tool-courtlistener-us
Installation
SKILL.md
Tool — CourtListener (US Case Law Database)
What it does
Searches CourtListener — the Free Law Project's open database of US federal and state court opinions — to retrieve case law, docket information, and oral argument audio. Provides programmatic access via a REST API without the PACER fees associated with the official federal courts system.
CourtListener is the primary free alternative to Westlaw and LexisNexis for US case law. For citation-verified BigLaw-quality research, CoCounsel (Westlaw-integrated) remains preferable; CourtListener is ideal for open research, comparative law, and matters where Westlaw access is not available.
Setup / auth
- Public REST API: https://www.courtlistener.com/api/rest/v3/
- Authentication: API token (free registration at courtlistener.com)
- Rate limits: 5,000 requests per day on the free tier; higher limits available
- Data coverage: 6M+ opinions spanning US Supreme Court, all federal circuit courts, federal district courts, and most state supreme and appellate courts