Massachusetts Records and Briefs

The SJC and Appeals Court records and briefs provide information about the proceedings in the lower court that led to the appellate court. The record provides information about the proceedings in the lower courts such as pleadings and memoranda by the parties. The record may also include a copy of the trial court's opinion. This is especially valuable when the trial court's opinions are not published in any print or electronic sources. The briefs submitted to the appellate court contain the arguments by the parties and citations to the authorities relied upon in those arguments.

For a detailed guide on Massachusetts court records, see:

A Research Guide to the Massachusetts Courts and their Records
Print: Law Reference KFM 2910 .M46 1987

Supreme Judicial Court: organized by Massachusetts Reports volume then alphabetically by case title.

SJC Records and Briefs
Location: Law Micro, v. 230 (1918) to present

Older records and briefs in bound volumes, from 1840, are available at the Social Law Library. Please see a Pappas Law Library reference librarian for assistance.

Briefs for cases scheduled for argument starting with the September 2007 sitting are available at the court's website. You may also view dockets for cases entered since January 1, 1992.

Massachusetts Appeals Court: organized by Massachusetts Appeals Court Reports volume then alphabetically by case title.

AC Records and Briefs
Location: Law Micro, v.1 (1972) to present

Please note that the Appeals Court ceased publication of the lower court record with decisions reported in volume 10 of the Massachusetts Appeals Court Reports.

At the court's website you may view dockets for cases entered since January 1, 1988.

Page maintained by Raquel Ortiz
Last updated: November 2007