In Clio Docket, you can search for court dockets and documents across U.S. federal and state courts. Searching by party name, case number, keyword, or legal topic helps you find relevant filings and see how courts handled similar matters. Filters, the query builder, and search phrase syntax narrow the results to the cases that matter to your firm.
Search for dockets and documents
Use the Search tab on the Clio Docket landing page to look up cases by party name, case number, keyword, or legal topic across all available courts.
- Go to Work > Docket.
- In the search bar, enter your query. You can search using plain English, Boolean operators, exact phrases, party names, or advanced syntax. The next section covers how to build queries.
- Optional: To search specific courts, click All Courts. Use the navigation arrows to find each court, then select its checkbox.
- Click the search icon (magnifying glass) or press Enter/Return.
Tip: Before you search, click Tips for better docket searching below the search bar for syntax examples and guidance on building more precise queries.
Build queries and use search phrase syntax
Clio Docket supports multiple search methods to help you find the exact cases and documents you need. You can type search phrases directly in the search bar, or use the query builder to construct your search. As you add conditions in the query builder, the search phrase syntax in the search bar updates to match your selections.
Build a query with the query builder
- In the search bar, click Advanced (the sliders icon).
- Click Add condition.
-
Select a field. Common lists the most-used fields, such as Keyword, Docket Number, Party, Judge, and Court. More fields lists the rest, such as Case Start Date and Date of Most Recent Entry.
Note: If you select a date field, such as Case Start Date, Case End Date, or Date of Most Recent Entry, enter a From date, a To date, or both, then skip to step 7.
- Select a comparison, such as contains or exactly.
- Enter a value. For the Party field, enter values in Party Name, Firm, or Attorney, and select a role, such as Defendant or Plaintiff.
- Optional: To add another value, click the plus icon next to the value. When a condition holds two or more values, select Matches any or Matches all.
- Optional: To add another condition, click Add condition and repeat steps 3 to 6. Between conditions, select And or Or.
- Optional: To remove or copy a condition, hover over the condition and select the trash or duplicate icon.
- Click the search icon or press Enter/Return.
Query builder options
To save a search for later, click the bookmark icon next to the search bar. Enter a name and click Save. Your saved searches are listed the next time you click the bookmark icon.
Note: Saved searches are stored in your browser, so they are available only on the device and browser where you saved them. Clearing your browser data removes them.
Each condition combines its values and compares them using the following options.
- Matches any
Returns results where at least one of the values is found (Boolean OR). This is the default.
- Matches all
Returns results where every value applies (Boolean AND).
- Near each other
Returns results where two values appear within a set number of words of each other. Select the distance from the within dropdown, such as 5 words. Available for the Keyword field only, with up to two values.
- In this order
Works like Near each other, and the values must also appear in the order you entered them.
- contains
Returns results where any of the words in your value appear anywhere in the field. This is the default.
- exactly
Returns results that match your value as an exact phrase.
- starts with
Returns results where the field value begins with your value.
- is not
Excludes results that match your value.
Search phrase syntax
To type a query directly in the search bar, use the following syntax.
| Plain English | Type a natural language query, such as personal injury. |
| Boolean | Use operators like AND, OR, and NOT to combine terms. Use parentheses for more nuanced searches. For example, (contract OR agreement) AND breach returns results that mention breach along with either contract or agreement. |
| Exact phrase | Wrap a phrase in quotation marks to search for an exact match. For example: "patent infringement". Results include only dockets that contain the entire phrase. |
| Specific field search | Search for a value in a specific field using the field name as a prefix to your search term. For example, type party:(Apple) to find results where the "party" field contains "Apple". |
| Specific field search (combinations) | Search for specific values in specific fields using the field names as prefixes to your search terms. For example, type party:(name:Apple type:defendant) to find results where the "party name" field contains "Apple" and the "party type" is "defendant". |
| Date range search | Use the from: and to: prefixes to specify a date range. For example: from:1/20/2012 to:2015. |
| Nearby words | Use w/ and a number to find terms within that many words of each other. For example, claim w/3 construction returns results where "claim" appears within three words of "construction". |
Filter and refine search results
After you run a search, the results page lists the matching dockets and documents. Use these options to refine the results and arrange them in the way best suited to your needs.
Tip: Click Track Results to get notified when new results match your search criteria.
- Search within: In the Filter by panel, enter keywords in Search within to narrow the results to ones that contain them. To remove results that contain the keywords instead, select Exclude from results before you submit. Each keyword appears as a pill above the results, such as Refine: or Exclude:.
- Filter by: Narrow the results by Filing Date, Motions, Judge, Party, Attorney, Court, Firm, Case type, Tags, or Status. To exclude a filter value instead, hover over it and click the ban icon. Your selections appear as pills above the results. Click X on a pill to remove that filter.
- Clear filters: Click Clear all above the results to remove all filters, selected courts, and the sort order. Your search query stays.
- Switch result types: Use the All, Dockets, and Documents tabs at the top of the results.
- Sort results: Click Relevance and select a sort order: Relevance, Newest (by filing date), Oldest (by filing date), Newest (by last docket entry), Oldest (by last docket entry), or Random. Your choice is saved for your next search.
- Export results: To download an Excel file of docket results, click the Export search results icon next to Track Results. The file includes up to 200 docket results, on any results tab.
- Summarize results: Open the Clio Work panel from the four-dot Clio icon on the right edge of the screen, then select Summarize these results or Filter by what matters. Learn more about how to use Clio Work with Clio Docket.
Up next
- View, Export, and Track Dockets: Open a docket from your search results to review case details, export reports, and track updates.
- Create and Manage Docket Alerts: Save a search as an alert to get notified when new results match your criteria.