FEDERAL COURT DECISIONS -- WHERE THEY ARE PUBLISHED
DECISIONS OF THE COURTS IN GENERAL
The common law tradition, followed in all of the United States except Louisiana, to a large extent draws applicable rules of law from past decisions or judgments of the courts ("court reports"). Generally speaking, legal researchers are concerned with decisions of the appellate courts (examples: supreme courts and courts of appeal) and not trial courts (examples: Indianapolis and Marion County courts).
REFERENCE OR "CITATION" TO COURT REPORTS
A legal researcher refers to court reports by "cite" or "citation", a combination of numbers and letters providing an abbreviation for the location of the materials in question. Example: 263 U.S. 385. The first number is the volume number, followed by the abbreviation for the set of books, then the page number. Here, we are referring to volume 263 of a set called "U.S. Reports", and page 385 in volume 263. Books explaining hundreds of law abbreviations are available at the Law Library circulation desk or the Reference Librarians' station (center of lobby).
DECISIONS OF THE U.S. FEDERAL COURTS
The following list explains where one might find decisions ("reports") from the various federal courts. (See the Pathfinder on DIGESTS concerning the subject indexing of court reports. See the Pathfinder on the A.L.Rs for an alternative subject approach to court reports.)
U.S. SUPREME COURT
- U.S. Reports --- cited U.S. ... the "official" reports published by the U.S. Government Printing Office, the G.P.O.
- Supreme Court Reporter --- cited Sup. Ct. (West Pub. Co.)
- U.S. Supreme Court Reports, Lawyers' Edition (1st series and 2d series) --- cited Law.Ed. and Law.Ed.2d. (Lawyers' Coop. Pub. Co.)
OTHER PLACES ONE MIGHT LOOK
- U.S. Supreme Court Bulletin --- cited S.Ct.Bull. (CCH) ... a looseleaf service that provides full text of recent decisions about 7 to 10 days after they are handed down. (Ceased pubication in 1997)
- U.S. Law Week, Supreme Court volume --- cited U.S.L.W. or U.S.L. Week ... a looseleaf service that provides full text of recent decisions about 7 - 10 days after they are handed down.
- Federal Decisions (Wm. G. Meyer), 1790 to 1884. 30 vols.
U.S.COURTS OF APPEAL
- Federal Reporter (1st, 2d and 3d series) --- cited F. or Fed. and F.2d or Fed.2d and F.3d or Fed.3d. (selected decisions from 1880 to date)
- Federal Cases --- cited Fed. Cas. (decisions of the U.S. Courts of Appeal from their inception through 1879)
- Federal Decisions (Wm. G. Meyer), 1790 to 1884. 30 vols.
U.S. DISTRICT COURTS
The U.S. District Courts are the trial courts (not appellate courts) of the federal system. Because researchers do make use of their decisions, they are an exception to the statement made about appellate courts in the first paragraph on this Pathfinder.
- Federal Reporter --- cited F. or Fed. (selected decisions from 1880 to 1932)
- Federal Supplement --- cited F.Supp. (selected decisions from 1932 to date)
- Federal Rules Decisions --- cited F.R.D. (decisions construing the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (1940 to date) and the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure (1946 to date).
- Federal Cases --- cited Fed. Cas. (decisions of the U.S. District Courts from their inception through 1879)
- Federal Decisions (Wm. G. Meyer), 1790 to 1884. 30 vols.
OTHER PLACES ONE MIGHT LOOK FOR FEDERAL COURT DECISIONS
- U.S. Court of Claims Reports. 1855-1982.
- U.S. Claims Court Reporter (West Pub. Co.). 1983 to date.
- U.S. Court of Customs and Patent Appeals Reports. 1910 to 1982.
- U.S. Ct. of Appeals for the Federal Circuit Reports. 1982 to date.
- U.S. Customs Court Reports. 1938-1980.
- U.S. Court of International Trade Reports. 1980 to date.
- American Federal Tax Reports, (1st & 2d series). 1800s to date.
- U.S. Board of Tax Appeals Reports. 1924 to 1942.
- B.T.A. Reports. 1924 to 1942. (Prentice-Hall Co.)
- B.T.A. Memorandum Decisions. 1928 to 1942. (Prentice-Hall Co.)
- U.S. Tax Court Reports. 1942 to date.
- U.S. Tax Cases. (Commerce Clearing House) 1913 to date.
- C.C.H. Tax Court Reporter. 1942 to date. (C.C.H.)
- P-H. Tax Court Reports. 1942 to date. (Prentice-Hall Co.)
- C.C.H. Tax Court Memorandum Decisions. 1942 to date.
- P-H Tax Court Memorandum Decisions. 1942 to date.
- West's Bankruptcy Reporter. 1979 to date.
- Court Martial Reports, 1951-1975.
- West's Military Justice Reporter. 1975 to date.
- West's Social Security Reporting Service. 1983 to date.
- LEXIS and WESTLAW databases. (Law students receive training as part of the Legal Research, Analysis and Communication courses. Other patrons should consult a librarian.)
- Subject-oriented looseleaf services (examples: BNA Criminal Law Reporter, CCH Trade Regulation Reporter, P-H Federal Taxes,2d)
