Source Pulls for Law Journals

PDFs of U.S. Supreme Court cases can be found at the HeinOnline U.S. Supreme Court Library. There you will find preliminary prints, slip opinions, and U.S. Reports.

For Supreme Court cases before 1875, the Bluebook requires the name and volume of the series in which the case appears. The list of nominative reporters is as follows:

• Alexander J. Dallas (1790–1800): 1–4 (1–4 Dall.)
• William Cranch (1801–1815): 5–13 (1–9 Cranch)
• Henry Wheaton (1816–1827): 14–25 (1–12 Wheat.)
• Richard Peters (1828–1842): 26–41 (1–16 Pet.)
• Benjamin Chew Howard (1843–1860): 42–65 (1–24 How.)
• Jeremiah Sullivan Black (1861–1862): 66–67 (1–2 Black)
• John William Wallace (1863–1874): 68–90 (1–23 Wall.)

For other Federal cases, search the case on Westlaw and select the “Original Image of [Bluebook citation] (PDF)” link.

You can also check the hard copy reporter in the law library. Older volumes are in storage and will be retrieved upon request.

PDFs of state cases can be found on Westlaw. Search for the case and select the “Original Image of [Bluebook citation] (PDF)” link.

PDFs of historical state reporters may also be available at LLMC Digital.

You can also check the court's website or search the UO library catalog as the law library has hard copies of various regional reporters on the shelves and in storage.

Decisions for various federal agencies are available on HeinOnline under U.S. Federal Agency Documents, Decisions, and Appeals. It includes agencies such as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Federal and state case briefs are generally available on Westlaw, LexisNexis, and Bloomberg Law. In Westlaw, when viewing a case, click on the Filings tab at the top of the screen. In LexisNexis, briefs are available in the right column while viewing a case. In Bloomberg Law, when viewing a case, click on the "General Info" icon on the right margin and then the appropriate link under "Related Dockets" to get to a docket sheet with links to request or view briefs and other pleadings.

For federal cases, check for coverage in Westlaw, LexisNexis, and Bloomberg Law. If a document is not available in any of the databases, it may be available in PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records). The law library has a subscription to PACER but because charges are incurred for accessing documents, a law librarian must mediate a PACER request. Find the docket number and date of the document from the article, or try searching the court’s website or Google.