# CourtListener Scraper | Federal Court RSS Filings (`parseforge/courtlistener-rss-scraper`) Actor
Export federal court docket filings from CourtListener RSS feeds. Track new filings, opinions, and orders by court (SCOTUS, circuit courts, district courts). Includes case name, docket number, court ID, published date, and link. Download as CSV, Excel, JSON, or XML.
- **URL**: https://apify.com/parseforge/courtlistener-rss-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [ParseForge](https://apify.com/parseforge) (community)
- **Categories:** Other, News
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, NaN bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet
## Pricing
from $19.00 / 1,000 results
This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.
Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event
## What's an Apify Actor?
Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".
## How to integrate an Actor?
If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.
In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md):
```bash
npm install apify-client
```
In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md):
```bash
pip install apify-client
```
In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md):
````bash
# MacOS / Linux
curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash
# Windows
irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex
```bash
In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md).
If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).
For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.
For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).
# README
## โ๏ธ CourtListener RSS Scraper
> ๐ **Export new court opinions in seconds.** Federal and state court opinions via the CourtListener.com RSS feeds.
> ๐ **Last updated:** 2026-05-25 ยท **๐ 9 fields** per record ยท **3,358+ courts** ยท **Full US coverage**
CourtListener.com (Free Law Project) publishes RSS feeds for every US federal and state court. This scraper pulls those feeds and returns structured records: title, court, publication date, summary, PDF URL, and category.
Coverage includes the US Supreme Court (scotus), the 13 federal Courts of Appeals (ca1-ca11, cadc, cafc), every federal district court (nysd, cacd, etc.), and most state appellate courts. Pass one or more court IDs to monitor.
| ๐ฏ Target Audience | ๐ก Primary Use Cases |
|---|---|
| Law firms, legal researchers, journalists, paralegals, OSINT, academics | Monitoring new opinions, building case-law datasets, daily court-watch alerts, citation analysis |
### ๐ What the CourtListener RSS Scraper does
- Pulls Atom feeds for any CourtListener court ID
- Extracts title, link, published date, summary, PDF URL, and category
- Combines multiple court IDs in a single run
- Returns structured records ready for export
> ๐ก **Why it matters:** New opinions drop without notice. A daily run keeps your firm or beat current.
### ๐ฌ Full Demo (_๐ง Coming soon_)
### โ๏ธ Input
Field
Type
Description
courtIds
array
CourtListener court IDs (e.g. scotus, ca9, nysd)
maxItems
integer
Free=10, paid up to 1M
Example A. Supreme Court only:
```json
{ "courtIds": ["scotus"], "maxItems": 25 }
````
Example B. Three circuit courts:
```json
{ "courtIds": ["ca2", "ca9", "cadc"], "maxItems": 100 }
```
> โ ๏ธ **Good to Know:** RSS feeds typically include the latest 25-50 entries per court. For deep history, use CourtListener's REST API with an account.
### ๐ Output
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ๐ title | string | Case caption |
| ๐ url | string | CourtListener opinion URL |
| ๐ courtId | string | Court ID requested |
| ๐๏ธ court | string | Court name |
| ๐ publishedDate | string | Publication date |
| ๐ summary | string | Opinion summary (HTML stripped) |
| ๐ pdfUrl | string | Direct PDF link |
| ๐ category | string | Published / Unpublished |
| ๐ scrapedAt | string | ISO timestamp |
Sample record:
```json
{
"title": "M & K Employee Solutions, Inc. v. Trustees of IAM Nat. Pension",
"url": "https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/10862762/...",
"courtId": "scotus",
"court": "Supreme Court of the United States",
"publishedDate": "2026-05-21",
"category": "Published"
}
```
### โจ Why choose this Actor
- โ๏ธ Backed by Free Law Project / CourtListener
- ๐ 3,358+ courts covered
- ๐ฆ Export CSV, Excel, JSON, XML
- ๐ Schedule daily court-watch
### ๐ How it compares to alternatives
| Approach | Result |
|---|---|
| PACER manual checks | Expensive, slow |
| Westlaw / Lexis alerts | Pricey subscriptions |
| Manual RSS reading | One court at a time |
| This Actor | Structured multi-court export |
### ๐ How to use
1. [Create a free Apify account with $5 credit](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp)
2. Open this Actor
3. Set court IDs and maxItems
4. Click Start
5. Download CSV, Excel, JSON, XML
### ๐ผ Business use cases
**Law firms**: monitor opinions in target circuits.
**Legal media**: daily court coverage.
**Academic**: build case-law datasets.
**Compliance**: track regulatory court decisions.
### ๐ Automating CourtListener RSS Scraper
Connect to Make, Zapier, Slack, Airbyte, GitHub Actions, Google Drive.
### ๐ Beyond business use cases
**Research**: empirical legal scholarship.
**Personal**: track your local court.
**Non-profit**: civil rights litigation tracking.
**Experimentation**: train legal LLMs.
### ๐ค Ask an AI assistant about this scraper
Paste this README into ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, or Copilot.
### โ Frequently Asked Questions
**Q: ๐ Where do I find court IDs?** A: courtlistener.com/api/jurisdictions/
**Q: ๐ How fresh?** A: Same-day publication via RSS.
**Q: ๐ฆ Formats?** A: CSV, Excel, JSON, XML.
**Q: ๐๏ธ State courts?** A: Yes, most appellate state courts.
**Q: ๐ PDF included?** A: Direct PDF URL is included.
**Q: ๐ฐ Cost?** A: Free=10, paid up to 1M.
**Q: โฐ Scheduling?** A: Yes, daily/hourly via Apify.
**Q: ๐ Search opinions?** A: Use multiple court IDs and filter downstream.
**Q: ๐ Free Law Project?** A: Yes, CourtListener is run by FLP, a non-profit.
**Q: โ๏ธ PACER?** A: This uses CourtListener's free RSS, not PACER directly.
### ๐ Integrate with any app
Make, Zapier, n8n, Slack, Airbyte, GitHub Actions, Google Drive, Google Sheets, BigQuery, S3, webhooks, REST API.
### ๐ Recommended Actors
| Actor | Description |
|---|---|
| Federal Register Scraper | Daily federal rules and notices |
| DOJ Press Releases Scraper | US Department of Justice news |
| Congress.gov Bills Scraper | US legislative bills |
| GAO Reports Scraper | Government Accountability reports |
| SAM.gov Entities Scraper | Federal contractor registry |
> ๐ก **Pro Tip:** browse the complete [ParseForge collection](https://apify.com/parseforge).
**๐ Need Help?** [Open our contact form](https://tally.so/r/BzdKgA)
> **โ ๏ธ Disclaimer:** Independent tool, not affiliated with CourtListener or the Free Law Project. Only publicly available data is collected.
# Actor input Schema
## `courtIds` (type: `array`):
CourtListener court identifiers (e.g. scotus, ca1-ca11, cafc, dcd, nysd, cal). Default = scotus.
## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):
Free users: Limited to 10 items (preview). Paid users: Optional, max 1,000,000.
## Actor input object example
```json
{
"courtIds": [
"scotus"
],
"maxItems": 10
}
```
# Actor output Schema
## `results` (type: `string`):
Scraped records
# API
You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.
## JavaScript example
```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';
// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
token: '',
});
// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
"courtIds": [
"scotus"
],
"maxItems": 10
};
// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("parseforge/courtlistener-rss-scraper").call(input);
// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`๐พ Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
console.dir(item);
});
// ๐ Want to learn more ๐? Go to โ https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs
```
## Python example
```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient
# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("")
# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
"courtIds": ["scotus"],
"maxItems": 10,
}
# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("parseforge/courtlistener-rss-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)
# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print("๐พ Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"])
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
print(item)
# ๐ Want to learn more ๐? Go to โ https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start
```
## CLI example
```bash
echo '{
"courtIds": [
"scotus"
],
"maxItems": 10
}' |
apify call parseforge/courtlistener-rss-scraper --silent --output-dataset
```
## MCP server setup
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"apify": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"mcp-remote",
"https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=parseforge/courtlistener-rss-scraper",
"--header",
"Authorization: Bearer "
]
}
}
}
```
## OpenAPI specification
```json
{
"openapi": "3.0.1",
"info": {
"title": "CourtListener Scraper | Federal Court RSS Filings",
"description": "Export federal court docket filings from CourtListener RSS feeds. Track new filings, opinions, and orders by court (SCOTUS, circuit courts, district courts). Includes case name, docket number, court ID, published date, and link. Download as CSV, Excel, JSON, or XML.",
"version": "0.1",
"x-build-id": "xmeOZbjHh8TiID3GY"
},
"servers": [
{
"url": "https://api.apify.com/v2"
}
],
"paths": {
"/acts/parseforge~courtlistener-rss-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": {
"post": {
"operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-parseforge-courtlistener-rss-scraper",
"x-openai-isConsequential": false,
"summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.",
"tags": [
"Run Actor"
],
"requestBody": {
"required": true,
"content": {
"application/json": {
"schema": {
"$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema"
}
}
}
},
"parameters": [
{
"name": "token",
"in": "query",
"required": true,
"schema": {
"type": "string"
},
"description": "Enter your Apify token here"
}
],
"responses": {
"200": {
"description": "OK"
}
}
}
},
"/acts/parseforge~courtlistener-rss-scraper/runs": {
"post": {
"operationId": "runs-sync-parseforge-courtlistener-rss-scraper",
"x-openai-isConsequential": false,
"summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.",
"tags": [
"Run Actor"
],
"requestBody": {
"required": true,
"content": {
"application/json": {
"schema": {
"$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema"
}
}
}
},
"parameters": [
{
"name": "token",
"in": "query",
"required": true,
"schema": {
"type": "string"
},
"description": "Enter your Apify token here"
}
],
"responses": {
"200": {
"description": "OK",
"content": {
"application/json": {
"schema": {
"$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema"
}
}
}
}
}
}
},
"/acts/parseforge~courtlistener-rss-scraper/run-sync": {
"post": {
"operationId": "run-sync-parseforge-courtlistener-rss-scraper",
"x-openai-isConsequential": false,
"summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.",
"tags": [
"Run Actor"
],
"requestBody": {
"required": true,
"content": {
"application/json": {
"schema": {
"$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema"
}
}
}
},
"parameters": [
{
"name": "token",
"in": "query",
"required": true,
"schema": {
"type": "string"
},
"description": "Enter your Apify token here"
}
],
"responses": {
"200": {
"description": "OK"
}
}
}
}
},
"components": {
"schemas": {
"inputSchema": {
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"courtIds": {
"title": "Court IDs",
"uniqueItems": true,
"type": "array",
"description": "CourtListener court identifiers (e.g. scotus, ca1-ca11, cafc, dcd, nysd, cal). Default = scotus.",
"items": {
"type": "string"
}
},
"maxItems": {
"title": "Max Items",
"minimum": 1,
"maximum": 1000000,
"type": "integer",
"description": "Free users: Limited to 10 items (preview). Paid users: Optional, max 1,000,000."
}
}
},
"runsResponseSchema": {
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"data": {
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"id": {
"type": "string"
},
"actId": {
"type": "string"
},
"userId": {
"type": "string"
},
"startedAt": {
"type": "string",
"format": "date-time",
"example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z"
},
"finishedAt": {
"type": "string",
"format": "date-time",
"example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z"
},
"status": {
"type": "string",
"example": "READY"
},
"meta": {
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"origin": {
"type": "string",
"example": "API"
},
"userAgent": {
"type": "string"
}
}
},
"stats": {
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"inputBodyLen": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 2000
},
"rebootCount": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"restartCount": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"resurrectCount": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"computeUnits": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
}
}
},
"options": {
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"build": {
"type": "string",
"example": "latest"
},
"timeoutSecs": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 300
},
"memoryMbytes": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 1024
},
"diskMbytes": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 2048
}
}
},
"buildId": {
"type": "string"
},
"defaultKeyValueStoreId": {
"type": "string"
},
"defaultDatasetId": {
"type": "string"
},
"defaultRequestQueueId": {
"type": "string"
},
"buildNumber": {
"type": "string",
"example": "1.0.0"
},
"containerUrl": {
"type": "string"
},
"usage": {
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"DATASET_READS": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"DATASET_WRITES": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 1
},
"KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"PROXY_SERPS": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
}
}
},
"usageTotalUsd": {
"type": "number",
"example": 0.00005
},
"usageUsd": {
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"DATASET_READS": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"DATASET_WRITES": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": {
"type": "number",
"example": 0.00005
},
"KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"PROXY_SERPS": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
```