Also known as:United States Codes · U.S. Code · U.S.C. · USC
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
A multivolume published codification of federal statutory law. The Code arranges statutes passed by Congress into fifty-three subject titles divided into chapters and sections with continuous numbering within each title.
Sources & Authorities· 34 primary sources
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Cases
Statutes
How it applies
Common Examples
6
Diversity Claim Supplementation
Ulric Unger sued Unity Capital in federal court on a contract claim exceeding $75,000. A second plaintiff joined with a related claim below the amount threshold. The court exercised authority under a provision of the United States Code to hear the second claim because it shared operative facts with the first.
Grand Jury Qualification Challenge
Urban Utley moved to dismiss an indictment after learning one grand juror lacked legal qualification. The court examined the record under a provision of the United States Code and refused dismissal because twelve qualified jurors had concurred.
Witness Refreshment Production
Put it into practice
Test Yourself
8
Practice Questions3
Federal Rules
Uniform Acts
Model Codes
Restatements
Uri Underwood testified after reviewing a writing to refresh memory. The adverse party demanded production under a provision of the United States Code. The court ordered in-camera review and delivery of the relevant portions.
Transferred Action Choice Of Law
Unity Underhill sued in one district and later sought transfer for convenience. The transferee court applied the transferor state's law including its choice-of-law rules pursuant to a provision of the United States Code.
Grand Jury Disclosure Authorization
Ulf Ulfsson received grand-jury information as a person authorized under a provision of the United States Code. He used the material only to assist the government attorney in enforcing federal criminal law.
Personal Jurisdiction Transfer
Usman Uddin sued in a district lacking personal jurisdiction over the defendant. The court transferred the action under a provision of the United States Code to a proper district rather than dismissing the case.
Common questions
Frequently Asked
3
What is the United States Code?+
It is the official multivolume codification of federal statutes enacted by Congress. Statutes are arranged by subject into fifty-three titles, each divided into chapters and sections.
How are provisions in the United States Code cited?+
Citations list the title number followed by U.S.C. and the section symbol and number, as in 28 U.S.C. § 1331.
Why do bar exams test provisions from the United States Code?+
Many procedural and jurisdictional rules appear in titles 28 and 18. Exam questions often require application of those codified statutes to fact patterns involving federal subject-matter jurisdiction or grand-jury procedures.
Civil ProcedureJurisdiction and venue · Federal subject-matter jurisdictionNEXTGENFoundational