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CaseMagic — Federal Court Case Lookup & Monitor

Get the status of a case

get_case_status
Read-onlyIdempotent

Return the current posture of a federal case: the assigned judge, any referred magistrate judge, the filing date, whether it is open or terminated, the cause of action, the nature of suit, how many docket entries it has and when the docket last moved. Use this when a user asks about the status of their case, who the judge is, whether a case is still open, or what a case is about. Identify the case with case_number (and court, if known), or with matter_id for a case already saved to the account. No account is needed to give a case number. A result reached by case number carries recommended_next_action, an optional next step with its terms. action watch_case means CaseMagic can monitor this case and email the user about new filings, with the trial terms and a url; action none means monitoring is not available or not relevant. Whether to take it is the user’s choice, and the free answer never depends on it.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
courtNoThe court, as a CourtListener-style code such as cacd, nysd or ilnd. Optional: leave it out when the user does not know which district the case is in.
matter_idNoThe CaseMagic matter id, as returned by create_case_passport or shown in an earlier result. Omit it when the account follows exactly one case and that is the one meant.
case_numberNoThe case number as the court writes it, for example 1:23-cv-11195 or 2:24-cv-01234-ABC. Judge initials are optional and are ignored when matching.

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
caseNoThe case: court, case number, caption, filing date, status, judges, nature of suit, latest activity and docket size.
errorNoPresent only when the call failed: a code, a message and, where there is one, an action such as a link to give the user.
sourceNoWhich court source answered, when it was read and where it can be seen.
statusNoPosture: case status, terminated date, filing date, judges, cause, nature of suit, jury demand, latest activity.
case_urlNoThe case’s public page on CaseMagic, which offers free email alerts and Watch.
matter_idNoThe account matter id when the case was read through a saved case; null for a lookup.
connect_tokenNoShort-lived token for create_case_passport, present on a lookup by case number.
docket_coverageNoHow much of the court docket CaseMagic holds for this case.
what_comes_nextNoOne sentence on where to send a user who wants to hear about new filings.
recommended_next_actionNoThe offer to make after answering, decided by the server: action watch_case when the case is open and can be monitored, none otherwise.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. Changed1 schema field changed
    • changedOutput schema / (root)
      Previous value: -nullNew value: +{
      +  "additionalProperties": true,
      +  "properties": {
      +    "case": {
      +      "additionalProperties": true,
      +      "description": "The case: court, case number, caption, filing date, status, judges, nature of suit, latest activity and docket size.",
      +      "properties": {
      +        "assigned_judge": {
      +          "description": "Assigned judge."
      +        },
      +        "case_name": {
      +          "description": "Caption.",
      +          "type": "string"
      +        },
      +        "case_number": {
      +          "description": "Case number as the court writes it.",
      +          "type": "string"
      +        },
      +        "case_status": {
      +          "description": "open, terminated, or null when the source does not say."
      +        },
      +        "cause": {
      +          "description": "Cause of action."
      +        },
      +        "court": {
      +          "additionalProperties": true,
      +          "description": "The court, as a code and a name.",
      +          "properties": {
      +            "code": {
      +              "description": "Court code, e.g. nysd.",
      +              "type": "string"
      +            },
      +            "name": {
      +              "description": "Court name.",
      +              "type": "string"
      +            }
      +          },
      +          "type": "object"
      +        },
      +        "docket_entry_count": {
      +          "description": "How many entries the court docket has."
      +        },
      +        "filing_date": {
      +          "description": "ISO date the case was filed."
      +        },
      +        "id": {
      +          "description": "CaseMagic id of the court case.",
      +          "type": "string"
      +        },
      +        "latest_activity_at": {
      +          "description": "ISO timestamp of the latest docket activity."
      +        },
      +        "nature_of_suit": {
      +          "description": "Nature of suit."
      +        },
      +        "referred_judge": {
      +          "description": "Referred magistrate judge."
      +        },
      +        "terminated_date": {
      +          "description": "ISO date the case was terminated, or null while it is open."
      +        }
      +      },
      +      "type": "object"
      +    },
      +    "case_url": {
      +      "description": "The case’s public page on CaseMagic, which offers free email alerts and Watch.",
      +      "type": "string"
      +    },
      +    "connect_token": {
      +      "description": "Short-lived token for create_case_passport, present on a lookup by case number.",
      +      "type": "string"
      +    },
      +    "docket_coverage": {
      +      "additionalProperties": true,
      +      "description": "How much of the court docket CaseMagic holds for this case.",
      +      "properties": {},
      +      "type": "object"
      +    },
      +    "error": {
      +      "additionalProperties": true,
      +      "description": "Present only when the call failed: a code, a message and, where there is one, an action such as a link to give the user.",
      +      "properties": {
      +        "code": {
      +          "description": "Machine-readable error code, for example CASE_NOT_FOUND or MULTIPLE_CASES_FOUND.",
      +          "type": "string"
      +        },
      +        "message": {
      +          "description": "What went wrong, in a sentence.",
      +          "type": "string"
      +        }
      +      },
      +      "type": "object"
      +    },
      +    "matter_id": {
      +      "description": "The account matter id when the case was read through a saved case; null for a lookup."
      +    },
      +    "recommended_next_action": {
      +      "additionalProperties": true,
      +      "description": "The offer to make after answering, decided by the server: action watch_case when the case is open and can be monitored, none otherwise.",
      +      "properties": {
      +        "action": {
      +          "description": "watch_case or none.",
      +          "type": "string"
      +        },
      +        "card_required": {
      +          "description": "Whether a card is collected for the trial.",
      +          "type": "boolean"
      +        },
      +        "cta": {
      +          "description": "Button text.",
      +          "type": "string"
      +        },
      +        "guidance": {
      +          "description": "How to make the offer.",
      +          "type": "string"
      +        },
      +        "offer": {
      +          "description": "What monitoring does.",
      +          "type": "string"
      +        },
      +        "plans": {
      +          "description": "The three plans with price and how many cases each covers.",
      +          "items": {
      +            "type": "object"
      +          },
      +          "type": "array"
      +        },
      +        "price_after_trial": {
      +          "description": "Price of the entry plan after the trial.",
      +          "type": "string"
      +        },
      +        "reason": {
      +          "description": "Why, in a sentence the assistant can repeat.",
      +          "type": "string"
      +        },
      +        "suggested_message": {
      +          "description": "One sentence the assistant may say, once.",
      +          "type": "string"
      +        },
      +        "trial_days": {
      +          "description": "Free trial length in days.",
      +          "type": "number"
      +        },
      +        "url": {
      +          "description": "Where the user starts watching this case.",
      +          "type": "string"
      +        }
      +      },
      +      "type": "object"
      +    },
      +    "source": {
      +      "additionalProperties": true,
      +      "description": "Which court source answered, when it was read and where it can be seen.",
      +      "properties": {
      +        "name": {
      +          "description": "Source name.",
      +          "type": "string"
      +        },
      +        "retrieved_at": {
      +          "description": "ISO timestamp of the read."
      +        },
      +        "url": {
      +          "description": "Link to the docket at the source."
      +        }
      +      },
      +      "type": "object"
      +    },
      +    "status": {
      +      "additionalProperties": true,
      +      "description": "Posture: case status, terminated date, filing date, judges, cause, nature of suit, jury demand, latest activity.",
      +      "properties": {},
      +      "type": "object"
      +    },
      +    "what_comes_next": {
      +      "description": "One sentence on where to send a user who wants to hear about new filings.",
      +      "type": "string"
      +    }
      +  },
      +  "type": "object"
      +}
  2. First observed

TDQS

A4.4/5.0
Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already cover read-only/idempotent safety, but the description adds genuinely useful behavior: no account needed when searching by case number, what recommended_next_action contains, and that watch_case means monitoring with trial terms, while stressing the free answer never depends on the upsell. This is disclosure annotations cannot supply.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Front-loads the return payload, then usage triggers, then identification, then the next-action semantics. Slightly long and the field list partially duplicates the output schema, but every sentence carries actionable information.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

With an output schema present, the description need not restate return values, yet it still covers identification paths, usage triggers, and the optional recommended_next_action contract. An agent has everything needed to select and invoke it correctly.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100%, so the schema already documents case_number, court and matter_id thoroughly. The description reinforces the identification paths (case_number + optional court, or matter_id) but adds no format or matching detail beyond the schema, making the baseline 3 appropriate.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb+resource and enumerates exactly what posture it returns: judge, magistrate, filing date, open/terminated status, cause of action, nature of suit, docket count and last activity. This clearly distinguishes it from siblings like get_case_docket, get_case_deadlines and get_case_documents.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Gives concrete trigger conditions: user asks about case status, who the judge is, whether the case is still open, or what it is about. It does not, however, name the alternative siblings (e.g. get_case_docket for full docket history) so the agent must infer when this is the wrong call.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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