If you are using a database with an Advanced Search form, try using the Advanced Search features to refine your search.
Since these databases cover many decades, it can be helpful to limit your search to a specific date range.
Think about what terms that might have been used to in articles about your topic during the time period. For example: the name of a specific person or organization or even a term that wouldn't be used today.
Some databases allow you to limit your search to articles from a specific geographic area. Try doing this when researching events from a specific region.
These databases often sort results in chronological order. In some cases, it might be helpful to sort by relevance/best matches first.
In addition to searching, try browsing these collections to learn about sources that you wouldn't have necessarily thought of searching for.
As you begin to search for news articles, consider the constituencies impacted by the court case you are researching. Which newspapers and magazines may have been written for people belonging to these constituencies? For example, you might look at parents' magazines for articles related to schooling and you might look at teen magazines for articles reflecting teenagers' concerns about birth control. Make sure that you seek out news articles representing a variety of perspectives. For example, when searching for articles related to school desegregation, make sure look beyond the New York Times for articles in historical black newspapers, such as the Chicago Defender and New York Amsterdam News,
Includes the American Hebrew & Jewish Messenger (1857-1922), American Israelite (1854-2000), Atlanta Constitution (1868-1945), Atlanta Daily World (1931-2010), Baltimore Afro-American (1893-1988), Baltimore Sun (1837-1998), Boston Globe (1872-1993), Chicago Tribune (1849-1999), Chinese Newspapers Collection (1832-1953), Cleveland Call and Post (1934-2010), Communist Historical Newspaper Collection (1919-2013), Jerusalem Post (1932-2008), Jewish Advocate (1905-1990), Jewish Exponent (1887-1990), Korea Times (1956-2016), Leftist Newspapers and Periodicals (1845-2015), Los Angeles Sentinel (1934-2005), Los Angeles Times (1881-2000), Michigan Chronicle (1939-2010), Minneapolis Star Tribune (1867-2001), New York Amsterdam News (1922-1993), New York Times (1851-2020), Norfolk Journal and Guide (1916-2010), Philadelphia Tribune (1912-2010), Pittsburgh Courier (1911-2010), St. Louis Post-Dispatch (1874-2003), St. Petersburg Times/Tampa Bay Times (1901-2009), Times of India (1838-2011), Wall Street Journal (1889-2012), and Washington Post (1877-2007)