Define: United States Reports

The United States Reports is a series of bound volumes that contain the official opinions of the Supreme Court of the United States.

The United States Reports are available in print at various libraries and law schools. They are also accessible online through the Supreme Court’s website and other legal research databases.

No, there are other unofficial sources that publish Supreme Court opinions, such as Westlaw and LexisNexis. However, the United States Reports are considered the official source.

The opinions are organized by term and then by case number. Each case includes the majority opinion, any concurring or dissenting opinions, and sometimes additional materials like appendices or transcripts.

Yes, citing the United States Reports is the preferred method for referencing Supreme Court opinions in legal writing. It adds credibility and authority to your arguments.

No, not all opinions are published in the United States Reports. The Court issues many per curiam opinions, which are brief, unsigned decisions, and these are often not included in the official reports.

There is no fixed timeline, but opinions are typically published within a few months after they are issued by the Court. However, some opinions may be published years later due to various reasons.

While the United States Reports are a valuable resource, it is recommended to consult other legal research tools, such as secondary sources, treatises, and legal databases, to ensure comprehensive research.

Access to the United States Reports on the Supreme Court’s website is free. However, some legal research databases may require a subscription or charge a fee for access to their online versions.

Yes, you can purchase a complete set of the United States Reports from various legal publishers. However, they can be quite expensive, so it is more common for law libraries and institutions to have complete sets.