Additional Resources

There are many resources with information about how to locate print, microform, and online sources of federal appellate court records and briefs, as well as transcripts or recordings of oral arguments. Please find some of these resources listed below.

Many law libraries, including court and academic law libraries, maintain collections of federal and state appellate court records and briefs in the jurisdiction where they are located. Items in these collections may be available through interlibrary loan or a document delivery service. The resources below provide more information about these collections (the title links to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog).

A Union List of Appellate Court Records and Briefs by Michael Whiteman and Peter Scott Campbell
Call Number: KF105.9 .W49 2017
ISBN: 9780837740652
Published/Created: 2017
This book contains information on libraries that collect records and briefs (in print and microform) from the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals, state final appellate courts and state intermediate appellate courts.

There are many online resources with information about how to locate print, microform, and online sources of federal appellate court records and briefs as well as transcripts or recordings of oral arguments.

National Archives Court Records (NARA)
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) holds records of federal circuit and district courts and select territorial courts, covering more than 200 years of proceedings. Court records less than 15 years old are not held by NARA and are still in the possession of individual courts. The webpage describes how to locate and order copies of these court records from the Federal Records Centers, within NARA.
NARA: Records of the United States Courts of Appeals
NARA maintains the official Records of the United States Courts of Appeals (1891-1995) in Record Group 276.
NARA: Records of the United States District Courts
NARA maintains the official Records of the United States District Courts (1685-1993) in Record Group 21.
Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER)
This fee-based electronic public access service is provided by the Administrative Office of the United States Courts. Researchers can use PACER to obtain case filings (court documents) and docket information from federal appellate, district, and bankruptcy courts. Documents may be available in full text. Coverage varies by court. This website includes information on registering for a personal account and costs associated with PACER.
CourtListener (Oral Arguments)
Provides free audio of oral arguments from all thirteen United States Courts of Appeals. Coverage varies. New arguments added daily.
U.S. Supreme Court Records and Briefs
This online guide describes the Law Library of Congress' collection of records and briefs from the U.S. Supreme Court. The Library is one of nine libraries serving as depositories of printed records and briefs. The guide also includes information on other print and online resources available for researchers.

Subscription resources marked with a padlock are available to researchers on-site at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C.. If you are unable to visit the Library, you may be able to access these resources through your local public or academic library.

Bloomberg Law (Patron Access) External This link opens in a new window
This database contains court dockets and select full-text court documents from the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Courts of Appeals, the U.S. District Courts, specialty courts (e.g., U.S. Court of Federal Claims), state courts, and select international courts. Access is restricted to on-site Law Library of Congress researchers.
Making of Modern Law: Landmark Records and Briefs of the U.S. Courts of Appeals, Part 12: 1891-1950 External This link opens in a new window
This digital collection contains records and briefs from all federal Circuits, between 1891-1950. Access limited to on-site Library of Congress researchers.
Making of Modern Law: Trials 1600-1926 External This link opens in a new window
The U.S. Courts of Appeals were created in 1891. Some select early court documents may be found in this collection. To determine if any documents are available for a particular case, try searching with information such as the name of the court, a party name, and a docket number. Access limited to on-site Library of Congress researchers.

U.S. Federal Appellate Courts: Records and Briefs

Additional Resources