The Arizona v. California Collection at the William A. Wise Law Library contains more than 185 full-text, searchable pleadings, briefs, orders, transcripts, and reports from the historic, 12-year original proceeding in the U.S. Supreme Court filed by the State of Arizona against the State of California, which sought to clarify rights to the use of Colorado River basin water. The case culminated in a June 3, 1963 decision, reported in Arizona v. California , 373 U.S. 546 , which was implemented by a March 9, 1964 decree, reported in Arizona v. California , 376 U.S. 340.
The Wise Law Library’s Arizona v. California Collection was acquired in part through the efforts of former University of Colorado Law Library Director, J. Myron Jacobstein, a legend in the field of legal research pedagogy. The Collection features many key filings by Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, and the United States, as well as the 1960 draft and final reports of Special Master Simon H. Rifkind and copies of the U.S. Supreme Court’s opinion and decree . The Collection also includes Special Master Elbert P. Tuttle’s 1982 report in the reopened Arizona v. California case decided in 1983; this report is a gift of the David H. Getches family.
![State of Arizona, complainant, vs. State of California ... [et al.], defendants : United States of America and State of Nevada, interveners : State of New Mexico and State of Utah, impleaded defendants: reply brief of the California defendants to the answering briefs of the United States, Arizona, and Nevada.](https://scholar.law.colorado.edu/arizona-v-california/1193/thumbnail.jpg "State of Arizona, complainant, vs. State of California ... [et al.], defendants : United States of America and State of Nevada, interveners : State of New Mexico and State of Utah, impleaded defendants: reply brief of the California defendants to the answering briefs of the United States, Arizona, and Nevada.")
![State of Arizona, complainant, v. State of California ... [et al.], defendants : United States of America and State of Nevada, interveners : State of New Mexico and State of Utah, impleaded defendants: legislative history appendixes accompanying the reply brief of the California defendants to the answering briefs of the United States, Arizona, and Nevada.](https://scholar.law.colorado.edu/arizona-v-california/1089/thumbnail.jpg "State of Arizona, complainant, v. State of California ... [et al.], defendants : United States of America and State of Nevada, interveners : State of New Mexico and State of Utah, impleaded defendants: legislative history appendixes accompanying the reply brief of the California defendants to the answering briefs of the United States, Arizona, and Nevada.")
![State of Arizona, complainant, v. State of California ... [et al.], defendants : United States of America and State of Nevada, interveners : State of New Mexico and State of Utah, impleaded defendants: opening brief of the California defendants in support of their exceptions to the report of the special master.](https://scholar.law.colorado.edu/arizona-v-california/1097/thumbnail.jpg "State of Arizona, complainant, v. State of California ... [et al.], defendants : United States of America and State of Nevada, interveners : State of New Mexico and State of Utah, impleaded defendants: opening brief of the California defendants in support of their exceptions to the report of the special master.")
![State of Arizona, complainant, v. State of California ... [et al.], defendants : United States of America, intervener: State of Nevada, intervener : State of New Mexico, impleaded defendant : State of Utah, impleaded defendant: answering brief for Arizona.](https://scholar.law.colorado.edu/arizona-v-california/1174/thumbnail.jpg "State of Arizona, complainant, v. State of California ... [et al.], defendants : United States of America, intervener: State of Nevada, intervener : State of New Mexico, impleaded defendant : State of Utah, impleaded defendant: answering brief for Arizona.")
![State of Arizona, complainant v. State of California ... [et al.], defendants : United States of America, intervener : State of Nevada, intervener : State of New Mexico, impleaded defendant : State of Utah, impleaded defendant: reply brief for Arizona.](https://scholar.law.colorado.edu/arizona-v-california/1012/thumbnail.jpg "State of Arizona, complainant v. State of California ... [et al.], defendants : United States of America, intervener : State of Nevada, intervener : State of New Mexico, impleaded defendant : State of Utah, impleaded defendant: reply brief for Arizona.")
![State of Arizona, complainant, v. State of California, Palo Verde Irrigation District, Imperial Irrigation District, Coachella Valley County Water District, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, City of Los Angeles, California, City of San Diego, California, and County of San Diego, California, defendants : United States of America, intervener : State of Nevada, intervener : State of New Mexico, impleaded defendant : State of Utah, impleaded defendant: opening brief for Arizona / Chas. H. Reed, chief counsel ... [et al.]](https://scholar.law.colorado.edu/arizona-v-california/1230/thumbnail.jpg "State of Arizona, complainant, v. State of California, Palo Verde Irrigation District, Imperial Irrigation District, Coachella Valley County Water District, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, City of Los Angeles, California, City of San Diego, California, and County of San Diego, California, defendants : United States of America, intervener : State of Nevada, intervener : State of New Mexico, impleaded defendant : State of Utah, impleaded defendant: opening brief for Arizona / Chas. H. Reed, chief counsel ... [et al.]")
![State of Arizona, complainant, vs. State of California ... [et al.], defendants : United States of America, intervener : State of Nevada, intervener : State of New Mexico, impleaded : State of Utah, impleaded : before the Hon. Simon H. Rifkind, special master: comments of the State of Nevada on draft report of special master, dated May 5, 1960.](https://scholar.law.colorado.edu/arizona-v-california/1137/thumbnail.jpg "State of Arizona, complainant, vs. State of California ... [et al.], defendants : United States of America, intervener : State of Nevada, intervener : State of New Mexico, impleaded : State of Utah, impleaded : before the Hon. Simon H. Rifkind, special master: comments of the State of Nevada on draft report of special master, dated May 5, 1960.")
![State of Arizona, complainant v. State of California ... [et al.], defendants : the United States of America and State of Nevada, interveners : State of Utah and State of New Mexico, impleaded defendants : before the Hon. Simon H. Rifkind, special master: Arizona's comments on the draft report and recommended decree.](https://scholar.law.colorado.edu/arizona-v-california/1151/thumbnail.jpg "State of Arizona, complainant v. State of California ... [et al.], defendants : the United States of America and State of Nevada, interveners : State of Utah and State of New Mexico, impleaded defendants : before the Hon. Simon H. Rifkind, special master: Arizona's comments on the draft report and recommended decree.")
![State of Arizona, complainant, v. State of California ... [et al.], defendants : United States of America and State of Nevada, interveners : State of New Mexico and State of Utah, parties : before the Hon. Simon H. Rifkind, special master: comments, suggestions, and motions of the California defendants re the Special Master's Draft report, dated May 5, 1960.](https://scholar.law.colorado.edu/arizona-v-california/1153/thumbnail.jpg "State of Arizona, complainant, v. State of California ... [et al.], defendants : United States of America and State of Nevada, interveners : State of New Mexico and State of Utah, parties : before the Hon. Simon H. Rifkind, special master: comments, suggestions, and motions of the California defendants re the Special Master's Draft report, dated May 5, 1960.")
![State of Arizona, complainant, v. State of California ... [et al.], defendants : United States of America and State of Nevada, interveners : State of New Mexico and State of Utah, parties : before the Hon. Simon H. Rifkind, special master: motion to reopen the trial for the taking of evidence re depletion of the Colorado River at Lee Ferry by the Upper Basin, and statement in support of motion](https://scholar.law.colorado.edu/arizona-v-california/1191/thumbnail.jpg "State of Arizona, complainant, v. State of California ... [et al.], defendants : United States of America and State of Nevada, interveners : State of New Mexico and State of Utah, parties : before the Hon. Simon H. Rifkind, special master: motion to reopen the trial for the taking of evidence re depletion of the Colorado River at Lee Ferry by the Upper Basin, and statement in support of motion")
![State of Arizona, complainant, v. State of California ... [et al.], defendants : United States of America and State of Nevada, interveners : State of New Mexico and State of Utah, parties : before the Hon. Simon H. Rifkind, special master: offer of proof and brief in support of offer : submitted by the California defendants, August 17, 1960, New York City, New York.](https://scholar.law.colorado.edu/arizona-v-california/1223/thumbnail.jpg "State of Arizona, complainant, v. State of California ... [et al.], defendants : United States of America and State of Nevada, interveners : State of New Mexico and State of Utah, parties : before the Hon. Simon H. Rifkind, special master: offer of proof and brief in support of offer : submitted by the California defendants, August 17, 1960, New York City, New York.")
![State of Arizona, complainant v. State of California ... [et al.], defendants : United States of America, intervener : State of Nevada, intervener : State of New Mexico, party : State of Utah, party : before Honorable Simon H. Rifkind, special master: New Mexico's comments on the special master's report, May 5, 1960.](https://scholar.law.colorado.edu/arizona-v-california/1100/thumbnail.jpg "State of Arizona, complainant v. State of California ... [et al.], defendants : United States of America, intervener : State of Nevada, intervener : State of New Mexico, party : State of Utah, party : before Honorable Simon H. Rifkind, special master: New Mexico's comments on the special master's report, May 5, 1960.")
