Legal Definitions - Reports

In legal contexts, Reports refer to the published collections of judicial opinions and court decisions from federal, state, or regional courts. These publications serve as the authoritative record of how courts have interpreted and applied the law in specific cases. They are often compiled into physical volumes, which are themselves known as reporters, or are available in digital databases.

Reports can be categorized as either official or unofficial. Official reports are those authorized and published by a governmental body, ensuring their accuracy and authenticity as the definitive record of a court's rulings. Unofficial reports, conversely, are produced by private commercial publishers. While not government-sanctioned, these unofficial reporters are widely used due to their comprehensive coverage, often including helpful editorial enhancements like headnotes and summaries, and their organization of cases into regional or subject-specific series.

• Example 1: The United States Reports

  Scenario: A legal scholar needs to find the exact wording of a landmark decision issued by the U.S. Supreme Court, such as Miranda v. Arizona, for an academic paper.

  Explanation: The scholar would consult the United States Reports, which is the official series of volumes containing the opinions, orders, judgments, and proceedings of the U.S. Supreme Court. This publication is a prime example of an official report because it is published by the U.S. government and is considered the definitive, authoritative source for these federal judicial decisions.

• Example 2: The Pacific Reporter

  Scenario: An attorney in Colorado is researching appellate court decisions from neighboring states like Utah, New Mexico, and Wyoming that might influence a similar case in their jurisdiction.

  Explanation: The attorney would likely turn to the Pacific Reporter, a widely used series of volumes published by a private company (West Publishing). This publication compiles selected appellate and supreme court decisions from several western U.S. states into a single regional collection. It exemplifies an unofficial report, providing convenient access to a broad range of state court rulings, even though it is not government-produced.

• Example 3: The New York Official Reports

  Scenario: A law student is tasked with finding the precise text of a recent decision from the New York Court of Appeals (New York's highest court) for a case brief assignment.

  Explanation: The student would look for the decision within the New York Official Reports. This series is specifically designated by the State of New York to publish the opinions of its highest courts, making it an official report for that state's judiciary. It ensures that the legal community has access to the authoritative version of New York's most significant judicial pronouncements.