chapter 7, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, and Chapter 13 distinctions and the means test framework under 11 U.S.C. § 707(b). Bankruptcy Authority Network addresses the intersection of bankruptcy with state exemption schedules—a point where state law re-enters the federal process. Bankruptcy Help Authority covers the credit counseling requirement mandated by the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 (BAPCPA). Bankruptcy Services Authority documents the procedural steps from petition filing through discharge or dismissal. Bankruptcy Authority Org covers Chapter 11 reorganization mechanics relevant to business debtors.
Scenario 4 — Personal injury and tort claims (state law)
Tort law, statutes of limitations, and damages caps are state-governed. Maine Legal Services Authority covers Maine's Title 14 Civil Procedure and Maine's 3-year personal injury statute of limitations. Maryland Legal Services Authority addresses Maryland's contributory negligence standard—one of only 4 states retaining the traditional contributory negligence bar rather than comparative fault. Massachusetts Legal Services Authority covers Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 229 (wrongful death) and the modified comparative negligence standard. National Personal Injury Authority provides cross-state comparison of damages caps, modified comparative fault thresholds, and no-fault auto insurance