How do I get an OpenLaws API key and what authentication method is used?

Visit [**openlaws.us/api**](https://openlaws.us/api/) and click **Get API Access** to register. Once approved, you'll receive a Bearer token. Include it in the Authorization header as `Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN`. The API uses standard Bearer token authentication for all v1 endpoints at `https://api.openlaws.us/api/v1/`.

Can I search statutes across all 50 states simultaneously?

Yes! Use the `search_statutes` tool without specifying a jurisdiction parameter to search all 53 jurisdictions (50 states + DC + Puerto Rico + federal) at once. This is perfect for 50-state surveys. Alternatively, scope your search to a specific jurisdiction by providing its ID (e.g., 'ca' for California, 'ny' for New York, 'us' for federal).

How does citation validation work and what formats are supported?

Use the `validate_citation` tool with any standard legal citation format. The API will identify the original government source, validate the citation accuracy, and flag malformed citations. It supports Bluebook format (e.g., '42 U.S.C. § 1983', '347 U.S. 483 (Brown v. Board)'), state citations for all 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico. This is ideal for validating citations in legal documents, spreadsheets, and databases.

What legal data sources does OpenLaws cover?

OpenLaws covers ~4.3 million tracked sections across 53 jurisdictions with 100% federal statutes and regulations coverage. Data includes: United States Code (USC), Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), all 50 state statutes and regulations, DC and Puerto Rico laws, ~5-6 million case opinions (from Harvard CAP and CourtListener), US Constitution and all 50 state constitutions, and legislative history for federal laws.

OpenLaws MCP Server for AutoGen 14 tools — connect in under 2 minutes

Name: OpenLaws
Availability: InStock
Author: Vinkius

microsoft.github.io/autogen/docs/tools/mcp-tools

Built by Vinkius GDPR 14 Tools Framework

Microsoft AutoGen enables multi-agent conversations where agents negotiate, delegate, and execute tasks collaboratively. Add OpenLaws as an MCP tool provider through Vinkius and every agent in the group can access live data and take action.

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ASK AI ABOUT THIS MCP SERVER

Open in ChatGPT Open in Claude Open in Perplexity

Vinkius supports streamable HTTP and SSE.

python

import asyncio
from autogen_agentchat.agents import AssistantAgent
from autogen_ext.tools.mcp import McpWorkbench

async def main():
    # Your Vinkius token. get it at cloud.vinkius.com
    async with McpWorkbench(
        server_params={"url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"},
        transport="streamable_http",
    ) as workbench:
        tools = await workbench.list_tools()
        agent = AssistantAgent(
            name="openlaws_agent",
            tools=tools,
            system_message=(
                "You help users with OpenLaws. "
                "14 tools available."
            ),
        )
        print(f"Agent ready with {len(tools)} tools")

asyncio.run(main())

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* Every MCP server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS - a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts optimized for native MCP execution. See our infrastructure

About OpenLaws MCP Server

Connect your OpenLaws API account to any AI agent and take full control of legal research, citation validation, and legislative monitoring workflows through natural conversation.

AutoGen enables multi-agent conversations where agents negotiate, delegate, and collaboratively use OpenLaws tools. Connect 14 tools through Vinkius and assign role-based access. a data analyst queries while a reviewer validates, with optional human-in-the-loop approval for sensitive operations.

What you can do

Statute Search — Search federal and state statutes by keyword (BM25) across all 50 states simultaneously, or scope to specific jurisdictions
Regulation Search — Query Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and state regulations with fast keyword search and jurisdiction filtering
Case Law Search — Search ~5-6 million case opinions from Harvard CAP and CourtListener, filtered by jurisdiction, court, or federal circuit
Citation Validation — Validate and identify malformed legal citations, find original government sources for citations across 53 jurisdictions
Constitutional Provisions — Search US Constitution and all 50 state constitutions for specific provisions and amendments
Legislative History — Retrieve historical versions of federal statutes and generate redline comparisons between legislative sessions
Recent Updates — Monitor recent legal updates and changes across jurisdictions for compliance tracking

The OpenLaws MCP Server exposes 14 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to AutoGen in under two minutes — no API keys to rotate, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.

How to Connect OpenLaws to AutoGen via MCP

Follow these steps to integrate the OpenLaws MCP Server with AutoGen.

Install AutoGen

Run pip install "autogen-ext[mcp]"

Replace the token

Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your Vinkius token

Integrate into workflow

Use the agent in your AutoGen multi-agent orchestration

Explore tools

The workbench discovers 14 tools from OpenLaws automatically

Why Use AutoGen with the OpenLaws MCP Server

AutoGen provides unique advantages when paired with OpenLaws through the Model Context Protocol.

Multi-agent conversations: multiple AutoGen agents discuss, delegate, and collaboratively use OpenLaws tools to solve complex tasks

Role-based architecture lets you assign OpenLaws tool access to specific agents. a data analyst queries while a reviewer validates

Human-in-the-loop support: agents can pause for human approval before executing sensitive OpenLaws tool calls

Code execution sandbox: AutoGen agents can write and run code that processes OpenLaws tool responses in an isolated environment

OpenLaws + AutoGen Use Cases

Practical scenarios where AutoGen combined with the OpenLaws MCP Server delivers measurable value.

Collaborative analysis: one agent queries OpenLaws while another validates results and a third generates the final report

Automated review pipelines: a researcher agent fetches data from OpenLaws, a critic agent evaluates quality, and a writer produces the output

Interactive planning: agents negotiate task allocation using OpenLaws data to make informed decisions about resource distribution

Code generation with live data: an AutoGen coder agent writes scripts that process OpenLaws responses in a sandboxed execution environment

OpenLaws MCP Tools for AutoGen (14)

These 14 tools become available when you connect OpenLaws to AutoGen via MCP:

get_caselaw_opinion

Use this to get the complete court opinion after finding it via search_caselaw. The response includes the full opinion text, court details, date, citations, and parties involved. Get a specific case law opinion by its ID

get_constitution

Use this to get the complete provision content after finding it via search_constitutions. The response includes rich text content, article/section information, and amendments history. Get a specific constitution provision by its ID

get_jurisdiction

Use the jurisdiction_id from list_jurisdictions to inspect details before scoping searches. Get details of a specific jurisdiction

get_recent_updates

You can view updates across all jurisdictions or filter to a specific state/federal level. This is useful for compliance monitoring and staying current with legislative changes. Optionally specify jurisdiction ID and limit the number of results. Example: check what changed in California employment law this month, or monitor federal regulatory updates. Get recent legal updates across jurisdictions or in a specific jurisdiction

get_redline_comparison

This shows exactly what changed between legislative sessions or amendment cycles. Currently available for federal laws only (USC). Optionally specify from and to version dates. If not specified, compares the two most recent versions. Use this to understand legislative changes and their impact on compliance requirements. Get redline comparison between two versions of a federal statute

get_regulation

Use this to get the complete regulation content after finding it via search_regulations. The response includes rich text content, citations, and regulatory context. Get a specific regulation by its ID

get_statute

Use this to get the complete statute content after finding it via search_statutes. The response includes rich text content, citations, effective dates, and annotations. Get a specific statute by its ID

get_statute_history

This allows you to see how the law has changed over time. Currently available for federal laws only (USC - United States Code). Use the statute_id from search_statutes to view the legislative history and amendments. Get historical versions of a federal statute

list_jurisdictions

Jurisdictions include federal (US), all 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Each jurisdiction has an ID that can be used to scope searches to specific regions. Use this to discover what jurisdictions are available before searching statutes, regulations, or caselaw. List all available legal jurisdictions in OpenLaws

search_caselaw

Data sourced from Harvard CAP project and CourtListener (~5-6 million cases). You can filter by jurisdiction, specific court, or federal circuit. The query parameter is required. Optionally filter by jurisdiction_id and court name. Results include case opinions, court information, dates, and citations. Example: search for " Fourth Amendment privacy" or "breach of contract" cases. Search case law opinions by keyword

search_constitutions

You can search the US Constitution and all 50 state constitutions simultaneously. The query parameter is required. Optionally filter by jurisdiction ID. Results include constitutional provisions, amendments, and relevant sections. Example: search for "free speech" or "right to privacy" across all constitutions. Search constitutions by keyword across jurisdictions

search_regulations

You can search all jurisdictions simultaneously or scope to a specific region. The query parameter is required and contains the search term. Optionally filter by jurisdiction ID. Results include regulation text, citations, and contextual information. Example: search for "environmental protection" or "workplace safety" regulations. Search regulations by keyword across jurisdictions

search_statutes

You can search all 50 states simultaneously for 50-state surveys, or scope to a specific jurisdiction. The query parameter is required and contains the search term. Optionally filter by jurisdiction ID. Results include statute text, citations, effective dates, and jurisdiction information. Example: search for "data privacy" across all jurisdictions, or "employment" in California only. Search statutes by keyword across jurisdictions

validate_citation

This tool helps identify malformed citations and find the authoritative source document. Supports citations from all 50 states, DC, Puerto Rico, and federal sources. The citation parameter should be a standard legal citation format (e.g., "42 U.S.C. § 1983", "Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483"). Use this to validate citations in legal documents, spreadsheets, or databases before relying on them. Validate a legal citation and find its original source

Example Prompts for OpenLaws in AutoGen

Ready-to-use prompts you can give your AutoGen agent to start working with OpenLaws immediately.

"Search for data privacy statutes across all US states and summarize the key findings."

"Validate these citations: '42 U.S.C. § 1983' and 'Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113' and tell me if they're correct."

"Show me recent legislative updates in California employment law and any changes this month."

Troubleshooting OpenLaws MCP Server with AutoGen

Common issues when connecting OpenLaws to AutoGen through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.

McpWorkbench not found

Install: pip install "autogen-ext[mcp]"

OpenLaws + AutoGen FAQ

Common questions about integrating OpenLaws MCP Server with AutoGen.

How does AutoGen connect to MCP servers?

Create an MCP tool adapter and assign it to one or more agents in the group chat. AutoGen agents can then call OpenLaws tools during their conversation turns.

Can different agents have different MCP tool access?

Yes. AutoGen's role-based architecture lets you assign specific MCP tools to specific agents, so a querying agent has different capabilities than a reviewing agent.