LibGuides: Dockets, Briefs & Oral Argument: Briefs Collections

U.S. Supreme Court briefs

Supreme Court briefs for recent and high-profile cases can be easy to find, including often via free online sources (see SCOTUS briefs under "High-profile & historic briefs from federal courts" under Online Dockets & Briefs). However, older briefs and those from lower-profile cases or cases where certification is denied—and in particular, in forma pauperis cases where certification is denied (these are transferred to the National Archives at the end of each term)—are not easily available.

Here are some additional options to try:

Records and briefs in cases decided by the Supreme Court of the United States
Berkeley Law's microform collection with briefs from decided cases 1939 to present, organized by U.S. Reports citation.
Landmark Briefs and Arguments of the Supreme Court of the United States - Constitutional Waw.
Berkeley Law's print collection of briefs for landmark cases can be requested from storage. Check index to verify whether a case is included—ask at the Reference Desk (index is in a desk vertical file called "Briefs").
Supreme Court brief depositories
A handful of libraries are depositories for Supreme Court briefs. The nearest depository is the University of Washington, with some briefs dating back to 1832 and a fee-based copy and send service. Berkeley Law Affiliates should contact a reference librarian for help obtaining these materials.

Ninth (and other) Circuit briefs

For federal courts of appeal materials not available online, several other libraries may have other formats.

Here are a handful of options

Ninth Circuit library briefs collection
Maintains briefs for 9th Cir. cases decided within the past five years, which can be requested using the docket number. Historical records for all the U.S. Courts of Appeals are sent to the National Archives.
UC Law SF (formerly UC Hastings)
Has selected 9th Cir. briefs from 1985-87 and 1989-94 in microform. Contact UC Law SF librarians for more detail and access restrictions.
University of Washington, Gallagher Law Library
Has 9th Cir. briefs (1892-2008), offers free copy and send service but only for items uniquely held at Gallagher.
New York City Bar Association law library
Has records and briefs from 1891 to the early 2000s (varies circuit to circuit), and offers a fee-based copy service.
Law Library of Congress FAQs
Has briefs from the 1890s to 2008 generally (dates vary from circuit to circuit), in a combination of print and microfiche (e.g., 9th Cir. briefs in print and in microform), and offers a fee-based copy service.

California state court briefs

A number of law libraries offer access to California Supreme Court and appellate briefs that are not available online—holdings vary, so contact the libraries for details about years covered and format.

Locations near Berkeley Law:

Alameda County Law Library, Oakland—(1895-1996, some gaps) on microfiche and onsite-only electronic access; see collection description; offers reference services to determine if a case is included, and a fee-based document delivery service.
Northern Regional Library Facility (NRLF), Richmond—California Supreme Court (1863-1969) and Court of Appeals (1905-1969) briefs, from the collection of the Witkin State Law Library (below), are stored in print at NRLF. Berkeley Law affiliates should contact a reference librarian here at Berkeley Law regarding accessing this collection at NRLF.
UC Law SF (formerly UC Hastings)—(1895-2014, some gaps) in print and microform; scroll down to collection description for California Supreme Court and Court of Appeal, under "Briefs: Print & Microform." UC Law SF has a very limited access policy and is not open to the general public. Berkeley Law affiliates should contact a reference librarian here at Berkeley Law regarding accessing UC Law SF's collection.
Witkin State Law Library, Sacramento—(1863-current, "nearly complete" coverage) in print, on microfiche, and in print stored offsite (at NRLF, above); see collection description for California Supreme Court and Appellate Court briefs, under "Judicial."

Dockets, Briefs & Oral Argument: Briefs Collections

no title

Print, microform, and other non-online sources for briefs & case materials

U.S. Supreme Court briefs

Here are some additional options to try:

Ninth (and other) Circuit briefs

Here are a handful of options

California state court briefs

Locations near Berkeley Law:

Search at the Law Library

Law Library Catalog:

Books + Articles

Ask Us

Library Hours

Fall 2024