Frequently Asked Questions
- When are judicial opinions electronically available?
The Supreme Court advance opinions are filed 8 a.m. Fridays, and the Court of Appeals advance opinions are filed 8 a.m. Tuesdays. Any changes to this release schedule will be communicated prior to the alternate release date. These documents may be accessed online or through the Judicial Branch Website.
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Is there a charge for viewing the judicial opinions in the online library?
The judicial opinions are provided without charge. They are available permanently online and can be accessed for 90 days through the Judicial Branch Website.
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What is the difference between judicial opinions listed on the online library and the Judicial Branch Website?
The advance opinions and minutes lists released by the Nebraska Supreme Court and the Nebraska Court of Appeals are available permanently via the online library, whereas they can be accessed through the Judicial Branch Website for 90 days. The online library contains final, official versions of the certified opinions released, whereas those posted on the Judicial Branch Website are advance opinions only. When all of the opinions that comprise a volume are certified, a complete volume, in addition to individual opinions, is available in PDF format via the online library.
Also, the online library contains unofficial scanned copies of the Nebraska Reports and Nebraska Appellate Reports that were previously published in hard copy format--Nebraska Reports Vol. 1 (1871) through Vol. 274 (2012) and Nebraska Appellate Reports Vol. 1 (1994) through Vol. 15 (2011). These are available in PDF format. Due to file sizes, some downloads will be offered in two parts. The printed version of these bound volumes contain the final, official opinions. These unofficial scanned copies of published bound volumes are included in searches on this site, but are meant for informational purposes only.
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When was the online opinion designated as the official version of the opinion?
Effective January 1, 2016, the certified online opinion was designated by the Supreme Court as the official version of the opinion. Prior to that date, hard copies of the bound volumes -- the Nebraska Reports (Supreme Court) or the Nebraska Appellate Reports (Court of Appeals) -- were the official reports. See:
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What is the difference between advance and certified opinions?
Advance opinions are opinions released in advance sheets format. An advance opinion may contain computer-generated errors or other deviations from the formal certified opinion. Also, an advance opinion is subject to editorial corrections prior to becoming certified. In case of discrepancies between an advance opinion and the certified opinion published in the online library, the certified opinion controls.
Certified opinions are the final, official version of the opinion released, i.e., the mandate has been issued and all final corrections have been made. To further identify certified opinions, beginning with Nebraska Reports Vol. 291 and Nebraska Appellate Reports Vol. 23, a text box containing the court seal is placed immediately before the start of the opinion and the line Nebraska Advance Sheets or Decisions of the Nebraska Court of Appeals at the top of each page is deleted. The name change signifies a change from advance format with a heading of an advance sheets name to the certified format with a heading of the bound volume name.
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What does the red time stamp in the top right-hand corner of the opinion mean?
Each time a user accesses a PDF through the online library, Nebraska.gov will apply a time stamp overlay on the PDF before it is served up. Any document that is saved from or printed from the online library will have a record of when it was downloaded. Any documents without the time stamp would be versions retrieved from a source other than the online library or the Judicial Branch Website.
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How do I sort opinions?
Opinions may be sorted by Date, Docket No., Caption, Citation, or Status. Click on the column name/header and the opinions will sort in descending/ascending order. Hit Shift and Click on multiple columns to sort by more than one item.
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How do I search opinions?
To search all opinions, type a query in the search box, and hit Enter or click on the Search button. Results will be displayed by volume, with individual opinions listed. Click on the name of an opinion or volume and then whether the PDF should be opened or saved. If opened, the PDF will be displayed. To search the opened PDF, hold CTRL+F and then reenter the query to find the specific instances of the search term. Select the Close Search Results button to return to the opinions page.
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How do I subscribe to the notification service?
Go to: subscribe to alerts from the Nebraska Judicial branch, a form will display, complete and subscribe.
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I found an error in an opinion, what do I do?
Attorneys are requested to call prompt attention to typographical or other formal errors; please notify the Nebraska Reporter of Decisions, P.O. Box 98910, Lincoln, NE 68509-8910; e-mail, nsc.reportersoffice.elibrary@nejudicial.gov; phone, 402-471-3010.
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I need further information regarding the online library, who do I contact?
For further information regarding the online library, contact the Nebraska Reporter of Decisions, P.O. Box 98910, Lincoln, NE 68509-8910; e-mail, nsc.reportersoffice.elibrary@nejudicial.gov; phone, 402-471-3010. The Reporter of Decisions Office is prohibited from providing legal advice or guidance of any kind.