What sort of online resources are available?
The Court’s website, provides access to
opinions, orders,
docket, Court calendars, transcripts,
schedules,
rules,
visitors’ guides,
case-handling guides,
press releases and other general information.
Opinions are typically accessible on the website within five minutes of their release from the
Bench.
Can I sign up to receive email notifications of activity in a case?
Yes. Visit the docket page for an individual case and click on the envelope icon that is just above the case number. You will be asked to enter an email address.
When you click “Subscribe,” an email will be sent to you with a link for you to confirm the correct email address. Once you click that link, you will receive email notifications every time there is a new filing or action by the Court in the case.
Who can access the Supreme Court Library?
Supreme Court Rule 2.1 states, "The Court’s
Library is available for use by appropriate personnel of this Court, members of the Bar of this Court,
Members of Congress and their legal staffs, and attorneys for the United States and for federal
departments and agencies." The Supreme Court Library’s main mission is to assist the Justices
in fulfilling their constitutional responsibilities with the best reference and research support
in the most efficient, ethical and economic manner. As time permits, questions from the public
directly pertaining to the history and work of the Supreme Court, and requiring resources unique to
the Supreme Court, may be answered.
Could the Supreme Court Library help me with a general legal research question?
No, your local law library is the best place to start. Please check the Library of Congress’s
Finding a Local
Library for a public library near you. If you are seeking legal assistance, please see the Consumers’ Guide to Legal Help, a nationwide
directory of legal services maintained by the American Bar Association.
Where can I find a list of Supreme Court cases on a specific topic?
Your local law library would be the best place to start for this type of research. The Library of Congress provides information on how to research
free online legal resources, including by subject matter or case title, in its guide: How
To Find Free Case Law Online.
For online availability, free searching of the U.S. Reports is available at FindLaw and the Legal Information Institute (LII) at Cornell University.
Subscription-based databases of the U.S. Reports are also available. For more detailed information on where to find opinions, please see the
Opinions page.
Does the Supreme Court have a style manual for writing briefs? Could you advise as to how the Supreme Court would cite to
a particular document?
The Supreme Court does not have a style manual for advocates before the Court. Please see the guides for counsel available on the
Case Handling Guides page of the Court’s website. You may wish to consult S. Shapiro, K. Geller, T. Bishop, E. Hartnett, & D. Himmelfarb,
Supreme Court Practice (11th ed. 2019). While it does not cover changes in Court rules and procedures through the current Term, this practice guide is available in many law libraries
and provides detailed information for those practicing before the Supreme Court. An additional option is to search Supreme Court materials for citation to a similar document.
How do I locate the U.S. Reports citation for a case?
If certiorari has been granted or the decision below has been summarily affirmed, reversed, etc., by an order of the Court, call the Reporter’s Office at 202-479-3390. Please have the case’s Supreme Court docket number, the name of the case, and the date on which the order was issued ready before you call. If the case has been decided
by an opinion of the Court, click on the "Recent Decisions" button at the top of the home page (www.supremecourt.gov), scroll down until you find your case by date, docket number, or name on the opinions chart, then check the header at the top of odd-numbered pages of the opinion for the U.S. Reports cite.
How do I find the U.S. Reports citation for an opinion of the Court?