POST /statutes/search for the custom-tool path. The hosted server path needs no direct REST calls from you.
Path A: Hosted Vaquill MCP server
The fastest route is the hosted Vaquill MCP server. Any MCP-compatible client can connect to it and query US statutes and regulations directly, without you writing glue code. The server exposes statute search and retrieval as tools the agent can call, and every result comes back with a citation and a link to the official source.Vaquill MCP server
Connection details, available tools, and setup steps for the hosted MCP server.
Path B: Wrap the REST API as your own tool
When you are building your own tool-calling agent, define asearch_statutes function backed by POST /statutes/search and register it as a tool. The agent decides when to call it, and you return cited results the model can quote.
1
Implement the tool function
The function takes a query and optional scoping, calls search, and returns a compact, citation-first list. Trimming the payload to the fields the model needs keeps token use low.
Python
2
Declare the tool schema
Tool-calling agents need a schema so the model knows when and how to call your function. This shape (a name, a description, and a JSON Schema for parameters) is the common convention across tool-calling frameworks.
Python
3
Run the tool-call loop
When the model asks to call
search_statutes, run the function with its arguments and hand the cited results back. The exact plumbing depends on your framework, but the flow is always the same: read the tool call, dispatch to the function, return the result, let the model compose a grounded answer.Python
4
Keep answers grounded
Instruct the model to cite the
citation field and link the sourceUrl for every legal claim, and to say when the corpus returns no match rather than guessing. This keeps the agent honest and traceable back to official text.Related
Vaquill MCP server
Connect an MCP-compatible client to the hosted server.
Enrich a citation database
Batch-resolve topics into cited, sourced records.
Compare a rule across states
Run one query across several states.
Best practices
Scope queries, cache coverage, and handle errors well.

