What CourtListener Collects
CourtListener is run by Free Law Project, a nonprofit organization that archives public federal court records (PACER) to make them freely accessible to the public. It is NOT a data broker — it is a legal archive. CourtListener collects public court records including case numbers, party names, docket entries, attorney information, and court filings obtained from the federal PACER system. These are government records that are inherently public. The RECAP browser extension also allows users to contribute PACER documents they have accessed, expanding the archive. Removing yourself from CourtListener does not remove the underlying court records from government databases.
How to Remove Yourself
Step 1: Understand What Can and Cannot Be Removed
Crucially: Court records are public domain. Free Law Project states explicitly that they will NOT remove public court documents without a court order. There is no opt-out mechanism for court records. What they CAN do is suppress a page from search engines (apply a noindex tag) so your case does not appear in Google searches.
Step 2: Email Free Law Project
Send an email to info@free.law requesting that your case pages be suppressed from search engine indexing. Include:
- Your full name
- The case identifier (docket number or case name) if you know it
- A clear request for noindex/suppression from search engines
Step 3: Contact the Originating Court
To actually remove or redact court records, you must contact the federal court where the case was filed and petition to seal or redact the record. This requires a formal legal motion and court approval — it is not guaranteed.
Step 4: Use Google Search Console
For cached links in Google search results, use Google Search Console to request removal of cached pages showing your personal information. This addresses Google search visibility without affecting the underlying record.
Important Notes
- Court records cannot be opted out — they are public government documents. Suppression from search engines is the only available remedy via CourtListener.
- This is fundamentally different from data broker removal — CourtListener is an archive of public records, not a broker selling your data.
- PACERMonitor and other PACER aggregators are separate entities with their own removal processes — removing yourself from CourtListener does not affect these.
- The only path to full removal is a court order to seal or redact the underlying record, which requires a legal motion.
- Free Law Project is a nonprofit with limited staff — response times may be slow.
Contact / Email Template
Subject: Search Engine Suppression Request — [Your Full Name / Case Identifier]
Dear Free Law Project Team,
I am writing to request that my personal information in court case records be suppressed from search engine indexing on CourtListener.
My name/case identifier: [Your Name or Case Number] Court: [Federal District Court, if known]
I understand that public court records cannot be removed from your archive, but I am requesting that you apply noindex tags to prevent my case from appearing in search engine results.
Please advise if there is anything else I can provide to facilitate this request.
Thank you, [Your Name]
Email: info@free.law