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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchTo find a climate-related lawsuit, use the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law’s database to identify a likely case, then check the court that filed it for the current docket and documents. Federal cases are on PACER; state, county, and municipal cases are not. For those, use the relevant state or local court portal, or contact the clerk.
1. Find a likely case
Start with the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law’s Climate Change Litigation Database. Search by jurisdiction and topic, then try party names and subject terms. Treat a database entry as a lead, not confirmation of the latest docket activity.
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Record the case caption, parties, court, case number, and filing date if available. These details help distinguish similarly named cases and locate the correct court record.
2. Identify the court and record system
Determine whether the case is in federal or state court, and note the court level and location. For a federal case, identify its district court or appellate circuit. For a state or local case, identify the state, county, and trial or appellate court. PACER covers federal courts only; it does not search state or county records.
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If you do not know the court, use the case tracker’s court information and verify it against the court’s own site or directory. The exact court matters: a statewide portal may cover only certain courts or case types.
3. Search federal cases on PACER
When you know the court
Go to the relevant federal court’s PACER/CM/ECF site and search its case records. Searching the filing court directly is generally the better route for the freshest information.
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When you do not know the court
Use the PACER Case Locator, a nationwide index of federal cases. Search using available details such as case number, party name, or filing-date range, then follow the result to the court’s case information and documents. The locator is typically refreshed nightly, and newly filed cases generally appear within 24 hours; the filing court remains the fresher source.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minutePACER requires an account. Its listed charge is $0.10 per page, capped at $3 for a single document, with fees waived when a user’s quarterly usage is $30 or less. These terms can change, so check PACER’s current fee information before searching.
4. Search state, county, and municipal cases
Search the official state judiciary website for “case records,” “case search,” “docket search,” or “court records.” Follow its directions to the court that handled the case. Some states offer statewide searches; others send users to county court systems or clerk offices. Check coverage before assuming a portal includes a particular court or case type.
- Washington: The state court search describes coverage of municipal, district, superior, and appellate cases, and directs users to the filing court for the complete record. See the Washington Courts search and court directory.
- Florida: The Appellate Case Information System (ACIS) provides dockets and available documents for the Florida Supreme Court and all six District Courts of Appeal. Its public document search does not require registration. It is an appellate search, not a statewide trial-court portal. See Florida ACIS.
- Arizona: eAccess provides eligible Superior Court records within its stated filing-date coverage, subject to restrictions. Available documents may have per-document fees or subscription options. See Arizona eAccess.
- Colorado: The Judicial Branch describes limits on online search access and directs users to the court or a records request for copies; linked commercial sites do not provide those copies. See Colorado Judicial Branch case records information.
These examples show different access models; they do not establish which portal or fee applies in another locality. Confirm the county and court that maintain the record.
5. Use search terms that help find the docket
Search the exact caption, party names, docket number, court name, and approximate filing date. If a portal supports filters, narrow by party, date range, court, county, or case type. When the climate connection is not obvious from the caption, try terms such as “climate,” “greenhouse gas,” “emissions,” “environmental review,” “permit,” or the name of the challenged project or agency. These are useful query variants, not guaranteed labels used by every court or case.
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6. Check RECAP, then verify important filings
CourtListener’s RECAP Archive may have federal docket entries and documents available at no charge. Its collection is not necessarily complete, so compare entries with the official court docket before relying on them.
For a case’s current status, check docket dates, orders, and later entries rather than relying on a search-engine snippet or tracker summary. Read the underlying order or pleading when its details matter; a docket entry is not a substitute for the document itself.
7. Ask the clerk when the online record is incomplete
If a filing is missing, an entry is unclear, or you need a complete or certified copy, contact the clerk of the court where the case was filed. Ask about public inspection, copy and certification options, fees, and any required request form. PACER says, “Contact the federal court where the case is filed to obtain information beyond the case summary, docket entries, and copies of documents.” State and local courts may likewise direct users to the responsible clerk when online access is incomplete.
What online records may not show
Public online access is not necessarily complete. Documents may be sealed, restricted by law, withheld by court order, or excluded from a portal. PACER describes material unavailable through its service and redaction of certain personal identifiers. State systems also differ: Arizona notes restrictions for protected or confidential records, and Solano Superior Court in California warns that an electronically available trial-court record is not the official record unless electronically certified. See Arizona eAccess information and the Solano Superior Court case-records notice.
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