Useful links
This page list and describes many useful governmental and non-governmental links. If you have a particularly useful link that you would like to see added to this list, contact us with the information.
California Law
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California Codes
Keyword searchable full-text database of current California codes and constitution -
California Code of Regulations
Full-text searchable database provided by the Office of Administrative Law -
California Case Law
Searchable database of official reports opinions dating back to 1850. Updated daily -
California Courts Self Help Center
Beginning resource for forms and introductory information on a variety of topics, including divorce, name changes, traffic and small claims matters -
California Judicial Council Forms
Access to mandatory and optional forms provided by Judicial Council of California -
California Legislative Information
Full-text of bills and resolutions, including analysis, beginning in 1993
Federal Law
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United States Code
Database searchable by keyword or title and section number -
Code of Federal Regulations
Searchable database of federal agency regulations by keyword or title and section number -
Thomas-U.S. Congress on the Internet
Full-text searchable database of federal bills, public laws, legislative history information and the Congressional Record -
Federal Case Law
Full text searchable federal appellate court and U.S. Supreme Court decisions
Auto Dealer Association Websites
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California New Car Dealers Association
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National Automobile Dealers Association
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American International Automobile Dealers Association
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Central Valley New Car Dealers Association
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Greater Los Angeles New Car Dealers Association
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Orange County Automobile Dealers Association
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New Car Dealers Association of San Diego
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Silicon Valley Auto Dealers Association
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Southland Motor Car Dealers Association
Government Sites-California
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California State Agencies
State of California site with links to California agencies, departments, and commissions -
California Business Search
Fill-in boxes to check records online for corporations, limited partnerships, and limited liability companies -
California Secretary of State – California Business Portal
This site provides news and Secretary of State notices to California businesses. It also has links to other pages under the Secretary of State's business programs section. -
California Secretary of State – California Business Portal: Business Entities
Business Entities main page with links to services offered for corporations, limited liability companies, limited partnerships, and other business entities; filing tips to meet statutory minimum requirements; name availability; FAQs; and more -
California Secretary of State – California Business Portal: Forms and Fees
Directory of forms, sample forms, and fees for different business filings, including VCC forms, some in fill-in format -
California Secretary of State – California Business Portal: Trademarks and Service Marks
Trademarks and service marks main page with links to forms and fees, name availability, FAQs, private service companies, and more -
e-file Statement of Information
Fill-in boxes to file a Statement of Information for a corporation online -
Business Program Division, Legislation
Summaries and links to new state laws affecting businesses -
Official California Legislative Information
Full text of bills, resolutions, and constitutional amendments, as well as their status, history, votes, analyses, and veto messages -
State Bar of California Bill Tracking Service
Centralized legislative monitoring and tracking service listing bills of potential interest to members of the State Bar's sections and their committees -
California Legislative Resource
Webpage maintained by the State Bar of California with many helpful links regarding California's legislative process, pending bills, legislative calendar, committees, and other topics -
California Franchise Tax Board (FTB)
Home page with links to downloadable state tax forms and publications -
California State Board of Equalization
Home page with access to information about sales and use taxes, sellers' permits, forms, and publications -
California Employment Development Department (EDD)
Home page; information concerning job placement and referrals, unemployment insurance, disability insurance, employment and training, the labor market, payroll taxes, and other topics -
California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH)
Access to information concerning the Cal-OSHA program -
California Office of Privacy Protection
State agency dedicated to promoting and protecting the privacy rights of consumers -
California Department of Fair Employment and Housing
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California Department of Real Estate (DRE)
Home page with information for consumers as well as real estate licensees and examinees -
California Department of Insurance Workers’ Compensation Information
Access to information on workers' compensation insurance -
Starting a Business
A step-by-step guide for starting a business in California -
Cal GOLD
The Cal GOLD website provides links and contact information for California businesses concerning business permits, licenses, and registrations required by federal, regional, state, and local agencies. Information is searchable according to type of business -
Cal-EASI
California Department of Corporations website providing access to securities and franchise filings -
California Department of Corporations (DOC), Franchise Regulation
Access to information and forms concerning franchise registration -
California Department of Corporations (DOC), Securities Regulation Division
Access to forms, departmental publications, Commissioner's releases, opinions, and notices concerning the California blue sky laws -
California Law Revision Commission
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California State Association of Counties
Home page with links to all California counties -
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Home page with downloadable forms and information on patent applications and trademark registrations -
Uniform Commercial Code
Notary public main page, with links to topics such as obtaining a notary public commission, handbook, authentications, apostille or certification, forms, and fees -
Uniform Commercial Code
UCC main page with links to UCC Connect (the Secretary of State's online service for UCC inquiries, filings, requests for copies and debtor search certificates, and more), financing statement forms and filing fees, administrative rules, FAQs, and other resources -
Victims of Corporate Fraud Compensation Fund
Main page with information, including application requirements, instructions, and forms, concerning the fraud compensation fund administered by the Secretary of State's of
Government Sites-Federal
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Federal Agencies (through Library of Congress site)
A Library of Congress resource page with links to most federal agencies -
Federal Register
Main page, with search functions, for the Federal Register-the official daily publication for federal agency rules, proposed rules, and notices as well as executive orders. Specific Federal Register pages can be retrieved at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/retrieve.html -
Federal Trade Commission
Home page for businesses, with links to business publications, advertising guidance, fair packaging and labeling, antitrust law guide, and other topics. Information concerning the Hart-Scott-Rodino pre- merger notification requirements is at http://www.ftc.gov/bc/hsr/introguides/introguides.htm -
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
EEOC site with basic introduction to employers' rights and responsibilities under the federal equal employment opportunity laws -
Internal Revenue Service
Home page; access to downloadable IRS forms and publications -
Americans with Disabilities Act
Information and technical assistance on the ADA by the U.S. Department of Justice -
U.S. Department of Labor
Home page with links to statutory and regulatory information, labor statistics, small-business regulatory compliance assistance, and other information -
U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division
Link to Antitrust Division Guidelines and Policy Statements -
Small Business Administration
Home page with extensive links to federal and other resources for small businesses -
SEC Edgar
SEC Edgar main page, with access to electronic filings and forms -
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
Home page with informational links about the "Fed," monetary policy, banking regulation, economic data, and other topics -
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
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USA.gov
The official web portal of the U.S. government, with links to information on contracting with the U.S. government, export licenses, business financial assistance, and many other topics -
Business.gov
Home page, operated by the U.S. Small Business Administration, with links to legal and regulatory information, and plain-English guides for starting a business, handling finances, managing employees, and other topics -
THOMAS
Website of the Library of Congress providing federal legislative information -
Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), U.S. Department of Commerce
Federal agency that administers the U.S. export control and treaty compliance system, including the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) -
CIA, The World Factbook
U.S. government profiles of countries and territories around the world -
Federal Citizen Information Center (FCIC)
Part of the U.S. General Services Administration, the FCIC's Small Business Links offer information for persons planning or owning small businesses, including information on procurement, taxes, woman- and minority-owned businesses, human resources, and financial and legal issues -
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
Home page with links to statistical data, pertinent regulations, and FAQs -
Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
The current FRBSF discount rate, used to determine the usury ceiling in California, is posted at htp://www.frbsf.orglbankingldata/discount/index.html -
Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP)
Home page with statutory, regulatory, and compliance information regarding nondiscrimination requirements for federal contractors -
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC)
Home page with links to reports and other resources for banking industry professionals, as well as public information about the national banking system -
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
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Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Home page with links to information for small businesses; online access to proposed and final rules, SEC releases, policy statements, and other commission notices and information; searchable database of all electronic company filings since 1994 -
Social Security Administration
SSA forms are available online at http://www.ssa.gov/online/forms.html -
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Home page with links to immigration laws and forms -
U.S. Copyright Office
Home page with links to copyright registration and other information. The agency's new Electronic Copyright Office (eCO) is at http://www.copyright.gov/eco/index.html -
U.S. Department of Commerce
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U.S. Department of Labor, Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT)
Dictionary of job titles and standardized job descriptions; useful for job placement, occupational research, career guidance, labor-market information, curriculum development, and long-range job planning. Last updated in 1991, the DOT has now been replaced by O*NET Online, http://online.onetcenter.org -
U.S. Department of State
Home page with links to international commercial laws and guides -
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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U.S. Government Printing Office
Home page with links to products and services, including online searchable copies of the United States Code and the Code of Federal Regulations -
U.S. International Trade Commission
Home page with rules, regulations, reports, and other information, including an extensive list of links to international trade resources
Private Agency Sites
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Business Law Section of the State Bar of California
Home page with links to standing committees, programs, and publications -
Better Business Bureau
National home page. There are separate regional Better Business Bureaus covering different geographical areas of California, each with its own website -
Edgar Online, Inc.
Edgar Online, Inc. is a private company, not affiliated with the SEC, specializing in the extraction, packing, and distribution of public-company information contained in SEC filings -
Corporate Information
Subscription-based website offering research reports on public, private, domestic, and foreign corporations -
ABA Section of Business Law
Home page with links to publications and other resources for business lawyers -
Dun & Bradstreet
Home page of Dun & Bradstreet. Subscribers can request reports and run online queries in proprietary databases -
American Arbitration Association
Home page with links to rules and procedures -
Active Capital
Site dedicated to helping individual accredited investors, SBICs, and institutional venture capitalists find small, growing companies through a secure Internet database, and providing ongoing training and research for entrepreneurs and small investors -
AllBusiness
Small business portal, with links to forms, directories, and resources on many topics -
The Small Business Portal
Links to topics such as starting a business, franchise advice, financing, and home-based businesses -
American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA)
Home page with links to practice areas, professional development, educational materials, meetings, and events -
Annual Reports.com
Free service offering links to annual reports of public companies -
BenefitsLink
Compliance information and tools for employee benefit plan sponsors, service providers, and participants -
Business Week Online
Articles, links, and opportunity to subscribe to free newsletter -
Business.com
Business search engine and directory intended to help users find companies, products, services, and other business-related information; some features are fee-based -
CNBC
Home page of business and financial news cable network -
CNNMoney
General business news website offered by CNN and Fortune and Money magazines -
Corporate Finance Sourcebook
Link for ordering popular guidebook published by National Register Publishing. The guidebook features over 1500 top investment sources and 1700 service firms for business entrepreneurs -
Corporate Library
The Corporate Library is an independent research firm providing corporate governance data, analysis, and risk assessment tools -
Creative Commons
A nonprofit organization founded by Prof. Lawrence Lessig of Stanford University that provides special copyright license forms and other free tools to enable authors, scientists, artists, and educators to share intellectual property -
Entrepreneur.com
Free access to Entrepreneur magazine articles back to 1998 -
Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB)
Access to FASB Statements of Financial Accounting Standards and other resources -
Findlaw Business Center
Portal with links to articles and guides on starting a business, taxes and accounting, small business legal concerns, and more. Part of West Group -
Garage Technology Ventures
Venture capital fund for emerging technology companies -
GNU
Organization promulgating the development and use of free software and the use of open-source software licenses -
Google Business News
Business news headlines with links to full stories from news organizations around the world -
Google Small Business Center
A directory of small business resources -
Hieros Gamos Small Business Center
Portal with links to topics such as starting a business, choosing a legal structure, and financing -
Hoover’s Online
Subscription-based site with industry snapshots, company profiles, earnings, and other information -
Intellectual Property Law Section of the State Bar of California
Home page with links to standing committees, programs, and publications -
International Franchise Association (IFA)
Trade association promoting responsible franchise development worldwide -
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names
Private agency responsible for global coordination of the Internet's system of unique identifiers, including domain names (such as .com, .org, and country codes such as .fr), as well as addresses used in a variety of Internet protocols -
IP Mall
Website sponsored by Franklin Pierce Law Center, with links to intellectual property resources around the world (including patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, licensing, and technology transfers) -
JAMS
Home page with information about JAMS mediation and arbitration services and a search engine to assist in locating qualified mediators and arbitrators. The website also offers sample dispute resolution causes for commercial contracts -
Jefren Publishing Co.
Subscription service offering proxy statement forms and strategies -
MarketResearch.com
Free database of market research reports representing all market and industry sectors -
NASDAQ
Comprehensive current information on market performance and investments -
National Association of Attorneys General
Association of the attorneys general of all 50 states, with contact information and links to enforcement initiatives -
National Business Association
Nonprofit association's site for the self-employed and small business community -
National Venture Capital Association
Home page with links to members and other resources -
New York Stock Exchange (now NYSE Euronext)
Comprehensive, current information on market performance and investments -
PayChex
Company offering payroll processing, human resources administration and compliance, and employee benefit administration services for small and midsized businesses -
PayPal Merchant Services
Commercial service enabling businesses to accept credit card and other payments securely on websites, by e-mail, or over the telephone -
Reuters
Business and finance news database with reports on business transactions, markets, small businesses, industries, the economy, and other topics -
Safeselling.org
ABA-sponsored resource for business people launching e-commerce enterprises and for businesses venturing into online sales -
Standard & Poor’s
Home page with search engine for public company credit ratings and other features -
The Biz-Tech Network by Brint Institute, LLC
Portal with a meta-index of business, management, and information technology topics; it also provides search capabilities and full text articles on related issues -
The Public Register Online
Free access to annual reports of over 2200 companies. Site also has links to the SEC's Edgar database for filings -
Tripod by Lycos
Portal with tips on starting an online business, yellow pages, and some free and some fee-based services -
U.S. GAAP Information
Comprehensive source of information on generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S. -
Wall Street Journal Online Edition
General business and financial news -
Washburn University School of Law Small Business Portal
Portal with links to a forms library and business and economic data -
Yahoo! Finance
Free company profiles and stock charts for over 9000 public companies -
Yahoo! Small Business
Portal with links to topics such as creating a website, promoting a business, and selling online
Other Useful Links
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AFIP – Association of Finance & Insurance Professionals
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Auto Dealer Monthly Magazine
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Auto Finance News.net
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Auto Spectator.com
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Auto Spies.com
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Auto Week.com
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AutoFinanceInsider.com
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AutoFinanceNews.net
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Automotive Digital Marketing (ADM)
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Automotive News Magazine Online
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Consumer Data Industry Association (CDIA)
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Dealer Business Journal
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Dealer Magazine Online
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DealerRefresh.com
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Detroit Auto News
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Digital Dealer Magazine Online
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F&I Management & Technology Magazine Online
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Motortrend Magazine Online
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Selling Iron – Automotive Social Network
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Special Finance Magazine Online
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Sub Prime News.com
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The Truth About Cars.com
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Top Speed.com
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Wards Auto.com
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Wards Dealer Business Magazine Online
International Sites
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CISG Database at Pace University School of Law, Pace Law Library, Institute of International Commercial Law
Site dedicated to U.N. Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG), with annotated text of CISG, CISG in different languages, cases organized by countries, and related CISG material -
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Secretariat
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World Trade Organization (WTO)
Global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations -
Canadian System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR)
Home page of the Canadian equivalent to the SEC's EDGAR. Provides access to corporate filings of Canadian companies with Canada's securities regulatory authorities -
CURIA
Home page of the courts of the European Communities, with searchable case law and other information -
Electronic Embassy Website
Information on all foreign embassies in Washington, D.C. International Sites -
EUR-Lex
Website providing direct free access to European Union law. Among other things, it includes the Official Journal of the European Union, treaties, legislation, case law, and legislative proposals -
European Franchise Federation (EFF)
Nonprofit international organization that promotes the interests and development of franchising in Europe -
Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCR)
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International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT)
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International Trademark Association (INTA)
INTA is an international nonprofit membership association dedicated to the support and advancement of trademarks and related intellectual property -
NAICS Association
Agency that administers the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), which replaced the old Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system in 1997. NAICS codes are used by statistical agencies in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico to classify businesses for the collection, analysis, and publication of statistical data related to the economy -
United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL)
Home page with links to UNICITRAL texts, including conventions, model laws, guides to enactment, legislative guides, legislative recommendations, and model contract rules. In particular, this website includes the text of the U.N. Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) -
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
A specialized agency of the United Nations, dedicated to developing a balanced and accessible international intellectual property system