Judicial Branch

Carol M. Highsmith, photographer. *U.S. Supreme Court building, Washington, D.C.* [Between 1980 and 2006]. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.

The federal judiciary currently consists of the Supreme Court of the United States, 13 U.S. Courts of Appeals (intermediate appellate level), 94 U.S. District Courts (trial level), and 91 Bankruptcy Courts. The U.S. Congress created several Article I, or legislative, courts including the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, and the U.S. Tax Court.

The following links to government and non-government websites provide access to free online legal resources related to the judicial branch of the United States government.

About Federal Courts
(Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts)
History of the Federal Judiciary
(Federal Judicial Center)
Judicial Branch of the U.S. Government
(USA.gov)
Understanding the Federal Courts [PDF]
(Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts)

Federal Court Opinions

U.S. Reports
(U.S. Supreme Court)
Vols. 502 - 577, 1991 - 2014
Slip Opinions
(U.S. Supreme Court)
2014 - current
U.S. Reports
(Law Library of Congress)
Vols.1 - 570, 1754 - 2013
Supreme Court: Most Recent Decisions External
(Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School)
1990 - current
Supreme Court: Opinions External
(Court Listener)
1759 - current
Supreme Court: Opinions External
(Findlaw)
1760 - current

U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit: Opinions
(U.S. Courts)
1992 - current
Jurisdictions: Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico, and Rhode Island
U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit: Opinions
(govinfo)
2001 - current
U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit: Opinions
(U.S. Courts)
2007 - current
Jurisdictions: Connecticut, New York, and Vermont
U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit: Opinions
(govinfo)
2010 - current
U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit: Opinions
(U.S. Courts)
Jurisdictions: Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the Virgin Islands
U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit: Opinions
(govinfo)
2008 - current
U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit: Opinions
(Villanova University)
1994 - current
U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit: Opinions
(U.S. Courts)
1996 - current
Jurisdictions: Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia
U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit: Opinions
(govinfo)
2005 - current
U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit: Opinions
(U.S. Courts)
1992 - current
Jurisdictions: Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and, previously, the U.S. Canal Zone
U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit: Opinions
(govinfo)
1995, 1999, 2003 - current
U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit: Opinions
(U.S. Courts)
2000 - current
Jurisdictions: Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee
U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Cicuit: Opinions
(govinfo)
1997, 2002 - current
U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit: Opinions
(U.S. Courts)
1987 - current
Jurisdictions: Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin
U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit: Opinions
(govinfo)
2005 - current
U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit: Opinions
(U.S. Courts)
1995 - current
Jurisdictions: Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota
U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit: Opinions
(govinfo)
2001 - current
U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit: Opinions
(U.S. Courts)
2005 - current
Jurisdictions: Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Guam, and the North Mariana Islands
U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit: Opinions
(govinfo)
1993, 1995, 1997-1998, 2000, 2002 - current
U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit: Opinions
(U.S. Courts)
1995 - current
Jurisdictions: Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming
U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit: Opinions
(govinfo)
1988-1997, 2001 - current
U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit: Opinions
(U.S. Courts)
1995 - current
Jurisdictions: Alabama, Florida, and Georgia
U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit: Opinions
(govinfo)
2010 - current
U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit: Opinions
(U.S. Courts)
1997 - current
Jurisdictions: District of Columbia, administrative agency decisions, and rulemaking of many federal agencies of the United States government.
U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit: Opinions
(govinfo)
1993 - current
U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit: Opinions
(U.S. Courts)
Nationwide jurisdiction in a variety of subject areas, including international trade, government contracts, patents, trademarks, certain money claims against the United States government, federal personnel, veterans' benefits, and public safety officers' benefits claims.
U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit: Opinions
(govinfo)
2009 - current

U.S. District Courts and Bankruptcy Courts: Websites
(U.S. Courts)
Links to individual court websites, including current and some earlier court opinions.
U.S. District Courts and Bankruptcy Courts: Opinions
(govinfo)
Collection of opinions provided by the U.S. Government Publishing Office and the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
Federal District Courts External
(Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School)
U.S. District Court and Bankruptcy Court opinions and information, by Circuit.

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces: Opinions
(U.S. Courts)
October 1996 - current
U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims: Orders and Opinions
(U.S. Courts)
1989 - current
U.S. Court of Federal Claims: Opinions
(U.S. Courts)
July 3, 1997 - current
U.S. Court of International Trade: Opinions and Orders
(U.S. Courts)
September 9, 1999 - current
U.S. Court of International Trade: Slip Opinions
(govinfo)
2007 - current
U.S. Tax Court: Case Search
(U.S. Tax Court)
May 1, 1986 - current
DAWSON (Docket Access Within a Secure Online Network) is the U.S. Tax Court's electronic filing and case management system.

Records and briefs include the documents authored by lawyers or self-represented litigants and filed with the Clerk of Court in a particular case. In a trial level case these could include, for example, a complaint and an answer; and at the appellate level it could include a petition, a brief, a reply brief and more. The Clerk maintains a Docket Sheet noting the various documents filed in a particular case.

U.S. Supreme Court: Records and Briefs
(Law Library of Congress)
This guide includes a description of the Library's collection of records and briefs filed in U.S. Supreme Court cases. Additional resources for these materials are provided.
U.S. Federal Appellate Courts: Records and Briefs
(Law Library of Congress)
This guide describes the Library of Congress collection of U.S. Court of Appeals records and briefs in the 1st -11th Circuits, D.C. Circuit, and Federal Circuit. Provides recommendations for obtaining these materials through additional resources.
Records of the United States Court of Appeals
(U.S. National Archives and Records Administration)
NARA maintains the official Records of the United States Courts of Appeals (1891-1995) in Record Group 276.
Records of the United States District Courts
(U.S. National Archives and Records Administration)
NARA maintains the official Records of the United States District Courts (1685-1993) in Record Group 21.

Federal Judiciary - Miscellaneous

Rules of the Supreme Court of the United States
(Supreme Court of the United States)
Federal Rules of Practice and Procedure
(U.S. Courts)
The Federal Rules of Practice and Procedure govern litigation in the federal courts. This website contains links to the current federal rules and forms. These rules include the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, and the Federal Rules of Evidence. Additional rules include the Rules Governing Section 2254 and Section 2255 Proceedings and the Rules of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. There are links to Local Court Rules and court forms.
U.S. Court of Appeals for Armed Forces: Rules of Practice and Procedure
(U.S. Courts)
U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims: Court Rules and Procedure
(U.S. Courts)
U.S. Court of Federal Claims: Rules and Forms
(U.S. Courts)
U.S. Court of International Trade: Rules and Forms
(U.S. Courts)
U.S. Tax Court: Rules of Practice and Procedure
(U.S. Tax Court)

Integrated Database: Federal Courts Data
(Federal Judicial Center)
1970 - current
Searchable database of civil case and criminal defendant filings and terminations in the district courts, along with bankruptcy court and appellate court case information.
Statistics & Reports
(U.S. Courts)
Includes Federal Judicial Caseload Statistics Report (2001 - current), Caseload Statistics Data Tables (1997 - current), and various reports.

Federal Law: Judicial Opinions External
(Cornell Legal Information Institute)
Includes links to court opinions from the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Courts of Appeals, the U.S. District and Bankruptcy Courts, and the U.S. Courts of Special Jurisdiction.
Federal Court Website Links
(U.S. Courts)
Local court rules are typically available on the specific court's website. Find website links here for the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Courts of Appeals, and the U.S. District and Bankruptcy Courts.
Federal Judicial Center
The Federal Judicial Center is the research and education agency of the judicial branch of the U.S. government. Includes research reports, materials on the history of the federal judiciary, and free online educational products (e.g., manuals and deskbooks, videos, podcasts)

Guide to Law Online: U.S. Federal

Law Library: Ask a Librarian

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Judicial Branch

Federal Court Opinions

Federal Judiciary - Miscellaneous