Federal Court Records

There may be several reasons you need to search for and access federal court cases. This information is available online to the public, and considered a matter of public domain. Federal Supreme Court cases, federal district court cases, federal appeals court cases and federal bankruptcy court cases are all available for your review. Following is a discussion of the types of case records held by these courts, information within them and how you can access them:

Cases Heard by the Federal Courts

Every bankruptcy cases are a federal matter. These cases are heard in the corresponding bankruptcy court located within the filer’s district. Records regarding details of these cases are held by the corresponding court’s clerk.

There are 94 U.S. District Courts and 12 circuits with a U.S. Court of Appeals to hear any cases from its corresponding districts. If a case is appealed after being heard and decided in one of these federal appeals courts, the U.S. Supreme Court may decide to hear it. These appellate courts, which hear appeals from lower courts, provide their case and docket information to the public as well.

Where to Find Federal Court Case Information

The U.S.  Judicial branch has provided an authoritative service to provide all federal court case records to the public called PACER, or Public Access to Court Electronic Records. Decisions in cases are posted on this site in real time for public viewing, and can be accessed for a small fee.

In order to use the system, you first must establish an account with a user name and password. You may then search by an individual’s name or Social Security number for U.S. Bankruptcy Court cases. If you’re looking for federal court cases from the U.S. District Courts or the U.S. Court of Appeals, you’ll need the case number, a party’s name involved in the case, or a date range in which the case was likely filed. In addition, users may employ the U.S. Party Case Index (USPCI) to locate federal court cases using only a party’s name. This is especially helpful if you’re unsure of which court or jurisdiction the case was filed.

Information Available from PACER

Regardless of the type of case or court records you need to access, there are a few general pieces of information you’ll always have access to as soon as they’re available. These include listings of every party involved in a case, which can even provide names of attorneys, trustees and judges involved. Case information such as the cause of action, the nature of the suit or any dollar amount requested from the court is also provided by PACER’s records. Chronological listings of events recorded in the case, a claims registry and any judgments are also available. The current case status is provided, and certain documents filed with the court may be accessed. 

Each day, new bankruptcy cases are listed, and you’ll also be able to research opinions by the appellate court justices. These are important because they can establish precedent and be used as reference in future similar cases to demonstrate how the laws have been interpreted.

Due to amendments to the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedures and Judicial Privacy Guidelines, only the last four digits of an individual’s Social Security number are shown in bankruptcy records dating from December of 2003. Other court case records may redact personal identifying information from some documents to protect the parties involved. However, you will generally be able to access the information you need regarding federal court cases from any one of these courts through the service provided by PACER. This invaluable resource can access further details about a case that you may be researching for background checking or reference purposes, or to confirm the outcome of a case you were involved in formerly.