Massachusetts Case Reporters

The Supreme Judicial Court is the highest court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Appeals Court functions as the intermediate appellate court. The departments of the Trial Court have jurisdiction on diverse matters, as granted by the Massachusetts General Laws. The Appellate Division reviews questions of law that arise in civil cases originating in the District Court and Boston Municipal Court. The Massachusetts Court System web site provides a chart of the judicial system as well as useful information on the courts and their jurisdiction.

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

Print:

Massachusetts Reports
Law Massachusetts Collection

Northeastern Reporter
Law Massachusetts Collection

Online Sources, by Subscription:

Westlaw:  MA-CS database
Lexis: MA Supreme Judicial Court Cases
Social Law Library: Supreme Judicial Court/Appeals Court decisions and Supreme Judicial Court slip opinions

Free Sources:

Early Massachusetts Reports volumes 1-238 (1804-1921) via Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries (PDF available)
Massachusetts Cases 1972-1996 via Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries
Supreme Judicial Court Slip Opinions via Massachusetts Office of Reporter of Decisions (latest two weeks)

Massachusetts Appeals Court

Print:

Massachusetts Appeals Court Reports
Law Massachusetts Collection

Northeastern Reporter
Law Massachusetts Collection

Online Sources, by Subscription:

Westlaw: MA-CS database
Lexis: MA Court of Appeals Cases
Social Law Library: Supreme Judicial Court/Appeals Court and Appeals Court slip opinions

Free Sources:

Massachusetts Cases 1972-1996 via Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries
Appeals Court Slip Opinions via Massachusetts Office of Reporter of Decisions (latest two weeks)

Trial Courts

There are seven departments of the trial court in Massachusetts: Superior Court, Land Court, Housing Court, Probate & Family Court, District Court, Boston Municipal Court, and Juvenile Court. Only selected decisions from certain courts are available in a published form, whether online or in a print reporter.

If a case was reviewed by the Supreme Judicial Court or the Appeals Court, you may be able to find the trial court's decision in the records and briefs for the appellate court.

Summaries of selected decisions of the trial courts may be available in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (Law Reserve, Law Micro, or Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly online), but an official copy of the decision may be only available from the trial court.

Massachusetts Superior Court

Massachusetts Law Reporter
Print:  Law Massachusetts Collection

Social Law Library: Superior Court Opinions and Business Litigation Session Opinions and Superior Court Slip Opinions
Westlaw: MA-CS database
Lexis: Massachusetts Superior Court Cases

Massachusetts Land Court

Social Law Library: Land Court decisions (1978 - date)

Massachusetts Housing Court

Social Law Library: Housing Court decisions (1989 - date)

Appellate Division

Massachusetts Appellate Decisions (1941-1976)
Print:  Law Massachusetts Collection

Reports of the Massachusetts Appellate Division (1977-date)
Print:    Law Massachusetts Collection

Westlaw: MA-CS database (1990-date)

Social Law Library: Massachusetts Appellate Division (2003-date)

Page maintained by Raquel Ortiz
Last updated: June 2008