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Search Primo (Library Catalog)
Primo is the CT State Library catalog. Search for books, articles, and more!
Digital Collections - ContentDM
CSL Digital Collections - CTDA
Connecticut State Library (CSL) digital items in the Connecticut Digital Archive (CTDA)
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Other institutions' collections may be searched from CTDA home page.
CT State Archives Finding Aids

Case Law Research Databases

These subscription databases can be used with a Connecticut State Library Card.

Fastcase Includes primary law from all 50 states as well as treatise libraries on elder law, employment law, estate planning, evidence law, family law, insurance law, personal injury law, real estate law, remedies, and more.
User help at https://www.fastcase.com/support/#documentation
HeinOnline Comprehensive historical collection of legal and law-related material, including many North American legal journals. Coverage: From 1800s to present. Continually adding new content.
User help page at https://libguides.heinonline.org/getting-started/overview
Westlaw Thomson Reuters Westlaw (formerly WestlawNext) offers current and historical state and federal statutes, case law materials, periodicals, law reviews, and other legal resources. Coverage: 50 States; District of Columbia; U.S. Supreme Court; U.S. Courts of Appeal; Federal District Courts and Bankruptcy Courts.

The external links below are provided as an information service only. They provide free case law, but do not include a citator service.

Selected links on the United States Courts Website

The United States Courts website explains the role and structure of the federal courts. Below are selected links from their official website.

USCourts.gov
Portal for U.S. Federal Courts
Federal Court Role and Structure
Comparing Federal and State Courts
Rules & Policies - Federal Courts
Site: "The federal rules of practice and procedure govern litigation in the federal courts. This site provides access to the federal rules and forms in effect, information on the rulemaking process (including proposed and pending rules amendments), and historical and archival records."
Code of Conduct for United States Judges
Site: "The Code of Conduct for United States Judges includes the ethical canons that apply to federal judges and provides guidance on their performance of official duties and engagement in a variety of outside activities."
Federal Court Finder
Court Website Links
Courts Opinions, United States, Select Courts from 2004 to Present (GPO)
Government Publishing Office (GPO) digital collection.
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Site: "United States Courts Opinions (USCOURTS) collection is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) and the Administrative Office of the United States Courts (AOUSC) to provide public access to opinions from selected United States appellate, district, and bankruptcy courts. The USCOURTS collection is consistent with the E-Government Act's requirement for the substance of all written opinions, issued after April 16, 2005, to be made available in a text searchable format. [Pub. L. No. 107-347, Title II, Section 205]

The content of this collection dates back to April 2004, though searchable electronic holdings for some courts may be incomplete for this earlier time period, and some courts may have holdings dating farther back. Once an opinion is located, all associated opinions within the same case can be accessed from the opinion Content Details page."

Federal Courts and Connecticut

Connecticut is part of the Second Circuit in the Federal Court System. The Second Circuit includes Connecticut, New York, and Vermont. Connecticut District Courts are located in Bridgeport, Hartford, and New Haven. The Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit is located in New York City. See the links below for more information about these federal courts.

For additional print resources, please see a librarian or search our catalog.

Federal Court of Appeals Manual by David G. Knibb
Call Number: KF9052 .K63 2013
Publication Date: 2013, 6th edition
This treatise takes the reader through the federal appeals process. It includes extensive case citations, sample forms, analysis of statutes, and analysis of federal rules of procedure.
Federal Practice and Procedure by Charles Alan Wright
Call Number: KF8840 .W68
This multi-volume set covers all aspects of federal civil, criminal and appellate procedure, including court rules, rules of evidence, the federal judicial system, jurisdiction of all federal courts, venue, relation of state and federal courts, etc.
Moore's Federal Practice
Call Number: KF8820.A313 M63
Moore's Federal Practice is a comprehensive multi-volume set that includes the federal rules of procedure with extensive commentary, analysis, and related court decisions. It is written by judges, lawyers, and professors who have been involved in federal rulemaking.
Understanding Federal Courts and Jurisdiction by Linda Mullenix et al.
Call Number: KF8719 .M85 2015
Publication Date: 2015, 2nd edition
This book, from the LexisNexis Understanding Series, offers a complete overview of the complex constitutional principles and doctrines governing the federal judicial system.

For additional electronic resources, please see a librarian or our list of databases.

Fastcase
Includes primary law from all 50 states as well as treatise libraries on elder law, employment law, estate planning, evidence law, family law, insurance law, personal injury law, real estate law, remedies, and more.
User help at https://www.fastcase.com/support/#documentation
HeinOnline
Comprehensive historical collection of legal and law-related material, including many North American legal journals. Coverage: From 1800s to present. Continually adding new content.
User help page at https://libguides.heinonline.org/getting-started/overview
History of Bankruptcy: Taxation & Economic Reform in America Part III (HeinOnline)
Includes legislative histories, treatises, documents and more related to bankruptcy law in America. It also includes classic books dating back to the late 1800s and links to scholarly articles that are related to the study of bankruptcy in America.
User help page at https://libguides.heinonline.org/history-of-bankruptcy
LLMC-Digital
LLMC-Digital is an extensive archive of historical primary and specialized legal materials covering the U.S. federal and state governments, the British Commonwealth, other foreign countries, and various international organizations.
PACER
PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) Coverage: Geographic: United States federal courts. Dates of coverage varies with jurisdiction. Please ask a Librarian for login assistance.
Westlaw
Thomson Reuters Westlaw (formerly WestlawNext) offers current and historical state and federal statutes, case law materials, periodicals, law reviews, and other legal resources. Coverage: 50 States; District of Columbia; U.S. Supreme Court; U.S. Courts of Appeal; Federal District Courts and Bankruptcy Courts.

Rules of Court

Court Records in PACER

Find a case in PACER. PACER (Public Access to Court Records) includes United States Federal Court records. Dates of coverage varies by jurisdiction. Please ask a librarian for login assistance.

PACER

National Reporter System - Federal

West's National Reporter System includes federal caselaw. West includes unofficial editorial enhancements to facilitate the research process. The reporters and their citation abbreviations are shown below.

Federal Reporter
- F., F.2d, F.3d
Federal Appendix
- F. App.
Federal Supplement
- F. Supp., F. Supp. 2d
Federal Rules Decisions
- F.R.D.

Specialized federal court reporters include the Bankruptcy Reporter, Military Justice Reporter, Federal Claims Reporter, and the Veterans Appeals Reporter.

Which District is Your State In?

U.S Federal Courts Circuit Map
This map shows the geographic boundaries of United States Courts of Appeals and United States District Courts.