These can be some of the easiest - or some of the most challenging - documents to find.
Bloomberg Law (Temple Law access)
Bloomberg Law’s Docket Search allows users to search across federal and state dockets. While the federal dockets are kept up-to-date, state (especially county court) dockets lag, so it’s best to double-check the local court’s website. Law students can request the documents on federal court dockets for free, subject to an annual $1500 limit.
Lexis CourtLink (Temple Law access)
CourtLink has essentially the same federal court docket coverage as Bloomberg Law, but different state coverage. The search and document retrieval functions are less sophisticated than Bloomberg's.
State and Local Dockets
State and local dockets sometimes are available only thought the local government or court website. Access varies widely; some courts provide free access to the dockets and filings, while others require you to pay a la carte or to subscribe. In addition, some courts still do not have dockets online. If so, a call to the court will let you find out whether they still have the files in which you're interested and what access and pricing policies are in place. If you know the names of the attorneys involved in the case, you also can try contacting them to see if they are willing to provide you with the documents you're seeking. Some law libraries have created research guides on state and local court dockets, such as Temple Law Library's Pennsylvania Dockets guide.
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