Research Guides: U.S. Government Information: Judiciary

Biographical Information - Supreme Court Justices. Oyez - U.S. Supreme Court Multi-Media
Oyez provides hyperlinks to the bios of all SCOTUS justices.
C-SPAN | Supreme Court
C-SPAN's film hub for SCOTUS related captures. Subtitled: An unprecedented look at the traditions and history of the home to America's highest court
FindLaw, Supreme Court Opinions
FindLaw's searchable database of the Supreme Court decisions since 1893 (U.S. Supreme Court Decisions: U.S. Reports 150-, 1893-). Browsable by year and U.S. Reports volume number, and searchable by citation, case title and full text. Findlaw also maintains an archive of Opinion Summaries from September 2000 to the Present.
HeinOnline, U.S. Supreme Court Library*
HeinOnline’s U.S. Supreme Court Library offers the only complete coverage of the official U.S.Reports from 1754-2005. The U.S. Reports are the official record of the rulings, orders, case tables, and other proceedings of the Supreme Court of the United States. Other notable titles in this library include the Constitution of the United States of America, Rules of the Supreme Court of the United States, U.S. Reports Preliminary Prints, U.S. Reports Slip
Opinions, and other historic works...
Justia.com - U.S. Supreme Court Center
Based in the heart of Silicon Valley, Justia is focused on making legal information, resources and services easy to find on the Internet. The company provides Internet users with free case law, codes, regulations, legal articles and legal blog databases, as well as community resources. Justia works with educational, public interest and other socially focused organizations to bring legal and consumer information to the online community.
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Powered by Justia.com, U.S. Court Forms, and Oyez, Justic.com is a comprehensive resource for U.S. Supreme Court Cases (Volumes 1 - 545+) and other information.
LII / Legal Information Institute (Cornell University Law School)
LII is known internationally as a leading “law-not-com” provider of public legal information. LII offers all opinions of the United States Supreme Court handed down since 1992, together with over 600 earlier decisions selected for their historic importance, over a decade of opinions of the New York Court of Appeals, and the full United States Code.
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LII also publishes important secondary sources: libraries in two important areas (legal ethics and social security) and a series of “topical” pages that serve as concise explanatory guides and Internet resource listings for roughly 100 areas of law.

Search engines and ranking systems identify the LII as the most linked to web resource in the field of law (see, for example, Google).
Making of Modern Law. U.S. Supreme Court records and briefs, 1832-1978
Derived from two essential reference sources; for the period 1832 (when printed Court records began) through 1915, the documents are based primarily on the holdings of the Jenkins Memorial Law Library, America's first law library, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; for 1915-1978, the source is the Library of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, a nationally recognized research facility and the single largest member supported law library in the United States.

Nexis Uni This link opens in a new window
Provides full-text access to U.S. federal and state statutes, regulations, court cases, administrative agency decisions, law reviews, to selected court briefs and pleadings, and legal news sources. Also includes international, national, local newspapers, and wire services, as well as radio and television transcripts. Business, medical, industry, and legislative magazines, journals, and newsletters and various directories are also available. Wide geographic coverage and translations from foreign-language sources, as well as news services like the Associated Press, Agence France Press, El Pais.

Nomination Hearings (1971 - forward). Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Supreme Court Nomination Hearings
Here are the complete transcripts of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on selected Supreme Court justice nominations since 1971. (File sizes are extremely large and may be slow to open. All files are in PDF.)
Official website of the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS)
The Supreme Court consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and such number of Associate Justices as may be fixed by Congress.
OpenJurist
United States Reports-Opinions and other transactions from the United States Supreme Court, beginning with its first session in 1790. The first four volumes also cover lower federal courts sitting in Pennsylvania and various Pennsylvania state courts.
Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States *
Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court was first published in 1992. This new edition of the Companion has been fully updated and includes new entries on key cases and full treatment of crucial areas of constitutional law, such as abortion, freedom of religion, school desegregation, freedom of speech, voting rights, military tribunals, and the rights of the accused.
Oxford guide to United States Supreme Court decisions *
Searchable database of information from The Oxford guide to United States Supreme Court decisions. Resource includes over 400 entries for Supreme Court decisions throughout U.S. history published in the Oxford companion to the Supreme Court. Additionally, 45 new entries for post-1991 decisions have been included
SCOTUSBLOG, Supreme Court of the United States Blog
An award winning law blog, SCOTUSblog provides information and opinion on cases and happenings on the Supreme Court. It is the best online resource available tracking the activities at the Court.
Supreme Court Database
The Supreme Court Database is the definitive source for researchers, students, journalists, and citizens interested in the U.S. Supreme Court.
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The Database contains over two hundred pieces of information about each case decided by the Court between the 1953 and 2008 terms. Examples include the identity of the court whose decision the Supreme Court reviewed, the parties to the suit, the legal provisions considered in the case, and the votes of the Justices.
Supreme Court Historical Society
The Society, a private non-profit organization, is dedicated to the collection and preservation of the history of the Supreme Court of the United States. Incorporated in the District of Columbia in 1974, it was founded by Chief Justice Warren E. Burger, who served as its first honorary chairman.
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The Society's headquarters is located at Opperman House, 224 East Capitol Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20003. Opperman House has two important resources: The Goldman Library and the Membership Lounge. The Goldman Library has a conference table suitable for small meetings and luncheons. The books housed therein have been collected through the efforts of Professor James B. O'Hara, a Trustee of the Society, and comprise one of the finest collections of judicial biographies, Justices' writings, and histories of the Court. The collection also includes materials relating to Solicitors and Attorneys General and Presidents of the United States. The Membership Lounge is a meeting space located on the third floor sufficient in size for small receptions and luncheons.

Westlaw This link opens in a new window
Provides a starting point for legal research; use the search box to find a document by citation or name, or search for documents. Your best bet for an initial search will come from Secondary Sources, you can find the link in the Browse section.

Supreme Court of the United States -- "The United States Supreme Court consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and eight associate justices. At its discretion, and within certain guidelines established by Congress, the Supreme Court each year hears a limited number of the cases it is asked to decide. Those cases may begin in the federal or state courts, and they usually involve important questions about the Constitution or federal law..." [U.S. Courts]

For the list and timeline of all SCOTUS justices, please visit Members of the Supreme Court (1789 to Present) - Timeline .

U.S. Courts.gov
This website includes information about the United States Courts of Appeals and the Unites States District Courts and includes a geographic boundaries map.

United States Courts

Briefs (Finding Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Briefs)
Finding appellate briefs is dependent upon the date of appeal, the salience of the case, etc. This site summarizes Ninth Circuit brief finding options.
Comparing Federal and State Courts
The U.S. Constitution is the supreme law of the land in the United States. It creates a federal system of government in which power is shared between the federal government and the state governments. Due to federalism, both the federal government and each of the state governments have their own court systems. Discover the differences in structure, judicial selection, and cases heard in both systems.
Federal Judges Directory, 1789-present
The directory includes the biographies of judges presidentially appointed to serve during good behavior since 1789 on the U.S. district courts, U.S. courts of appeals, Supreme Court of the United States, and U.S. Court of International Trade, as well as the former U.S. circuit courts, Court of Claims, U.S. Customs Court, and U.S. Court of Customs and Patent Appeals. Also included are judges who received presidential recess appointments to the above named courts but were not confirmed by the Senate to serve during good behavior.

To read a biography, type in the judge's name (Last Name, First Name, or any part of the name) or browse the alphabetical listings.
History of the Federal Judiciary - Federal Judicial Center (FJC)
"The Center conducts research and produces resources on the history of the judicial branch of the federal government. These resources include compilations of historical data on the courts, information about judges and judicial administration, as well as publications on federal judicial history."
LII / Legal Information Institute - Federal Law Materials - Judicial Opinions
Linking to decisions of U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals, U.S. District and Bankruptcy Courts, and U.S. Courts of Special Jurisdiction.
U.S. Courts - Educational Resources
From Federal Court Basics to Federal Court Resources, the Federal Court Educational Resources page is a good place to get oriented to court structure.
U.S. Courts - Federal Judiciary Channel (YouTube)
"Videos from the Federal Judiciary, connecting you with the United States Courts in fresh ways that we hope will inform, motivate and inspire. As the third branch of the United States government, the Judiciary serves a vital role by resolving disputes through the fair and impartial application of the law."
U.S. Courts - Interactive Map
Search by ZIP Code or city and state, using the state's two-letter postal code (e.g. Lincoln, NE), to find nearby court locations in your district or circuit. Or you may view all court website links grouped by state.
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Interactive map links to federal courts.
U.S. Courts - Official
"The U.S. Courts were created under Article III of the Constitution to administer justice fairly and impartially, within the jurisdiction established by the Constitution and Congress. This section will help you learn more about the Judicial Branch and its work."
WestlawNext *
WestlawNext* contains the full text of all published federal court cases as well as many unpublished decisions.