A docket is the court’s chronological record of a case. Reading one accurately tells you more about a dispute’s posture than any summary.

Entry structure. Each entry has a number, a date filed, a description and often a link to the document. Entries are referenced in briefs by that number, which is why they are cited rather than described.

What to look for first. The operative complaint and answer; any amended pleadings; the scheduling order, which sets every deadline; pending motions and their briefing status; and any orders that narrowed the case.

Minute entries record what happened at a hearing without a separate document and are easy to overlook.

Sealed and restricted entries appear with limited descriptions. Their existence is itself information.

Case status indicators. Whether discovery has closed, whether a dispositive motion is pending or decided, whether a trial date is set, and whether the case has been referred to a magistrate or mediator.

Related cases. Consolidation orders, transferred cases, and appeals with their own dockets.

Practical use. Before any assessment of a matter, read the scheduling order and the last five entries. Those two things tell you what is happening now, which the pleadings do not.