Find Case Law
Use a legal research database to search for and find case law. To ensure that the text and pagination are correct, you might compare the copy you found on the database with a version you find in an official law reporter.
Find Reporters in the Law Library
Reporters are kept in the Law Library's National and State Collection on the Main (Second) Floor of the library. The library keeps a scanner near the National and State Collection for users' convenience.
The National and State Collection contains both official reporters (e.g., United States Reports, Ohio State Reports) and unofficial reporters (e.g., West's North Eastern Reporter). Note that some reporters have multiple catalog entries with distinct call numbers (e.g., Federal Reporter at KF105 .F42 and KF105 .F42a).
Find a specific reporter by searching the Library Catalog:
Ohio no longer has an official print reporter. Instead, the Ohio Supreme Court has designated their website as the official reporter for opinions of the courts of appeals and the Court of Claims as of July 1, 2012. Ohio Rep. Op. R. 4.3.
Find Reporters in Digital Repositories
Publications of the United States Government, including federal court decisions, have no copyright protection. 17 U.S.C. 105. Therefore, these publications can be uploaded and accessed through digital repositories like HathiTrust (e.g., United States Reports, 1830-2010). Digital repositories also contain publications that have entered the public domain (Ohio Official Reports, 1852-1910).
Search for a specific reporter in a digital repository like the following:
Additionally, some courts maintain their own repository (e.g., United States Supreme Court, United States Reports, 1991-Current).
Find Court Dockets and Filings
United States Supreme Court
Use the following resources to help you find dockets and filings related to current and historical Supreme Court cases:
Federal and State Courts
Most federal court dockets and filings are available through the federal court system's Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER). Electronic access to state court dockets and filings varies by jurisdiction. Search federal and state dockets all in one place using your Bloomberg Law and Lexis+ accounts.
To see which jurisdictions' dockets and filings are available, check Bloomberg Law's Dockets Coverage and Lexis's CourtLink (Dockets) Court Availability.
If you are unsure how to find or use these resources, see Bloomberg Law's Dockets Walkthrough and Lexis's CourtLink Quick Reference Guide.
Another resource is CourtListener's RECAP Archive, which contains millions of PACER documents and dockets:
Many courts provide public access to their dockets and sometimes to the related filings. Use a web search engine to search for a specific court's website or use the National Center for State Court's List of State Court Websites to get started.
Use the following resources to find Franklin County, 10th District Court of Appeals, and Ohio Supreme Court case dockets: