We provide both Case Centered and Justice Centered data. In the Case Centered data the unit of analysis is the case; i.e., each row of the database contains information about an individual dispute. These data should be used unless the votes of the individuals justices are of interest. The Justice Centered data include a row for each justice participating in each dispute. Please see the Instructions for more information.
For instructions on citing to the SCDB, please consult the codebook’s Citing to The SCDB.
Case Centered Data
Case Centered data provides case level information; i.e., each row in the database corresponds to a dispute. These data do not contain specific justice vote information.
Download file sets organized by the following criteria:
This database includes one row for each dispute. Consolidated cases (those with multiple dockets) or cases with multiple issues or legal provisions are included only once. (For users of the original Spaeth database, ANALU=0.)
Justice Centered Data
Justice Centered data includes a set of justice votes for each dispute, along with the case information. The unit of analysis is the vote. These data should be used if the votes of the justices are of interest.
Download file sets organized by the following criteria:
This database includes one set of justice votes for each dispute. Consolidated cases (those with multiple dockets) or cases with multiple issues or legal provisions are included only once. (For users of the original Spaeth database, ANALU=0.)
Release Details
Release ID: SCDB_Legacy_06
Release Date: September 29, 2020
Includes Terms: 1791 - 1945
Release Notes: Minor corrections as reported. Numerous typo corrections.
Cite this Data Release:
Harold J. Spaeth, Lee Epstein, Michael J. Nelson, Andrew D. Martin, et al. 2020 Supreme Court Database, Version 2020 Legacy Release 6. URL: https://scdb.psu.edu