OpenLaws MCP Server for VS Code Copilot 14 tools — connect in under 2 minutes
GitHub Copilot in VS Code is the most widely adopted AI coding assistant, embedded directly into the world's most popular code editor. With MCP support in Agent mode, Copilot can access external data and APIs to generate context-aware code grounded in real-time information.
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{
"mcpServers": {
"openlaws": {
"url": "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.
GitHub Copilot Agent mode brings OpenLaws data directly into your VS Code workflow. With a project-scoped config, the entire team shares access to 14 tools. Copilot queries live data, generates typed code, and writes tests from actual API responses, all without leaving the editor.
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 VS Code Copilot 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 VS Code Copilot via MCP
Follow these steps to integrate the OpenLaws MCP Server with VS Code Copilot.
Create MCP config
Create a .vscode/mcp.json file in your project root
Add the server config
Paste the JSON configuration above
Enable Agent mode
Open GitHub Copilot Chat and switch to Agent mode using the dropdown
Start using OpenLaws
Ask Copilot: "Using OpenLaws, help me...". 14 tools available
Why Use VS Code Copilot with the OpenLaws MCP Server
GitHub Copilot for Visual Studio Code provides unique advantages when paired with OpenLaws through the Model Context Protocol.
VS Code is used by over 70% of developers. adding MCP tools to Copilot means your team can leverage external data without leaving their primary editor
Project-scoped MCP configs (`.vscode/mcp.json`) let you commit server configurations to your repository, ensuring the entire team shares the same tool access
Copilot's Agent mode integrates MCP tools seamlessly with file editing, terminal commands, and workspace search in a single agentic loop
GitHub's enterprise compliance and audit features extend to MCP tool usage, providing visibility into how AI interacts with external services
OpenLaws + VS Code Copilot Use Cases
Practical scenarios where VS Code Copilot combined with the OpenLaws MCP Server delivers measurable value.
Live API integration: Copilot can query an MCP server, inspect the response schema, and generate typed API client code in the same step
DevSecOps workflows: security teams can give developers access to domain intelligence tools directly in their editor for real-time vulnerability assessment during code review
Data pipeline development: Copilot fetches sample data via MCP and generates transformation scripts, validators, and test fixtures from actual API responses
Documentation generation: Copilot queries available tools and auto-generates README sections, API reference docs, and usage examples
OpenLaws MCP Tools for VS Code Copilot (14)
These 14 tools become available when you connect OpenLaws to VS Code Copilot 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 VS Code Copilot
Ready-to-use prompts you can give your VS Code Copilot 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 VS Code Copilot
Common issues when connecting OpenLaws to VS Code Copilot through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.
MCP tools not available
OpenLaws + VS Code Copilot FAQ
Common questions about integrating OpenLaws MCP Server with VS Code Copilot.
Which VS Code version supports MCP?
How do I switch to Agent mode?
Can I restrict which MCP tools Copilot can access?
Does MCP work in VS Code Remote or Codespaces?
.vscode/mcp.json work in Remote SSH, WSL, and GitHub Codespaces environments. The MCP connection is established from the remote host, so ensure the server URL is accessible from that environment.Connect OpenLaws with your favorite client
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Connect OpenLaws to VS Code Copilot
Get your token, paste the configuration, and start using 14 tools in under 2 minutes. No API key management needed.