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Research Tools

Research Guides

Indiana Court Briefs, Online and in Paper

A lot can be learned from party briefs. You can find out the arguments used by the parties in order to determine which were accepted and rejected by the court. Party briefs often contain more factual and statistical information than make it into the opinion of the court. A brief filed in one jurisdiction may be used to write arguments for the same fact pattern in another jurisdiction. Additionally, students can use briefs as learning tools to write their own briefs.

Online

United States Supreme Court

• Supreme Court Records & Briefs
  Records and briefs brought before the U.S. Supreme Court in the period 1832-1978 http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/bloo98297

• Westlaw

  • (SCT-BRIEF-ALL)—all US Supreme Court Briefs on Westlaw. Coverage begins with 1870.
  • (SCT-PETITION)—Selective coverage begins in 1990.
  • (SCT-ORALARG)—Official transcripts of oral arguments in cases heard before the U.S. Supreme Court from the 1990-91 Term to the present.

• Lexis
  (GENFED;BRIEFS)—From January 1979 through the present.

• Westlaw

  • (SCT-BRIEF-ALL)—all US Supreme Court Briefs on Westlaw. Coverage begins with 1870.
  • (SCT-PETITION)—Selective coverage begins in 1990.
  • (SCT-ORALARG)—Official transcripts of oral arguments in cases heard before the U.S. Supreme Court from the 1990-91 Term to the present.

• Yale Curiae Project (older, briefs of great historical importance)
  http://curiae.law.yale.edu/

• ABA’s Supreme Court Preview Page (recent merit briefs)
  http://www.abanet.org/publiced/preview/home.html

• Solicitor General’s Office (all briefs filed by the US after July 1, 1998; 1993-1996 Merits briefs and responses; 1986-1990 Merits briefs and responses; 1982-1985 Merits briefs)
  http://www.usdoj.gov/osg/briefs/search.html

• FindLaw (1999 to present)
  http://supreme.lp.findlaw.com/supreme_court/briefs/index.html

United States Courts of Appeal

• 7th Circuit (1997 to present, not comprehensive)
  http://www.ca7.uscourts.gov/briefs.htm

• 8th Circuit (2000 to present)
  http://www.ca8.uscourts.gov/brfs/brFrame.html

• Westlaw
  (FED-BRIEF-ALL) (selected briefs from the Courts of Appeal)

Federal District Court Briefs

• PACER (some recent briefs available on PACER)
  See Peter Hook, Electronic Services Librarian

State Court Briefs

• Westlaw
  (STATE-BRIEF-ALL) (Selected briefs from various states)

Paper (Law Library)

• United States Supreme Court (1925 to date)
• U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit (1983 to date)
• Indiana Supreme Court (1938 to date)
• Indiana Court of Appeals (1983 to date)

Microfiche

• United States Supreme Court (1832 to date)
• U.S. Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit (1984 to date)
• U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit (1990 to date)
• U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit (1985 to date)
• U.S. Court of Appeals, DC Circuit (1983/84 to date)

Last Updated April 24, 2006 (skm)