Research Guides : How to Find: United States Supreme Court Cases: Print Sources

Reporters

The text of a case can be found in a reporter, a volume of reported court decisions.

There are three reporters for the United States Supreme Court:

Title	Abbreviation Key
United States Reports	U.S
Supreme Court Reporter	S. Ct.
United States Supreme Court Reports	L.E. and L.E. 2d

Finding Cases Using Citations

You need a citation (the volume and page number of the reporter in which the case is published in order to find a case in a reporter (e.g. 309 U.S. 634). Legal Citations are almost always in the following format:

Volume	Reporter Abbreviation	Page Number
309	U.S.	634
84	L. Ed.	991
60	S. Ct.	724

Using Digests to find Citations with Party Names

When all you have is the name of a party to a Supreme Court case, whether plaintiff or defendant, and need to find the citation look in:

U.S. Supreme Court Digest Lawyers' Edition, Table of Cases (volume 15-15D)
Law Library location: KF 101.1 D5
If you have the plaintiff's name, the citation will be given:
Example: People's Gas Light & Coke Co. v. Hart, 309 U.S. 634; 60 S.Ct. 724; 84 L. Ed. 991
If you have the defendant's name, the entry will appear inverted without a citation, as in:
Example: Hart, People's Gas light & Coke Co. v.
United States Supreme Court Digest, Table of Cases (volumes 14 and 14a)
Law Library Location: KF101.1 U5 (2d floor, aisle 2).
This set has merged plaintiff and defendant names in one entry list.
Example:
1. People's Gas Light & Coke Co. v. Hart, 309 U.S. 634; 60 S. Ct. 724; 84 L. Ed. 991
2. Hart; people's Gas Light & Coke Co v., 309 U.S. 634; 60 S. Ct. 724; 84 L. Ed. 991

Secondary Sources

The Supreme Court by Lawrence A. Baum
Call Number: KF8742 .B35
ISBN: 9781604264623
Publication Date: 2009-10-14
In The Supreme Court, Lawrence Baum brings students a brief yet comprehensive― not to mention balanced and illuminating― introduction to the U.S. Supreme Court. In particular, Baum considers the shape and breadth of the Roberts’ Court. While carefully analyzing Chief Justice Roberts’s style as head of the High Court, Baum also examines Justice Kennedy’s pivotal role, as well as the Court’s drift in a more conservative direction.
A People's History of the Supreme Court by Peter H. Irons
Call Number: KF8742 .I76
ISBN: 0140292012
Publication Date: 2000-08-01
An extremely readable account of the history of the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court: an essential history by Peter Charles Hoffer; WilliamJames Hull Hoffer; N. E. H. Hull
Call Number: KF8742.Z9 H64 2007
ISBN: 9780700615384
Publication Date: 2007-09-06
The history of the Supreme Court as divided by Chief Justice.