Subject Guide Spotlight: Federal Administrative Decisions

Looking for a federal administrative decision? Consult our research guide Federal Administrative Decisions for pointers on where to find a variety of useful resources, including free online access, member databases, and other resources available at Jenkins.  

"[A]dministrative law is a vast field that applies to hundreds of federal agencies. Federal agencies adjudicate far more disputes involving individual rights than do the federal courts. They create more binding rules of conduct than Congress. Agencies also 'administer' in the broadest sense of that word. They investigate, enforce, cajole, politicize, spend, hire, fire, contract, collect information, and disseminate information." Kristin E. Hickman and Richard J. Pierce, Jr., Administrative Law Treatise § 1.1 (2021).

Federal administrative decisions can be difficult to find since administrative decision publication varies between agencies. For example, more recent agency decisions usually can be found on the agency's website, whereas for older decisions print loose-leaf services from commercial publishers may be helpful. Because of the large quantity of places available to search for agency decisions, only a selection of the resources available to Jenkins' members are listed in the Federal Administrative Decisions guide.

For more help finding federal administrative decisions, Jenkins' members can contact Research Services at 215.574.1505 or research@jenkinslaw.org.