RECAP
RECAP improves the experience of using PACER, the online public access system for the U.S. federal courts.
Key points:
- This extension was created in 2009 at Princeton and is now run by Free Law Project, a non-profit that's working to improve the American legal system. Please join us in our mission of making the legal system more equitable and competitive.
- If you use PACER, this free extension will save you money. Every document you purchase will be uploaded to the "RECAP Archive" and every document others have purchased since 2009 will be available to you for free as you use PACER.
- You can use this extension to create email alerts for federal dockets.
- This extension has already added millions of federal filings to the Internet Archive and to a searchable archive at https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/.
- As of 2021, we have nearly 500 tons of filings, if they were all printed on single-sided paper.
- The more people that use this extension, the more money we all save. Help your friends by uploading content and tell them to install RECAP for you too.
RECAP has four main features. First, when you purchase an item on PACER, RECAP anonymously uploads that item to our archive hosted at https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/ where it can be searched or downloaded for free by others.
Second, before you purchase an item that is in our collection, a link will be provided for you — right inside PACER — to get it for free. Any of the millions of items that have been uploaded so far are already available to you for free.
Third, as you're looking at dockets on PACER, you'll see links to get alerts for those dockets via our website, CourtListener.com.
Finally, allows you to search our archive from your browser URL bar by using the "recap" shortcut.
All of the items that you purchase are also uploaded to the Internet Archive for historical preservation. We are not creating a walled garden.
RECAP is compatible with ECF logins and will not upload documents from sealed cases.
Learn more at https://free.law/recap/
Latest reviews
Everyone doing legal research should install this. It costs you nothing if you're going to be paying PACER fees anyhow, and you get to contribute knowledge that should be freely accessible anyhow!
An enormous contribution to a free, civil society in the US and beyond, and useful to no end! Thank you RECAP!
I am not downloading the extension, so this isn't exactly a review of it but rather the process; the reason I'm not downloading is that I've been warned that it is not being supported because it doesn't follow Chrome best practices, as well as the mixed reviews I'm seeing from those who have. Why wouldn't it follow best practices? Presumably these are there for consumer protection, or at least not harmful. Any other ideas?
"This document will not be uploaded to the RECAP Archive because the extension has detected that this page may return a combined PDF and consistently splitting these files in a proper manner is not possible for now." Split it improperly then, please. Or don't bother splitting it. Preventing your adoring public from using your excellent service for such a silly reason make you look like you've switched sides :-(
One of the best and most helpful extensions out there. If everyone used it, it would help save all of us money. Be careful because depending on which download link you click, it can't be uploaded.
I am a big fan. It helps save $$$ on Pacer and when using my quarterly credits I believe it to be helpful to others. Thank you for the generous work you all do in maintaining Courtlistener.
I am a big fan. It helps save $$$ on Pacer and when using my quarterly credits I believe it to be helpful to others. Thank you for the generous work you all do in maintaining Courtlistener.
A must for any PACER user! This extension works great and is lightweight (doesn't slow down Chrome). It makes it easier to get PACER documents and I love it (and the Free Law Project)!
A must for any PACER user! This extension works great and is lightweight (doesn't slow down Chrome). It makes it easier to get PACER documents and I love it (and the Free Law Project)!
Lightweight and easy to use, with nice bonus features that integrate with CourtListener (i.e. easily saving a local copy of the PDF with a neat name) beyond just passively contributing the docs you are buying. Also invaluable for the rare times PACER is acting up or you need to quickly share a link to a doc with somebody else.
Lightweight and easy to use, with nice bonus features that integrate with CourtListener (i.e. easily saving a local copy of the PDF with a neat name) beyond just passively contributing the docs you are buying. Also invaluable for the rare times PACER is acting up or you need to quickly share a link to a doc with somebody else.
Extremely easy and productive to use: a RECAP icon discreetly warns you when the resource you're looking at on PACER is already archived on CourtListener or the Internet Archive, saving you tons of money when looking for a docket or document someone else has already paid for. Whenever you download something, the document is sent to the RECAP website without any effort. Another advantage is that you can then use the full text search on the Internet Archive website when other searches fail you!
Extremely easy and productive to use: a RECAP icon discreetly warns you when the resource you're looking at on PACER is already archived on CourtListener or the Internet Archive, saving you tons of money when looking for a docket or document someone else has already paid for. Whenever you download something, the document is sent to the RECAP website without any effort. Another advantage is that you can then use the full text search on the Internet Archive website when other searches fail you!
Recap is an important extension, and I love that it is community-supported. I've been using this for years, and have contributed, too.
Recap is an important extension, and I love that it is community-supported. I've been using this for years, and have contributed, too.
Wonderful Idea! I'm no lawyer but I have to read Docket time to time for my causes.In addition with original idea,which to provide legal documents free,pay less to PACER,we are grateful because we can share important filing for related people.
Wonderful Idea! I'm no lawyer but I have to read Docket time to time for my causes.In addition with original idea,which to provide legal documents free,pay less to PACER,we are grateful because we can share important filing for related people.
Really fantastic idea. If you're a lawyer who uses PACER, please download this extension and give yourself a pat on the back for your passive public service contribution :)
Really fantastic idea. If you're a lawyer who uses PACER, please download this extension and give yourself a pat on the back for your passive public service contribution :)
If you use PACER, please use this extension. Please, please, please! It uploads documents for all of us, for free, and shows which documents are already in the archive.
If you use PACER, please use this extension. Please, please, please! It uploads documents for all of us, for free, and shows which documents are already in the archive.
This is amazing and an alternative to paying for court documents on popular cases other people are reading also.
This is amazing and an alternative to paying for court documents on popular cases other people are reading also.
Fantastic, though it would be vastly more useful if it supported the appellate courts.
Fantastic, though it would be vastly more useful if it supported the appellate courts.
Love it! help recover commonly seldom viewed documents more frugally.
Love it! help recover commonly seldom viewed documents more frugally.
I cant find any of the files Uploaded to Pacer :{
I cant find any of the files Uploaded to Pacer :{
Brilliant. Telling all my friends and acquaintances.
Brilliant. Telling all my friends and acquaintances.
Used to work but very bad a month ago, now does not work at all, zero uploads on Pacer activity, while Icon shows it is activated.
Used to work but very bad a month ago, now does not work at all, zero uploads on Pacer activity, while Icon shows it is activated.
My favorite extension!
My favorite extension!
Recent update on PACER is causing this plugin to work funny. null response to docket downloads etc...
Recent update on PACER is causing this plugin to work funny. null response to docket downloads etc...
Everyone who accesses PACER should be using this. It saves money and makes the world a better place. If only it worked on Appellate ECF, too.
Everyone who accesses PACER should be using this. It saves money and makes the world a better place. If only it worked on Appellate ECF, too.
Finally came to Chrome, and seems to work very well. Thank you RECAP!
Finally came to Chrome, and seems to work very well. Thank you RECAP!
