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Court Records, Briefs and Oral Arguments

The purpose of this guide is to assist in locating court records, briefs, and oral arguments. While Supreme Court records can easily be found in various formats, Federal and State Appellate Court records can involve more investigative research.

State Court Records and Briefs

Searching on Library Databases: 

Select Dockets from the top menu to search dockets.

Search for U.S. State Content specifically under the Browse Databases by Category on the main database page.  This content includes: the National Survey of State Laws, Session Laws Library, State Statutes: A Historical Archive, Subject Compilations of State Laws, Virginia Supreme Court Records & Briefs, and more. 

Lexis+ allows docket searching. Under Explore on the main page select Content and then click on Dockets (CourtLink). 

You can also search court filings by clicking on Briefs, Pleadings & Motions.

Dockets on Westlaw can be found by following these steps. Although most document filings are available, some will say that Access is Denied. You can also check the Filings tab when you find a docket to see if any of the case documents are available. 

Access and information on state courts are different state to state. Official names of trial courts will differ as well (district court, supreme court, superior court, etc) and some may have multiple levels of trial courts. Some states provide docket information available for free online. 

Selected Specific States: 

General State Information:

  • Court Statistics Project (CSP) provides a section on their website dedicated to understanding state court organization and structures. 
  • Library of Congress' Guide to Law Online: U.S. States and Territories provides links to free online legal resources focusing on each state or territory and its constitution; executive, legislative, and judicial branches; legal guides; and general sources.
  • State Blue Books & Encyclopedias is maintained by the State and Local Documents Task Force of the American Library Association and includes links, if available, to state Blue Books (an almanac or other compilation of statistics and information) and Encyclopedias. 
  • National Center for State Courts (NCSC) has links to each state's court websites. An interactive map of the United States with court structures and more quick information is available here.
  • Municode Library provides city and county codes