The University of Alabama School of Law
The University of Alabama School of Law
To find dockets, either hover over the "Case Documents" tab and select "Docket Search" or select the "Docket Search" link located to the right of the search bar at the top of the page. Once you do either of these options, you will be able to search cases, both pending and decided, that have been filed with the Court. The dockets provide complete information regarding the status of cases filed since the beginning of the 2001 term; older dockets from 1791-1995 have been scanned by the National Archives and are available in their Catalog.
The easiest way to find the case you're looking for is to know the docket number, case name, or some other piece of information included on a docket report.
If a case is ongoing, you can sign up to receive email notifications whenever activity such as a new filing or a new action has been taken on the case. To do so, visit the docket page for the case and click on the envelope icon that is above the case number and enter an email address. After clicking "Subscribe," you will be sent an email with a link to confirm the email address is correct.
Example: Docket No. 23-5826, Mary Ann German v. South Carolina. The arrow is pointing at the email icon you need to subscribe to the case.
The U.S. Supreme Court website also keeps electronic versions of most filings that were submitted after November 13, 2017. To access these documents, simply find the docket for a case of interest and, if the case has any downloadable documents, they will be in the docket in blue. Here is an example from the same case, No. 23-5826, Mary Ann German v. South Carolina.
Users can find instructions on where to look for older briefs in the 'Case Documents' tab, where they will find a link for 'Where to Find Briefs.' Unfortunately, most of the resources provided are subscription services so they won't be free to access, however, the site does provide a list of libraries that are designated as depositories of printed Supreme Court briefs that users can contact to access older documents.
Just to the right of the search bar, there is also an option for "Advanced Search." If you follow this link, it will take you to a page that will allow you to narrow your search by opinions, court orders, argument audio, and more. If need be, there is a link titled "Search Tips" located just below the search bar that will take you to a page that will provide you with several tips that you can use to help you get started on your search.