This guide will assist you in finding state and federal dockets and litigation information using Bloomberg Law, Lexis CourtLink, and Westlaw. This guide will also show how to access and use the North Carolina Supreme Court and Court of Appeals Electronic Filing Site and the open source Court Listener. While the primary online resource for federal docket is PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records), it is not a free website. The library recommends using our subscription resources because there is no cost to members of the Campbell Law community.
Finding state court dockets can be more challenging. Some state courts may have an online docket similar to PACER, but others may not. If there is no online docket system, you will need to contact the clerk of court to access the docket. In North Carolina, there is online access to appellate court dockets through the North Carolina Supreme Court and Court of Appeals E-Filing System. For lower court dockets, check the court website for docket retrieval information.
Use of Bloomberg Law, Lexis CourtLink, and Westlaw require an individual username and password to access these databases. Keep in mind that coverage will vary between each of these resources, so please check out jurisdictional information before you start your docket search.
Court dockets contain all materials filed in a court proceeding. Courts keep track of these documents by assigning them a docket number. These numbers provide information about where and when the case was filed, the cause of action, and sometimes the initials of the judge assigned to the case. Docket numbers can sometimes be syncopated to show only the year and the numerical order it was filed.
