OpenLaws MCP Server for Claude Code 14 tools — connect in under 2 minutes
Claude Code is Anthropic's agentic CLI for terminal-first development. Add OpenLaws as an MCP server in one command and Claude Code will discover every tool at runtime. ideal for automation pipelines, CI/CD integration, and headless workflows via Vinkius.
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Vinkius Desktop App
The modern way to manage MCP Servers — no config files, no terminal commands. Install OpenLaws and 2,500+ MCP Servers from a single visual interface.
# Your Vinkius token. get it at cloud.vinkius.com
claude mcp add openlaws --transport http "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
* 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.
Claude Code registers OpenLaws as an MCP server in a single terminal command. Once connected, Claude Code discovers all 14 tools at runtime and can call them headlessly. ideal for CI/CD pipelines, cron jobs, and automated workflows where OpenLaws data drives decisions without human intervention.
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 Claude Code 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 Claude Code via MCP
Follow these steps to integrate the OpenLaws MCP Server with Claude Code.
Install Claude Code
Run npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code if not already installed
Add the MCP Server
Run the command above in your terminal
Verify the connection
Run claude mcp to list connected servers, or type /mcp inside a session
Start using OpenLaws
Ask Claude: "Using OpenLaws, show me...". 14 tools are ready
Why Use Claude Code with the OpenLaws MCP Server
Claude Code provides unique advantages when paired with OpenLaws through the Model Context Protocol.
Single-command setup: `claude mcp add` registers the server instantly. no config files to edit or applications to restart
Terminal-native workflow means MCP tools integrate seamlessly into shell scripts, CI/CD pipelines, and automated DevOps tasks
Claude Code runs headlessly, enabling unattended batch processing using OpenLaws tools in cron jobs or deployment scripts
Built by the same team that created the MCP protocol, ensuring first-class compatibility and the fastest adoption of new protocol features
OpenLaws + Claude Code Use Cases
Practical scenarios where Claude Code combined with the OpenLaws MCP Server delivers measurable value.
CI/CD integration: embed OpenLaws tool calls in your deployment pipeline to validate configurations or fetch secrets before shipping
Headless batch processing: schedule Claude Code to query OpenLaws nightly and generate reports without human intervention
Shell scripting: pipe OpenLaws outputs into other CLI tools for data transformation, filtering, and aggregation
Infrastructure monitoring: run Claude Code in a cron job to query OpenLaws status endpoints and alert on anomalies
OpenLaws MCP Tools for Claude Code (14)
These 14 tools become available when you connect OpenLaws to Claude Code 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 Claude Code
Ready-to-use prompts you can give your Claude Code 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 Claude Code
Common issues when connecting OpenLaws to Claude Code through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.
Command not found: claude
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-codeConnection timeout
OpenLaws + Claude Code FAQ
Common questions about integrating OpenLaws MCP Server with Claude Code.
How do I add an MCP server to Claude Code?
claude mcp add --transport http "" in your terminal. Claude Code registers the server and discovers all tools immediately.Can Claude Code run MCP tools in headless mode?
How do I list all connected MCP servers?
claude mcp in your terminal to see all registered servers and their status, or type /mcp inside an active Claude Code session.Connect OpenLaws with your favorite client
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Connect OpenLaws to Claude Code
Get your token, paste the configuration, and start using 14 tools in under 2 minutes. No API key management needed.