Quick guide to finding US Supreme Court cases

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to provide librarians (and their patrons) with a quick method for finding United States Supreme Court cases in varied sources, including in databases and on internet web sites.Design/methodology/approachIn order to provide librarians (and their patrons) with a quick method for finding Supreme Court cases, the article will explain case citations and case names. In addition, the article will provide varied sources for finding a case on a particular topic, for finding a major Supreme Court case – by case name or by topic – and for finding current Supreme Court cases.FindingsIn 1989, a guide that offered a quick method of finding Supreme Court cases appeared in Reference Services Review. However, since the article's inception, numerous sources, including databases and internet web sites, have come into existence. As such, an update of varied sources for quickly finding Supreme Court cases is needed.Practical implicationsThe article is a useful resource for librarians (and their patrons) to quickly find Supreme Court cases.Originality/valueThe strategies and ideas presented in the article will provide librarians (and their patrons) with the means to quickly find Supreme Court cases.