Research Guides @ Fordham: Law: The Supreme Court

Primary Sources covering The Supreme Court

The resources in this section offer access to Supreme Court documents or audiovisual content that captured the workings of the court as they happened.

Supreme Court This link opens in a new window
Official website offering opinions (1991 to present), oral arguments, case documents, biographies of Supreme Court Justices, and more. This website will carry decisions the day they are released.
Nexis Uni (formerly LexisNexis Academic) This link opens in a new window
Offers the primary legal documents plus the ability to "Shepardize" a Supreme Court decision to determine the evolving status of a legal decision. Find Nexis Uni search tips here.
A user will be able to download 250 titles/headlines from the search results list at a time. Checking the box next to each search result allows users to download the full document. The system will allow downloading of 100 documents or 1,000 pages at a time. There are no overall total download limits.
Making of Modern Law: U.S. Supreme Court Records and Briefs 1832-1978 This link opens in a new window
Most comprehensive digital collection of records and briefs brought before the nation's highest court by leading legal practitioners from 1832-1978.
HeinOnline Law Library This link opens in a new window
Once you click inside HeinOnline, look for the heading that says Browse Databases By Name. Look through the alphabetical list to find Supreme Court content in the following databases:

Preview of United States Supreme Court Cases provides comprehensive expert analysis of all cases argued before the Supreme Court and access to briefs.
Judges and the Judiciary: Exploring America's Court System focuses on the structure, creation, actions of, and oversight of the courts, both state and federal. Within this database, our subscription includes History of Supreme Court Nominations with documents on successful and unsuccessful nominations to the Supreme Court.
U.S. Supreme Court Library offers complete coverage of the official U.S. Reports bound volumes, as well as preliminary prints, slip opinions, and books and periodicals related to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Multimedia Resources

Oyez
Multimedia archive with Supreme Court case summaries, transcript-synchronized and searchable audio when available, illustrated decision information, full-text opinions, and biographies of every justice throughout the Court’s history.
The Supreme Court via C-SPAN
Offers a range of audio and video content covering the court, nomination proceedings, commentary on the court, and videos of the currrent justices as speaking events.

Background Information & Analysis

CQ Supreme Court Collection This link opens in a new window
Reference source with summary information on cases, justices, and the history of the U.S. Supreme Court. Includes and easy-to-use data tools.

SCOTUSblog
Nonpartisan organization offering news and analysis on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Selected Document Collections

Supreme Court Decisions (1803-2017) by Michael Shally-Jensen, ed.
Salem Press, 2017.

Offers analysis, key points, and opinions.
Religious Liberty and the American Supreme Court : The Essential Cases and Documents (updated ed.) by Vincent Phillip Munoz
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2015.
Call number [RH Stacks] KF4783 .M86 2015

Video credit: The Supreme Court: Gatekeeper of the Constitution. Makematic, 2021.

► Click on the video and scroll up to access the settings for closed captioning, video speed, and expanding to full screen.

Search for Books by Subject

Use Library of Congress Subject Headings to search for books by subject in the Classic Library Catalog:

United States. Supreme Court.

United States. Supreme Court--History.

United States. Supreme Court--Officials and employees--Selection and appointment.

Political questions and judicial power--United States.

Additional Reference Sources & Data Tools

The U.S. Supreme Court : A Very Short Introduction by Linda Greenhouse
Oxford University Press, 2012.
The Supreme Court A to Z (5th ed.) by Kenneth W. Jost, ed.
CQ Press, 2012.

Amicus brief? Writ of certiorari? Find authoritative legal definitions in this ebook.

Supreme Court Database
From Washington University Law School, this resource offers data for download and analysis on each case decided by the Court between the 1791 and 2021 terms.

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Law: The Supreme Court

The U.S. Supreme Court