Courtlistener MCP Server vs Questlaw Library
A side-by-side look at the Courtlistener MCP Server and Questlaw Library MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Courtlistener MCP Server for legal work as a local process; choose Questlaw Library for legal as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Courtlistener MCP Server when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Legal domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You want tools like
courtlistener_search_opinions, courtlistener_get_opinion, courtlistener_get_citations.
Choose Questlaw Library when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Legal domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You have the keys it needs:
QUESTLAW_VAULT_FILE, QUESTLAW_RECOVERY_CODE, QUESTLAW_ALLOW_ENV_KEY. - You want tools like
library_overview, list_cases, search_library.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Legal | Legal |
| Quality signal | 57/100 · Good | 53/100 · Good |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | Not declared | Not declared |
| Pricing | Not declared | Not declared |
| Required env vars | None listed | QUESTLAW_VAULT_FILEQUESTLAW_RECOVERY_CODEQUESTLAW_ALLOW_ENV_KEY |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 4 | 0 |
| Directory activity | 2 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 0 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 14 | 10 |
| Full listing | View Courtlistener MCP Server | View Questlaw Library |
Tools & capabilities
Courtlistener MCP Server tools 14
courtlistener_search_opinionsFull-text search across 9M+ court opinions with field syntax, court, date, and status filterscourtlistener_get_opinionFetch an opinion cluster's metadata and the full text of every variant (majority, concurrence, dissent)courtlistener_get_citationsTrace a cluster's citation network: opinions it cites (`citing`) or that cite it (`cited_by`)courtlistener_lookup_citationResolve every citation in a text (e.g. "410 U.S. 113") to cluster IDs and case metadatacourtlistener_search_docketsSearch RECAP federal dockets by case name, party, attorney, court, and filing datecourtlistener_get_docketFetch a federal docket's metadata and paged entry list with document availabilitycourtlistener_get_partiesFetch the parties and attorneys of record on a RECAP docketcourtlistener_search_judgesSearch judges by name, appointing president, court, and political affiliationcourtlistener_get_judgeFetch a judge's positions, education, political affiliations, and ABA ratingscourtlistener_lookup_courtsList courts by jurisdiction type, active/inactive status, and scraper coveragecourtlistener_search_oral_argumentsSearch appellate oral argument recordings by case name, transcript text, court, and argument datecourtlistener_get_oral_argumentFetch one oral argument's panel, duration, MP3 link, and speech-to-text transcript- +2 more on the listing page
Questlaw Library tools 10
library_overviewWhat the library holds, its projects, courts, and tags, and the export datelist_casesEvery authority, or a filtered subset, in pagessearch_libraryOne ranked search across everythingsearch_casesSaved authorities that matchget_caseOne authority in full, with notes, quotations, and related casessearch_quotesSaved quotations that matchlist_project_casesEverything filed under one projectget_source_textCaptured text of a statute, regulation, rule, or opinionfind_citation_mentionsEvery place a draft cites an authority already in the libraryreload_snapshotRead the newest export from disk again
Ready-to-paste client configs
Paste either block (or both) into your client config, e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json. We only show a config when the install command is confirmed.
Courtlistener MCP Server
{
"mcpServers": {
"courtlistener-mcp-server": {
"command": "bunx",
"args": [
"@cyanheads/courtlistener-mcp-server@latest"
]
}
}
}
Questlaw Library
{
"mcpServers": {
"questlaw-library": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"questlaw-mcp@0.5.1"
],
"env": {
"QUESTLAW_VAULT_FILE": "YOUR_QUESTLAW_VAULT_FILE_HERE",
"QUESTLAW_RECOVERY_CODE": "YOUR_QUESTLAW_RECOVERY_CODE_HERE",
"QUESTLAW_ALLOW_ENV_KEY": "YOUR_QUESTLAW_ALLOW_ENV_KEY_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Courtlistener MCP Server is categorized under Legal and uses a local stdio subprocess. Questlaw Library belongs to Legal and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Courtlistener MCP Server for legal work and Questlaw Library for legal.
Copy the mcpServers block from the config section on this page into your client's config (for example claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json), then fully restart the client.
Courtlistener MCP Server has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. Questlaw Library has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. If a server needs environment variables such as API keys, define them under the env key in your client's MCP config.
Yes. MCP clients support multiple servers: add courtlistener-mcp-server and questlaw-library as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Courtlistener MCP Server has a quality signal of 57/100 (Good) with 2 views, 0 installs and 4 GitHub stars. Questlaw Library has 53/100 (Good) with 0 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars.