BANKING LAW RESEARCH: AN OVERVIEW

Ann-Marie Berti
Reference/Faculty Services Librarian
Clinical Assistant Professor
UNC School of Law

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Some General Print Sources

Hazelton, Penny A., “Banking Law”, Specialized Legal Research, 1987 (Leah F. Chanin ed., Little Brown).

Broome, Lissa L. and Markham, Jerry W., The Regulation of Bank Financial Service Activities: Cases and Materials, 2001 (West Group, St. Paul) (updates to the book can be found at http://library.law.unc.edu/bankinglaw/)

Federal Banking Law Reporter(CCH) Multivolume looseleaf set providing comprehensive treatment of federal banking law.  The set includes all banking laws and regulations and many federal agency issuances.

Lovett, William A.  Banking and Financial Institutions Lawin a Nutshell, 2001 (West).  Includes history and overview of the development of banking in the U.S.

Binder-Arian, Laurel, ed.,  Federal Banking Laws, rev. ed. 1994 with supplements (W,G &L).  Compilation of all federal laws and most federal regulations affecting the banking industry.

Michie on Banks and Banking.  Classic text focusing on the analysis of case law.

Federal Agency Websites*

Comptroller of the Currency(http://www.occ.treas.gov)

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) charters, regulates, and supervises all national banks. It also supervises the federal branches and agencies of foreign banks. The website contains the OCC’s latest news releases, banking issuances, employment information,  publications, the Weekly Bulletin of national banks’ corporate applications, Community Reinvestment Act evaluations, the OCC’s organizational directory and forms and software.

Office of Thrift Supervision (http://www.ots.treas.gov)

The OTS is the primary regulator of all federal and many state-chartered thrift  institutions, which include savings banks and savings and loan associations.  The website provides access to speeches and testimony, issuances (including Director’s Orders, Legal Opinions and Regulatory Bulletin Listings), news and other relevant information.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) (http://www.fdic.gov)

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's mission is to maintain the stability of and public confidence in the nation's financial system. To achieve this goal, the FDIC has insured deposits and promoted safe and sound banking practices since 1933.  Website provides information regarding deposit insurance, bank data, regulations and examinations.

National Credit Union Administration (http://www.ncua.gov)

The National Credit Union Administration is an independent federal agency that supervises and insures 6,566 federal credit unions and insures 4,062 state-chartered credit unions.  The website provides general information about credit unions, as well as information about specific credit unions.  News releases, legal opinion letters and other regulatory information is also available.

Federal Trade Commission (http://www.ftc.gov)

The Federal Trade Commission enforces a variety of federal antitrust and consumer protection laws. The Commission seeks to ensure that the nation's markets function competitively, and are vigorous, efficient, and free of undue restrictions. The Commission also works to enhance the smooth operation of the marketplace by eliminating acts or practices that are unfair or deceptive.  In general, the Commission's efforts are directed toward stopping actions that threaten consumers' opportunities to exercise informed choice. Finally, the Commission undertakes economic analysis to support its law enforcement efforts and to contribute to the policy deliberations of the Congress, the Executive Branch, other independent agencies, and state and local governments when requested.  The site contains news releases, speeches, information on consumer protection, business guidance and formal actions, as well as opinions and activities.

Government Printing Office (GPO Access) (http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/index.html)

GPO Access is a service of the U.S. Government Printing Office that provides free electronic access to a wealth of important information products produced by the Federal Government. The information provided on this site is the official, published version.  You can search the U.S. Code, Congressional Record, Congressional Bills, Code of Federal Regulations and the Federal Register.

Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (http://www.ffiec.gov)

The FFIEC is a formal interagency body empowered to prescribe uniform principles standards and report forms for the federal examination of financial institutions by the FRB, FDIC, NCUA, OCC and OTS.  It is also empowered to make recommendations to promote uniformity in the supervision of financial institutions.   The site contains press releases, reports, reporting forms and enforcement actions and orders.

The Federal Reserve's duties fall into four general areas: (1) conducting the nation's monetary policy; (2) supervising and regulating banking institutions and  protecting the credit rights of consumers; (3) maintaining the stability of the financial system; and (4) providing certain financial services to the U.S. government, the public, financial institutions, and foreign official institutions.  The site provides access to press releases, testimony and speeches, reporting and community affairs information.

Individual Federal Reserve District Websites:

Federal Reserve Bank of Boston  (http://www.bos.frb.org)

Federal Reserve Bank of New York (http://www.newyorkfed.org)

Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia (http://www.phil.frb.org)

Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland (http://www.clev.frb.org)

Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond (http://www.rich.frb.org) 

Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta (http://www.frbatlanta.org)

Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago (http://www.chicagofed.org)

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (http://www.stls.frb.org)

Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis (http://www.minneapolisfed.org)

Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City (http://www.kc.frb.org)

Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas (http://www.dallasfed.org)

Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco (http://www.frbsf.org)

*Agency description are often taken directly from the agency website.

American Bankers Association (http://www.aba.com/default.htm)

Site offers association news, on-line surveys, links to sites of interest, full-text articles from the association journal and services to members.

Bank Marketing Association (http://www.aba.com/MarketingNetwork/default.htm)

Affiliated with the American Bankers Association, the Bank Marketing Association marketing assistance and education to its members.

Conference of Bank Supervisors (http://www.csbs.org/)

This site offers links to banking related primary and secondary sources, news on the banking industry, a membership directory and information about publications.

Independent Community Bankers of America (http://www.ibaa.org)

An organization for independently owned and operated community banks.  The site features legislative and regulatory news.

General Banking Law Sites

Cornell Legal Information Institute –Banking Law (http://www.law.cornell.edu/topics/banking.html)

Site contains a brief overview on banking law, as well as links to statutes and cases law.

A site that offers links to primary and secondary banking law sources.

This site contains links to primary and secondary sources.  Also contains information on foreign banking law.