The CM/ECF civil case search page (a few courts might still be using the old PACER interface, but the differences are mostly superficial) contains several fields, although 99% of the time, we only use case number. Here are a couple of creative ways to use those other fields.
Example 1: Need a form? Say you’ve been asked to draft a protective order in a maritime contract case. Scroll through the list and highlight Nature of Suit field to “120 (Contract: Marine).” You’ll also have to enter a date in either the Filed Date or Last Entry Date field (beginning only; the system interprets a blank end date as the current date). Then press Run Query, and a list of all the recent cases of that type is displayed. From there, you can begin clicking on cases and viewing docket sheets. Once you have a docket sheet up, perform a text search for “protective order.” You might also need to try alternatives like “protective,” “protect,” or “confidential.” It may take a few tries to find what you need, but your likelihood of success is good. Important: Search the court your case is in, so that the forms you find are likely to conform to applicable local rules.

Example 2: How litigious is this guy, anyway? Maybe your lawyer wants to know just how many times the adverse attorney has alleged RICO violations in the past five years. In that case, highlight “470 (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations),” and then enter the adverse attorney’s First Name and Last Name.

If you need to research all federal courts at once, there’s the PACER U.S. Party/Case Index.

Keep the cost in mind: PACER is charging your firm 8 cents a page for everything it shows you. While this isn’t much and is more than worth it, do use good judgment about just how many pages you download.