Court opinions are written for lawyers.
Now you can read one.
Paste any court opinion, ruling, or judicial order below. The Legal Opinion Reader breaks it into plain English — what the court decided, why it decided it, and what it actually means. Sign in to run it — 1,000 credits per read, covered by your free starting balance.
Five sections that explain
any court opinion.
Every Legal Opinion Reader result breaks the document into five plain-English sections — in the order that makes it easiest to understand.
What this is
The tool identifies the type of opinion — federal appellate, state supreme court, trial court order, administrative ruling — and explains the court and context in plain English.
What the court decided
The ruling itself, stripped of procedural language: who won, what was affirmed or reversed, and what the practical outcome of the decision was.
The court's reasoning
Why the court reached that conclusion — the legal logic, precedents applied, and factual findings that drove the outcome.
Key terms glossary
Every significant legal term in the opinion is listed with its plain-English meaning. No assumption that you already know what "res judicata" or "sua sponte" means.
What it means, plainly
A plain-language summary of the bottom line — what this opinion means in the real world, without the procedural scaffolding courts use to say it.
Works on any court opinion
or judicial document.
Appellate Opinions
Federal circuit and state appellate court opinions — the decisions that set binding precedent.
Supreme Court Opinions
U.S. Supreme Court and state supreme court rulings, including majority and dissenting opinions.
Trial Court Orders
District court orders, motions decisions, summary judgment rulings, and other trial-level documents.
Administrative Rulings
Agency decisions, ALJ opinions, and administrative law rulings from federal and state bodies.
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