Detailed guide to how to find, read and understand dockets from the Harvard Law School's Cyberlaw Clinic.
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Docket Coverage Information
Library access is on site only. Anyone can sign up online for a personal account.Much of PACER's content is also available via BloombergLaw or CourtLink
Access via HarvardKey.
Full-text, page image collection of documents from U.S. Supreme Court cases, covering 1832-1978. Search by keyword, author (counsel or organization), case name, court term year and document filing date, and U.S. Reports citation. U.S. Supreme Court Records and Briefs is derived from the collections of the Jenkins Memorial Law Library in Philadelphia and Library of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York. Document types include Appellant’s Brief; Appellee’s Brief; Application for Review; Application for Writ; Brief in Opposition; Brief of Real Party; Intervenor’s Brief; Jurisdictional Statement; Letter Brief; Opposition for Review; Oral Transcript; Petition; Petition for Rehearing; Petitioner’s Brief; Petition for Writ of Certiorari; Relator’s Brief; Supplement to Petition; and Transcript. 1832-1978
Through early 2025, the Harvard Law School Library is providing trial access to current HLS affiliates to Docket Alarm, Lex Machina and Trellis.
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For HLS affiliates only. Individual login required. Registration instructions below. Docket Alarm provides analytics of docket entries, docket metadata, and underlying pleadings to provide legal insights about lawsuits. It also allows for full-text searching across millions of lawsuits, find motions, briefs, and opinions across hundreds of courts. The platform automatically updates litigation activity for federal, bankruptcy, state, and intellectual property specialty courts and law agencies.
For HLS affiliates only. Individual Lexis login required. Access in Lexis via the product switcher. Lexis registration instructions at LexisNexis Accounts & Policies. Lex Machina is a legal analytics platform offering data-driven insights into litigation, aiding legal professionals in case assessment, litigation strategy, and competitive intelligence. The platform provides information on judges, parties, law firms, and case outcomes, facilitating informed decision-making in the legal industry.
Access is available to current HLS affiliates and controlled by HarvardKey. Access instructions below. Trellis.law facilitates comprehensive research by allowing users to search court dockets and filings from state trial court systems across the US, while also offering AI-powered insights on judges, opposing counsel, past motions, and case outcomes.
These databases can provide a good starting point for your search, but coverage varies from case to case.
You may need to check multiple sources to collect a complete set of documents for a given Supreme Court case.
Access via HarvardKey.
Comprehensive collection of all Supreme Court documents associated with cases from 1933-present, including full opinions from Supreme Court argued cases: per curiam decisions; dockets; oral arguments; joint appendices; and amicus briefs. Database also includes petitions and briefs from paid cases from 1975 onward in which a petition for a writ of certiorari was denied. Also includes links from case-specific records to Legislative Insight and Regulatory Insight.
1930-present (selected)
Selected coverage begins with 1930 (Briefs), 1985 (Petitions), & 1982 (Joint Appendices)
Access via HarvardKey.
Full-text, page image collection of documents from U.S. Supreme Court cases, covering 1832-1978. Search by keyword, author (counsel or organization), case name, court term year and document filing date, and U.S. Reports citation. U.S. Supreme Court Records and Briefs is derived from the collections of the Jenkins Memorial Law Library in Philadelphia and Library of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York. Document types include Appellant’s Brief; Appellee’s Brief; Application for Review; Application for Writ; Brief in Opposition; Brief of Real Party; Intervenor’s Brief; Jurisdictional Statement; Letter Brief; Opposition for Review; Oral Transcript; Petition; Petition for Rehearing; Petitioner’s Brief; Petition for Writ of Certiorari; Relator’s Brief; Supplement to Petition; and Transcript. 1832-1978
Too new? It can take time for new briefs to show up in databases. Try searching newspapers, blogs & advocacy group websites to see if anyone has posted the briefs online.
1914 (235 U.S.) - present
Contents: Briefs, records and appendices from those cases that received a full opinion from the Court.
Organized by docket number.
Location: Microform Room Drawers 907-941
National Archives catalog record. Includes scanned case files for 1792-1831 plus selected notable historical cases.
Sort items by title and scroll down to "Inclusive Case Numbers" to find the digitized microfilm set.
Digitized card index by case name. Use to identify case number for use with the online & microform versions of the Appellate Case Files
1792-1831 (volumes 2-33 U.S. Reports)
Location: Microform Room Drawers 877-878
Include transcripts of records from lower courts, petitions for writs of error or certiorari, exhibits, depositions, motions orders, correspondence, and a few briefs. Cases are arranged in docket number order.
1789-1800
Primary documents from the early years of the Court
Includes case documents from 1790-1800 and from early suits against the states.
Also in print.
1832-1915 (volumes 31-241 U.S. Reports)
Location: Microform Room Drawers 879-890
Contents: This microfilm set includes both cases receiving a full opinion and those denied certiorari by the Court.
1832-1871: Arranged by docket number
1871-1915: Arranged by U.S. Reports cite
1792 to 2006 (very selective)
Location: Reading Room KF 101.8 .K87
Contents: Extremely selective, this print set contains the briefs for only four or five notable U.S. Supreme Court cases per term.
Contents: Joint appendices are not included. For the earliest cases, only a summary of the oral arguments is given; later cases have more complete records and briefs. The names of the cases included appear on each volume's spine for easy reference.
ISBN: 1280831014 Publication Date: 2001In public, Supreme Court Justices are not known for their candor while ruling upon a case. In private, however, a few days after hearing oral arguments, before deciding upon the case, the Justices openly discuss their views in what is known as the "Conference." Here, for the first time, are the transcriptions of those conference notes-taken by the Justices themselves-to more than two hundred landmark cases from 1945 to 1985, including such landmark decisions on civil rights, abortion, privacy, and Presidential power. The Supreme Court in Conference is the first book to presents the notes to the conference meetings-so private that only the Justices are present-with annotations and introductions by Del Dickson. Two lengthy essays on the conference notes put them into perspective and draw out the some of the patterns, tendencies, and personalities. Volume I covers cases involving the separation of powers and federalism, including such areas as Congressional authority, the Presidenvy, and foreign affairs. Volume II covers cases in civil rights and liberties: free speech, free press, religion, equal protection, privacy, reproductive rights, affirmative action, and many more.; The full transcriptions are accompoanied with full notes, and citations. There is an extensive bibliography and index. he Supreme Court in Conference will become an essential reference work for scholars, lawyers, law students and the interested lay person.
The Harvard Law School Library has a collection of bound printed records and briefs of the U.S. Supreme court.
Coverage:
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Selected volumes of the Harvard Law Library's print set of Records and Briefs digitized by Google. This project is still in progress and not all volumes have been digitized. See the linked spreadsheet for links and descriptions
1881-1977 (volumes 105-433 U.S. Reports)
Location: Harvard Depository (Consult reference for help with retrieval)
Contents: This large but incomplete print collection provides extensive coverage of records and briefs of cases before the Court and is not limited to cases receiving a full opinion. Some of these volumes were digitized as part of the Google Books project (http://books.google.com)
Scanned by the National Archives. This series of engrossed dockets contains entries for cases that came before the Court, with the exception of cases in original jurisdiction,1829-1905, which are recorded only in the rough dockets.
Searchable docket. Includes current and prior term January 2000-present 1790-1950Access is limited to the Harvard Law School community. Register for an Academic Account using your HLS email address. Please contact Research Services for further assistance.
Bloomberg Law provides access to all US primary laws, docket materials, directories, news, proprietary research reports, some foreign law materials, SEC filings, model forms and contracts, and more. See Bloomberg Law Accounts & Policies for more information.
Docket Coverage Information
Scanned by the National Archives. This series consists of the proceedings of the U.S. Supreme Court, showing dates of sessions, and names of members and officials of the Court who were present. The records concern the swearing in of new members and officials, the adoption of rules, the argument of cases by counsel, the submission of the Court in individual cases, and other activities of the Court. Also included are memorial proceedings for deceased justices and other prominent men.
Current term, selected: Petitions We're Watching contains the petitions on the current Supreme Court’s docket that the editor of SCOTUS blog believes has a reasonable chance of being granted.
1985-presentYears Covered: 1990 to present (selective)
Contents: Petitions for writs of certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court and related documents, such as briefs in opposition and support of the petitions and amicus briefs. Selected coverage begins in 1990 for granted petitions and 1995 for denied petitions. Plain text. (Westlaw password required.)