CourtListener Legal Research MCP Server

A powerful MCP server for legal research across 3,352 U.S. courts using the CourtListener API.

📦 Available on: npm | Smithery

Disclaimer: This is an independent personal project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by CourtListener or the Free Law Project.

Built using the CourtListener API - An open legal database democratizing access to court data with exceptional API documentation and comprehensive coverage of the U.S. legal system.

Quick Start

# Install from npm
npm install @khizar-anjum/courtlistener-mcp

# Or install from source
git clone https://github.com/khizar-anjum/courtlistener-mcp.git
cd courtlistener-mcp
npm install

# Setup
echo 'COURTLISTENER_API_KEY="your_api_key"' > .env
npm run generate-courts

# Build and run
npm run build
npm run dev

Get your free API key from: https://www.courtlistener.com/api/

💡 About the CourtListener API: A non-profit legal database providing free access to millions of legal documents, court opinions, and PACER data. The API's excellent documentation and comprehensive data coverage make legal research accessible to everyone.

Available Tools

Core Legal Research Tools

Accesses CourtListener's opinion database - all 3,352 courts

🔍 search_cases_by_problem

Find relevant cases using natural language legal problems

• Parameters: search_keywords[], jurisdiction, case_type, date_range, limit

📋 get_case_details

Deep dive into specific cases with full opinion text

• Parameters: case_id, include_full_text

🔗 find_similar_precedents

Discover cases with similar legal reasoning

• Parameters: reference_case_id, jurisdiction, legal_concepts, limit

📊 analyze_case_outcomes

Analyze outcome patterns for success prediction

• Parameters: case_type, jurisdiction, court_level, date_range

⚖️ get_judge_analysis

Understand judge's ruling patterns for strategy

• Parameters: judge_name, case_type, court, jurisdiction

✅ validate_citations

Verify and expand legal citations

• Parameters: citations[], context_text, jurisdiction

📝 get_procedural_requirements

Find filing requirements and court rules

• Parameters: case_type, jurisdiction, court, claim_amount

📈 track_legal_trends

Identify trends in case law

• Parameters: legal_area, time_period, trend_type

RECAP Archive Integration 🔒

Federal PACER data accessed via CourtListener's RECAP Archive

Premium Access: Some functions require a CourtListener premium subscription

• 🔒 PREMIUM REQUIRED | 📊 BASIC ACCESS

📊 search_pacer_dockets (Basic)

Search federal court dockets from PACER using full-text search

• Parameters: case_name, court, date_range, party_name, nature_of_suit
• Functionality: Uses proper search API endpoint for accurate, relevant results

📊 search_parties_attorneys (Basic)

Track attorney representation patterns

• Parameters: party_name, attorney_name, firm_name, court, date_range

📊 track_case_status (Basic)

Monitor case status and recent activity

• Parameters: docket_id, include_recent_activity, status_history

🔒 get_docket_entries (Premium)

Detailed timeline of case filings and orders

• Parameters: docket_id, entry_type, limit

🔒 analyze_case_timeline (Premium)

Deep case progression analysis with activity patterns

• Parameters: docket_id, analysis_type, include_documents

🔒 get_case_documents (Premium)

Access documents with full text extraction

• Parameters: docket_id, document_type, include_text, limit

Available Resources

Browse via MCP client:

• courtlistener://courts/all - All 3,352 courts
• courtlistener://courts/federal - Federal courts
• courtlistener://courts/state - State courts
• courtlistener://courts/state-{state} - State-specific courts
• courtlistener://jurisdictions/court-mappings - Jurisdiction mappings

Jurisdiction Options

| Input | Description | Example | |-------|-------------|---------| | "all" | All courts | Search nationwide | | "federal" | Federal courts | Circuit, District courts | | "california" | State courts | All CA courts | | "scotus" | Specific court | Supreme Court | | "ca9,nysd" | Multiple courts | 9th Circuit + NY Southern |

MCP Client Setup

Add to Claude Desktop or MCP client:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "courtlistener": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/courtlistener-mcp/.smithery/index.ts"],
      "env": {
        "COURTLISTENER_API_KEY": "your_api_key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Usage Examples

Case Research Workflow

// 1. Search for cases
{
  "tool": "search_cases_by_problem",
  "arguments": {
    "search_keywords": ["breach of warranty", "defective product"],
    "jurisdiction": "california",
    "case_type": "warranty"
  }
}

// 2. Get case details
{
  "tool": "get_case_details",
  "arguments": {
    "case_id": "12345",
    "include_full_text": false
  }
}

// 3. Find similar cases
{
  "tool": "find_similar_precedents",
  "arguments": {
    "reference_case_id": "12345",
    "jurisdiction": "federal"
  }
}

PACER Research (Premium)

// Search PACER dockets
{
  "tool": "search_pacer_dockets",
  "arguments": {
    "nature_of_suit": "contract",
    "court": "federal"
  }
}

// Analyze case timeline (Premium)
{
  "tool": "analyze_case_timeline",
  "arguments": {
    "docket_id": "67890",
    "analysis_type": "all"
  }
}

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please see CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines on how to submit improvements, bug fixes, and new features.

API Rate Limits

• Authenticated: 5,000 requests/hour
• Unauthenticated: 100 requests/day

Premium Access

Basic API access provides all Core Legal Research tools plus limited PACER metadata. Premium access unlocks:

• Detailed docket entry analysis
• Full document text extraction
• Comprehensive timeline analysis
• Advanced litigation intelligence

Get premium access: https://www.courtlistener.com/help/api/rest/

Acknowledgments

This independent project uses the CourtListener API, created by the Free Law Project, a non-profit organization. We acknowledge and appreciate:

• Their API Design: Clear, well-documented REST API with comprehensive field coverage
• Open Legal Data: Free access to millions of court opinions, dockets, and legal documents
• RECAP Archive: Democratizing access to PACER federal court data
• Community Impact: Making legal research accessible beyond expensive commercial databases

Consider supporting their mission: Free Law Project

License

MIT