Is this even at all accessible to anyone who isn't already in a major law firm? I'm assuming it requires some sort of thousand-dollar subscription to an exploitative publishing house?
Assuming you are in the US, all case law is public domain (although documents used in cases aren't)
https://guides.loc.gov/case-law/databases-online-resources
If not, call the city or county clerk and ask, they often have access at the courthouse to PACER and friends.
https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/
Put it in your deepweb toolbox.
You can also get some free credit every quarter on PACER. With the recap extension, you can contribute that to RECAP automagically.
Is this even at all accessible to anyone who isn't already in a major law firm? I'm assuming it requires some sort of thousand-dollar subscription to an exploitative publishing house?