# CourtListener MCP for AI Agents AI Agent Connect > CourtListener MCP lets you query court opinions, dockets, and judge data through your AI client. It connects your agent directly to the world's leading open platform for legal data, making it easy to pull citations, audit litigation status, and research judicial disclosures without manual searching. ## Overview - **Category:** knowledge-management - **Price:** Free - **Endpoint:** https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_VH9IknEtTwpUrwWJFT9WEh5h5aSsUK1Gvr9x0S7s/ai-agent-connect - **Tags:** legal-research, court-opinions, docket-tracking, case-law, judicial-data ## Description CourtListener lets you pull court opinions, dockets, and judicial information directly into your workflow. If you're tired of jumping between different court portals and manually copy-pasting data into a spreadsheet, this changes that. You can ask your agent to find specific legal opinions, audit court dockets for ongoing litigation, or pull judge financial disclosures in seconds. It turns your AI client into a research assistant that understands a massive open legal database. Because Vinkius makes it easy to manage these connections, you can focus on the actual legal analysis instead of the data entry. You get a clear view of citations, court metadata, and judicial profiles without ever leaving your chat interface. It's a way to ground your research in real, open legal data while keeping your workflow fast. Instead of spending your afternoon digging through archives, you can get a structured summary of a judge's history or a list of every citation for a landmark ruling. This moves the heavy lifting of data gathering to your agent, so you can spend your time on the high-level strategy and writing. Whether you're a journalist trying to track a corporate lawsuit or a researcher looking for a specific precedent, you get the raw data you need without the manual hassle of navigating complex government websites. ## Tools ### get_opinion Retrieve the full details for a specific opinion. Use this to see the full text and metadata of a ruling. ### search_dockets Search for court dockets to track ongoing litigation. This lets you stay on top of active cases. ### get_judge Get specific details for a single judge. This helps you build a profile of a specific member of the judiciary. ### list_citations List all citations linked to a specific opinion. Use this to see how cases are connected to one another. ### list_financial_disclosures Retrieve the financial disclosures for judges. This is useful for transparency and background research. ### list_judges Get a list of judges from the database. Use this to find specific people in a jurisdiction. ### list_opinions List various legal opinions based on your criteria. This helps you find relevant case law quickly. ### search_opinions Search for legal opinions using keywords. This is the primary way to find relevant precedents. ### get_court Get detailed information for a specific court. This helps you verify jurisdictional details. ### list_courts List all available courts and their metadata. Use this to see what courts are in the database. ## Prompt Examples **Prompt:** ``` Find opinions on copyright. ``` **Response:** ``` I've retrieved several recent opinions regarding copyright. Here are the top results: | Court | Date Filed | Summary | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 2nd Circuit | 2023-11-12 | Regarding digital media transformation | | 9th Circuit | 2024-01-05 | Fair use in AI training data | Would you like me to pull the full citations for any of these? ``` **Prompt:** ``` Judge 1234 info. ``` **Response:** ``` I've retrieved the profile for Judge ID 1234. * **Current Seat:** Federal Court * **Service Since:** 2010 I can also pull the latest financial disclosures for this judge if you'd like to see their history. ``` **Prompt:** ``` SpaceX dockets 2024. ``` **Response:** ``` I found 3 active dockets for SpaceX filed in 2024: * **Civil Matter** (Texas) - Filed Feb 2024 * **Administrative Appeal** - Filed March 2024 * **Contract Dispute** - Filed April 2024 Would you like the specific case numbers or court details for these? ``` ## Capabilities ### Search legal opinions by keyword Find relevant court rulings and metadata instantly using natural language. ### Query active court dockets Track ongoing litigation and case filings in real time. ### Pull judge financial disclosures Retrieve transparency data for specific members of the judiciary. ### List citations for specific cases See how different legal opinions are linked to understand precedents. ### Find court metadata Get detailed information about specific courts and jurisdictions. ### Retrieve full opinion details Get the complete data for a specific legal ruling in one step. ## Use Cases ### Finding precedents A lawyer asks the agent to find opinions on fair use and then uses `list_citations` to see related cases. ### Tracking litigation A journalist wants to know about SpaceX lawsuits and uses `search_dockets` to find 2024 filings. ### Judge research A researcher needs to know a judge's history and uses `get_judge` and `list_financial_disclosures` to get a full profile. ### Court mapping An ops lead uses `list_courts` to see which jurisdictions are available for a specific type of case. ## Benefits - Stop manual searching by using `search_opinions` to find relevant case law instantly. - Track litigation progress faster by using `search_dockets` to monitor ongoing cases. - Identify legal precedents quickly with `list_citations` to see how opinions are linked. - Verify judicial transparency by pulling records with `list_financial_disclosures`. - Get precise court metadata using `list_courts` to ensure your research stays in the right jurisdiction. - Save time on background checks by using `get_judge` to pull specific profiles. ## How It Works The bottom line is you get a direct line to massive legal databases through a simple chat interface. 1. Subscribe to the Connector on Vinkius and grab your API key. 2. Paste your CourtListener API key into your AI client's configuration. 3. Ask your agent to search for opinions, dockets, or judge data. ## Frequently Asked Questions **Can CourtListener find specific judge disclosures?** Yes, it can pull financial disclosures for judges directly from the database, allowing you to check for transparency and background info quickly. **How does CourtListener help with case law?** It lets you search for legal opinions using keywords and then list citations to see how those cases are linked to other precedents. **Can I use CourtListener for docket tracking?** Yes, you can search for active dockets to keep track of litigation status and new filings in real time. **Does CourtListener support specific jurisdictions?** It lists all available courts in the database, so you can verify jurisdictional details for your specific research area. **How do I get citations for a specific opinion with CourtListener?** You can simply ask your agent to list citations for a specific opinion, and it will pull the connected legal network for you. **Is CourtListener good for legal research?** It is designed specifically for legal research, connecting you to a major open platform for opinions, dockets, and judicial data. **How do I find my CourtListener API Key?** Log in to your [**CourtListener account**](https://www.courtlistener.com/profile/api/), and you will find your API Key under the **API Tokens** section. Copy and paste it below. **Can the agent search for both opinions and dockets?** Yes. Use the `search_opinions` tool for legal judgments and `search_dockets` for case records. Your agent will return matching results from the Free Law Project database. **Is it possible to list judicial citations via the agent?** Yes. The `list_citations` tool allows your agent to retrieve all precedents and subsequent citations for any opinion by providing its Opinion ID, helping you map the legal landscape.