Library Guides: Research Tips for Faculty Research Assistants: Court Documents

Overview

Access to court documents and dockets is improving all the time. Access to federal documents is very good due to system-wide filing standards. Access to state court documents is hit-and-miss.

Search Tips

Docket searches can be tricky, even when you have the docket number, because docket numbers can change as cases are appealed and can be formatted differently. Searching for dockets by topic can be almost impossible, but the federal PACER system classifies cases using nature of suit codes which helps. For a full list of federal nature of suit codes, click here. Docket searching is generally most successful when you know the party name(s), docket or case number, attorney(s), and/or law firm(s).

Search Tip When Using Bloomberg Law: Make sure when you are looking at a court docket, see what it is “current as of” and consider clicking “Update Docket” so that you make sure you have everything that has been filed in a case.

Federal Dockets

Bloomberg Law This link opens in a new window
Bloomberg Law is a great resource for federal dockets. Email haighti@law.byu.edu for an account.
BYU Law students and faculty can register for a password here. https://www.bloomberglaw.com/activate
CourtLink (Lexis+) This link opens in a new window
Access to federal and state court dockets. Log into Lexis Advance, click on the tic-tac-toe box menu in the upper-left corner, then click CourtLink.
Federal and state docket search tool.
PACER This link opens in a new window
Only use PACER when the documents you need are unavailable from Bloomberg Law and CourtLink because document and search costs are passed along to the BYU Law Library. Email haighti@law.byu.edu for access credentials.
Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) provides federal court docket information and filings. BYU Law faculty and students can obtain the password from Iantha Haight but should generally use Bloomberg Law or Lexis Courtlink for dockets and filings first.

State Dockets

UniCourt This link opens in a new window
UniCourt is an easy-to-use state and federal docket search and analytics tool. Not all state dockets are available, but UniCourt has access to many dockets from states including California, Texas, Florida, Nevada, New York, Arizona, and Indiana. Students can search dockets but cannot download documents. Contact a law librarian for help downloading documents, or email haighti@law.byu.edu for help with your account.
A docket research and analytics tool for federal and state docket information. BYU Law School faculty and students can sign up for an account. For more information, contact librarian Iantha Haight, haighti@law.byu.edu.
CourtLink (Lexis+) This link opens in a new window
Access to federal and state court dockets. Log into Lexis Advance, click on the tic-tac-toe box menu in the upper-left corner, then click CourtLink.
Federal and state docket search tool.
Xchange Case Search (Utah Trial Courts) This link opens in a new window
XChange provides access to Utah state district (trial) court dockets and documents. Available to BYU Law School faculty and students for educational use only. Contact haighti@law.byu.edu for access credentials.
Xchange provides access to Utah state district court dockets and documents. Available to BYU Law School faculty and students for educational use only (including info needed for bar exam applications). Contact haighti@law.byu.edu for access credentials.

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Research Tips for Faculty Research Assistants

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Overview

Search Tips

Federal Dockets

State Dockets

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