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Courts and Court Cases

The Government Documents collection in Lockwood Library maintains very limited information about the courts and their cases. For more information and resources pertaining to courts and court cases at all levels, visit the Law Library.

Introduction to the Courts

Court TV Online (Turner Entertainment Digital Network)
http://www.courttv.com/index.html
Provides popular information about newsworthy trials. The search facility is a good tool for non-law students. Results include non-technical information that summarizes legal issues very well.

Federal Judiciary (Center for Regulatory Effectiveness)
http://www.thecre.com/fedlaw/intro3.htm
Links connect to a variety of federal courts. These include the Supreme Court; Circuit Courts; District Courts; Bankruptcy Courts; Federal Claims Courts; Tax Courts; International Trade Courts; Territorial Courts; and the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.

Federal Judicial Center (FJC)
http://www.fjc.gov/public/home.nsf
FJC provides education and research for the federal judiciary. It promotes continuing education of federal judges and other court employees; makes recommendations to the U.S. Judicial Conference; and researches judicial practices and procedures.

Federal Judiciary Home Page
http://www.uscourts.gov
Separate sections outline recent developments and reproduce press releases; answer frequently asked questions; describe the court system; link to publications and directories; outline employment opportunities; link to federal courts throughout the nation; and offer a search engine.

Journalist's Guide to the Federal Courts (Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts)
http://www.uscourts.gov/journalistguide/welcome.html
A basic introduction appropriate for lay people.

Understanding the Federal Courts (Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts)
http://www.uscourts.gov/understand03/
This thorough overview considers the Constitution ; the courts in American government; the structure and jurisdiction of federal courts; and judicial process. Additional information includes frequent questions; legal terms; and a directory of the court system.

U.S. Supreme Court: Background

Highlights of the Supreme Court's _____ Term (Cornell University. Legal Information Institute)

OYEZ (The Oyez Project supported in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities)
http://www.oyez.org/
Reproduces in audio format over 2000 hours of oral arguments before the Supreme Court covering 1995 to date, and selectively since 1955. The Oyez Project makes the records available approximately 1 year following the end of a Court session. Court officials repeat the term OYEZ, pronounced "o-yay," three times at the beginning of a court session. Its origin is from Middle English and means "to hear."

Supreme Court of the United States Home Page
http://www.supremecourtus.gov/index.html
The Court's home page includes information for the general public and legal professionals. Data for lay people outline procedures; history; biographies of justices; visits to the court; speeches; press releases; and links to related sites. Information pertinent to legal professionals include the Court's calendar and schedule; court rules; bar admissions; and case handling guides. The site reproduces opinions and orders beginning with the 1999 term.

United States Supreme Court Links (Rominger Legal)
http://www.romingerlegal.com/supreme.htm
Links connect to a wide variety of data about the Supreme Court. These include current and historical cases; audio clips of cases; Constitutional law; and data about the Justices.

U.S. Supreme Court Cases

1789-present

  • Selected Historic Decisions of the US Supreme Court (Cornell University Legal Information Institute)
    http://supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/cases/historic.htm
    Covers the Court's 610 most historic cases. This collection is an excellent source for non-law students who want only the most significant cases.

1893-present

1937-1975

1990-present

1992-present

1999-present

New York State Courts and Cases

Click here to view additional information about New York State.

New York State Court of Appeals Decisions
http://www.law.cornell.edu/ny/ctap/
Cornell University's Legal Information Institute reproduces cases decided by the Court of Appeals. (1992+) Locate data by topics, keywords, and names.

New York State Unified Court System
http://www.courts.state.ny.us
Provides an overview of the New York State court system. Separate sections cover:

  • Administration and employment
  • Bar Associations
  • Continuing Legal Education (CLE)
  • Links to courts, law libraries, and other related resources
  • Forms
  • Guides to legal research
  • Court records
  • Press releases
  • Publications
  • Rules

A pop-up menu bar provides more detailed options. A site map is available at http://www.courts.state.ny.us/sitemap.shtml .