add readme

README.md

@@ -1,3 +1,46 @@
----
-license: cc-by-4.0
----
+# US Employment Discrimination Cases Dataset
+
+This dataset contains metadata information about employment discrimination cases in the United States. The data has been collected from [CourtListener.com](https://www.courtlistener.com/), focusing on precedential opinions. The dataset has 167,093 cases from May 2, 1785, to August 1, 2024.
+
+## Source
+
+- **Website**: CourtListener.com
+- **Data Type**: Precedential opinions
+- **Subject Matter**: Employment discrimination cases
+- **Date Range**: 1785-05-02 to 2024-08-01
+
+## Column Descriptions
+
+| Column Name | Description |
+|-------------|-------------|
+| source_file | The name of the HTML file from which the data was extracted |
+| permalink | The unique URL for the opinion on CourtListener.com |
+| name | The case name, typically in the format "Party A v. Party B" |
+| date_filed | The date the opinion was filed, in YYYY-MM-DD format |
+| status | The status of the opinion, which is "Precedential" for all entries in this dataset |
+| citations | The official citation(s) for the opinion |
+| docket_number | The docket number assigned to the case |
+| description | A brief excerpt or summary of the case, often mentioning key aspects related to employment discrimination |
+
+## Notes
+
+- All opinions in this dataset are of "Precedential" status, meaning they can be cited as legal authority in future cases.
+- The dataset spans over two centuries, providing a comprehensive historical view of employment discrimination case law in the United States.
+- The 'description' field may contain keywords related to discrimination, employment, or specific protected characteristics relevant to the case.
+
+
+## License
+This dataset is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). This means you are free to:
+
+- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
+- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially
+
+Under the following terms:
+
+- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
+
+For more details, please see the full license text at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
+
+## Disclaimer
+
+While efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, users should verify critical information against original sources before relying on it for legal or academic purposes.