Rulemaking: Federal Register and CFR

This lesson will introduce you to the quasi-legislative process known as rulemaking. It will familiarize you with the publication system and with the sources you will access to research regulations. The lesson includes several images of Federal Register and Code of Federal Regulations pages, and links to regulatory information on the Government Publishing Office's homepage. The lesson is designed to augment a substantive Administrative Law Course or an Advanced Legal Research class.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of the lesson, the student will be able to:

1. Explain how regulations are promulgated and updated.
2. Describe the relationship administrative law has with the other branches of government during the rulemaking process.
3. Define rulemaking.
4. Explain the relationship between the administrative process and Executive Orders.
5. List information included in the Federal Register.
6. Explain differences between the U.S. Code and the Code of Federal Regulations.
7. Create a research plan for locating relevant regulations for any legal issue.