During the period of September – December 2015,  a census of every state primary legal information website was visited. In total, 51 code websites, 50 regulation websites and 105 court websites were visited.  Between 17 and 18 data points were collected for each website for a total of 3603 data points.  Specifics about the types of data collected can be found on the spreadsheets shared on the Raw Data page.

When a state provided more than one source for a type of information (e.g. in Massachusetts both the courts and the Secretary of State post state regulations), the responsible agency or department website was chosen.  In Massachusetts example, the Secretary of State was used as this is the official responsible for publishing regulations.  Alternatively, when the state did not publish a particular piece of information, the recommended site (as is often the case when publication has been outsourced to a private corporation) was used.