University Library

Find a Court Case

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The library subscribes to two major legal databases: Westlaw Campus and LexisNexis Academic. Both are available to anyone using the UCSC libraries, or to UCSC faculty, students, and staff through the campus network or via Off-Campus Access .

WHEN YOU KNOW THE NAME OF THE CASE
Westlaw Campus
  • Use FIND section on left frame to enter party names into search box
 LexisNexis Academic>Legal>Cases
  • Enter party names in "Case Name"

If you only have part of the name/title:

Westlaw Campus

  • Enter: TI ( party name ) into the search box; Ex: TI (Roe)
  • You can restrict the search to Federal or State courts using the check boxes under the "Cases" heading.

LexisNexis Academic>Legal>Cases

  • Enter known party name into the first "Case Name" search box
  • You can restrict the search to Federal or State courts using the "Sources" pull-down menu.

In print at the library:

  • McHenry library has only US Supreme Court cases available in print.
  • United States Supreme Court Digest: Ref Law KF 101.1 U5

Tip: Use the "Table of Cases" in volumes 14 & 15
 

Lower Court Cases:

  • Cases tried in lower courts (i.e. Superior Court) are NOT published. However, you can contact the court clerks for information on obtaining case documents.
  • Many courts produce online indexes of their cases and some larger courts may make scanned case documents available online. See this directory of lower court websites in California .
WHEN YOU HAVE A CITATION

Legal citations to court cases are always given in this form: volume number - source abbreviation - page number. Therefore, 410 US 113 refers to volume 410 of United States Reports, page 113.

Westlaw Campus
  • Use FIND section on left frame to "Find a document by citation"
 LexisNexis Academic>Legal>Cases
  • Enter citation into "Citation Number" search box


In print at McHenry Library:

United States Supreme Court: Coverage: 1754 to present
Abbrev
Title
Coverage
Call Number
S.Ct. Supreme Court Reporter (West's) v.106 (1882)+ Mc H Ref Law KF101.S9
L.Ed. U.S. Supreme Court Reports, Lawyers Edition v.1(1754)-26(1882) McH Ref Law KF101.A25
U.S. United States Reports (Official) v.371(1962)+ McH Ref Law KF101.A2


DETERMINE IF THE CASE IS STILL VALID LAW

Once you have found a case using the case name or the citation:

Westlaw Campus

Check status of Federal, State, and some Administrative decisions

  • Use KeyCite in the left navigation bar to view the case history or citing references

Tip: In addition to providing a history and analyses, the citing references include law review articles, treatises, statutes, and court documents that cite the case or include it in the annotations.

LexisNexis Academic>Legal>Cases

FEDERAL COURT CASES ONLY

  • Click on the Shepard's® symbol in the top banner of the case
    • OR
  • Select "Shepard's® Citations" in the left navigation bar
  • Enter the citation and click "Check"

Tip: In addition to providing a history and analyses, the citing references include law review articles, treatises, statutes, and court documents that cite the case or include it in the annotations.


LEGAL ENCYCLOPEDIAS THAT PROVIDE CASES BY TOPIC

Each of these sources describes, summarizes and analyzes the law and provides citations to cases and law review articles. They are useful for gaining a general overview of a topic as well as an understanding of sensitive, controversial, or incongruous decisions.

Use the Index volumes to locate your topic:

American Jurisprudence (Am Jur):
—Describes and provides overview of federal law

  

Westlaw Campus

American Law Reports (ALR):
—Analyzes cases with similar fact patterns

  

Westlaw Campus

California Jurisprudence (Cal Jur):
—Describes and provides overview of California Law

   McH Ref Law KFC 80 .C29
Note: These sources may provide more cases than you need. However, read the introduction to your topic to gain an overview of the subject.


RELATED RESOURCES
  • A Practical Companion To The Constitution :
    how the supreme court has ruled on issues from abortion to zoning.
  
McH Ref LawKF 4548 .L54 1999
  • Oxford Guide to United States Supreme Court decisions.
   McH Ref KF 4548 .O97 1999 or online
  • Bieber's Dictionary of Legal Citations:
    reference guide for attorneys, legal secretaries, paralegals, and law students.
   McH Ref Desk KF246 .P73 2001
  • Guide to the U.S. Supreme Court
    (Table of Cases in vol. 2)
   McH Ref JK 1571 .C65 2004

FIND PERIODICAL ARTICLES AND BOOKS

Law reviews present scholarly discussions of legal issues and always cite court cases. Use Westlaw Campus, LexisNexis Academic or Academic Search Complete:

Westlaw Campus:
Note: if you are unsure of correct legal terms for your topic, use the Natural Language search (default setting)

  1. Enter your search terms ex: Miranda warning
  2. Select the Journals and Law Reviews database.
  3. Scroll down to "All Journals and Law Reviews" Click "Search"


LexisNexis Academic

  1. Legal News: Select News, then enter your search terms into the search box, pull down the Sources menu to "Legal News Group File ".
    Find recent information about a case or topic
  2. Law Reviews: Select Legal, then enter your search terms and click "Search" (the default search is in Law Reviews)
    Find scholarly interpretations of cases and analysis of topics and issues raised in cases. Law reviews cite numerous court cases to support their points.


Academic Search Complete

  1. Type in words or terms that describe your topic. Ex: "abortion cases"
  2. Select at least one article that looks best and view the abstract or text
  3. Select the "Find More Like This" option
  4. Click on a Subject Term to narrow down the topic


Find books in CRUZCAT: (cruzcat.ucsc.edu)

  1. Do a subject search adding "cases" at the end of the subject heading
    i.e. "abortion cases" or add on "law and legislation," i.e."abortion law and legislation"
  2. If you don't find enough, do this as a "Keyword" search instead. Separate your key words using AND.

 
FREE PUBLIC ACCESS RESOURCES
Federal Courts & Case Law

FedWorld- FLITE:
Full text of Supreme Court decisions issued between 1937 and 1975
Oyez: U.S. Supreme Court Media:
Audio of oral arguments back to 1955 and unofficial transcripts back to 1979
Supreme Court of the United States
 
US Court of Appeals Cases & Opinions
Full text of circuit court opinions from 1970 to current. From Justia.com
Administrative Decisions & Other Actions
Links to administrative decisions by agency/subject; from the Univ. of Virginia
PACER: Public Access to Court Electronic Records
Case and docket information for Federal Appellate, District and Bankruptcy courts (some access may require a fee); from the Administrative Office of the US Courts

State Courts & Case Law

California Supreme Court & Court of Appeal Opinions
1850 (limited) to current
Legal Opinions of the Attorney General
1986 to current
Lower Court Cases
Cases tried in lower courts (i.e. Superior Court) are NOT published. However, you can contact the court clerks for information on obtaining case documents. Many courts produce online indexes of their cases and some larger courts may make scanned case documents available online. See this directory of lower court websites in California .