CourtListener - Legal Data API Scraper

Overview

Fetch legal opinions, dockets, oral arguments, and RECAP documents from CourtListener REST API v4. Legal Data API Scraper. Supports keyword search, filters (Filed After, Filed Before).

Features

• Search by keywords to find specific results
• Filter results by category or type
• Export data in JSON, CSV, or Excel formats
• Control output volume with configurable result limits

Use Cases

• Search - Search for attorneys by practice area and location
• Build - Build legal professional databases for referral networks
• Track - Track court filings and case outcomes
• Monitor - Monitor legal industry trends and firm data

Input Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description	Default
apiToken	string	Your CourtListener API token (optional - a default token is provided). Get yo...
searchType	string	Type of legal data to search for	opinions
query	string	Search terms (e.g., 'first amendment', 'copyright infringement')	``
court	string	Court code to filter by (e.g., 'scotus' for Supreme Court, 'ca9' for 9th Circ...	``
dateAfter	string	Only include items filed after this date (YYYY-MM-DD format)	``
dateBefore	string	Only include items filed before this date (YYYY-MM-DD format)	``
maxItems	integer	Maximum number of items to fetch (API limit: 5000/hour)	100
includeFullText	boolean	Include full opinion text when available (increases data size)	false

Output Example

Each result contains structured data like this:

{
  "name": "CourtListener Sample Item",
  "firm": "Smith & Associates",
  "practiceArea": "Corporate Law",
  "location": "San Francisco, CA",
  "phone": "(555) 123-4567",
  "email": "contact@example.com",
  "rating": 4.5,
  "url": "https://example.com/item/12345"
}

Pricing

This actor uses pay-per-result pricing:

• $0.001 per result
• $1.00 per 1,000 results

No monthly fees. You only pay for what you scrape. Apify Free plan includes $5/month in platform credits.

How to Run

Apify Console

1. Go to the CourtListener - Legal Data API Scraper actor page
2. Configure your input parameters
3. Click Start and wait for the results
4. Download data in JSON, CSV, or Excel format

API

curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/fortuitous_pirate~courtlistener-legal-data/runs?token=YOUR_API_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"maxItems": 10}'

Python SDK

from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("YOUR_API_TOKEN")
run = client.actor("fortuitous_pirate/courtlistener-legal-data").call(
    run_input={"maxItems": 10}
)

for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item)

Integration

Connect CourtListener - Legal Data API Scraper with your existing tools and workflows:

• API access - Programmatic access via Apify API
• Webhooks - Get notified when scraping completes
• Scheduling - Set up recurring runs on any schedule
• Zapier / Make - Connect with 5,000+ apps via Apify integrations
• Python / Node.js SDKs - Native client libraries for easy integration