District of Columbia Resources

Local Court Opinions

Not all opinions of the D.C. Court of Appeals are published. Signed opinions and per curiam opinions are published. Memorandum Opinions and Judgments (MOJs) are not published. Superior Court proceedings can be requested from the Court Reporting Division for a fee.

D.C. Court of Appeals Opinions

• District of Columbia Court of Appeals Cases on Westlaw (1801 - )
• DC Court of Appeals Cases from 1925 on Lexis
• D.C. Court of Appeals Cases on Bloomberg Law (1941 - )
• In print: Atlantic Reporter (A.), Call Number: Closed Stacks KF135 .A7 (Vol. 1 (Oct.1885/Jan. 1886)-v. 200 (July/Sept. 1938)). Ask for assistance at Circulation Desk.
• In print: Atlantic Reporter Second Series (A.2d), Call Number: Closed Stacks KF135 .A712 (v. 1 Sept. 1938) - v. 531 (1988)). Ask for assistance at Circulation Desk.
• In print: West's Atlantic Reporter Third Series: (A.3d). Call Number: Closed Stacks KF135 .A712 (v. 1 (Oct. 1, 2010) - . Last updated at law Library in 2012). Ask for assistance at Circulation Desk.
• D.C. Court of Appeals: Opinions and MOJs. It includes all published opinions since mid-1998 and monthly list of Memorandum Opinions and Judgments (MOJs) since September 1999. Some D.C. Court of Appeals opinions are not published. The courts website also provides access to opinions from the Committee on the Unauthorized Practice of Law.
• Google Scholar (1950 - ). Select Case Law then Dist. of Columbia under State courts.
• FindLaw: District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Cases (1997 - )
• The Daily Washington Law Reporter (accessible to GULC members through a login). The only electronic source that also includes D.C. Superior Court opinions. Coverage from 1874, incl. D.C. Court of Appeals, D.C. Superior Court, U.S. Court of Appeals for D.C., U.S. District Court for D.C.
  • Daily Wash. L. Rep. on HeinOnline (1874 - 1963)
  • In print: Daily Wash. L. Rep., Call Number :State 1st Floor KFD1247 . D3 (v.2 - )
• Historical Case Reports:
  • HeinOnline: Reports of Cases Adjudged in the Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia (1893-1922)
  • LLMC Digital: Reports of cases adjudged in the Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia (1893 - 1924)

D.C. Superior Court Opinions

• DC Superior Court - Trial Orders on Lexis (March 12, 1981 - )
• District of Columbia Civil Trial Court Orders on Westlaw (2000 - )
• District of Columbia Criminal Trial Court Orders on Westlaw (2009 - )

• The Daily Washington Law Reporter (accessible to GULC members through a login). The only electronic source that also includes D.C. Superior Court opinions. Coverage from 1874, incl. D.C. Court of Appeals, D.C. Superior Court, U.S. Court of Appeals for D.C., U.S. District Court for D.C.

  • Daily Wash. L. Rep. on HeinOnline (1874 - 1963)
  • In print: Daily Wash. L. Rep., Call Number :State 1st Floor KFD1247 . D3 (v.2 - )
• Superior Court of the District of Columbia: Tax Division Opinions (2001 - )
• Superior Court of the District of Columbia:  Clerk of the Superior Court, Moultrie Courthouse, 500 Indiana Ave., NW, Rm 2500, Washington, D.C. 20001. Tel: 202-879-1400.

Federal Court Opinions

U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

• Lexis:
  • Court of Appeals: District of Columbia Circuit - US Court of Appeals Cases on Lexis (1800 - ) 
  • District Court: District of Columbia Federal District Courts on Lexis (1912 - )
  • All District of Columbia Federal Cases, Combined on Lexis (includes Court of Appeals, District Court, District of Columbia Bankruptcy Courts & U.S. Supreme Court Cases; coverage varies by court)
• Westlaw:
  • Court of Appeals: D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals Cases on Westlaw (1891 - )
  • District Court: District of Columbia Federal District Court Cases on Westlaw (1801 - )
  • District of Columbia Federal Cases on Westlaw (includes Court of Appeals, District Court, District of Columbia Bankruptcy Court & U.S. Supreme Court; coverage varies by court)
• Bloomberg Law:
  • Court of Appeals: D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on Bloomberg Law (1892 - )
  • District Court: District of the District of Columbia in Bloomberg Law
• In print: Federal Reporter (F.), Call Number: Reading Room KF105 .F4 (1880-1925)
• In print: Federal Reporter 2d. (F.2d), Call Number: Reading Room KF105 .F42 2d (1924-1994)
• In print: West's Federal Reporter 3d (F.3d), Call Number: Reading Room KF105 . F42 3d (1994 - . Canceled in 2012 in Law Library).
• In print West's Federal Appendix: (F. App'x), Call Number: Reading Room KF105 .F423. Publishes selected "unreported" decisions. (2001 - , canceled in 2012 in Law Library).
• For other sources for federal court opinion, see the Georgetown Law Library's Free and Low Cost Legal Research Guide.

Court Opinions Finding Aids

• In print: District of Columbia Digest, Call Number: State 1st Floor KFD1257 .D5 (Law Library retains current volumes only).
• In print: West's Atlantic Digest 2d, Call Number: Closed Stacks South KF135 .A72 W4 (Last updated in 2004 at Law Library).
• West's Digests

D.C. Court of Appeals Dockets

• D.C. Court of Appeals Cases Online (2010 - )

D.C. Superior Court Dockets

• DC Superior Court Online Case Search (eAccess)
• D.C. Superior Court Dockets on Bloomberg Law (2007 - )

May be found in Westlaw under Statutes & Court Rules and Lexis' Court Rules. Court rules may also be found within the court's web site.

May be found on the court's website, published in the court's administrative office annual reports.

The Florida Courts published a comparative report, State Court Systems Profiles (2010), where each state's court system hierarchy, number of judges, terms of office, governance and funding are summarized.