Government Contracts
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Mary Kate Hunter
How to Research Government Contracts
Study Aids
The following study aids may be borrowed from the Reserve Collection at the Law Library's Circulation Desk for up to 2 hours. Older editions may be found in the Law Library stacks. For more study aids in the Law Library's collection, please consult our Study Aids guide.
Principles of Government Contracts by This title is a continuation of the Government Contracts in a Nutshell titles. It provides a basic, general overview of the law of government contracts.
Government Contract Law: The Deskbook for Procurement Professionals by Easy to follow outline of the issues involved in contract formation and contract administration.
(Note: the print version includes additional chapters that are not included in the online version.)
The Government Contracts Reference Book by An A-Z quick-reference guide that provides definitions for more than 1500 terms, phrases, and acronyms used in government procurement. Also includes citations to relevant articles following each definition.
Legal Research Databases
- Westlaw
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Major legal database that contains both primary and secondary sources related to government contracts. Includes unique newsletters including The Nash & Cibinic Report, The Government Contractor, and Briefing Papers. Contains applicable regulations, statutes, administrative and court decisions. - VitalLaw (formerly Cheetah)
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A Wolters Kluwer database that includes a Government Contracts content area. Primary sources include statutes, regulations, administrative and court decisions. Secondary sources include the Nash & Cibinic e-Series books. Also contains a FAR Matrix Smart Chart tool that operates by either provision/clause or contract type. - Lexis
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Major legal database that contains both primary and secondary sources related to government contracts. Contains applicable regulations, statutes, administrative and court decisions.
Deciphering Acronyms and Abbreviations
Commonly Used:
- ASBCA
(Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals)
- CBCA
(Civilian Board of Contract Appeals)
- DFARS
(Department of Defense FAR Supplement)
- FAR
(Federal Acquisition Regulation)
- Fed. Cl.
(United States Court of Federal Claims)
Reference Resources:
- Acronyms and Abbreviations in Government Contracting
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- Prince's Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations: A Reference Guide for Attorneys, Legal Secretaries, Paralegals, and Law Students
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- DAU Glossary of Defense Acquisition Acronyms and Terms
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Bluebook Rules
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R14.2: Rules, Regulations, and Other Publications
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T1.2: Federal Administrative and Executive Material
Interpreting Citations
Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals:
An example of an Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals decision is:
Grumman Aerospace Corp., ASBCA No. 48282, 98-2 BCA ¶ 29,943.
- Grumman Aerospace Corp. = Name
- ASBCA = Bluebook abbreviation for Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals
- No. = Bluebook abbreviation for number
- 48282 = Decision number
- 98-2 = Reporter number (first two numbers indicate year of decision)
- BCA = Bluebook abbreviation for Board of Contract Appeals Decisions
- ¶ 29,943 = Paragraph number of decision
Decisions of the Comptroller General:
Decisions may be published in either the Comptroller General's Procurement Decisions (CPD) or the Decisions of the Comptroller General of the United States (Comp. Gen.). An example of a Comptroller General's Procurement Decisions citation is:
Gemini Industries, Inc., B-281323, 99-1 CPD ¶ 22 (Comp. Gen. Jan. 25, 1999).
- Gemini Industries, Inc. = Protesting party
- B-281424 = Comptroller General file "B" number
- 99-1 = Reporter number (first two numbers indicate year of decision)
- CPD = Bluebook abbreviation for Comptroller General's Procurement Decisions
- ¶ 22 = Paragraph number of decision
- Comp. Gen. = Bluebook abbreviation for Comptroller General
- Jan. 25, 1999 = Date
An example of a Decisions of the Comptroller General of the United States citation is:
Kiewit Western Co., 65 Comp. Gen. 54 (1985).
- Kiewit Wester Co. = Protesting party
- 65 = Reporter volume number
- Comp. Gen. = Bluebook abbreviation for Decisions of the Comptroller General of the United States
- 54 = Page number where decision starts
- 1985 = Year of decision
Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR):
An example of a Federal Acquisition Regulation citation is:
FAR 16.405-2.
- FAR = Federal Acquisition Regulation
- 16 = Part
- 4 = Subpart
- 05 = Section
- 2 = Subsection
To cite to a historical FAR section, include the appropriate year in the parenthetical: FAR 17.109 (2008).
Federal Claims Reporter:
An example of a cite to a decision in the Federal Claims Reporter is:
Areolease Long Beach v. United States, 31 Fed. Cl. 342 (1994).
- 31 = Reporter volume number
- Fed. Cl. = Bluebook abbreviation for Federal Claims Reporter
- 342 = Page number where decision starts
- 1994 = Year of decision