Row of Kansas Reports

Kansas Attorney General Opinions Research Guide

Introduction

The opinions of the Kansas Attorney General are written in response to requests from state agencies and elected officials seeking interpretation and advice on state and federal laws and proposed legislation. The opinions are official statements of the Attorney General issued under his or her authority and are advisory in nature. Because the opinions are advisory, the individuals and agencies who seek opinions are not bound to follow them.

Sources of Current Opinions

Slip Opinions: The Law Library receives current Attorney General opinions in slip form as they become available from the office of the Kansas Attorney General. They are filed by opinion number, which consists of a two digit year and a sequence number (e. g., 87-152). At the end of each calendar year, they are bound in opinion number order.
Washburn Law Library: Reserve KFK 440 .A553

Kansas Attorney General Opinions Online: This website provides the full text of Kansas Attorney General opinions. Coverage begins with opinion 1974-1 (January 4, 1993). Searches include: opinion number, Attorney General, Author, Topic, and Requestor.

LEXIS and WESTLAW: Kansas Attorney General opinions are available on both LEXIS and WESTLAW from 1977 forward. Keyword searching on LEXIS or WESTLAW provides the best available index to Kansas Attorney General Opinions from 1977 forward.

The Kansas Register: Synopses of all Attorney General opinions have been published on a weekly basis and indexed annually by opinion number in the Kansas Register from January 1982 forward.
Washburn Law Library: KFK 36 .K36; 3rd floor (bound volumes). Current volume is located in Reference and Reserve.

Sources of Historic Opinions

Attorney General Opinions prior to 1957

Attorney General Annual and Biennial Reports: A select number of Kansas Attorney General Opinions were incorporated into the 1864 annual report of the Kansas Attorney General. The Office of the Attorney General did not print opinions regularly from 1864 - 1874. The next available opinions are those included in the annual reports from 1876 - 1877, which include selected opinions from January 1875 through 1876. The biennial reports begin with 1878, including some opinions from 1877, and continue through 1959 with the following reports omitted: 1927 - 1928, 1932 - 1938, and 1941 - 1944.
Washburn Law Library Microforms Room: KFK 440 .A552.

  • Reel 1: 1864-1959, Annual & Biennial reports, some opinions.
  • Reel 2: 1961-1970 Annual & Biennial reports, opinions from 1957-1967.
  • Reel 3: 1968-1979 Annual & Biennial reports, opinions

Attorney General Opinions after 1957

Opinions of the Attorney General, volumes I-VIII (selected and edited, 1957-1974): Selected and Edited Opinions of the Attorney General begin with volume l, published in 1961. This volume covers opinions for the 3- year period Jan. 1, 1957 through Dec. 31, 1959. It is not comprehensive. Selected complete opinions were published biennially through 1974.
Washburn Law Library: Stacks, Kansas Room KFK440 .A552

Opinions of the Attorney General, Volume IX - (digests, 1975 - to date): Annual digest volumes begin with volume IX, published in 1976, with synopses of all opinions from Jan. 1, 1975. Each annual volume contains synopses of all opinions with the following information: date and number of the opinion, name and title of the person to whom written, synopsis of the opinion, statutory reference, and the initials of the writer. Indexing follows the heading and chapter arrangement of the Kansas Statutes Annotated (K.S.A.).

The opinions are cross-referenced to the U. S. Code, U. S. and Kansas Constitutions, and the Kansas Statutes in the "Table of Statutes" section of each volume.

Other Collections of Kansas Attorney General Opinions in Topeka

Office of the Kansas Attorney General
Memorial Hall, 120 SW 10th, Topeka, KS 66612. Phone (785) 296-2215.

The Kansas Attorney General's Office has Opinions of the Attorney General, Volume I to date. Complete opinions are bound from 1975, when publication of digests rather than complete opinions commenced in the bound volumes. A card index to KSA title and section is maintained for published Kansas Attorney General Opinions.

Kansas Supreme Court Law Library
Kansas Judicial Center, 301 West 10th, Topeka, KS 66612. Phone (785) 296-3229.

The Supreme Court Law Library has Opinions of the Attorney General, Volume I to date. Slip Opinions have been bound annually from 1975 to date. The Supreme Court Law Library receives Attorney General Opinions from various other states on an exchange basis. Check with the Supreme Court Law Library for status and current holdings.

Kansas State Library
3rd Floor - State Capitol, Topeka, KS 66612. Phone (785) 296-3296.

Kansas State Library has all available published Kansas Attorney General biennial and annual reports in hard copy and the Opinions of the Attorney General, Volume I to date. Slip Opinions are bound annually from 1975 forward.

Kansas State Historical Society Library
6425 SW Sixth Ave., Topeka, KS 66612. Phone (785) 296-4776

The Kansas State Historical Society Library has available published Kansas Attorney General biennial and annual reports in hard copy and the Opinions of the Attorney General from Volume I to date.
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