---
license: odbl
task_categories:
- text-classification
- text-generation
language:
- de
tags:
- legal
pretty_name: Clean Open Legal Data
size_categories:
- 100K<n<1M
configs:
- config_name: cases
  data_files:
  - split: main
    path: data/cases.jsonl.gz
---
<h1 align="center">Clean Open Legal Data</h1>
<h4 align="center">
   <p>
       <a href=#overview>Overview</a> |
       <a href=#dataset-structure>Dataset Structure</a>  |
       <a href=#key-fields>Key Fields</a>  |
       <a href=#example-entry>Example Entry</a> |
       <a href=#using-the-dataset-with-python>Using the Dataset with Python</a> |
       <a href=#citation>Citation</a> |
       <a href=#license>License</a>
   <p>
</h4>

## Overview

This dataset is a comprehensive collection of open legal case records in JSONL format. It comprises **423,941** cases extracted and processed from the [Open Legal Data dump `dump-20260520`](https://huggingface.co/datasets/openlegaldata/court-decisions-germany) and represents an independent, cleaned derivative of that source data. The dataset is designed for legal research, data science, and natural language processing applications. Each decision is segmented into three main sections of judicial writing: _Tenor_, _Tatbestand_, and _Entscheidungsgründe_. In addition, the _Rechtsmittelbelehrung_ is extracted as a separate field, since it is part of the published decision but not considered a substantive section of it. In references, law references and case references are also separated, as shown in the [example entry](#example-entry).

## Dataset Structure

```
├── README.md
├── data
│   └── cases.jsonl.gz
```

- **Language:** German
- **Format:** JSONL
- **Total Cases:** 423,941

## Key Fields

- **id:** Unique identifier for the record.
- **file_number:** Identifier for the case (e.g., `"1 A 2639/20"`).
- **slug:** URL-friendly unique identifier (e.g., `"ovgnrw-2022-03-25-1-a-263920"`).
- **ecli:** European Case Law Identifier.
- **date:** Date of the decision in `YYYY-MM-DD` format.
- **court:** JSON object with court details (e.g., _name_, _city_, _state_, _jurisdiction_).
- **type:** Type of legal decision (e.g., "Beschluss").
- **tenor:** List of summary statements of the decision.
- **tatbestand:** List of factual background details.
- **entscheidungsgründe:** Detailed decision reasons.
- **references:** Contains references to laws and related cases.
- **rechtsmittelbelehrung:** Instructions on how and when to appeal a legal decision.

## Example Entry

Below is an example entry from the JSONL file:

```json
{
    "id": 344319,
    "file_number": "1 A 2639/20",
    "slug": "ovgnrw-2022-03-25-1-a-263920",
    "ecli": "ECLI:DE:OVGNRW:2022:0325.1A2639.20.00",
    "date": "2022-03-25",
    "court": {
        "id": 823,
        "name": "Oberverwaltungsgericht Nordrhein-Westfalen",
        "slug": "ovgnrw",
        "city": "Unspecified",
        "state": "Nordrhein-Westfalen",
        "jurisdiction": "Verwaltungsgerichtsbarkeit",
        "level_of_appeal": null
    },
    "type": "Beschluss",
    "tenor": [
        "Der Antrag wird abgelehnt.",
        "..."
    ],
    "tatbestand": [],
    "entscheidungsgründe": [
        "Der Antrag des Klägers auf Zulassung der Berufung hat keinen Erfolg.",
        "..."
    ],
    "references": {
        "law": [
            "§ 27a Abs. 3 Satz 1 2. Halbsatz SGB V",
            "..."
        ],
        "case": [
            "1 A 2251/16",
            "..."
        ]
    },
    "rechtsmittelbelehrung": []
}
```

## Using the Dataset with Python

Below is an example of how to load and explore the dataset using Python with the [🤗 Datasets](https://huggingface.co/docs/hub/datasets-usage) library:

```python
import json

from datasets import load_dataset

# Load cases
cases = load_dataset("harshildarji/openlegaldata")["main"]

# Total cases
print(len(cases))

# View first case
print(json.dumps(cases[0], indent=4, default=str, ensure_ascii=False))
```

## Citation

Please consider citing our [paper](https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.01449) when using the dataset:

```bibtex
@inbook{Darji_2025,
   title={Segmentation and Processing of German Court Decisions from Open Legal Data},
   ISBN={9781643686387},
   ISSN={1879-8314},
   url={http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/FAIA251597},
   DOI={10.3233/faia251597},
   booktitle={Legal Knowledge and Information Systems},
   publisher={IOS Press},
   author={Darji, Harshil and Heckelmann, Martin and Kratsch, Christina and de Melo, Gerard},
   year={2025},
   month=dec
}
```

## License

This dataset is released under the [Open Database License (ODbL) v1.0](https://opendatacommons.org/licenses/odbl/1-0/).