Federal court records: short answers

Short, factual answers about how federal court records work — what a case name shows, what a docket can and cannot tell you, and where to look yourself.

• What does “Identified on Schedule A” mean in a case name?
• What is a temporary restraining order (TRO)?
• How do I read a federal docket number?
• Why does a case name say “the Individuals” instead of naming a company?
• What is RECAP, and why does it matter for completeness?
• How can I check whether my own brand appears in a public docket?
• What can a public court docket not tell me?
• After a complaint is filed, what appears in the docket?
• Why does one case name dozens of storefronts?
• How fresh are the records on this site?

These pages describe public records. They are not legal advice.