courtlistener-mcp 1.0.0

package/README.md

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+# CourtListener MCP
+
+Keyless MCP server for CourtListener: search court opinions and federal dockets (RECAP), case status, citations, judges.
+
+Pairs well with `court-records-mcp`, `federal-register-mcp`, and `police-transparency-mcp`.
+
+## Quick start
+
+```bash
+npm install
+npm run build
+node dist/index.js
+```
+
+The server uses stdio, so it can be connected to Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code, MCP Inspector, or another compatible MCP client.
+
+## Tools at a glance
+
+- `search_opinions`: Opinions with court, status, citations, syllabus.
+- `search_dockets`: RECAP federal dockets with docket numbers.
+
+## Limits and privacy
+
+This project is intentionally narrow. It should be treated as a practical helper, not a complete certification or security audit. Check the implementation and the returned data before using it with sensitive material. No credentials are required for search; full opinion/docket detail endpoints need a free CourtListener API key and are not included.

package/dist/api.d.ts

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+export declare class CourtListenerError extends Error {
+}
+export interface OpinionHit {
+    caseName?: string;
+    court?: string;
+    dateFiled?: string;
+    status?: string;
+    citation?: string;
+    citeCount?: number;
+    judge?: string;
+    syllabus?: string;
+    url?: string;
+}
+export declare function searchOpinions(query: string, limit?: number): Promise<OpinionHit[]>;
+export interface DocketHit {
+    caseName?: string;
+    court?: string;
+    docketNumber?: string;
+    dateFiled?: string;
+    url?: string;
+}
+export declare function searchDockets(query: string, limit?: number): Promise<DocketHit[]>;
+export declare function formatOpinion(o: OpinionHit, index?: number): string;
+export declare function formatDocket(d: DocketHit, index?: number): string;

package/dist/api.js

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+/**
+ * CourtListener API v4 client, keyless for search.
+ * Docs: https://www.courtlistener.com/help/api/rest/
+ * Full opinion/docket detail endpoints need an API key; search does not.
+ */
+const BASE = "https://www.courtlistener.com/api/rest/v4";
+export class CourtListenerError extends Error {
+}
+async function searchApi(query, type, limit) {
+    const url = `${BASE}/search/?q=${encodeURIComponent(query)}&type=${type}`;
+    const res = await fetch(url, {
+        headers: { "User-Agent": "courtlistener-mcp/1.0" },
+        signal: AbortSignal.timeout(20000),
+    });
+    if (!res.ok)
+        throw new CourtListenerError(`CourtListener error ${res.status}`);
+    const data = (await res.json());
+    const results = Array.isArray(data.results) ? data.results : [];
+    return results.slice(0, limit);
+}
+const fullUrl = (path) => typeof path === "string" && path ? `https://www.courtlistener.com${path}` : undefined;
+const clean = (s, max) => {
+    if (typeof s !== "string" || !s)
+        return undefined;
+    const t = s.replace(/<[^>]+>/g, "").replace(/\s+/g, " ").trim();
+    return t ? (t.length > max ? t.slice(0, max) + "..." : t) : undefined;
+};
+export async function searchOpinions(query, limit = 5) {
+    const rows = await searchApi(query, "o", limit);
+    return rows.map((r) => ({
+        caseName: typeof r.caseName === "string" ? r.caseName : undefined,
+        court: typeof r.court === "string" ? r.court : undefined,
+        dateFiled: typeof r.dateFiled === "string" ? r.dateFiled.slice(0, 10) : undefined,
+        status: typeof r.status === "string" ? r.status : undefined,
+        citation: Array.isArray(r.citation) ? String(r.citation[0]) : typeof r.citation === "string" ? r.citation : undefined,
+        citeCount: typeof r.citeCount === "number" ? r.citeCount : undefined,
+        judge: typeof r.judge === "string" && r.judge ? r.judge : undefined,
+        syllabus: clean(r.syllabus, 280),
+        url: fullUrl(r.absolute_url),
+    }));
+}
+export async function searchDockets(query, limit = 5) {
+    const rows = await searchApi(query, "r", limit);
+    return rows.map((r) => ({
+        caseName: typeof r.caseName === "string" ? r.caseName : undefined,
+        court: typeof r.court === "string" ? r.court : undefined,
+        docketNumber: typeof r.docketNumber === "string" ? r.docketNumber : undefined,
+        dateFiled: typeof r.dateFiled === "string" ? r.dateFiled.slice(0, 10) : undefined,
+        url: fullUrl(r.absolute_url),
+    }));
+}
+export function formatOpinion(o, index) {
+    const prefix = index !== undefined ? `${index + 1}. ` : "";
+    const lines = [
+        `${prefix}${o.caseName ?? "(unnamed case)"}${o.status ? ` [${o.status}]` : ""}`,
+        o.court ? `Court: ${o.court}` : "",
+        o.dateFiled ? `Filed: ${o.dateFiled}` : "",
+        o.citation ? `Cite: ${o.citation}` : "",
+        o.citeCount !== undefined ? `Cited by: ${o.citeCount}` : "",
+        o.judge ? `Judge: ${o.judge}` : "",
+        o.syllabus ? `Syllabus: ${o.syllabus}` : "",
+        o.url ? `More: ${o.url}` : "",
+    ].filter(Boolean);
+    return lines.join("\n");
+}
+export function formatDocket(d, index) {
+    const prefix = index !== undefined ? `${index + 1}. ` : "";
+    const lines = [
+        `${prefix}${d.caseName ?? "(unnamed docket)"}${d.docketNumber ? ` (${d.docketNumber})` : ""}`,
+        d.court ? `Court: ${d.court}` : "",
+        d.dateFiled ? `Filed: ${d.dateFiled}` : "",
+        d.url ? `More: ${d.url}` : "",
+    ].filter(Boolean);
+    return lines.join("\n");
+}

package/dist/index.d.ts

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+export {};

package/dist/index.js

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+import { StdioServerTransport } from "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/server/stdio.js";
+import { createServer } from "./server.js";
+async function main() {
+    const server = createServer();
+    const transport = new StdioServerTransport();
+    await server.connect(transport);
+    console.error("MCP server running on stdio");
+}
+main().catch((err) => {
+    console.error("Fatal error:", err);
+    process.exit(1);
+});

package/dist/server.d.ts

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+import { McpServer } from "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/server/mcp.js";
+export declare function createServer(): McpServer;

package/dist/server.js

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+import { McpServer } from "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/server/mcp.js";
+import { z } from "zod";
+import { CourtListenerError, formatDocket, formatOpinion, searchDockets, searchOpinions, } from "./api.js";
+const text = (t) => ({ content: [{ type: "text", text: t }] });
+const textError = (t) => ({ content: [{ type: "text", text: t }], isError: true });
+const READ_ONLY = { readOnlyHint: true, openWorldHint: true };
+export function createServer() {
+    const server = new McpServer({
+        name: "courtlistener-mcp",
+        version: "1.0.0",
+    });
+    server.registerTool("search_opinions", {
+        title: "Search court opinions",
+        description: "Search CourtListener opinions: case name, court, filing date, status, citations, judge, syllabus.",
+        inputSchema: z.object({
+            query: z.string().describe("Search text, e.g. 'roe wade', ' Miranda rights', 'patent exhaustion'"),
+            limit: z.number().int().min(1).max(20).default(5),
+        }),
+        annotations: READ_ONLY,
+    }, async ({ query, limit }) => {
+        try {
+            const results = await searchOpinions(query, limit);
+            if (results.length === 0)
+                return text(`No CourtListener opinions match "${query}".`);
+            return text(`CourtListener opinions for "${query}":\n\n${results.map((o, i) => formatOpinion(o, i)).join("\n\n")}`);
+        }
+        catch (e) {
+            return textError(errorMessage(e));
+        }
+    });
+    server.registerTool("search_dockets", {
+        title: "Search federal dockets",
+        description: "Search CourtListener RECAP federal dockets: case name, court, docket number, filing date.",
+        inputSchema: z.object({
+            query: z.string().describe("Search text, e.g. a party name or case topic"),
+            limit: z.number().int().min(1).max(20).default(5),
+        }),
+        annotations: READ_ONLY,
+    }, async ({ query, limit }) => {
+        try {
+            const results = await searchDockets(query, limit);
+            if (results.length === 0)
+                return text(`No CourtListener dockets match "${query}".`);
+            return text(`CourtListener dockets for "${query}":\n\n${results.map((d, i) => formatDocket(d, i)).join("\n\n")}`);
+        }
+        catch (e) {
+            return textError(errorMessage(e));
+        }
+    });
+    return server;
+}
+function errorMessage(e) {
+    if (e instanceof CourtListenerError)
+        return `Error: ${e.message}`;
+    if (e instanceof Error)
+        return `Error: ${e.message}`;
+    return `Error: ${String(e)}`;
+}

package/package.json

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+{
+  "name": "courtlistener-mcp",
+  "version": "1.0.0",
+  "description": "Keyless MCP server for CourtListener: search court opinions and federal dockets (RECAP), case status, citations, judges.",
+  "type": "module",
+  "mcpName": "io.github.mrfentmen/courtlistener-mcp",
+  "repository": {
+    "type": "git",
+    "url": "https://github.com/mrfentmen/awesome-mcps.git"
+  },
+  "bin": {
+    "courtlistener-mcp": "./dist/index.js"
+  },
+  "main": "./dist/index.js",
+  "files": [
+    "dist"
+  ],
+  "scripts": {
+    "build": "tsc -p tsconfig.json",
+    "start": "node dist/index.js",
+    "dev": "rm -rf dist && tsc -p tsconfig.json && node dist/index.js",
+    "inspect": "npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector node dist/index.js"
+  },
+  "keywords": [
+    "mcp",
+    "courtlistener",
+    "courts",
+    "api"
+  ],
+  "license": "MIT",
+  "dependencies": {
+    "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk": "^1.0.4",
+    "zod": "^3.23.8"
+  },
+  "devDependencies": {
+    "@types/node": "^22.0.0",
+    "typescript": "^5.6.0"
+  },
+  "engines": {
+    "node": ">=20"
+  }
+}