Searching for Cases
Click "Cases" in the sidebar to open the database. The search bar at the top lets you search by case name, citation, keyword, or legal topic.
How Search Works
Tip
Start broad. If you search "car search" and get too many results, use filters to narrow it down. If you get too few, try different terms like "vehicle search" or "automobile."
Search Tips
• Search terms must be at least 3 characters. Shorter terms return the most-cited cases instead.
• Including a year in your search (e.g., "1968") filters results to that year. Use the year filter controls instead if you want broader results.
• State and Circuit filters use "either/or" logic — a case matching either filter appears in results.
• For case names, use "v." with a period (e.g., "Terry v. Ohio") for the best match.
• Leaving the search box empty shows the most influential cases — a useful way to browse.
Using Filters
Click "Advanced Filters" below the search bar to expand filtering options. Use these to narrow your results by jurisdiction, court level, date, and more.
Available Filters
Court
Filter by court level (Supreme Court, Federal Appellate, State Supreme, etc.)
Legal Area
Filter by area of law (Search & Seizure, Use of Force, Miranda, etc.)
Amendment
Filter by constitutional amendment (4th, 5th, 6th, 14th, etc.)
Case Type
Filter by case type (All Cases, Landmark Cases only)
State
Filter by state jurisdiction
Year From / Year To
Filter by date range
Sort By
Sort results by Relevance, Newest, Oldest, or Case Name A-Z
Click "Advanced Filters" to expand the filter panel
Select your filters from the dropdowns
Click "Apply Filters" to update results
Click "Clear All Filters" to reset
Example
To find recent Supreme Court cases about vehicle searches: Search "vehicle search", set Court to "Supreme Court", set Year From to "2010", and click Apply Filters.
Reading Search Results
Each case in the results list shows key information at a glance.
What You See in the List
Click anywhere on a case card to open the full case breakdown.
Understanding Case Breakdowns
When you open a case, you'll see a detailed breakdown organized into expandable sections. Each section is designed to give you practical, usable information.
What You'll See
Disposition
The court's final action on the case — affirmed, reversed, remanded, etc.
Issue
The legal question the court was asked to decide.
Holding
The court's answer to the legal issue — the rule that came out of the case.
Facts
What actually happened — the events and circumstances that brought the case to court.
Legal Scope
Which amendments, circuits, and states the case covers. Includes alternate citations if the case appears in multiple reporters.
Opinions
The full text of each opinion — majority, concurrences, dissents, and any other opinions filed. Each is individually expandable.
Expand and Collapse
Click any section header to expand or collapse it. Use the expand/collapse all buttons at the top right to open or close all sections at once.
Pinning Cases
Pin cases you reference frequently for quick access from the sidebar.
How to Pin a Case
Open any case from the search results
Click the "Pin" button in the top right corner
The case appears in your sidebar under the "Cases" tab
Accessing Pinned Cases
In the sidebar, switch from the "History" tab to the "Cases" tab to see all your pinned cases. Click any pinned case to open it instantly.
Unpinning a Case
Open the case and click the Pin button again to unpin it, or right-click the case in your pinned list and select "Unpin."