LITIGANTNAME parameter

format: [LastName, FirstName MiddleNameOrMiddleInitial] Not case-sensitive

call example: LITIGANTNAME=SMITH, ROBERT VINCENT

Wildcard/partial searches are allowed, but require an explicit * character.  So KENNEDY, J* will get both Jack Kennedy and John F Kennedy. But be careful not to make a search which is too broad, because:

• 1. Results are paginated, so in order to see all of the results, you'd have to run multiple SEARCHCASES queries (see Query results pagination attributes for more on this).  So if you don't have a data of birth, searching for KENNEDY, R* AND KENNEDY, B* to get cases filed under Robert, Rob, Robby, Bob and Bobby might not be cost-effective.  Instead, it might be wiser to do two narrower searches instead: KENNEDY, ROB* and KENNEDY, BOB*

1. Queries broad enough to indicate the intent to harvest data rather than conducting a true person-centric search violate our web service terms of use.

• Coping with special characters which courts may or may not use

  • Hyphens and slashes in compound surnames- consider searching for RODHAM-CLINTON, HILLARY, RODHAM/CLINTON, HILLARY and RODHAM CLINTON, HILLARY)

  • Periods- consider searching for both ST. JOHN, JILL, ST JOHN, JILL and STJOHN, JILL

  • Apostrophies- consider searching for O'BRIEN, CONAN, O BRIEN, CONAN, and OBRIEN, CONAN