United States Law Week
United States Law Week is a legal publication produced by the Bureau of National Affairs (BNA) that serves as a vital resource for legal professionals in the United States. It is designed to keep lawyers informed about significant developments in both state and federal courts, with a particular focus on cases that may reach the Supreme Court. Each weekly issue is structured into four sections: the first two summarize key legal developments from lower courts, while the third provides detailed reports on the Supreme Court's activities, including case summaries and updates on oral arguments. The fourth section includes the full text of Supreme Court decisions, which are published and distributed on the same day they are issued, ensuring timely access to critical legal information. Historically, United States Law Week was the first printed source for Supreme Court decisions before the advent of online databases, earning its designation as the official citing source for cases not yet included in the United States Reports. Over time, it has adapted to the digital age, making its content available online for broader accessibility. This publication is essential for attorneys seeking to stay current with ongoing legal proceedings and interpretations that may impact their practice.
United States Law Week
Definition: Most widely used weekly publication covering the activities of the Supreme Court and most current print source for the text of its decisions.
Significance: Until the advent of on-line electronic information services, United States Law Week gave lawyers their first access to the full text of Supreme Court decisions.
Published by the Bureau of National Affairs (BNA), a leading provider of loose-leaf legal services, United States Law Week is designed to keep lawyers aware of current developments in the federal courts, especially the Supreme Court. Each weekly issue contains four sections. The first and second sections discuss and summarize top legal developments from the state and lower federal courts (with an editorial emphasis on cases that may later appear before the Supreme Court). The third section reports the Supreme Court’s business in detail, with lengthy summaries of each case on the Court’s appellate docket, cases denied certiorari, and orders and oral arguments before the Court.
The fourth section prints the full text of decisions of the Court. These are published and mailed out on the day they are delivered, not with the regular weekly issue. Before the creation of on-line electronic databases, United States Law Week was the first source where attorneys found the printed decisions of the Court. Because of this, the United States Law Week is designated by the Uniform System of Citation as the official citing source for Supreme Court cases not yet published in the United States Reports or the Supreme Court Reporter. The weekly publication later became available on-line.