960:
167:
329:. For each PACER document, the software will first check if it has already been uploaded by another user. If no free version exists and the user purchases the document from PACER, it will automatically upload a copy to the RECAP server, thereby building the database. The original RECAP implementation uploaded documents to the
29:
354:
Some courts have acknowledged RECAP's free distribution of documents. A small handful of PACER users receive fee-exempt access (fee waivers are granted on a district-by-district basis), and a condition of the fee waiver generally requires that fee exempt users not further distribute documents they
193:
that provides free access to primary legal materials, develops legal research tools, and supports academic research on legal corpora. Free Law
Project has several initiatives that collect and share legal information, including the largest collection of American
250:
website with court dockets, 900,000 minutes of oral argument recordings, more than eight thousand judges, and more than three million opinions. All of the opinions on Court
Listener are interlinked by a citator, and the graph of citations is available via an
533:
this guy out in
Oakland .. works for this nonprofit called the Free Law Project .. project going on for several years, to obtain from the administrative office of the courts, every financial disclosure for every federal judge, and digitize
350:
However, the automated downloading triggered a government investigation. No criminal charges were filed, because PACER had provided lawful access and the documents copied were in the public domain, and the case was closed.
346:
Swartz downloaded 2.7 million documents, all public domain, representing less than 1 percent of the documents in PACER. These public domain documents were later uploaded to RECAP and made available to the public for free.
257:, which allows users to automatically search for free copies of documents during a search in the fee-based online US legal database PACER, creating a free alternative database at the
968:
provides free access to federal court documents that someone has already purchased for RECAP / CourtListener and invites users to purchase a copy of others for CourtListener / RECAP.
688:
333:; as of late 2017, the Free Law Project version now uploads documents to the Free Law Project, with a promise to mirror that data to the Internet Archive on a quarterly basis.
356:
1025:
651:
The database contains information about more than sixteen thousand state and federal judges, making it a treasure trove for those wishing to do judicial analytics.
1020:
295:
is software which allows users to automatically search for free copies of documents during a search in the fee-based online U.S. federal court document database
568:
The Free Law
Project, a new California nonprofit, launched Tuesday and will provide free and easy access to legal material and research for anyone to download.
515:
872:
1040:
842:
550:
1030:
413:
1035:
465:
308:
300:
696:
392:
283:, which provides information about more than 700 US courts. All of Free Law Project's work is open source and available online.
921:
1005:
1010:
809:
211:
1015:
247:
1000:
311:, and is now maintained as part of the Free Law Project. The name "RECAP" derives from "PACER", spelled backward.
299:, and to help build up a free alternative database. It was created in 2009 by a team from Princeton University's
630:
267:, which provides biographical and electoral information about more than 16,000 American judges and appointors.
88:
787:
746:
722:
387:
215:
520:
470:
322:
220:
66:
663:
555:
418:
326:
225:
355:
receive under the waiver, pursuant to
Judicial Conference policy. Some courts such as the
8:
959:
166:
28:
926:
819:
304:
203:
142:
894:
814:
742:
613:
590:
330:
318:
258:
492:
868:
315:
895:"Welcome to the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts"
199:
994:
551:"Free Law Project provides access to legal materials and research for public"
493:"Milestone: CourtListener has 365 Days of Continuous Oral Argument Listening"
343:
set up an automatic download from an official library entry point to PACER.
195:
179:
594:
727:
463:
340:
231:
Free Law
Project was founded in 2013 by Michael Lissner and Brian Carver.
375:
296:
207:
617:
336:
PACER continued charging per page fees after the introduction of RECAP.
843:"The inside story of Aaron Swartz's campaign to liberate court filings"
664:"Announcing a New Open Database of Court Information, IDs, and Parsers"
607:
70:
976:
965:
464:
Coulter Jones; James V. Grimaldi; Joe
Palazzolo (September 28, 2021).
638:
274:
190:
183:
80:
981:
363:
page: "fee exempt PACER users must refrain from the use of RECAP".
393:
Public.Resource.Org § Access to United States legal resources
186:
695:. Center for Information Technology Policy. 2013. Archived from
580:
985:
810:"FBI Investigated Coder for Liberating Paywalled Court Records"
360:
899:
United States
District Court for the District of Massachusetts
466:"How the Journal Found Judges' Violations of Law on Conflicts"
750:
971:
689:"RECAP Documents Now More Searchable Via Internet Archive"
772:
239:
Free Law
Project has a number of initiatives, including:
273:, which provides information about more than 400 legal
378:
software project to archive and host court documents.
1026:
Non-profit organizations based in the United States
953:
440:
206:, the RECAP Project, which collects documents from
159:
869:"A Complete Chronology of PACER Fees and Policies"
507:
773:"RECAP Project — Turning PACER Around Since 2009"
747:"Plug-in opens up federal courts, with your help"
683:
681:
544:
542:
297:PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records)
992:
357:District Court for the District of Massachusetts
150:Michael Lissner, Brian Carver, Ansel Halliburton
459:
457:
1021:Legal organizations based in the United States
678:
548:
539:
513:
228:cases regarding violations by federal judges.
922:"I Read Court Documents for Fun. Hear Me Out"
516:"The Federal Law That 138 Judges Have Broken"
919:
770:
454:
913:
716:
714:
958:
901:. Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts
860:
801:
411:
165:
741:
405:
339:Prior to the creation of RECAP, activist
1041:2009 establishments in the United States
779:
711:
301:Center for Information Technology Policy
866:
788:"The Next Version of RECAP is Now Live"
786:Lissner, Michae l (November 13, 2017).
785:
720:
993:
807:
16:Free legal research tools and database
1031:Online companies of the United States
735:
721:Johnson, Bobbie (November 11, 2009).
549:Taylor A. Vega (September 29, 2013).
841:Lee, Timothy B. (February 8, 2013).
723:"Recap: cracking open US courtrooms"
359:display a prominent reminder on its
867:Lissner, Michael (April 13, 2017).
840:
13:
875:from the original on March 6, 2018
514:Kate Linebaugh (October 1, 2021).
246:, which provides a searchable and
202:from 200 United States courts and
14:
1052:
1036:Organizations established in 2013
945:
920:Tarpley Hitt (December 1, 2020).
808:Singel, Ryan (October 5, 2009).
366:
27:
887:
834:
764:
656:
631:"Judge and Disclosure Database"
972:RECAP The Law Project homepage
623:
600:
573:
485:
433:
412:Justin Rau (October 5, 2021).
234:
126:CourtListener, RECAP, Bots.law
1:
398:
58:Michael Lissner, Brian Carver
977:Judge and Appointer Database
818:. Condé Nast. Archived from
265:Judge and Appointer Database
7:
1006:Free Access to Law Movement
388:Free Access to Law Movement
381:
10:
1057:
1011:Free Firefox WebExtensions
198:, daily collection of new
154:
140:
130:
122:
114:
106:
98:
86:
76:
62:
54:
46:
38:
26:
1016:Google Chrome extensions
314:RECAP is available as a
287:
1001:American legal websites
521:The Wall Street Journal
471:The Wall Street Journal
323:Google Chrome extension
221:The Wall Street Journal
144:Board of directors
556:The Daily Californian
419:The Los Angeles Times
271:Database of Reporters
210:, and user-generated
204:administrative bodies
99:Registration no.
33:Free Law Project Logo
226:conflict of interest
224:expose 138 cases of
218:. Their data helped
745:(August 14, 2009).
641:on January 22, 2024
261:and Court Listener.
196:oral argument audio
23:
927:The New York Times
771:Free Law Project.
441:"Free Law Project"
414:"Crime and Courts"
305:Harvard University
132:Executive Director
21:
743:McCullagh, Declan
244:CourtListener.com
173:
172:
1048:
962:
957:
956:
954:Official website
939:
938:
936:
934:
917:
911:
910:
908:
906:
891:
885:
884:
882:
880:
864:
858:
857:
855:
853:
838:
832:
831:
829:
827:
805:
799:
798:
796:
794:
783:
777:
776:
768:
762:
761:
759:
757:
739:
733:
732:
718:
709:
708:
706:
704:
685:
676:
675:
673:
671:
666:. March 10, 2020
660:
654:
653:
648:
646:
637:. Archived from
635:Free Law Project
627:
621:
620:
604:
598:
597:
587:Free Law Project
577:
571:
570:
565:
563:
546:
537:
536:
530:
528:
511:
505:
504:
502:
500:
489:
483:
482:
480:
478:
461:
452:
451:
449:
447:
437:
431:
430:
428:
426:
409:
331:Internet Archive
327:Safari extension
259:Internet Archive
176:Free Law Project
169:
164:
161:
145:
31:
24:
22:Free Law Project
20:
1056:
1055:
1051:
1050:
1049:
1047:
1046:
1045:
991:
990:
952:
951:
948:
943:
942:
932:
930:
918:
914:
904:
902:
893:
892:
888:
878:
876:
865:
861:
851:
849:
839:
835:
825:
823:
822:on May 15, 2023
806:
802:
792:
790:
784:
780:
769:
765:
755:
753:
740:
736:
719:
712:
702:
700:
699:on June 1, 2016
687:
686:
679:
669:
667:
662:
661:
657:
644:
642:
629:
628:
624:
606:
605:
601:
579:
578:
574:
561:
559:
547:
540:
526:
524:
512:
508:
498:
496:
491:
490:
486:
476:
474:
462:
455:
445:
443:
439:
438:
434:
424:
422:
410:
406:
401:
384:
369:
316:Mozilla Firefox
290:
237:
158:
147:
143:
136:Michael Lissner
133:
91:
34:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1054:
1044:
1043:
1038:
1033:
1028:
1023:
1018:
1013:
1008:
1003:
989:
988:
982:Freelawproject
979:
974:
969:
963:
947:
946:External links
944:
941:
940:
912:
886:
859:
833:
800:
778:
763:
734:
710:
677:
655:
622:
599:
582:Court Listener
572:
538:
506:
495:. June 8, 2016
484:
453:
432:
403:
402:
400:
397:
396:
395:
390:
383:
380:
368:
365:
309:Berkman Center
289:
286:
285:
284:
278:
268:
262:
252:
248:API-accessible
236:
233:
216:visualizations
200:legal opinions
171:
170:
156:
152:
151:
148:
141:
138:
137:
134:
131:
128:
127:
124:
120:
119:
116:
112:
111:
108:
104:
103:
100:
96:
95:
92:
87:
84:
83:
78:
74:
73:
64:
60:
59:
56:
52:
51:
48:
44:
43:
40:
36:
35:
32:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1053:
1042:
1039:
1037:
1034:
1032:
1029:
1027:
1024:
1022:
1019:
1017:
1014:
1012:
1009:
1007:
1004:
1002:
999:
998:
996:
987:
983:
980:
978:
975:
973:
970:
967:
966:CourtListener
964:
961:
955:
950:
949:
929:
928:
923:
916:
900:
896:
890:
874:
870:
863:
848:
844:
837:
821:
817:
816:
811:
804:
789:
782:
774:
767:
752:
748:
744:
738:
730:
729:
724:
717:
715:
698:
694:
693:RECAP The Law
690:
684:
682:
665:
659:
652:
640:
636:
632:
626:
619:
615:
611:
610:
603:
596:
592:
588:
584:
583:
576:
569:
558:
557:
552:
545:
543:
535:
523:
522:
517:
510:
494:
488:
473:
472:
467:
460:
458:
442:
436:
421:
420:
415:
408:
404:
394:
391:
389:
386:
385:
379:
377:
373:
372:CourtListener
367:CourtListener
364:
362:
358:
352:
348:
344:
342:
337:
334:
332:
328:
324:
320:
317:
312:
310:
306:
302:
298:
294:
282:
279:
276:
272:
269:
266:
263:
260:
256:
255:RECAP Project
253:
249:
245:
242:
241:
240:
232:
229:
227:
223:
222:
217:
213:
212:Supreme Court
209:
205:
201:
197:
192:
188:
185:
181:
180:United States
177:
168:
163:
157:
153:
149:
146:
139:
135:
129:
125:
121:
117:
113:
109:
105:
101:
97:
93:
90:
85:
82:
79:
75:
72:
68:
65:
61:
57:
53:
49:
45:
41:
37:
30:
25:
19:
933:November 25,
931:. Retrieved
925:
915:
905:February 14,
903:. Retrieved
898:
889:
877:. Retrieved
862:
850:. Retrieved
847:Ars Technica
846:
836:
824:. Retrieved
820:the original
813:
803:
791:. Retrieved
781:
766:
754:. Retrieved
737:
728:The Guardian
726:
701:. Retrieved
697:the original
692:
668:. Retrieved
658:
650:
643:. Retrieved
639:the original
634:
625:
608:
602:
586:
581:
575:
567:
562:November 25,
560:. Retrieved
554:
532:
527:November 25,
525:. Retrieved
519:
509:
497:. Retrieved
487:
477:November 24,
475:. Retrieved
469:
444:. Retrieved
435:
425:November 21,
423:. Retrieved
417:
407:
371:
370:
353:
349:
345:
341:Aaron Swartz
338:
335:
313:
292:
291:
280:
270:
264:
254:
243:
238:
230:
219:
175:
174:
115:Headquarters
107:Legal status
39:Abbreviation
18:
826:January 12,
376:open source
235:Initiatives
118:Oakland, CA
995:Categories
595:Q117745639
399:References
94:46-3342480
89:Tax ID no.
67:Emeryville
63:Founded at
50:2013-09-24
731:. London.
670:March 17,
645:March 14,
281:Courts-DB
275:reporters
214:citation
191:nonprofit
184:501(c)(3)
81:501(c)(3)
47:Formation
879:March 5,
873:Archived
793:March 5,
618:Q7276289
614:Wikidata
591:Wikidata
499:June 21,
446:June 21,
382:See also
182:federal
123:Services
102:C3594588
55:Founders
852:May 31,
756:May 16,
703:May 31,
189:-based
187:Oakland
155:Website
110:Charity
986:GitHub
616:
593:
374:is an
325:, and
319:add-on
815:Wired
609:RECAP
293:RECAP
288:RECAP
208:PACER
178:is a
935:2022
907:2024
881:2018
854:2013
828:2013
795:2018
758:2017
751:CNET
705:2013
672:2021
647:2024
564:2022
529:2021
501:2016
479:2022
448:2016
427:2022
303:and
251:API.
162:.law
160:free
77:Type
984:on
534:it.
361:ECF
307:'s
42:FLP
997::
924:.
897:.
871:.
845:.
812:.
749:.
725:.
713:^
691:.
680:^
649:.
633:.
612:,
589:,
585:,
566:.
553:.
541:^
531:.
518:.
468:.
456:^
416:.
321:,
71:CA
69:,
937:.
909:.
883:.
856:.
830:.
797:.
775:.
760:.
707:.
674:.
503:.
481:.
450:.
429:.
277:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
