Court cases shape policy long before legislation does — and most people never hear about them until a ruling already changed their rights. The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) CaseTracker exists so the public can follow major criminal justice and civil liberties cases while they are happening, not years later in a documentary.
The database tracks significant prosecutions, constitutional challenges, policing disputes, surveillance cases, and due-process litigation across the United States. It’s especially useful for understanding how courts are interpreting search and seizure, digital privacy, pretrial detention, prosecutorial conduct, and defendants’ rights. Each entry provides background context, legal issues involved, and why the case matters beyond the specific defendant.
For activists, researchers, and journalists, this tool helps connect individual cases to broader legal trends. Many policies affecting protest rights, surveillance, digital evidence, and policing practices are first decided in trial courts and appellate rulings — not Congress. CaseTracker allows users to identify emerging legal precedents, follow controversial prosecutions, and anticipate shifts in civil liberties enforcement before they reach national headlines.
This is particularly valuable for organizers and legal observers. Understanding active litigation helps groups prepare for changes in protest law, public records access, and law-enforcement authority. Rather than reacting after a Supreme Court decision, users can watch how legal arguments evolve and how prosecutors and courts test the limits of constitutional protections in real time.