LibGuides: U.S. Supreme Court Research: Briefs & Petitions

Briefs and Petitions on the Internet

SCOTUSblog's Case Files (2007- )
Select the term/year you need from the "Terms" list at the top of the screen — then click on the case name for links to briefs and petitions. [Free.]
FindLaw - Briefs & Petitions (1999 term - 2007 term)
Selected briefs and petitions in review-granted cases. [Free.]

Supreme Court Records and Briefs (1832-1978) This link opens in a new window
Searchable, exact page images of petitions, briefs, and other documents. [Access for the USF community.]
Supreme Court Insight, 1933 to present - ProQuest This link opens in a new window
Briefs (party and amicus), oral arguments, joint appendices, and dockets from full-opinion and per curiam Supreme Court cases. Now includes Insight from 1933-1934 term to present. [Access for the USF Community.]

Briefs, Petitions, and Related Documents - Westlaw

USF law school faculty, students, and staff can use Westlaw to find Supreme Court briefs, petitions, and joint appendices. There is a source that combines all three types of documents, plus separate sources just for briefs, petitions, and joint appendices

U.S. Supreme Court Briefs, Petitions & Joint Appendices - Westlaw
"Selected coverage begins with 1930 (Briefs), 1985 (Petitions), & 1982 (Joint Appendices)." You can browse or search by key word, docket number, case name, etc. Follow these examples for docket number or case name searches:
adv: dn(10-63)
adv: title(maples and thomas)
U.S. Supreme Court Briefs - Westlaw
Merits briefs (including amicus briefs) beginning with the October term 1930, plus briefs in selected landmark cases from 1870 to 1930. Follow these examples for docket number or case name searches:
adv: dn(10-63)
adv: title(maples and thomas)
U.S. Supreme Court Petitions for Writ of Certiorari - Westlaw
Cert. petitions for most cert. granted cases starting in 1985. Selected petitions are also available from about 1960 to 1985. Follow these examples for docket number or case name searches:
adv: dn(10-63)
adv: title(maples and thomas)
The docket-number search is safer because parties' names can change while the case is pending.
U.S. Supreme Court Joint Appendices - Westlaw
Selected joint appendices (relevant documents from the proceedings below) from the 1989-90 term to the present.

Briefs & Petitions on Lexis Advance

USF law school faculty, students and staff can use Lexis to find Supreme Court briefs and petitions.

U.S. Supreme Court Briefs - Lexis Advance - includes petitions
Briefs from the 1978-79 term to the present. A few pre-1978 briefs are also available. Selected cert. petitions from 1978 to the present. Use the "Search within results" box on the left-hand side of the screen to find opinions by key word, docket number or party name. Follow these examples for docket number or case name searches:
number(12-307)
name("united states" and windsor)
The docket-number search may be safer because parties' names can change while the case is pending.

Briefs & Petitions on Nexis Uni

USF non-law-school students, faculty, and staff can use NexisUni to find (and print, email, or download) Supreme Court briefs and petitions.

You can use key words, party names, attorney names, docket numbers, etc. as search terms.

Coverage start at about 1936 for selected briefs. Fuller coverage for briefs in "cert. granted" cases starts with the 1994-95 term. Coverage for petitions begins with the 1999-2000 term.

Nexis Uni This link opens in a new window
To search briefs, click “All Nexis Uni” next to the main search box on the home screen.
From the resulting “Narrow By” choices, check the box next to “Briefs, Pleadings and Motions” in the “Category" section.
Then, click on the word “Jurisdiction,” and check the box next to “United States Supreme Court” (under “U.S. Federal … By Court”).
[On-campus link for Nexis Uni.]

Briefs in Print at the Zief Law Library

For selected briefs in a convenient format, check: Landmark Briefs and Arguments of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Landmark Briefs and Arguments of the Supreme Court of the United States
Publisher: University Publications of America, c1975- ). Zief Library location: KF 101.9 .L36 Law Compact Storage.

Briefs and Petitions on Microfiche

The Zeif Library has briefs and petitions on fiche from 1951 to 2016, in Fiche Cabinets 21 through 26.

For 1951-1971, the library has briefs for full opinion cases only. Starting with 1973, the library has briefs and petitions for almost all cases: full opinion; cert. denied; summary disposition; and per curiam.