Google today launched Google U.S. Government Search, a tool designed to make it easier to find government information and keep up to date on government news. Although called “U.S. Government Search,” it searches many state and local government sites as well. As its FAQ says:

“The Google U.S. Government Search index includes U.S. federal, state and local sites with domains such as .gov, .mil as well as select government sites with .com, .us, and .edu domains (eg. .usps.com, .ca.us and ndu.edu).”

It also includes government-related news with content from government and commercial news sources, including the White House, Department of Defense, The Washington Post and Google News.

Users can customize the layout of the Google U.S. Government Search page and add content to the site from a searchable directory that includes information on government and general topics such as sports, business and technology. For example, you can add Supreme Court decisions via the Legal Information Institute. You can add news from other sites using RSS feeds.

Photo of Bob Ambrogi Bob Ambrogi

Bob is a lawyer, veteran legal journalist, and award-winning blogger and podcaster. In 2011, he was named to the inaugural Fastcase 50, honoring “the law’s smartest, most courageous innovators, techies, visionaries and leaders.” Earlier in his career, he was editor-in-chief of several legal publications, including The National Law Journal, and editorial director of ALM’s Litigation Services Division.