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Jenkins' Research Tip: Finding Pennsylvania County Cases Online

By Michelle Buhalo •  March 31, 2016

Pennsylvania is unusual in that it publishes select county decisions. These are published in the county reporters (also known as Side Reports), the District and County Reporter (D&C) series, and the Fiduciary Reporter. Visitors to the library can view these sources in print. Select decisions may also be available on the library Lexis and Westlaw computers.

For those doing research away from the library, LLMC Digital, a Jenkins' membership database, provides electronic access to many county reporters. Once in LLMC Digital, from Browse Collections, select U.S. States and Territories > Pennsylvania > Pennsylvania, Side Reports (alpha order). Coverage varies by county and not all Pennsylvania counties are included.

HeinOnline, another Jenkins' membership database, provides electronic access to the Pennsylvania County Court Reports and District Reports (the predecessors to the D&C series), the first series of the D&C, and volumes 1-30 of the D&C second. Once in HeinOnline, from Browse Collections by Name, select State Reports: A Historical Archive > State Reports > Pennsylvania. A selection of Side Reports from the 1800s is also available.

The opinions on Smart Litigator Pennsylvania, a subscription service, include the full text of county decisions from both the county reporters and from the District and County Reporter series. Coverage varies by county. (Please note this is not a Jenkins' membership database. Contact Smart Litigator for subscription costs. A free trial is available.)

Finally, some Pennsylvania counties publish select orders and opinions on their websites. These include Philadelphia, Allegheny, Cumberland, Lehigh, Lycoming, and Northampton counties. Coverage, access, and searching capabilities vary by county.

See our Pennsylvania Legal Research Guide for a full breakdown of where to find Pennsylvania County Cases. For help using these sources, contact our reference librarians at 215.574.1505, email us at research@jenkinslaw.org, or chat with us.

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