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What Is CourtListener?

CourtListener (courtlistener.com) is a free, open-source legal research platform operated by the Free Law Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in California. Founded in 2010, CourtListener was built with the mission of making legal information universally accessible - providing free access to court opinions, oral arguments, PACER dockets, and legal research tools that were previously available only through expensive commercial platforms.

The platform is one of the most comprehensive free legal databases available, covering: Learn more about expungement vs. record sealing on our blog.

The Nonprofit Advantage for Removal Requests CourtListener's nonprofit status and stated public interest mission create a different dynamic for removal requests than commercial platforms. The Free Law Project does not have revenue incentives that depend on maximizing data retention. When a legitimate privacy interest is demonstrated, CourtListener is more willing to engage seriously with removal requests than profit-driven companies that treat every removal as a threat to their commercial product.

Why Your Court Record Appears on CourtListener

CourtListener populates its database through several channels: For more information, visit the CourtListener.

CourtListener is likely one of many platforms showing your record.
Most people who reach out to us had no idea how many places their record had spread. Justia, Google Scholar, UniCourt, background check sites - each one a new place where employers, landlords, or dates might find you. A free scan shows exactly where you stand, so you can do something about it.
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Direct PACER Integration

CourtListener accesses PACER through the RECAP Project, a browser extension that automatically uploads court documents to CourtListener's public archive whenever a user views them in PACER. This means that any PACER document viewed by any RECAP user - including attorneys, journalists, and researchers - may be uploaded to CourtListener's database. Learn more about court record removal on our blog.

Bulk Data from Courts

CourtListener has established relationships with courts and data providers to receive bulk feeds of published opinions and docket data. This includes agreements with several federal circuits for near-real-time opinion distribution. Learn more about background check reports on our blog.

Historical Archives

CourtListener has invested significantly in digitizing historical case law from various sources, including scanned documents and historical data tapes from court systems. This means records that were difficult to find before the digital era may now be fully searchable through CourtListener.

User Contributions via RECAP

The RECAP browser extension creates a crowdsourced upload mechanism where documents are contributed by the legal community as they access PACER. A document that you hoped remained obscure may have been uploaded by an attorney or researcher who accessed it years ago.

RECAP Documents Have a Separate Removal Path Documents in CourtListener's RECAP Archive - those contributed by RECAP users rather than obtained through direct court feeds - may have a slightly different removal path. When submitting a removal request, note whether the document appears to be from the RECAP Archive (indicated in CourtListener's interface) or from a direct court data feed, as this may affect how the request is processed.

CourtListener's Removal Policy: What Qualifies

CourtListener maintains a dedicated removal request page at courtlistener.com/removal. This level of transparency is rare among legal databases and reflects the Free Law Project's commitment to engaging seriously with privacy concerns.

CourtListener's stated policy allows removal under the following circumstances:

Sealed or Expunged Records

If the underlying court has issued a sealing or expungement order, CourtListener will remove the record upon receipt of documentation. This is the clearest and most well-defined basis for removal. Provide a certified copy of the court order along with the specific CourtListener URLs to be removed.

Records Involving Minors

CourtListener takes special care with records involving minors and will consider removal requests based on compelling privacy interests for individuals who were minor-aged at the time of the proceedings.

Sensitive Personal Identifiers

Records containing Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, or other sensitive personal identifiers that should have been redacted under court rules (FRCP Rule 5.2 or state equivalents) may be eligible for redaction or removal.

Compelling Privacy Interest

CourtListener evaluates requests based on whether a compelling privacy interest outweighs the public interest in maintaining access. This is a case-by-case balancing test that considers factors including the nature of the case, time elapsed, the person's public or private status, and documented harm from continued publication.

PACER Restriction

If the federal court has restricted PACER access to the case, CourtListener will honor that restriction and remove its copy of the record. Providing documentation that PACER access has been restricted is a strong basis for removal.

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Step-by-Step: Requesting Removal from CourtListener

  1. Locate all your records on CourtListener Search courtlistener.com using your full name. Also run Google searches: site:courtlistener.com "your full name". CourtListener has separate sections for opinions, dockets, and RECAP documents - check all three. Document every URL carefully, noting whether each is an opinion, a docket entry, or a RECAP document.
  2. Check if the underlying PACER record is currently restricted For federal cases, log into PACER and verify whether the case is still publicly accessible. If PACER access has already been restricted (sealed, expunged, or otherwise limited), you have the strongest possible grounds for demanding CourtListener removal - simply document the current PACER access status.
  3. Gather all supporting documentation Compile: certified copies of any sealing or expungement orders; PACER access restriction confirmation; any court orders directed at third-party databases; documentation of specific harm caused by continued publication; evidence of a compelling privacy interest (particularly for older records or cases involving dismissal, acquittal, or favorable resolution).
  4. Go to courtlistener.com/removal and complete the removal request form CourtListener's removal page provides a structured form for submitting requests. Complete all fields carefully, providing: your name and contact information, the specific CourtListener URLs to be removed, the basis for your request, and upload any supporting documentation. Be clear, factual, and specific.
  5. Reference the specific legal grounds in your request Don't just describe the harm - cite the specific legal basis. For expunged records, cite the expungement statute and the court order. For sealed records, cite the sealing order. For sensitive identifiers, cite FRCP Rule 5.2 or the applicable state rule. For compelling privacy interests, describe the specific harm with as much specificity as possible.
  6. Submit Google de-indexing requests simultaneously Even while waiting for CourtListener to process your removal, submit Google de-indexing requests for all CourtListener URLs through the Personal Information Removal Tool. This is critical because even after CourtListener removes the page, Google may show a cached version for weeks. Starting the Google process early reduces total time to visibility reduction.
  7. Follow up if no response within 2–3 weeks CourtListener typically responds faster than commercial platforms, but follow up if you haven't heard back within 2–3 weeks. Email the Free Law Project at their contact address, referencing your submission date and the removal request form submission.
  8. After removal: address Google's cached versions When CourtListener confirms removal, immediately check whether Google still shows cached versions. Submit Google cache removal requests through Google's removal tool and submit fresh de-indexing requests noting that the source page has been removed. See the section below on Google cache removal for detailed steps.

What to Do If CourtListener Refuses

CourtListener refusals, while less common than refusals from commercial platforms, do occur for requests without sufficient legal grounds or compelling privacy documentation. If your request is denied: For more information, visit the Free Law Project.

Request Clarification on Denial Grounds

Unlike commercial platforms that issue form denials, CourtListener typically provides some explanation for why a request was denied. If you receive a denial, read it carefully - the explanation may identify what additional documentation or information would make the request approvable. Follow up with that information.

Pursue Google De-Indexing as Primary Remedy

Google de-indexing remains fully available regardless of CourtListener's decision on direct removal. Submit Google Personal Information Removal Tool requests for all CourtListener URLs. Given that CourtListener pages rank in Google primarily through Google Search, de-indexing eliminates most practical harm even if the CourtListener page itself remains live.

Address the PACER Source

For federal cases, pursuing restriction of the underlying PACER record is the most powerful path. If a federal court seals or restricts access to the PACER record, CourtListener will have no basis to refuse removal of its copy - the source record is restricted. Consult with a federal attorney about whether a motion to seal or restrict PACER access is viable for your specific case.

Suppression Strategy

For cases where removal and de-indexing are not achievable, a content suppression strategy builds positive online presence that displaces CourtListener results in Google rankings. CourtListener pages have moderate-to-high domain authority, making suppression a longer-term project but ultimately achievable with consistent effort.

De-Indexing CourtListener from Google - Including Cached Versions

Google de-indexing for CourtListener has a critical additional step that many people miss: addressing Google's cached version. Even after CourtListener removes a page, Google may continue to show: For more information, visit the US Courts.

  1. The page in regular search results (because Google hasn't yet re-crawled and discovered the removal)
  2. A cached copy of the page, accessible through the "Cached" link in Google Search results

Both issues require separate actions:

Step 1: Standard Google De-Indexing Request

Use Google's Personal Information Removal Tool at support.google.com/websearch/troubleshooter/9685456 to request de-indexing of each CourtListener URL. Select the most applicable category for your record type and explain your grounds. If CourtListener has already confirmed removal of the page, note this explicitly - it typically accelerates Google's review and approval.

Step 2: Google Cache Removal

To remove a cached version specifically, use Google's URL Removal Tool within Search Console, or use the "Outdated Content" removal path in Google's removal tools. Navigate to search.google.com/search-console/remove-outdated-content and submit the CourtListener URL. Google will verify that the page no longer exists (or has changed significantly) at the URL and remove the cached version.

Cache Removal Timeline Google typically processes cache removal requests within 24–72 hours once the source page is confirmed removed or gone. This is significantly faster than standard de-indexing requests, which can take 1–2 weeks for review plus another 2–4 weeks for index propagation. Pursuing both paths simultaneously gives you the fastest possible result.

After Expungement or Sealing: Does CourtListener Update?

CourtListener does not proactively monitor court records for expungements, sealings, or case modifications. As with all legal databases, the record is captured at the time of indexing and remains static unless actively updated. An expungement order does not automatically notify CourtListener, and the record will persist on CourtListener indefinitely without affirmative action.

However, CourtListener's policy explicitly recognizes expungement and sealing orders as grounds for removal - making it one of the more responsive platforms when you have this documentation. The process after obtaining an expungement order:

  1. Confirm the court has updated PACER to restrict access (verify by logging into PACER and searching for the case)
  2. Obtain a certified copy of the expungement or sealing order
  3. Submit a removal request to CourtListener via courtlistener.com/removal with the certified order attached
  4. Simultaneously submit Google de-indexing requests for all CourtListener URLs referencing the case
  5. After CourtListener confirms removal, submit Google cache removal requests
  6. Monitor for 60 days to confirm the record doesn't re-appear
CourtListener's Open Data Policy CourtListener makes its entire database available for bulk download as open data. This means that even if CourtListener removes your record from their live site, copies of the data may exist in third-party systems that downloaded CourtListener's bulk data before your removal. This is an unusual consideration not present with most platforms - if your record was in a CourtListener bulk data download that was used to build another database, that secondary database may need to be addressed separately.

Why Most People Don't Do This Alone

While CourtListener is more transparent than commercial legal databases, most people significantly underestimate what a complete removal actually requires. The CourtListener request is just one piece: you also need PACER documentation verified, Google de-indexing submitted simultaneously, Google's cache cleared after removal is confirmed, and secondary databases that downloaded CourtListener's bulk data exports identified and addressed. Miss any one of these and your record stays visible somewhere.

Our team handles all of it in a coordinated effort - CourtListener, PACER courts, Google, Bing, and the full list of legal databases and background check aggregators where your record may appear. We also monitor for new publications on an ongoing basis, so if your record resurfaces or appears somewhere new, we catch it. Start with a free case review - no upfront cost, completely confidential.