Jamail Center for Legal Research
Tarlton Law Library

Tips for using the Making of Modern Law's U.S. Supreme Court Records and Briefs database

I. Searching for materials

Basic search

The Basic Search option, featured on the home page of U.S. Supreme Court Records and Briefs allows users to search the entire database using several search options:

• Full Text Searching (also the default option): If the user wishes to search using keywords or phrases that may appear in the full text of a document , they may:
  • Enter the search terms in the search box and;
  • Select “Full Text” as the “search type.”
  • This search will look for any word or words within the full text of a document as well as the fields of information included in the Keyword search.
  • If the user wants to limit the keyword search to words and phrases found only in the case or author name, the user may select Keyword Searching:
  • Enter the search terms in the search box and;
  • Select “Keyword” as the “search type.”
  • This search will look for within the author or case name field
• Attorney, or Justice Searching: If the user knows the name of the justice who authored the opinion or the attorney that authored a brief, they may:
• Enter the search terms in the search box and;
• Select “Author” as the “search type.”
• This search will look for any word or words contained within the author (counsel) metadata fields only, which include personal, organization, and institution names.
• Case Name Searching: If the user knows the name the case, they may:
• Enter the search terms in the search box and;
• Select “Case Name” as the “search type.”
• This search will look for both the main case name and some variant names.

Search by docket number

If the user already knows the case docket number of the case in question, they may retrieve the case by simply entering the docket number in the “Docket Number” search box, which is in the middle of the Basic search page.

Search by citation

If the user already knows the U.S. Reports citation of the case in question, they may search for case materials by simply entering the U.S. Reports citation in the “U.S. Reports Citation” search box ( e.g. 423 U.S. 1047).

II. Printing, downloading, and emailing materials

Printing and downloading

• If the user wishes to print or download the current page image in PDF format, they can:
  • Click on the Print/View PDF icon, located in the left hand navigation bar in Page Image Full View, and;
  • Select “View/print current page in PDF format”, and;
  • Click “Submit Request”, and;
  • Print using their browser's print option or download using their browser's “Save a Copy” option.
• If the user wishes to print or download a range of up to fifty page images in PDF format, they can:
  • Click on the Print/View PDF icon, located in the left hand navigation bar in Page Image Full View, and;
  • Select “View/print up to 50 pages in PDF format”, and;
  • Click “Submit Request”, and;
  • Print using their browser's print option or download using their browser's “Save a Copy” option.
• If the user wishes to print the current page in html format, they can:
  • Click on the Print/View PDF icon, located in the left hand navigation bar in Page Image Full View, and;
  • Select “ Reformat the page for printing”, and;
  • Click “Submit Request”, and;
  • Print using their browser's print option.

*Viewing, printing, and downloading PDF files require the installation of Adobe Acrobat on the user's computer.

Emailing

If the user wishes to email a document as a PDF file, they should follow the appropriate steps under Printing and Downloading to save the document as a PDF file. After saving the document as a PDF file, they may email the document as a PDF attachment through their regular email account.

Above information obtained from Help section on U.S Supreme Court Records and Briefs Web Site.