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Return to Research Portals and Guides
Sources of Information for the U.S. Supreme Court
Comprehensive Resources:
United States Supreme Court Website — http://www.supremecourtus.gov/
Schedule and calendar, docket, argument calendars, oral argument transcripts, opinions.
U.S. Law Week, Supreme Court — The printed copies are easiest to scan. Each issue has a Subject Matter Summary section that includes the current cases granted cert with their summary and questions presented. Vol. 78 No. 3 has a list of the cases carried over and awaiting argument from the previous term, including summaries and principal questions presented by the case. Early issues of each volume have statistics, charts, and reviews of the previous term. Available on reserve in the law library, KF 175 U5 Sup. Ct.
Supreme Court Today, the online version of U.S. Law Week, Supreme Court, is available to researchers using law-library computers or logged in to the law-school network. ASU law students, staff and faculty can obtain a password for off-campus access from a reference librarian or by logging in to this page. Browse opinions or case summaries by case name, docket number, date filed, status, or topic. The Journal of Proceedings, Argument Schedule, summaries of oral arguments, and reviews and previews of each term are also available. Supreme Court Today is also available on Westlaw and LexisNexis for ASU law students, staff and faculty with passwords.
Opinions:
Free Internet Sources:
United States Supreme Court Website — http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/opinions.html
Contains slip opinions from the 2004-2005 term to the present plus full text of all bound volumes since 1991. New opinions are usually available within hours of when they are announced and are in PDF format.
Findlaw's Supreme Court Center — http://www.findlaw.com/casecode/supreme.html
This site has Supreme Court opinions from the 1999-2000 term to the present. Opinions are usually posted within a day of the opinion's announcement.
Justia's US Supreme Court Center — http://supreme.justia.com/
Includes U.S. Supreme Court cases beginning with vol. 1 of U.S. Reports. Search by citation, party name, or words or phrases in the opinion; browse by volume or year. Also includes links to oral arguments and many other helpful web resources.
Subscription Sources:
LexisNexis — U.S. Supreme Court Cases, Lawyers' Edition (password required)
Contains Supreme Court Cases from 1790 to the present. Opinions are available usually within hours after the opinion is announced.
Westlaw — All U.S. Supreme Court Cases (SCT) (password required)
Coverage begins with 1790. Opinions are available within hours after the opinion is announced.
Supreme Court Today — see description and access instructions at top of this page.
Briefs:
Free Internet Sources:
Findlaw's Supreme Court Center — http://supreme.lp.findlaw.com/supreme_court/briefs/index.html
This free website includes petitioner, respondent, reply, and amicus briefs in PDF and text format. Coverage begins with the 1990-2000 term. This source is not comprehensive. Not all briefs are available.
The Curiae Project — http://curiae.law.yale.edu/
This project of the Yale Lillian Goldman Law Library makes selected records and briefs from important historical and constitutional law cases available free of charge.
Subscription Sources:
LexisNexis — U.S. Supreme Court Briefs (password required)
This database includes petitioner, respondent, reply, and amicus briefs from January 1979.
Westlaw — U.S. Supreme Court Briefs (SCT-BRIEF) (password required)
This database includes petitioner, respondent, reply, and amicus briefs. Merit Briefs are available from the 1990-1991 Term. Amicus briefs are available from 1995-1996 term.
Law Library — Records and briefs from 1832 to the present are on microfiche in cabinets 37–42.
Oral Arguments:
Free Internet Resources:
United States Supreme Court Website — http://www.supremecourtus.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts.html
Transcripts are available from the 2000-2001 term to the present. Transcripts are posted on the same day as the argument.
OYEZ: U.S. Supreme Court Case Summaries, Oral Arguments & Multimedia — http://www.oyez.org/
Audio recordings and transcripts of selected cases back to 1955 and most cases since 1979.
Subscription Websites:
LexisNexis — United States Supreme Court Transcripts (password required)
Oral Argument transcripts from Alderson Reporting Company. Transcripts are available approximately 15 days after the oral argument. Transcripts are available from 1979 to present.
Westlaw — Transcripts of U.S. Supreme Court Oral Arguments (SCT-ORALARG) (password required)
Westlaw purchases Oral Argument transcripts from Alderson Reporting Company. Transcripts are available approximately 15 days after the oral argument. Transcripts are available from the 1990-1991 term to the present.
Summaries of Cases in which Cert. Granted:
Findlaw's Supreme Court Center — http://supreme.lp.findlaw.com/supreme_court/resources.html
In addition to other Supreme Court information, the link CASE INDEX has cases to be heard organized by subject.
U.S. Law Week, Supreme Court and Supreme Court Today — see description and access instructions at top of this page.
Preview of the United States Supreme Court Cases — published by the ABA. In reserve periodicals K16 R42. Concise analysis of all cases given plenary review by the court. This is available for ASU law students, staff and faculty with passwords on Westlaw and LexisNexis, but the most current issues are often slow in getting on; check the library copy.
On the Docket — http://otd.oyez.org/
This news clearinghouse is part of the Oyez Project. It includes coverage of upcoming and recently decided cases, Court News, and a Supreme Court Calendar. You can also browse cases by term beginning with the 1998 term.
Cornell University Law School's Legal Information Institute — Supreme Court Collection
Includes decisions, orders, previews, and status information.
News:
Washington Post — U.S. Supreme Court Coverage
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/nation/special/1/index.html.
New York Times — U.S. Supreme Court
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/s/supreme_court/.
WSJ.com Law Blog: Supreme Court
http://blogs.wsj.com/law/category/supreme-court/
OYEZ — U.S. Supreme Court Case Summaries, Oral Arguments & Multimedia
http://www.oyez.org/.
ScotusWiki
http://www.scotuswiki.com/.
By Marianne Alcorn; updated 10/08. Friendly URL: http://www.law.asu.edu/USsupremecourt.
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