Conveyance is how the state makes the information available, print, web or via bulk access.   This study found that at the very least every state makes current copies of their statutory code available via websites.  For regulations, every state but one made their code of regulations available for free via a website.  The one outlier is Massachusetts which charges $110 US for access to a database of regulations.  In that state, however, the court system does supply a free copy.  For case law, every state but one – Alabama – makes at least a collection of appellate case law from all courts available via the web. (Alabama only permits public access to per curium decisions.)  For information about the range of these collections, please see “Content/Archives.”

Of course, the “official” status of this legal information varies. Most often an individual will have to find access to a print copy of a case, law or regulation in order to view a guaranteed official and correct version.  For more information on the official nature of legal information published on the web by states, please see the charts under “Citation.”

Bulk access to legal information allows for wholesale users to more easily access the information so that it may be re-purposed.  Not only do the great majority of states not allow for bulk access to their legal information publications, but some put in prohibitions in their terms of use that prevent less efficient bulk access tools like web-scraping.

This study found that only two (2) of the one hundred and five (105) case law websites allowed for bulk download via FTP.  (Click to enlarge)

For regulations, bulk access was permitted in three (3) out of forty-nine (49) sites available for review.  One of the bulk access options required payment.

For statutory codes, bulk access was available in four (4) out of fifty-one (51) sites viewed.  As with regulations, one of the bulk access options required payment.