Bloomberg Law allows you to:
- Search the federal dockets that are on PACER plus many state court dockets at once.
- Search dockets by keywords, and even search the full text of the court filings, where the filings are available. PACER just searches for party name, case number and nature of suit. State court dockets usually just search for party name and case number.
- Access federal court documents without paying PACER’s 10 cents a page fee (although PACER allows $15/month free, and opinions are free). This free access is granted to law students, faculty and staff.
- Access many briefs and other filings that are not on Lexis or Westlaw
See this short video, How do I use Dockets on Bloomberg Law?
A forthcoming article notes that many written opinions are available via court dockets which are not on Lexis or Westlaw. See Elizabeth McCuskey, Submerged Precedent, 16 Nevada Law Journal ___ 2016 (forthcoming)[SSRN]. Professor McCuskey states, “[s]ubmerged precedent thus raises the specter that docket-based research may be necessary in some areas to ascertain an accurate picture of the law itself, not just trial courts’ administration of it.”