What is the UCC? The Uniform Commercial Code UCC , a comprehensive code addressing most aspects of commercial law, is generally viewed as one of the most important developments in American law. The UCC text and draft revisions are written by experts in commercial law and submitted as drafts for approval to the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws referred to as the , in collaboration with the American Law Institute. The Commissioners are all attorneys, qualified to practice law, including state and federal judges, legislators and law professors from throughout the United States and its territories. These quasi-public organizations meet and decide whether to endorse the drafts or to send them back to the experts for revision. The revision process may result in several different revisions of the original draft. Once a draft is endorsed, the Uniform Law Commissioners recommend that the states adopt these rules. The UCC is a model code, so it does not have legal effect in a jurisdiction unless UCC provisions are enacted by the individual state legislatures as statutes. Currently, the UCC in whole or in part has been enacted, with some local variation, in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Article 1 of the Code contains a set of general provisions equally applicable to all subsequent articles. Articles 10 and 11 contain provisions for effective dates, repeals and transitional matters. Besides the text of the Code itself, the Official Comments are almost universally treated as the most authoritative sources in the construction of the Code sections. The PEB Commentary was introduced in 1990. Note that some Commentary may be superseded by later Code amendments. Lastly, a substantial body of case law exists on the UCC. UCC litigation occurs in both federal and state courts, including bankruptcy courts, for matters arising under Article 9. Some Articles are less litigated than others, resulting in limited case law for certain Articles. Primary Source Materials A. Official Code The Goodson Law Library has a number of publications that contain the official UCC text, the Official Comments, and the PEB Commentaries. The following list includes the most widely consulted sources: Uniform Commercial Code: Official Text With Comments. Current edition on Reserve; earlier editions KF890. A447; in HeinOnline American Law Institute Library This publication contains the official text of the Code, as approved by the American Law Institute and the Uniform Law Commissioners. It includes the Official Comments to the Code as well as an unofficial table of cross-references from prior uniform acts to the Code. Some appendices include earlier texts of several Articles, as well as the texts of amendments incorporated into the Code at different times. PEB Commentaries are included in one of the appendices. PEB commentaries are available within the same database. The annual supplement pocket parts contain recent updates and case law; the online version in Westlaw is kept up to date. State UCC Laws When adopting the UCC, states may make revisions to the model code. The Uniform Commercial Code Reporting Service Local Code Variations volume also provides information about state variations in UCC language; this is available in the library KF880. A29 U544 and in the database Uniform Commercial Code Local Code Variations. State variations can also be found at the Legal Information Institute's. This free website is arranged by Article number and offers links to state legislature websites containing the state enacted versions of the UCC. Case Law Uniform Commercial Code Reporting Service: Cases and Commentary. This reporter series, published since 1965 for the 1st series and since 1986 for the 2nd series, includes cases construing sections of the UCC and provides commentary about the cases. The set also includes tables indicating state variations of the UCC and the full text of PEB Commentaries. Uniform Commercial Code Case Digest KF880. This companion set includes a digest that abstracts UCC cases contained in the Uniform Commercial Code Reporting Service and is arranged by UCC section number. UCC Reporter - Digest online in is a digest of UCC decisions in all states, arranged by UCC section with links to the full-text cases. Treatises and Journals ABCs of the UCC library call number varies; also available online in. This American Bar Association series devotes one volume to each Article of the UCC except Article 6. Each book highlights key provisions of the Article and includes useful tips and illustrations. Each book in this series has a different call number, based on the subject of the Article covered. Anderson , Anderson on the Uniform Commercial Code, 3d ed. This multi-volume treatise is arranged by topic. In addition to providing the official text of the UCC, it provides finding aids and extensive cross-references. Pocket parts and supplements update the print version. Hawkland , Uniform Commercial Code Series KF879. It also includes a volume containing state variations on the official Code. Quinn, Quinn's Uniform Commercial Code Commentary and Law Digest, Revised Second Edition KF880. Bradford Stone, Uniform Commercial Code in a Nutshell, 8th ed. This broad overview of the UCC offers an introduction to the Code with a brief history and useful illustrations. White and Robert S. Summers, Uniform Commercial Code, Practitioner Treatise Series, 6th ed. A four-volume set oriented towards practitioners, this treatise is widely quoted and cited by courts. It not only explains the Code, but also suggests how different provisions function and correlate in practice. White and Robert S. Summers, Uniform Commercial Code, 6th ed. As part of the Hornbook Series, this one-volume book is intended for law students as a relatively concise introduction the UCC. The book gives thorough background on Articles 2, 3, and 9, including case annotations to specific provisions of the UCC. Damages Under the Uniform Commercial Code KF836. This two-volume serial is updated annually and provides comprehensive coverage of remedies available under the UCC. Uniform Commercial Code Law Journal v. This journal is a commercial publication dating back to 1968. Historically published annually, it now includes multiple issues per year. Searching for Books and Journals To locate additional books on the UCC, search the. Some treatises are also available in legal research services. In addition to the specific journals mentioned above, general law review journals publish articles on various UCC issues. To search for relevant UCC articles use a database, such as , that indexes thousands of articles. Related Websites This library within the HeinOnline database includes current and historical Official Text and Comments volumes, as well as archival drafts, minutes of PEB meetings, and other project materials. The official website of the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws contains information about UCC drafts and final acts and about state legislation based on the UCC. The site provides summaries of each Article of the UCC and legislative fact sheets on state adoptions of UCC provisions. For many states, it provides links directly to the state statutes. Be sure to check the currency of the linked state statutes as well as the Cornell page.
