An Open and Compatible Implementation of
A Uniform System of Citation
Not affiliated with or authorized by
The Bluebook® A Uniform System of Citation®
This document, published on August 21, 2023, is the 2023 update of Indigo Book 2.0, which was first released in beta form on September 9, 2021; and then in final form on August 21, 2022. Errors and omissions may be sent to jromig@emory.edu.
This file was published by Public.Resource.Org, Inc., (“Public Resource”) a California nonprofit corporation registered under I.R.C. § 501(c)(3). Contact information for Public Resource is at https://public.resource.org/about/.
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NOT AUTHORIZED BY NOR IN ANY WAY AFFILIATED WITH: The Columbia Law Review Association, Inc., The Harvard Law Review Association, the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, The Yale Law Journal Company, Inc., or The Bluebook® A Uniform System of Citation®.
Cite as: The Indigo Book: A Manual of Legal Citation (Christopher Sprigman & Jennifer Romig et al. eds., Public.Resource.Org 2d ed. 2021). Where relevant, the citation may also indicate that this is the 2023 update of the Second Edition.
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Welcome to The Indigo Book 2.0—a free, Creative Commons-dedicated implementation of the uniform system of citation commonly used in United States legal documents.
The Indigo Book (2d ed. 2021) isn’t the same as The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (21st ed. 2020), but it does implement the same system of citation that The Bluebook does. The scope of The Indigo Book’s coverage is roughly equivalent to The Bluebook’s “Bluepages”—that is, The Indigo Book covers legal citation for U.S. legal materials, as well as books, periodicals, and Internet and other electronic resources. For the materials that it covers, anyone using The Indigo Book will produce briefs, memoranda, law review articles, and other legal documents with citations that are compatible with the Uniform System of Citation. Although law students, scholars, and legal professionals sometimes talk about legal citation as if it is truly uniform, the fact is that legal citation has never actually been a uniform national system. Accordingly, The Indigo Book also provides insight into some of the discretionary preferences and jurisdiction-specific variations found in legal citation throughout the United States.
Unlike The Bluebook and competitor citation manual The ALWD Guide to Legal Citation, The Indigo Book is free, in two senses. The Indigo Book is given to you free of charge. The Indigo Book is also free of the restrictions of copyright. You are free to copy and distribute this work, and to improve on it. As with the 2016 version, we are releasing this version of The Indigo Book under a Creative Commons “CC0” public domain dedication that allows you to use it, copy it, distribute it, and modify it. The Indigo Book welcomes the Juris-M project for automating legal citations, built in connection with the citation formats provided in the First Edition of The Indigo Book and in progress with updates reflecting this Second Edition.
The first edition of The Indigo Book was compiled by a team of students at the New York University School of Law, working under the direction of Professor Christopher Jon Sprigman and published in 2016. The second edition of The Indigo Book was compiled by Professor Jennifer Murphy Romig with assistance from students at the Emory University School of Law, and published in beta form in 2021, with a final edition released in 2022. In the five years since the first edition of The Indigo Book, U.S. citation practices have continued to expand and fragment. The proliferation of citation formats has taken place via both official channels, such as the North Carolina Supreme Court’s adoption of medium-neutral citation format; and unofficial practices, such as the growing use of (cleaned up) as a parenthetical to replace (internal citations and quotation marks omitted), as promoted by Washington, D.C. lawyer Jack Metzler.
This Second Edition of The Indigo Book, like the first one, continues to take its inspiration from the 10th edition of The Bluebook, published in 1959:
The primary purpose of a citation is to facilitate finding and identifying the authority cited. The rules set forth in this booklet should not be considered invariable. Whenever clarity will be served, the citation form should be altered without hesitation; whenever a citation would not amplify the identification of the authority referred to, no citation should be given.
In that spirit, we hope you will take The Indigo Book, use it, enjoy it, and continue to improve it.
Professor Jennifer Murphy Romig
Emory University School of Law
The Uniform System of Citation has split into two main branches, with somewhat different citation rules for each. The Indigo Book is a resource for legal citations in standard legal documents.
The Indigo Book states the rules and provides examples for standard legal documents. We define standard legal documents as documents created for practical law-related purposes such as court filings, legal memoranda, legal analysis, and other forms of legal information that require or benefit from a technically precise and commonly understood citation format. The legal citations for standard legal documents using The Indigo Book adhere to a generally consistent national standard.
Many state courts and local legal communities use citation formats that vary from this common standard, more so for state and local citations than for federal citations. Table T3 provides selective information on state variations. In customizing legal citations for a local audience, consult Table T3 as well as local court rules, customs, and expertise.
Academic legal documents include articles for publication in law reviews, generally authored by law professors and law students enrolled in J.D. programs. The Uniform System of Citation treats law review articles and standard legal documents differently, requiring different fonts and imposing additional footnote rules. Citations in standard legal documents and law review articles provide the same information about legal sources, and a short cross-reference highlighting key font differences is provided in Table T19. A full treatment of formal citation formats for law review articles is outside the scope of The Indigo Book.
In legal citations, italicize the following components, whether placed in footnotes or textual sentences:
Example:
The Supreme Court’s practice of allowing modifications after opinions’ initial release has at times extended beyond typographical corrections to substantive changes. Richard Lazarus, The (Non)Finality of Supreme Court Opinions, 128 Harv. L. Rev. 540, 544 (2014).
In the textual sentences of standard legal documents, also italicize the following components and words:
Example:
As Adam Liptak reported in The New York Times, the Supreme Court sometimes corrects and modifies its opinions after their initial release. Adam Liptak, Final Word on U.S. Law Isn’t: Supreme Court Keeps Editing, N.Y. Times, May 25, 2014, at A1, https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/25/us/final-word-on-us-law-isnt-supreme-court-keeps-editing.html.
Indigo Inkling
The typewriter was invented around the 1860s. The first edition of The Bluebook is from 1926. Typewriters of that era did not support italics or boldface. If you wanted to emphasize text, your sole option was to underline. Throughout The Indigo Book, you'll see us italicizing text rather than underlining, because that’s how we do it in the 21st Century. For an archaic look or where local court rules require, underlining is a good option. If you have a choice, we believe italics are easier to read and should be the preferred method.
While we’re on the subject of formatting text, we also urge writers to format their quotations using all the benefits of modern word processing. Specifically, use well-formatted “smart quotes” (shown here) that curl around the quoted material, rather than "dumb quotes" (shown here) that are the same whether opening or closing a quote.
For standard legal documents, in-text citations can be rendered in three ways:
Citations in standard legal documents often follow complete text sentences.
Examples:
Under the due process requirement, there must be “some definite link, some minimum connection, between a state and the person, property or transaction it seeks to tax.” Miller Bros. Co. v. Maryland, 347 U.S. 340, 344-345 (1954).
Electronic signatures have the same legal effect as signatures signed with pen and ink. The Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 7001-7006.
Citations following sentences can be single citations or, when appropriate, several sequential citations separated by a semicolon (known as a “string citation”). These string citations can utilize citation signals consistent with Rule R4 to show the relationship of the citation to the textual sentence.
Example:
Prior to 2018, Supreme Court precedent had required a seller to have a physical presence within a state as a requirement of state taxation. See Quill Corp. v. North Dakota, 504 U.S. 298 (1992); Nat’l Bellas Hess, Inc. v. Dep’t of Rev. of Ill., 386 U.S. 753 (1967).
Some citations in standard legal documents are placed as citation clauses within sentences. Use citation clauses to cite sources and authorities that relate to only a section of the sentence. A citation clause directly follows the claim it relates to. It may include a signal to indicate the relationship of the cited source to the claim.
Separate citation clauses from the text with commas. Do not add additional capital letters beyond the required capitalization of the sources being cited.
Examples:
Federal law attempts to address online privacy generally, 18 U.S.C. §§ 2510-2523, and children’s privacy specifically, 15 U.S.C. §§ 6501-6505.
Although detailed regulations apply to children’s privacy online, 16 C.F.R. pt. 312, significant gaps remain in both federal and state law.
Citations can be embedded into the grammatical structure of a textual sentence in a variety of ways. Because citations embedded in sentences are read as part of the sentence’s grammatical flow, the rules for abbreviating case names are different and more restrictive than for citation sentences and clauses.
Examples:
Since Nelson v. Sears, Roebuck & Co., 312 U.S. 359, 366 (1941), the Court has eschewed the idea that a constitutional right could be grounded in “the practical opportunities for tax avoidance.
In Nelson v. Sears, Roebuck & Co., the Court first eschewed the idea that a constitutional right could be grounded in “the practical opportunities for tax avoidance.” 312 U.S. 359, 366 (1941),
The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998, 15 U.S.C. §§ 6501-6505 (“COPPA”), was the first federal law specifically protecting children under the age of 13.
Indigo Inkling
Traditionally, the citations within standard legal documents have been integrated into the main body text. These citations may be placed directly after textual sentences, in citation sentences; as citation clauses within sentences; or textually embedded within sentences. Traditionally, law review articles present their citation support via extensive footnotes in a distinctive format with three different font styles (roman, italics, and Small Caps).
Some courts and lawyers are now producing standard legal documents using footnotes rather than in-text citations. Legal scholar, speaker, and advocate Bryan A. Garner is the best-known proponent of footnotes in standard legal documents, arguing that in-text citations interfere with textual flow and disguise bad writing. Others such as Professor Alexa Chew argue that in-text citations are superior because they integrate source information into the text, a process that can be accomplished with style and grace. The Indigo Book provides citation rules that can be used for either in-text or footnoted citations in standard legal documents.
The original edition of The Indigo Book advised writers to use footnotes only when allowed by a court’s local rules. This remains good advice, although we note that some writers use footnotes when not expressly prohibited by a court’s local rules. Rule R3 has been modified to more fully accommodate the writer’s discretion. As with many discretionary choices, writers should select an approach based on the document’s purpose, audience, and overall context.
A signal represents the relationship between the author’s assertion and the source or sources cited following that assertion, a relationship that can run the gamut from supporting it directly to supporting the exact opposite of that assertion. To show this relationship, the signal begins the citation sentence or clause.
There are four basic categories of signals:
|
Category |
Signals |
|
Signals for Supporting Authority |
[No signal] |
|
E.g., |
|
|
Accord |
|
|
See |
|
|
See also |
|
|
Cf. |
|
|
Signal for Comparison |
Compare <citation to source(s), separated with “and” if multiple> with <citation to source(s), separated with “and” if multiple> |
|
Signals for Contradictory Authority |
Contra |
|
But see |
|
|
But cf. |
|
|
Signals for Background Material |
See generally |
When more than one category of authority is used in the same citation, they should be ordered according to categories of signals. As shown in the table above, the categories follow a logical order: supporting authority is provided before comparative and contradictory authority, and general background.
In citation sentences, signals in the same category are listed within a single sentence, and each one is marked off by semicolons. Signals in separate categories, however, are listed in separate citation sentences.
Example:
Justice Scalia once noted that “the Constitution sometimes insulates the criminality of a few in order to protect the privacy of us all.” Arizona v. Hicks, 480 U.S. 321, 329 (1987). But see Maryland v. King, 569 U.S. 435, 462-463 (2013) (acknowledging the existence of “programmatic searches of either the public at large or a particular class of regulated but otherwise law-abiding citizens” such as motorist checkpoints).
In citation clauses, all signals (regardless of category) are listed within a single citation clause and separated by semicolons.
Example:
Justice Scalia once noted that “the Constitution sometimes insulates the criminality of a few in order to protect the privacy of us all,” Arizona v. Hicks, 480 U.S. 321, 329 (1987); see also Maryland v. King, 569 U.S. 435, 481 (2013) (Scalia, J., dissenting) (“Solving unsolved crimes is a noble objective, but it occupies a lower place in the American pantheon of noble objectives than the protection of our people from suspicionless law-enforcement searches.”); and later applied that principle to limit police use of thermal imaging technology, see Kyllo v. United States, 389 U.S. 27 (2001); cf. United States v. Jones, 565 U.S. 400 (2012) (invalidating use of a GPS tracking device for long-term surveillance).
For the order of authorities cited after (and thus within each signal), order them in a helpful and logical manner, and use a semicolon in between each one.
Indigo Inkling
String citations are not always desirable or appropriate, especially in standard legal documents. Judge Ruggero J. Aldisert of the Third Circuit describes string citations as “generally irritating and useless.” Alexa Chew, Stylish Legal Citation, 71 Ark. L. Rev. 823, 858 n. 214 (2019) (quoting Judge Aldisert in Winning on Appeal: Better Briefs and Oral Arguments 57 (2d ed. 2003). On the other hand, after a carefully crafted proposition drawn from several authorities, a string cite may be “the right tool for the job.” Id. at 859.
When a string citation is appropriate, the writer must decide how to order the authorities in the string. In relatively recent years, academic legal documents have followed an elaborate hierarchy, which essentially consists of the following: constitutions before statutes, state statutes in alphabetical order by state, federal cases before state cases, legislative materials before regulatory materials, and all other primary materials, then followed by secondary materials. See The Indigo Book: A Manual of Legal Citation Rule R10 (1st ed. 2016); The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation Rule 1.4 (20th ed. 2015). This hierarchy often does, in fact, provide the most logical order; it seems unwise to cite Wikipedia before the United States Constitution, for example. But this hierarchy may not always fit the situation. The Uniform System of Citation is evolving to encompass more flexibility and discretion in a few pockets here and there, such as the basic principle that authorities cited in a string within a single signal should be placed in a helpful and logical order.
The signal is capitalized at the beginning of a citation sentence.
Example:
Unbelievable as it may be, the Supreme Court has weighed in on the issue of whether a tomato is a fruit or vegetable. See Nix v. Heden, 149 U.S. 304 (1893).
The signal is left in lowercase at the beginning of a citation clause.
Example:
Even seemingly trivial issues, see, e.g., Nix v. Heden, 149 U.S. 304 (1893) (addressing the question of whether tomatoes are fruits or vegetables), can sometimes merit input from the Supreme Court.
A citation does not need an added signal if—
The source makes the same assertion as the sentence it is supporting.
Example:
To impose the death penalty on an individual who is criminally insane is unconstitutional. Ford v. Wainwright, 477 U.S. 399, 410 (1986).
The assertion is a direct quotation from the source.
Example:
States are prohibited from “inflicting the penalty of death upon a prisoner who is insane.” Ford v. Wainwright, 477 U.S. 399, 410 (1986).
The source is referred to in the assertion.
Example:
In cases like Roper, Atkins, and Ford, the Supreme Court has established certain classes of individuals upon which the death penalty may not be imposed. Roper v. Simmons, 543 U.S. 551, 575 (2005); Atkins v. Virginia, 536 U.S. 304, 321 (2002); Ford v. Wainwright, 477 U.S. 399, 410 (1986).
Use e.g., if the cited source is one of multiple sources to make the same assertion. The citation may include however many sources the author finds to be helpful. Note that the comma in the signal e.g., should not be italicized.
Examples:
In a criminal case, the state bears the burden of proving the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. E.g., State v. Purrier, 336 P.3d 574, 576 (Or. Ct. App. 2014).
Prior to the Supreme Court’s decision in Riley v. California, 573 U.S. 373 (2014), several circuits had generally allowed the police to conduct warrantless searches of cell phones of individuals under arrest. E.g., U.S. v. Murphy, 552 F.3d 405, 411 (4th Cir. 2009); U.S. v. Finley, 477 F.3d 250, 260 (5th Cir. 2007).
E.g., may also be used following any other signal, such as See or Contra in which case an italicized comma should separate the two signals.
Accord is used when more than one source substantiates a proposition, but the text quotes just one of them. Use accord as the introductory signal for the non-quoted sources. Also, accord may be used as the introductory signal for indicating that the law of one jurisdiction is consistent with the law of another.
Examples:
Colorado law makes it the “duty of every corporation or person who has reasonable grounds to believe that a crime has been committed to report promptly the suspected crime to law enforcement authorities.” Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-8-115 (2020); accord Lunsford v. W. States Life Ins., 919 P.2d 899, 901 (Colo. App. 1996) (interpreting the reasonable-grounds standard as lower than the probable-cause standard enabling police to make a warrantless arrest).
Under Colorado law, witnesses have a limited duty to report crimes. Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-8-115 (2020); accord Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 268, § 40 (2020).
See is used when an authority does not directly state but clearly supports the proposition. See is used instead of no signal when an inferential step is required to connect the proposition to the authority cited.
Example:
Citizens have less training than police on detecting crime and no authority to detain other individuals; thus, citizens’ duty to report crime is based on reasonable grounds to believe a crime has been committed, rather than the more exacting probable cause standard. See Lunsford v. W. States Life Ins., 919 P.2d 899, 901 (Colo. App. 1996) (interpreting the reasonable-grounds standard to be less than the probable-cause standard enabling police to make a warrantless arrest).
See also is used for additional sources that support an assertion. Use see also when authority that states or clearly supports the assertion has already been cited or discussed. The use of a parenthetical is recommended with see also.
Example:
Slayer statutes prevent killers from reaping rewards from committing homicide. Lunsford v. W. States Life Ins., 908 P.2d 79, 83 (Colo. 1995) (en banc); see also Bennett v. Allstate Ins. Co., 722 A.2d 115, 117 (N.J. Super. Ct. App. Div. 1998) (interpreting New Jersey’s slayer statute to mandate that “an intentional killer will not be permitted to benefit, directly or indirectly, from his wrongful act”).
Cf. indicates support by analogy to the assertion. It may also be used where the source is related but requires some interpretive work to connect to the assertion. Cf. may also be used within a string citation to provide another source that is analogous to the previously cited source in that string. Always use a parenthetical with cf. to explain the logical connection required for the argument.
Examples:
Attorneys have an ethical duty of competence, but under Model Rule of Professional Conduct 1.1 comment 3, that duty may be relaxed in emergency situations. Cf. Carter v. Reese, 2016-Ohio-4559, 70 N.E.3d 478 (holding that Good Samaritan law protects from liability anyone giving medical or nonmedical emergency aid, not only healthcare workers providing medical aid).
Slayer statutes seek to eliminate any financial incentive to commit murder by prohibiting insurance proceeds to the killer. E.g., Unif. Prob. Code § 2-803; cf. N.Y. Exec. Law § 632-a (2020) (seizing profits from publications by certain incarcerated felons).
See generally is used for useful background material. It is recommended that you use a parenthetical with see generally in order to explain the authority’s relevance to the proposition.
Example:
The slayer rule is a product of common law principles prohibiting killers from profiting their crimes. See generally Restatement (Third) of Restitution and Unjust Enrichment § 45(2) (Am. L. Inst. 2011) (“A slayer's acquisition, enlargement, or accelerated possession of an interest in property as a result of the victim's death constitutes unjust enrichment that the slayer will not be allowed to retain.”).
Compare … with … is used when the relationship of multiple authorities will demonstrate or offer support for the proposition. It is highly recommended that each authority in the comparison be explained with a parenthetical in order to make the relationship and argument clear to the reader.
Each portion of the compare … with … signal may contain multiple sources. Separate these sources using commas and italicized and between the penultimate and ultimate citation in the list.
Example:
The 20th Century saw sweeping changes in the definition and scope of the Due Process Clause. Compare Lochner v. New York, 198 U.S. 45 (1905) (showing the Supreme Court’s historical interpretation of the Due Process Clause as solely protecting an individual’s right to contract), with McDonald v. Chicago, 561 U.S. 742 (2010) (incorporating the Second Amendment using the Due Process Clause), BMW of North America, Inc. v. Gore, 517 U.S. 559 (1996) (utilizing the Due Process Clause to reduce punitive damages), and Dolan v. City of Tigard, 512 U.S. 374 (1994) (limiting the zoning and ordinance powers of local governments under the Due Process Clause).
Insert a comma before with. As with all citation sentences, insert a period to conclude the citation sentence. It is theoretically possible to conclude with a semicolon and continue with more signals and citations in the order listed within this rule, but probably not advisable. See our Indigo Inkling on string citations.
Contra is used when a cited authority directly conflicts with the proposition it follows. Contra is the opposite signal to no signal.
Examples:
The Bluebook efficiently formulates and expresses the rules of legal citation for a variety of audiences. David Ziff, The Worst System of Citation Except for All the Others, 66 J. Legal Educ. 668, 669 (2017) (reviewing The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (Columbia L. Rev. Ass’n et al. eds., 20th ed. 2015)) (“Perhaps The Bluebook survives because it’s not so terrible after all. Perhaps The Bluebook works quite well for the task it was designed to perform.”). Contra Richard A. Posner, The Bluebook Blues, 120 Yale L.J. 950, 951 (2011) (“It is a monstrous growth, remote from the functional need for legal citation forms, that serves obscure needs of the legal culture and its student subculture.”).
The Bluebook is a “monstrous growth, remote from the functional need for legal citation forms.” Richard A. Posner, The Bluebook Blues, 120 Yale L.J. 950, 951 (2011). Contra David Ziff, The Worst System of Citation Except for All the Others, 66 J. Legal Educ. 668, 226 (2017) (reviewing The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (Columbia L. Rev. Ass’n et al. eds., 20th ed. 2015)) (“Perhaps The Bluebook survives because it’s not so terrible after all. Perhaps The Bluebook works quite well for the task it was designed to perform.”).
But see is used for authority that, while not directly contradicting the main proposition, nonetheless clearly opposes it. But see is the opposite signal to see.
Example:
The Supreme Court noted in Packingham v. North Carolina, 582 U.S. 98 (2017), that the internet functions as a public square. But see Manhattan Cmty. Access Corp. v. Halleck, 139 S. Ct. 1921 (2019) (holding that New York’s public access television channel is not a state actor bound by the First Amendment).
Prepare yourself, and use this one sparingly: But cf. indicates that the cited source supports an assertion that is similar to the opposite of the main assertion. It follows that But cf. is the opposite signal to cf. indicating support by analogy. Always use a parenthetical with but cf. to explain the logical connection required for the argument. This is the weakest signal for contrary authority.
Example:
The bar exam is the only professional-licensure exam that bears so little relationship to the education that precedes it or the professional work that follows it. But cf. Michael Riscica, Why (Smart & Talented) People Fail the Architect Exam, Architizer, https://architizer.com/blog/practice/details/5-reasons-why-smart-and-talented-people-fail-the-architect-exam/ (last visited June 1, 2021) (“There is no correlation between success in architecture school and success with completing the exam. In fact, I truly believe that the creativity that brought you success in architecture school will be your biggest handicap with studying for the [architecture registration exam].”)
A legal citation usually refers not only to a source in general, but to specific points within that source—whether a page, a footnote on a page, a section or sub-section, or a numbered paragraph. Citations must include specific reference to the point within the source being referred to. For cases, these specific references are known as pincites.
Refer to the source’s page by its number or numbers. Do not use p. or pp. to indicate a page reference. Use “at” if needed for clarity.”
Examples:
The Supreme Court held that a state cannot copyright its official annotated code because “whatever work that judge or legislator produces in the course of his judicial or legislative duties is not copyrightable” Georgia v. Public.Resource.org, Inc., 140 S. Ct. 1498, 1513 (2020).
Elizabeth Porter & Kathryn Watts, Visual Rulemaking, 91 N.Y.U. L. Rev. 1183, 1240 (2016).
Anjali Vats, The Color of Creatorship: Intellectual Property, Race, and the Making of Americans 35 (2020).
George Orwell, 1984, at 12 (1961).
Refer to a span of pages with a hyphen (-), an en dash (–), or the word “to” if needed for clarity. Note that an en dash is the proper standard for providing a span of pages in a formal legal publication, but hyphens are commonly used in practice. Drop all digits except the last two, unless needed for clarity.
Examples:
Elizabeth Porter & Kathryn Watts, Visual Rulemaking, 91 N.Y.U. L. Rev. 1183, 1240-41 (2016).
Porter & Watts, supra, at 1240-41.
Selmon v. Hasbro Bradley, Inc., 669 F. Supp. 1267, 1272-73 (S.D.N.Y. 1987).
McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green, 411 U.S. 792, 799-801 (1973).
Indigo Inkling
Hyphens, en dashes, and em dashes are three separate marks with mostly separate functions in citations and sentences. These marks all comprise short, horizontal lines that—with the help of glasses and/or a magnifying glass—you will see have microscopically varying lengths.
Hyphens (shortest in length) are used for phrasal adjectives (e.g., “laser-sharp focus,” “larger-than-life character,” and compound words (e.g., “daughter-in-law,” “over-the-counter”). Hyphens are also a feature of many statutory citation formats, such as Ala. Code § 27-14-24 and O.C.G.A. § 33-24-41. Meticulously preserve hyphens when they are intrinsically part of a citation, such as 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-2(a)(1). Hyphens are commonly used for page ranges in standard legal documents.
En dashes (longer than hyphens, shorter than em dashes) can be used for ranges of values (e.g., page ranges) and contrasting or connected pairs of words (e.g., Sarbanes–Oxley Act), especially in academic legal documents.
Em dashes (longest in length) are used for inserting a break in a thought; isolating a concluding phrase; setting on a parenthetical explanation or amplification; and signaling a collection of ideas. Here’s one example: “When her new Volkswagen was finally delivered—nearly three months after it was ordered and following the revelation of VW's massive scheme of emissions control fraud—Alice decided she didn't want it.”
Cite a footnote on a page by providing the page, one space, the abbreviation “n.”, and the footnote number. Follow the same format for figures, historical notes, tables, and similar features. Refer to Table T13 for abbreviations such as “fig.” for “figure.” Do not add a space between the abbreviation and the number or letter designating the figure, footnote, historical note, or table.
Examples:
Elizabeth Porter & Kathryn Watts, Visual Rulemaking, 91 N.Y.U. L. Rev. 1183, 1239 n.270 (2016).
Cunningham v. State, 822 S.E.2d 281, 285 n.4 (Ga. 2018) (Hunstein, J.) (“And that’s all she wrote.”).
U.S. v. Rentz, 777 F.3d 1105, 1110 fig. (10th Cir. 2015) (Gorsuch, J.) (diagramming 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)).
Cite a section with the section symbol (§) followed by a space and the section number.
Examples:
21 U.S.C. § 343.
21 C.F.R. § 164.150 (2020).
Restatement (Third) of Agency § 2.01 (Am. L. Inst. 2006).
Indigo Inkling
The symbol “§” means “section,” and “§§” is the plural form. The section symbol can be inserted as a special character. Computer-keyboard shortcuts create the § symbol with just a few key strokes: [Option-6] on an Apple keyboard or [Alt-0167] on a Windows keyboard using the numeric keypad. Setting up a customized keyboard shortcut may be a good option for Windows users who generate legal citations on a regular basis. If using a mobile device, you may be able to insert a section into text such as by tapping and holding the “&” key.
Specifically cite a subsection using the punctuation in the original source and the original capitalization style. Do not remove or alter parentheses or hyphens or dashes in the original source’s citation.
Examples:
42 U.S.C. § 2000ff–5(a).
42 U.S.C. § 2000ff–1(b)(2)(A).
42 U.S.C. § 2000ff(2).
Col. Rev. Stat. § 7-74-102(2)(b)(I) (2021).
21 C.F.R. § 133.3 (2021).
Use a hyphen, en dash (–), or the word “to” to indicate a span of sections or subsections. In a span or collection of scattered sections, include the last portion of a citation and omit the identical first part, unless repetition of all portions is needed for clarity. Do not use “et seq.” for a span of sources.
Examples:
18 U.S.C. §§ 3681-82.
The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000ff to 2000ff-11.
O.C.G.A. §§ 51-30-20 to -26 (2021).
Use the source’s formal title for a collected span of sections, such as parts in the Code of Federal Regulations. Table T13 provides the abbreviation for the subdivision “Part.”
Example:
21 C.F.R. pt. 133 (2020).
Use a comma to indicate scattered sections within a source.
Example:
N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. tit. 16, §§ 895.1(f), 897.1(b) (2021).
Sources organized into formal paragraphs should be cited with specific reference to the paragraph referred to in the cited proposition. Do not use “at” with ¶ citations.
Examples:
Miller Aff. ¶ 8, Jan. 12, 2015.
In re N.A., 2021-NCCOA-2, ¶ 11.
Provide a full citation to a source the first time it is cited. Refer to the rules in The Indigo Book for examples of each source in full-citation form.
Legal citation provides frequent specific citations not just to sources as a whole, but to specific pages within sources. In some standard legal documents, every textual sentence is followed by a citation to a supporting legal source. Short-citation forms allow frequent citation in a less intrusive and repetitive way, since many full citation forms are quite long.
Short-form citations enable various sources to be used throughout a passage without repeating the entire full citation every time. Short-form citations generally identify the source and pincite, using a form that follows from the full citation form, while not repeating every detail from the full citation.
Every full citation has at least one short form that can be used later in a document after the initial full citation. Refer to the source-specific rules in the Indigo Book for short-citation form examples of each source.
Use the short form Id. (capitalized in a citation sentence after a text sentence) or id. (uncapitalized within a sentence as citation clause) to support a statement where it refers to the same exact source cited in the immediately preceding citation. Id. can be used for statutes, regulations, cases, and most other sources.
Id. can be used alone, to indicate the same page of the same source. It can be used with a new pincite to a page, section, or other subdivision, to indicate a different portion of the immediately preceding source. Id. can also refer to a preceding citation that is itself Id. or another short form of a citation. Use “at” to indicate a pincite to a page. Do not use “at” with Id. followed by a section or paragraph pincite.
Id. at 1512.
Id. § 9.
Id. ¶ 12.
In general, do not use id. if it causes confusion or does not save space. For example, id. cannot be used after a string citation, even to refer to the final source listed in that string. Do not use id. to refer to appellate-record citations such as R. at 2. It may be used for sources with longer names in litigation documents, so long as the reference remains clear.
Id. can be used in either in-text citations or footnotes. Id. is typically not used more than four times sequentially in footnotes.
Supra may be used as part of a short-form citation with secondary sources such as books, periodicals, internet sources. Legislative hearings may be referred to with supra. Do not use supra with primary sources such as cases, statutes, constitutions, and most legislative materials (hearings excepted). Also do not use supra with Restatements, model codes, or regulations.
Apart from its use in selected legal citations, supra may also be used as an internal cross reference.
Full citation:
Anjali Vats, The Color of Creatorship: Intellectual Property, Race, and the Making of Americans (2020).
Short citation in a standard legal document using in-text citations:
Vats, supra, at 100.
Short citation in an academic legal document with footnotes:
Vats, supra note 5, at 100.
Indigo Inkling
In academic legal documents using footnotes, a “preceding five” norm has developed wherein one may continue to use a short form citation as long as the full citation appears in one of the previous five footnotes.
There has been some variation in the application of this rule; for example, some practitioners will continue to use the short form throughout an entire article or brief unless they need to use “id.” repeatedly, in which event they follow the “preceding five” rule to avoid potential ambiguity. However, none of these conventions are absolute. Short-citation forms should be used in a clear, consistent, and helpful manner.
Legal sources are often long and unwieldy. The tables at the back of The Indigo Book provide various resources for finding appropriate and required abbreviations.
Ordinal abbreviations are used for the court/year parenthetical in a case citation, the numerical designation of a Congress, a publication’s addition number, and other contexts. See Rule R11 generally and Table T1 for the United States Courts of Appeals (i.e. the various federal circuit courts). In citations and in textual references, ordinal abbreviations do not use superscripts. In citations, abbreviations for “second” and “third” use ordinal style references 2d and 3d, respectively. Extrapolate to larger ordinal numbers ending in second or third, such as “twenty third” becoming “23d” in a citation.
Correct:
1st Dist.
2d Cir.
2d ed.
3d Dist.
4th Cir.
Incorrect:
2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd
4th Cir.
5th Dist.
Ordinals are also used in federal case citations:
F. Supp. 2d
F.3d
F.4th
Do not abbreviate the ordinal in a citation to the Restatement either in textual sentences or citations:
Restatement (Second) of Torts (Am. L. Inst. 1977)
Citations incorporated into textual sentences—as opposed to citation sentences, clauses, and footnotes—use different abbreviation rules to preserve readability. See Rule R3 (general guidance on citation sentences and textual sentences incorporating citations) and Rule R11.4 (abbreviation rules for case names in textual sentences).
When not providing a precise citation at all, but referring to a court in a textual sentence, spell out the court’s name consistent with common practice. See Rule R27 on capitalizing “Court” in court documents and legal memoranda.)
Example:
The Second Circuit has decided many fair-use cases.
The Florida Supreme Court overruled the Fourth District Court of Appeal’s previous holding on judges’ use of Facebook.
Quotations of 49 words or less should be designated with double quotation marks that open and close the quotation. Do not use quotation marks around block quotations (see Rule R9 for block quotations.)
Examples:
The Court of Appeals affirmed the dismissal of a consumer-deception claim against a legal publisher: “Under the circumstances, plaintiffs, or any reasonable consumer, could not have been materially misled to believe that defendant guaranteed Part III of the Tanbook was complete and accurate at any given time.”
The court ruled that “a consumer acting reasonably under the circumstances here would not have believed that defendant represented that the section at issue, containing rent control statutes and regulations, was current and accurate for its one-year shelf life.”
Punctuation that is part of the quoted text should appear inside the quotation marks. When the quotation is embedded into the sentence using a comma or a period added by the writer at the end of the quotation, that comma or period also appears inside the quotation marks (even though it is not part of the actual quoted text from the source). Punctuation added to a quotation anywhere other than at the end of the quoted material is an alteration that should be indicated with brackets.
Examples:
Legal professionals are “merely a subclass of consumers.”
Given that legal professionals are “merely a subclass of consumers,” New York’s consumer deception law does apply to them.
Insert a citation sentence for the quoted material after the end of the sentence. Insert the citation as a clause if needed for clarity about which portion of the sentence is attributable to the source. Citations can be full citations or short citations, as appropriate to the surrounding context.
Examples:
“[A]nnotations published by legislators alongside the statutory text fall within the work legislators perform in their capacity as legislators.” Georgia v. Public.Resource.org, 140 S. Ct. 1498, 1509 (2020).
The Supreme Court overruled prior precedent about online retailing in light of “the day-to-day functions of marketing and distribution in the modern economy,” Wayfair v. South Dakota, 138 S. Ct. 2080, 2094 (2018), but has not applied similar reasoning to jettison other precedent.
Place an empty bracket at the end of a common root word to indicate the change.
Example:
“The court dismissed the claim[].”
To acknowledge a significant mistake in the original quotation, keep the problematic word or phrase and follow it with [sic] to indicate this to the reader.
Example:
“The Copyright Office are [sic] a department of the Library of Congress.”
Any substitutions into quoted material should be bracketed. This includes words which might add clarity and context, and changes to the capitalization of letters.
Example:
“[T]he [Copyright] Office is a department of the Library of Congress.”
Use the following phrases attached to a legal citation following a quotation, to indicate changes made to that quotation:
When using a quotation within a quotation, you can either (1) attribute it to the original source with a parenthetical, or (2) acknowledge it by signaling that its citation has been omitted.
Examples:
Just as the Supreme Court has held that an official statement of the case, syllabus, or headnote prepared by judges “fall within the ‘work they perform in their capacity as judges,’ so too annotations published by legislators alongside the statutory text fall within the work legislators perform in their capacity as legislators.” Georgia v. Public.Resource.org, 140 S. Ct. 1498, 1509 (2020) (quoting Banks v. Manchester, 128 U.S. 244, 253 (1888)).
“Although the annotations are not enacted into law through bicameralism and presentment, the Commission's preparation of the annotations is under Georgia law an act of ‘legislative authority,’ and the annotations provide commentary and resources that the legislature has deemed relevant to understanding its laws.” Id. (citation omitted).
The following should not be indicated in a parenthetical.
Incorrect:
(emphasis in original)
Note: No parenthetical is needed for a quotation that was copied verbatim, including italics or underlined emphasis, from the original source.
Incorrect:
(citation omitted) or (footnote omitted)
Note: No parenthetical is needed for a citation or footnote call number that follows the end of a sentence in the quoted text. Citations omitted from within a quoted sentence should, however, be indicated parenthetically.
Indigo Inkling
Dealing with quoted material can be minutely technical, as with parentheticals such as (citation omitted, internal quotation marks removed, and second emphasis omitted). To simplify and streamline citations and replace the granular detail of such parentheticals, attorney Jack Metzler has proposed and promoted a shorter parenthetical to handle such situations: (cleaned up). The parenthetical (cleaned up) after a quotation and citation indicates essentially that the writer has adjusted the citation’s mechanics to the situation for clarity and convenience and will not list and elaborate on each mechanical modification.
The (cleaned up) parenthetical has not become part of the Uniform System of Citation—yet. It has, however, been used in thousands of federal and state judicial opinions. See Jack Metzler, Cleaning Up Citations, 18 J. App. Prac. & Process 142 (2017). A Supreme Court opinion by Justice Thomas used it for the first time there, in 2021. Brownback v. King, 141 S. Ct. 740, 748 (2021). Justice Thomas used the following language:
Under that doctrine as it existed in 1946, a judgment is “on the merits” if the underlying decision “actually passes directly on the substance of a particular claim before the court.” Id., at 501–502 (cleaned up).
The cited case is Semtek Int'l Inc. v. Lockheed Martin Corp., 531 U.S. 497 (2001), and at the page cited, the original quote at pages 501-502 reads as follows:
The original connotation of an “on the merits” adjudication is one that actually “pass[es] directly on the substance of [a particular] claim” before the court. Restatement § 19, Comment a, at 161.
Thus, Justice Thomas’s use of (cleaned up) indicated that the quoted material contained additional unnecessary mechanics. In the original material from Semtek, those mechanics included various segmented quotations, bracketed alterations, and a citation to the Restatement (Second) of Judgments (1980).
The (cleaned up) approach is not without its critics, though, who argue that transparently meticulous care with quotations enhances the writer’s credibility and does not unduly distract readers. Writers will need to make individual decisions whether to consider (cleaned up), depending on their role and their audience. See, e.g., Shams Hirji, A Brief History and Status of (Cleaned Up) in the Sixth Circuit, Sixth Circuit Appellate Blog (December 19, 2022), https://www.sixthcircuitappellateblog.com/uncategorized/a-brief-history-and-status-of-cleaned-up-in-the-sixth-circuit/ But broadly, the (cleaned up) parenthetical provides yet more evidence that legal citation evolves not only through the periodic publication of citation rules, but also through practice and dialogue within the legal community.
An omission is indicated by an ellipsis where the words are omitted: . . .
The ellipsis in legal writing is represented by three periods and four spaces.
Insert a space after the last letter of the preceding phrase, a space between each period, and a space before the first letter of the following phrase. Rules R8.3.2-R8.3.7 contain rules and examples for incorporating ellipses in various situations.
When omitting the beginning of a quoted sentence, do not use an ellipsis. Instead, capitalize the first letter and place it in brackets. If the first letter of the quoted material is already capitalized, no change is needed, but—as with all quotes—ensure that the quotation is accurate in context.
Example:
“[T]he actual knowledge provision turns on whether the provider actually or subjectively knew of specific infringement, while the red flag provision turns on whether the provider was subjectively aware of facts that would have made the specific infringement objectively obvious to a reasonable person.”
When omitting the middle of a quoted sentence, insert an ellipsis to indicate the omission.
Example:
“The difference between actual and red flag knowledge is . . . between a subjective and an objective standard.”
If there is an omission within the quotation, mark the omission with an ellipsis.
Example:
Exxon Mobil Corp. v. Allapattah Servs., Inc., 545 U.S. 546, 571 (2005) (noting that “[t]he distinguished jurists who drafted the Subcommittee Working Paper . . . agree that this provision, on its face, overrules Zahn.”).
When omitting the end of a quoted sentence, insert an ellipsis between the last letter quoted and the punctuation mark of the original quote.
Example:
“The difference between actual and red flag knowledge is thus not between specific and generalized knowledge . . . .”
When omitting material at the end of one sentence and the beginning of the next sentence, use one ellipsis to mark the omission but include the final punctuation mark of the first sentence as well as bracket and capitalize the first letter of the following sentence.
Example:
“The difference between actual and red flag knowledge is thus not between specific and generalized knowledge . . . . [T]he red flag provision turns on whether the provider was subjectively aware of facts that would have made the specific infringement objectively obvious to a reasonable person.”
When omitting a footnote or citation from quoted material, do not insert an ellipsis. Do insert a parenthetical indicating the omission immediately after the citation to the quoted source. See Rule R8.2.6.
When omitting material following a final punctuation mark, do not use an ellipsis.
Example:
“The difference between actual and red flag knowledge is thus not between specific and generalized knowledge, but instead between a subjective and an objective standard.”
Indigo Inkling
The ellipsis is traditionally made with four spaces and three periods . . . but computers have keyboard shortcuts to produce an ellipsis that constitutes one single character. For example, option-semicolon on an Apple keyboard produces … as its ellipsis shortcut. While the ellipsis shortcut character is not officially sanctioned in any citation manual, some practitioners use it freely in court filings.
Non-substantive tweaks to citations to meet a word count appear to be a modest but burgeoning trend. The 21st edition of The Bluebook breaks with tradition in allowing writers to omit previously required spaces in a citation such as 123 F. Supp. 2d 456, turning it into 123 F.Supp.2d 456. This unspaced citation may look incorrect to many legal readers. But if a legal writer is making choices to meet a difficult word count, we submit that the ellipsis shortcut key may be a worthwhile tradeoff as well.
Set off quotations consisting of 50+ words into a block quotation, followed by the citation if not apparent from the introduction to the block quotation:
Example:
Georgia minimizes the OCGA annotations as non-binding and non-authoritative, but that description undersells their practical significance. Imagine a Georgia citizen interested in learning his legal rights and duties. If he reads the economy-class version of the Georgia Code available online, he will see laws requiring political candidates to pay hefty qualification fees (with no indigency exception), criminalizing broad categories of consensual sexual conduct, and exempting certain key evidence in criminal trials from standard evidentiary limitations—with no hint that important aspects of those laws have been held unconstitutional by the Georgia Supreme Court. See OCGA §§ 21-2-131, 16-6-2, 16-6-18, 16-15-9 (available at www.legis.ga.gov). Meanwhile, first-class readers with access to the annotations will be assured that these laws are, in crucial respects, unenforceable relics that the legislature has not bothered to narrow or repeal. See §§ 21-2-131, 16-6-2, 16-6-18, 16-15-9 (available at https://store.lexisnexis.com/products/official-code-of-georgia-annotated-skuSKU6647 for $412.00).
Georgia v. Public.Resource.org, 140 S. Ct. 1498, 1512 (2020).
Sometimes, it is helpful to include extra information to explain the relevance of certain citations. Explanatory parentheticals may consist of phrases typically started with a present participle such as (holding . . . ), direct quotations from the source, or short statements. Parentheticals also provide information about the weight of the authority cited, particularly with cases.
If not quoting the authority, do not begin an explanatory parenthetical with capital letter.
Example:
Dr. Seuss Enters., L.P. v. Penguin Books USA, Inc., 109 F.3d 1394 (9th Cir. 1997) (holding that publisher’s asserted parody of O.J. Simpson murder trial was substantially similar to copyrighted work).
If quoting the authority, only begin parenthetical with capital letter and end with a period when the parenthetical quoted is or reads as a complete sentence.
Example:
See Ty, Inc. v. Publ’ns Int’l Ltd., 292 F.3d 512, 520 (7th Cir. 2002) (“[T]he shortage that creates the secondary market stampedes children into nagging their parents to buy them the latest Beanie Babies, lest they be humiliated by not possessing the Beanie Babies that their peers possess.”).
Some citations need to provide other types of parentheticals about the source itself, and these source-related parentheticals are given before explanatory parentheticals.
Examples of source-related parentheticals include information about a judicial opinion’s weight of authority as (per curiam) or (en banc), information about the source as a quote such as information being omitted or emphasis added, information about a source being quoted within the source, and bracketed definitions of the source as a short-form citation, such as [hereinafter “Color of Creatorship”].
The source-related parentheticals are followed by the explanatory parenthetical, if any; and last, the prior or subsequent history (see Rule R14) as shown in this order of parenthetical types:
(date) [hereinafter <short name>] (en banc) (<Lastname, J.>, concurring) (plurality opinion) (per curiam) (alteration in original) (emphasis added) (footnote omitted) (citations omitted) (quoting <another source>) (internal quotation marks omitted) (citing <another source>), http://www.domainname.com (explanatory parenthetical), prior or subsequent history.
Indigo Inkling
The format of traditional case citations derives from the historical print publication of bound reporters, such as West’s National Reporter System. The citation elements are based on the reporter’s volume number, title of the reporter including series number, and first page of the cited case. In June 2021, the famous reporter of federal appellate cases, the Federal Reporter, 3d published its last volume, turning over to the first volume of a new series, the Federal Reporter, 4th. Citations for federal appellate cases decided in the latter half of 2021 and beyond will be assigned citations along the lines of 123 F.4th 456. The Federal Reporter, 3d is a set of books for sale by West Publishing, and Federal Reporter, 4th no doubt will be as well. Most researchers do not lay their hands on these books, much less purchase them; still, the elements of traditional case citation derive directly from the West publication system.
Starting in the early 1990s, some states began adopting public-domain citations, also known as neutral citations, vendor-neutral citations, medium-neutral citations, and universal citations, because they do not rely on specific proprietary bound publications. A medium-neutral citation looks something like this: These states are shown in Table T3. The Indigo Book encourages the use of public domain citations. When giving a public domain citation, also include a parallel citation to the appropriate print reporter if possible. For example: Curlee by and through Becerra v. Johnson, 2021-NCSC-32, 856 S.E.2d 478.
When providing a full citation to a case, you should generally include the following, with the court and year enclosed within a single set of parentheses:
Case citations may also include the additional components such as a signal, subsequent history, parallel citations, and explanatory parentheticals. These additional components are sometimes required and sometimes discretionary, as determined by the case’s characteristics, the way the citation supports the text, applicable court rules, or other audience expectations.
Examples (federal):
Manhattan Cmty. Access Corp. v. Halleck, 139 S. Ct. 1921 (2019).
Seltzer v. Green Day, 725 F.3d 1170 (9th Cir. 2013).
Leonard v. Pepsico, Inc., 88 F. Supp. 2d 116, 127 (S.D.N.Y. 1999).
Examples (state):
SciGrip, Inc. v. Osae, 838 S.E.2d 334 (N.C. 2020).
People v. Lucero, 747 P.2d 660 (Colo. 1987).
Mercer Univ. v. Stofer, 841 S.E.2d 224 (Ga. Ct. App. 2020).
A case citation may also include parallel citation to another print reporter or online location for the case, such as a medium-neutral citation. When the print reporter unambiguously indicates the identity of the court, omit the court from duplication at the end of the citation. When the medium-neutral citation unambiguously indicates the court and year, either or both elements may be omitted from further duplication at the end of the citation.
Examples:
Mercer Univ. v. Stofer, 306 Ga. 191, 830 S.E.2d 169 (2019).
State ex rel. Pilarczyk v. Geauga Cty., 2019-Ohio-2880, 157 Ohio St. 3d 191, 134 N.E.3d 142.
USA Power LLC v. PacifiCorp, 2016 UT 20, 372 P.3d 629.
A case citation may also include one or more parentheticals after the main citation elements. Parentheticals, if any, ordered according to the following functions: (indicating the weight of authority such as en banc) (indicating the source of a quotation or cited assertion in the main assertion being supported) (indicating explanatory information), if required or permitted as shown in Rule R10.
Examples:
Barking Hound Village, LLC v. Monyak, 787 S.E.2d 191, 198 (Ga. 2016) (“the unique human-animal bond, while cherished, is beyond legal measure”).
Toolson v. N.Y. Yankees, Inc., 346 U.S. 356 (1953) (per curiam) (affirming baseball’s exemption from the scope of federal antitrust laws).
A case citation may also include prior or subsequent history, if required by Rule R14.
Example:
Leonard v. Pepsico, Inc., 88 F. Supp. 2d 116, 127 (S.D.N.Y. 1999), aff’d, 210 F.3d 88 (2d Cir. 2000) (per curiam).
In formatting a case citation, italicize everything in the case name, but don’t italicize the comma at the end of the case name.
Citation sentences and clauses stand apart from the traditional prose text, as shown in Rule R3. In citation sentences and clauses, use extensive word and geographical abbreviations as indicated in Table T11 and Table T12. These abbreviations must be followed in addition to the general rules for truncating case names in all contexts in Rule R11.5.
Abbreviate common words in case names according to Table T11.
Correct (in a citation sentence):
Cont’l Paper Bag Co. v. E. Paper Bag Co.
Incorrect (in a citation sentence):
Continental Paper Bag Company v. Eastern Paper Bag Company
Abbreviate geographical locations according to Table T12. Do not abbreviate a geographical place if it is one of the parties in the case.
Correct (in a citation sentence):
Church of Scientology of Cal. v. Blackman
Incorrect (in a citation sentence):
Church of Scientology of California v. Blackman
Correct (in a citation sentence):
South Dakota v. Fifteen Impounded Cats
Incorrect (in a citation sentence):
S.D. v. Fifteen Impounded Cats
If the resulting abbreviation is not ambiguous, words of eight or more letters may be abbreviated to save substantial space in citation sentences and clauses. As a guide, remember that citation sentences and clauses stand apart from the prose text they support, and thus can prioritize efficiency over readability; but clarity and preciseness are still important factors.
Textual sentences—i.e. grammatical prose for the reader, as opposed to citation “sentences” and clauses interspersed between textual sentences—may include case names and full or short case citations. When including a case name within a textual sentence, case-name abbreviations are sharply limited. The purpose is to prioritize sentence readability over citation efficiency. Case names within textual sentences should abbreviate well-known acronyms and the eight words listed in the table below. While abbreviations are limited, note that the general rules for truncating case names in R11.5 still apply. Thus, many words are omitted following R11.5, but the words that are included are not abbreviated unless allowed by this rule. The guiding principles are shortening long case names while preserving readability in textual sentences.
Abbreviations of Case Names Within Textual Sentences:
|
Abbreviation |
Word |
|
& |
and |
|
Ass’n |
Association |
|
Bros. |
Brothers |
|
Co. |
Company |
|
Corp. |
Corporation |
|
Inc. |
Incorporated |
|
Ltd. |
Limited |
|
No. |
Number |
Example:
In McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green, the Supreme Court held that in a disparate treatment case, the plaintiff bears the initial burden of establishing a prima facie case of employment discrimination. 411 U.S. 792 (1973).
Example:
According to Texas Department of Community Affairs v. Burdine, once the plaintiff has established a prima facie case, there is a rebuttable presumption of unlawful discrimination. 450 U.S. 248, 254 (1981).
Many case-name truncations are used in all contexts, including citation sentences and clauses as well as in textual sentences incorporating case names. In citation sentences and clauses, the examples below would incorporate extensive word and geographical abbreviations following Rule R11.3 and Tables T11 and T12.
When referring to a case with an individual’s name in the case name, use the person’s full family name (i.e., their surname). Delete first name and initials, except when the full name of the person is in a language that lists the surname first, or when referring to the name of a business or where the court has abbreviated the party’s surname (as is common in cases involving minor children as parties).
Examples:
Van Leeuwen v. Souto de Moura
James T. Kirk & Assocs. v. Luke S.
Smith v. Jones
Xu Lanting v. Wong
James T. Kirk & Assocs. v. Klingon Corp.
Luke S. v. Leia S.
Only include the surname of the first-listed party of the plaintiffs and the surname of the first-listed party of the defendants. Do not use “et al.” to indicate omitted additional parties.
Abbreviate commonly recognized agencies and organizations by their initials, such as the SEC and the ACLU.
Examples:
Red Lion Broadcasting Co. v. FCC, 395 U.S. 367 (1969).
FBI v. Abramson, 456 U.S. 615 (1982).
Indigo Inkling
Legal citation allows—and indeed requires—abbreviation of commonly recognized organizations, such as NASA for the National Aeronautical and Space Administration and FBI for Federal Bureau of Investigation. (Obscure factoid: NASA is an abbreviation because it is drawn from the first letter of each word but pronounced as a word, whereas FBI is a sub-type of abbreviation called an initialism because it is drawn from the first letter of each word with each letter articulated separately in the spoken abbreviation.) But what, exactly, meets the standard for being commonly recognized? One useful test is to look at recent, credible journalism as a gauge of what is commonly known. For example, the New York Times abbreviates Environmental Protection Agency as EPA but does not abbreviate Fish and Wildlife Services as FWS. Another test is to informally survey at a handful of recent cases. For example, PETA and the USDA are used in case names, suggesting that they are commonly recognized, at least for legal-citation purposes.
But don’t overdo it with the acronyms; keep in mind the scolding Judge Silberman issued in a case before the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit: “The use of obscure acronyms, sometimes those made up for a particular case, is an aggravating development of the last twenty years.” Delaware Riverkeeper Network v. FERC, 753 F.3d 1304, 1321 (D.C. Cir. 2014) (Silberman, J., concurring). With this judge’s aggravation in mind, use only those abbreviations and acronyms that are easy to understand and make the reader’s work easier.
Delete nicknames and aliases listed after a party name.
Correct:
Jackson v. Leviston
Incorrect:
Curtis James Jackson III, p/k/a 50 Cent v. Lastonia Leviston
Do not add “et al.” to indicate the omission of other parties not listed. Delete “et al.” even if used in a case caption indicating multiple parties.
Correct:
Zurich American Insurance Co. v. Nokia, Inc.
Incorrect:
Zurich American Insurance Co. et al. v. Nokia, Inc.
Omit terms such as “L.L.C.” and “Inc.” that indicate the party is a business when that fact is made clear because the party name includes a word such as “Co.” or “Inc.”
Correct:
A.H. Robins Co. v. Piccinin
Incorrect:
A.H. Robins Co., Inc. v. Piccinin
When you see “on the relation of,” “on behalf of,” and similar expressions, replace with “ex rel.”
Correct:
State ex rel. Plain Dealer v. Ohio Department of Insurance
Incorrect:
State on behalf of Plain Dealer v. Ohio Department of Insurance
When you see “in the matter of,” “petition of,” and similar expressions, replace with “In re.”
Correct:
In re National Football League Players’ Concussion Injury Litigation
Incorrect:
In the Matter of National Football League Players’ Concussion Injury Litigation
Bankruptcy cases sometimes contain multiple case names including both a procedurally based name with “In re” and an adversary case name. In such cases, use the adversary case name followed parenthetically in the case name with the procedurally based name:
Example:
Farmers Cooperative Co. v. Ernst & Young, Inc. (In re Big Sky Farms Inc.)
In non-bankruptcy cases, do not use “In re” when the case name also contains the name of an adversary; use the adversary name.
Spell out “United States” when it is a named party. Omit “of America.”
Correct:
United States v. Ninety Five Barrels, More or Less
Incorrect:
U.S. v. Ninety Five Barrels, More or Less
Note that “United States” may be abbreviated as “U.S.” when used as an adjective for an agency, in citation sentences and clauses.
Omit “People of,” “State of,” and “Commonwealth of,” unless citing a court located in that state, in which case retain only “People,” “State,” or “Commonwealth.”
Correct:
International Shoe v. Washington, 326 U.S. 310 (1945).
Incorrect:
International Shoe v. State, 326 U.S. 310 (1945).
Incorrect:
International Shoe v. State of Washington, 326 U.S. 310 (1945).
Correct:
Commonwealth v. Miller, 987 A.2d 638 (Pa. 2009).
Incorrect:
Commonwealth of Pa. v. Miller, 987 A.2d 638 (Pa. 2009).
Include phrases such as “Town of” and “City of” when such phrases are the first part of the name of a party. Omit phrases such as “Town of” and “City of” if the phrase appears in the middle or end of the name of a party.
Correct:
C & A Carbone v. Town of Clarkston
Incorrect:
C & A Carbone v. Clarkston
Correct:
Matter of Chestnut Ridge v. Town of Ramapo
Incorrect:
Matter of Village of Chestnut Ridge v. Town of Ramapo
Include prepositional phrases designating national or larger geographical areas.
Correct:
Republic of Korea v. Ahn
Incorrect:
Republic v. Anh
Incorrect:
Korea v. Ahn
Include prepositional phrases indicating location after a municipal category such as “City of” or “Town of.”
Correct:
Florida Beach Advertising, LLC v. City of Treasure Island
Incorrect:
Florida Beach Advertising, LLC v. City
Include prepositional phrases indicating location when the phrase is part of a business or organizational name.
Correct:
Chattanooga Restaurant Partnership, Inc. v. City of Chattanooga Beer Bd.
Incorrect:
Chattanooga Restaurant Partnership Inc. v. City
Correct:
Kolibash v. Committee on Legal Ethics of the W.Va. Bar
Incorrect:
Kolibash v. Committee on Legal Ethics
Correct:
Dam Things from Denmark v. Russ Berrie & Co.
Incorrect:
Dam Things v. Russ Berrie & Co.
Include prepositional phrases indicating location to avoid a party name with only one word.
Correct:
ACLU of N.D. v. Jones
Incorrect:
ACLU v. Jones
Omit other prepositional phrases indicating location. Omit geographical information after a comma in a case name.
Correct:
Stevenson v. Board of Trade
Incorrect:
Stevenson v. Board of Trade of Colorado
Correct:
California Board of Commerce v. City of Sacramento
Incorrect:
California Board of Commerce v. City of Sacramento, California
Delete “the” as the first word of a party’s name. Make an exception if the party is “The Queen” or the “The King,” or when referring to the established popular name in a citation or citation clause. Also retain “the” if it is part of the name of the object of an in rem action.
Correct:
International Society for Krishna Consciousness of California, Inc. v. City of Los Angeles
Incorrect:
International Society for Krishna Consciousness of California, Inc. v. The City of Los Angeles
Correct:
In re the Snug Harbor
Incorrect:
In re Snug Harbor
Correct:
The Railroad Commission Cases
Incorrect:
Railroad Commission Cases
The Commissioner of Internal Revenue should be cited as “Commissioner” (abbreviated as “Comm’r” in citation sentences and clauses).
Correct:
Plainfield-Union Water Co. v. Commissioner
Incorrect:
Plainfield-Union Water Co. v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue
Incorrect:
Plainfield-Union Water Co. v. CIR
Incorrect:
Plainfield-Union Water Co. v. IRS
Generally, follow the case name as reported. Widely known acronyms are allowed. But generally, omit additional information after the first full union designation.
Correct:
Union Pacific Railroad Co. v. Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
Incorrect:
Union Pacific Railroad Co. v. Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, General Committee of Adjustment, Central Region
For cases with multiple dispositions, include an italicized identifier if useful. In subsequent references to or citations of that case, the identifier can replace the full case name.
Examples:
Liriano v. Hobart Corp. (Liriano II), 92 N.Y.2d 232 (1998).
Liriano v. Hobart Corp. (Liriano III), 170 F.3d 264, 266 (2d Cir. 1999) (citing Liriano II, 92 N.Y.2d at 236–37).
If a mandamus action is known by the name of the judge against whom the writ is sought, that name can be indicated in an italicized parenthetical.
Example:
Jones v. U.S. District Court (Smith), 89 U.S. 233 (2011).
If a case is known both by the reported name and a distinct short form name, always include the reported name in a full citation. The short name may be included in italics in a parenthetical.
Example:
Industrial Union Department, AFL-CIO v. American Petroleum Institute (The Benzene Case)
Indigo Inkling
There are multiple ways to incorporate a case citation in the text of an article, brief, or other written work. In the example below, the case name is stated in the text and the rest of the citation is included as a separate sentence.
In McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green, the Supreme Court held that in a disparate treatment case, the plaintiff bears the initial burden of establishing a prima facie case of employment discrimination. 411 U.S. 792 (1973).
Alternatively, one can include the entire citation in-text as follows:
In McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green, 411 U.S. 792 (1973), the Supreme Court held that in a disparate treatment case, the plaintiff bears the initial burden of establishing a prima facie case of employment discrimination.
There is no strict rule here, so choose whichever method will be clearer to the reader.
The citation should include the volume number of the reporter, the abbreviated name of the reporter, and the first page of the case in that reporter.
Example:
Terrible v. Terrible, 534 P.2d 919 (Nev. 1975).
This table provides an overview of federal and state citations, with the citation given at left and the full corresponding volume, reporter, and page number at right. Imagine books on the shelf with the name of the reporter and volume number shown on the book’s spine. Open that volume to the page given, to find the beginning of the case.
|
Citation |
Reporter |
|
Demosthenes v. Baal, 495 U.S. 731 (1990). |
Vol. 495, p. 731 of United States Reports |
|
United States v. $124,570 U.S. Currency, 873 F.2d 1240 (9th Cir. 1989). |
Vol. 873, p. 1240 of Federal Reporter, Second Series |
|
Gucci America, Inc. v. Guess?, Inc., 831 F. Supp. 2d 723 (S.D.N.Y. 2011). |
Vol. 831, p. 723 of Federal Supplement, Second Series |
|
Hamburger v. Fry, 338 P.2d 1088 (Okla. 1958). |
Vol. 338, p. 1088 of Pacific Reporter, Second Series |
|
Camp v. Superman, 119 Vt. 62 (1955). |
Vol. 119, p. 62 of Vermont Reports |
Federal and state jurisdictions are listed in Table T1 (federal cases) and Table T3 (state cases), including the reporters where their cases are published. Here is a key overview of the reporters containing federal and state cases.
|
United States Supreme Court cases are printed in the official United States Reports, cited as <vol.> U.S. <page>. The publication of the United States Reports is significantly delayed from opinions’ decision date, although in October Term 2022, the Court began to release preliminary pagination for some cases. Where pagination is available, the United States Reports citation should be used. Otherwise and until the official citation and pagination are released, use West’s Supreme Court Reporter (abbreviated S. Ct.). |
|
Cases decided by the United States Circuit Courts are printed in the Federal Reporter, Fourth Series (F.4th) starting with cases in July 2021, then F.3d, F.2d, and F. for older cases. |
|
Federal district court cases are printed in the Federal Supplement, Second Series (F. Supp. 2d), and F. Supp. for older cases. |
|
Federal cases not selected for publication may be available in the Federal Appendix or other unofficial reporters. |
|
For state cases, choose the reporter listed in Table T3 for state cases whenever available. The standard national citation practice is to cite to the West National Reporter System although many states have a state-specific official reporter or official public-domain citation system (not reliant on a private publisher’s system). Local customs and court rules vary from the standard national citation practice, as represented in Table T3. |
Indigo Inkling
For citations to state cases, the case reporter prioritized by Rule R11.3 and Table T3 may not always be available to researchers using open-access legal information. For example, an internet site providing free access to cases may provide citation information for the official state reporter in that state, rather than the West National Reporter prioritized in the table.
If you are attempting to conduct case research using free open-access sources, do your best to adhere to utilize the preferred reporter in Table T3. It may be necessary to use a reliable second choice, such as the official state reporter or the state’s official medium-neutral citation format. Try to find cases as published in a reporter with a stable citation, rather than the original slip copy published by the court the day it decided the case.
When submitting documents to state courts, follow the local rules for citations, selectively indicated in Table T3. State courts’ local rules often require a parallel citation: i.e., a citation to both the official state reporter, followed by the unofficial regional and/or state-specific reporter. Each reporter will have different page numbers, so provide a pincite for each. Also, when the official reporter title makes the state or court name apparent, don’t include it again in parentheses.
Example (without pincites):
Harden v. Playboy Enterprises, Inc., 261 Ill. App. 3d 443, 633 N.E.2d 764 (1993).
Example (with pincites):
Harden v. Playboy Enterprises, Inc., 261 Ill. App. 3d 443, 444, 633 N.E.2d 764, 765 (1993).
Each case citation, whether full or short, should include a pincite to direct the reader to the specific page being cited.
In a full citation to a case, include a pincite after the first page where the case is found in the reporter. If the pincite is the first page of the opinion, be sure to still include it by just repeating the number. Pincites are required in both full and short citations when those citations support a reference to a specific page of the case. See Rule R15 on short citations for cases and Rule R6 on full and short citations generally.
Pincites can be used to identify the page source for content of an explanatory parenthetical. Pincites can also be used to identify the page source for content in the textual sentence supported by the citations sentence or clause that follows.
Examples:
Mattel, Inc. v. MCA Records, Inc., 296 F.3d 894, 908 (9th Cir. 2002) (“The parties are advised to chill.”).
Judicial attempts at humor are not new. As the Georgia Court of Appeals quipped in the mid-1970s, “The D.A. was ready. His case was red-hot. Defendant was present, His witness was not.” Brown v. State, 216 S.E.2d 356, 356 (Ga. Ct. App. 1975) (reversing conviction).
Judicial humor is not new, e.g., Brown v. State, 216 S.E.2d 356, 356 (Ga. Ct. App. 1975); and neither is academic critique of it as generally “a dreadful thing,” William Prosser, The Judicial Humorist vii (1952).
Use a comma or commas to indicate a pincite to multiple non-sequential pages.
Example:
Gordon v. Secretary of State of New Jersey, 460 F. Supp. 1026, 1026, 1028 (D.N.J. 1978) (dismissing a complaint charging that plaintiff, by reason of his illegal incarceration in jail, had been deprived of the office of the President of the United States).
Use a hyphen or en dash to indicate a pincite to a span of pages.
Example:
Helton v. State, 311 So. 2d 381, 382-84 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1975) (reciting the prosecutor’s closing arguments in a parody of “’Twas the Night Before Christmas”).
Use a paragraph symbol and the paragraph number to pincite to a case published in medium-neutral format. To refer to a span of paragraphs in the case, use two paragraphs symbols and numbers indicating the cited span, separated by a hyphen or en dash.
Examples:
Couch v. Durrani, 2021-Ohio-726, ¶ 9 (Ct. App. 2021).
Couch v. Durrani, 2021-Ohio-726, ¶ ¶ 9-15 (Ct. App. 2021).
Couch, 2021-Ohio-726, ¶ 15.
Id. ¶ 18.
To cite a footnote, provide a page number followed immediately with a footnote number, using “n.” to show footnote number. There is no space between “n.” and the footnote number.
Example:
Cunningham v. State, 822 S.E.2d 281, 285 n.4 (Ga. 2018) (Hunstein, J.) (“And that’s all she wrote.”)
Citations should include both the deciding court and the year of decision in parentheses. Use Table T1 for federal cases and Table T3 for state cases. If these tables do not provide the needed abbreviation information, construct an abbreviation using Table T9 and Table T12 for court and geographical abbreviations.
Examples:
Learning Curve Toys, Inc. v. PlayWood Toys, Inc., 342 F.3d 714 (7th Cir. 2003).
Mattel, Inc. v. MGA Ent. Inc., 782 F. Supp. 2d 911 (C.D. Cal. 2011).
Barking Hound Village, LLC v. Monyak, 787 S.E.2d 191 (Ga. 2016).
Alexander v. Gen. Acc. Fire & Life Assurance Corp., 98 So. 2d 730 (La. Ct. App. 1957).
See Table T1 for how to abbreviate the names of all U.S. federal courts. See Table T3 for how to abbreviate the names of U.S. state courts. The chart here shows common examples.
|
Court |
Guidance on Reporter Selection and Court Abbreviation |
Example |
|
United States Supreme Court |
Use U.S. if the opinion is published in the United States Reports. If not, use S. Ct. Refer to Table T1 for additional options if U.S. and S. Ct. do not apply. |
Two Pesos, Inc. v. Taco Cabana, Inc., 505 U.S. 763 (1992). Google LLC v. Oracle Am., Inc., 141 S. Ct. 1183 (2021). |
|
United States Courts of Appeals |
Either F., F.2d, F.3d, or F.4th depending on the decision. |
Batman v. Commissioner, 189 F.2d 107 (5th Cir. 1951). Nance v. United States, 299 F.2d 122, 124 (D.C. Cir. 1962) (“How do you know it was me, when I had a handkerchief over my face?”). |
|
United States District Courts |
Either F. Supp. or F. Supp. 2d depending on the decision. |
Frigaliment Importing Co. v. B.N.S. Int’l Sales Corp., 190 F. Supp. 116, 117 (S.D.N.Y. 1960). Cartier v. Aaron Faber Inc., 512 F. Supp. 2d 165 (S.D.N.Y. 2007). |
|
State High Courts |
Cite to the regional reporter for the region in which the court sits, if the opinion appears there. If not, cite to the state’s official reporter, as listed in Table T3. The state’s preferred official reporter may be a public domain (i.e., medium neutral) citation. See Table T3. |
Terrible v. Terrible, 534 P.2d 919 (Nev. 1975). State v. One 1970 2-Door Sedan Rambler, 136 N.W. 59 (Neb. 1974). |
|
Other State Courts |
Cite to the regional reporter for the region in which the court sits, if the opinion appears there. If not, cite to the state’s official reporter in Table T3. The state’s preferred official reporter may be a medium-neutral citation. See Table T3. Use Tables T9 and T12 to construct an abbreviation if not contained in Tables T1 and T3. |
Brown v. Swindell, 198 So. 2d 432, 434 (La. Ct. App. 1967). State v. Stroud, 30 Wash. App. 392 (1981). State v. Russell, 2020-Ohio-5108 (Ohio Ct. App. 2020). |
In general, do not indicate the departments or divisions of intermediate appellate courts.
Correct:
Hamel v. Emp. Sec. Dep't, 966 P.2d 1282 (Wash. Ct. App. 1998).
Incorrect:
Hamel v. Emp. Sec. Dep't, 966 P.2d 1282 (Wash. Ct. App., Div. 2 1998).
Where intermediate appellate departments or divisions are relevant to the point being made in the text, or where local the court rules require citations to include this information. See Table T3 for more information on state jurisdictions such as Florida and Texas where this information is required and where the format for such citations varies in local practice. For standard legal documents seeking a uniform national approach, add the department or division information to be clear and, if possible, consistent with the general uniform standard for citations to intermediate appellate courts.
Example:
Before the Florida Supreme Court addressed the question in 2018, Florida District Courts of Appeals were split on whether judges must disqualify themselves from deciding a case when they are social-media connections with one or more attorneys in that case. Compare L. Offs. of Herssein & Herssein, P.A. v. USAA, 229 So. 3d 408 (Fla. 3d Dist. Ct. App. 2017), approved by 271 So. 3d 889 (Fla. 2018), with Domville v. State, 103 So. 3d 184 (Fla. 4th Dist. Ct. App. 2012), disapproved by L. Offs. of Herssein & Herssein, P.A. v. USAA, 271 So. 3d 889 (Fla. 2018).
Indigo Inkling
Court abbreviations in case citations convey crucial information. For example, a case citing “N.Y.” refers to the highest court in the state of New York—the New York Court of Appeals. But “N.Y. Sup. Ct.” is the proper abbreviation for the New York Supreme Court—which some will be surprised to know is the name of the trial-level court in the state of New York, not the state high court. Generally see Table T12 for the correct abbreviation for each state; and specifically see Table T3 and official state-court websites to confirm the name and level of each court. Finally, refer to Table T9 for general court abbreviations.
If the identity of the court is clearly and unambiguously indicated by the reporter’s name, do not include the court in the parenthetical information with the year. When writing to a court and governed by local rules requiring parallel citations, the court’s identity may be indicated by required parallel citation information.
Examples:
Kewanee Oil Corp. v. Bicron Co., 416 U.S. 470 (1974).
Wexler v. Greenberg, 399 Pa. 569, 160 A.2d 430 (1960).
When using a medium-neutral citation format (alone or in a parallel citation), if the year of the decision is clearly and unambiguously indicated by the citation format, do not duplicate the year in the parenthetical information.
Examples:
Water & Energy Sys. Tech., Inc. v. Keil, 1999 UT 16, 979 P.2d 829.
Failor v. Megadyne Med. Prods., Inc., 2009 UT App. 179, 213 P.3d 899.
Some opinions are so new and pending that they have not yet been assigned to reporters. These early opinions are referred to as “slip opinions,” presumably because they are (or historically, were) rendered on slips of paper rather than in printed bound volumes.
Some opinions are designated “not for publication” by the issuing court and will never be assigned an official reporter citation. Pending and unreported cases generally can be found in one of the following three source below.
Citations to these electronic databases are similar to regular citations, using the database code from LEXIS or Westlaw as a substitute for the (non-existent) reporter citation. Pending-case citations have two additional components: (a) add the docket number before the database code, and (b) include the full calendar date of the decision in the following parenthetical, not just the year. Pincites are indicated with “at” and a * attached to the page number.
Citations to these electronic databases should be formatted as follows: <Case Name>, <case docket number>, <database identifier and electronic report number>, at *<star page number> <(court, full date)>.
Examples:
Yates v. United States, No. 13–7451, 2015 U.S. LEXIS 1503, at *40 (Feb. 25, 2015).
State v. Green, No. 2012AP1475–CR, 2013 WL 5811261, at *7 (Wis. Ct. App. Oct. 30, 2013).
Some cases, particularly ones that are immediately pending, may initially be accessed only through a court’s website. If so, include the exact docket number or numbers, as well as the URL.
Example:
Macy’s Inc. v. Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc., No. 1728, slip op. at 1 (N.Y. App. Div. Feb. 26, 2015), http://www.nycourts.gov/reporter/3dseries/2015/2015_01728.htm.
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The Law Librarians for Indigenous Inclusive Citation Practices advocates for The Bluebook—and uniform citation practices generally—to include information on citing Indigenous sources of law. As they note on their website at www.lawlibrariansforindigenousinclusivecitationpractices.org, “[t]he 574 tribal governments in this country produce thousands of statutes, regulations, and case law each year that collectively bind millions of Americans.”
For standard legal documents, we would advise generally following the rules shown in The Indigo Book, in concert with applicable tribal court rules. Tribal code citations may follow the same basic format shown in Rules R16-R17, for example:
15. N.N.C. § 614(A) (as amended by Navajo Nation Council Resolution No. CO-48-14, Nov. 7, 2014).
A case decided by a tribal judicial authority may be able to be cited consistently with Rule R11 by name, reporter, and volume—if it is printed in one of the tribal law reporters. Or it may be cited using the format for slip opinions and cases found exclusively online (R12.4.2).
Navajo Nation v. Hunter, 7 Nav. R. 194, 195 (Nav. Sup. Ct. 1996).
Corp. of the Pres. of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints v. Window Rock Dist. Ct., No. SC-CV-42-18, 2018 WL 7149968 (Nav. Sup. Ct. Dec. 28, 2018).
In re Lotus Justice, No. SC-2022-01, slip op. (Cherokee Sup. Ct. Feb. 14, 2022), https://www.cherokeecourts.org/Portals/cherokeecourts/Documents/Supreme%20Court/Order%20and%20Opinions/SC-22-01%202-Notice%202-14-22.pdf?ver=2022-02-14-142814-147
Abbreviations for tribal sources can be found at reference sites for Indigenous and Tribal Law such as the National Indian Law Library including its Tribal Law Gateway and Research Guides, http://www.narf.org/nill/triballaw/index.html. A table of tribal nations is available at the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Tribal Leaders Directory for federally recognized tribes, https://www.bia.gov/service/tribal-leaders-directory. Many U.S. and Canadian law schools also have helpful research guides posted on their law library websites. For academic legal documents, follow the citation conventions set forth at the relevant publication.
To highlight information regarding the weight of the cited authority (such as for concurring and dissenting opinions), insert an additional parenthetical after the date parenthetical. Remember to separate the parentheticals with a space.
Examples:
United States v. Leggett, 23 F.3d 409 (6th Cir. 1994) (unpublished table decision).
Ward v. Rock Against Racism, 491 U.S. 781 (1989) (Marshall, J., dissenting).
Harris v. State, 887 S.W.2d 514 (Ark. 1994) (per curiam).
Dep’t of Revenue v. James B. Beam Distilling Co., 377 U.S. 341, 349 (1964) (7–2 decision) (Black, J., dissenting).
To provide a supporting partial quotation or to explain the proposition for which the case stands, insert an explanatory parenthetical. See Rule R10 on the order of explanatory parentheticals with other parenthetical material and subsequent history.
Examples:
Stambovsky v. Ackley, 572 N.Y.S.2d 672, 674 (App. Div. 1991) (“[A]s a matter of law, the house is haunted.”).
People v. Foranyic, 74 Cal. Rptr. 2d 804, 807 (Ct. App. 1998) (holding that police have probable cause to detain someone they see riding a bike at 3 a.m., carrying an axe).
Dep’t of Revenue v. James B. Beam Distilling Co., 377 U.S. 341, 349 (1964) (7–2 decision) (Black, J., dissenting) (disagreeing with Justice Goldberg as to the relative merits of bourbon and scotch).
Indigo Inkling
The United States Supreme Court is famous for hearing oral arguments and issuing judicial opinions, but it has recently increased the practice of making decisions through the so-called “shadow docket.” E.g., Stephen I. Vladeck, The Solicitor General and the Shadow Docket, 133 Harv. L. Rev. 123 (2019); William Baude, Foreword: The Supreme Court’s Shadow Docket, 9 N.Y.U. J.L. & Liberty 1 (2015). These rulings are issued without full briefing and argument and, in many cases, without identifying a particular justice as the author.
To cite Supreme Court dispositions on its shadow docket, follow Indigo Book Rules R11-R12 on cases citations to the extent possible. For example, provide a citation to Supreme Court Reports until the official United States Reports citation with pagination becomes available.
A parenthetical may be used to indicate the type of ruling, following the title or other information provided with the ruling:
Tandon v. Newsom, 141 S. Ct. 1294 (2021) (per curiam).
Maryland v. King, 133 S. Ct. 1 (2012) (Roberts, C.J., in chambers).
Use the above parentheticals only if the disposition explictly indicates it is per curiam or issued by a particular justice in chambers. Other rulings are not labeled as per curiam or signed in chambers. The traditional rule for citing such decisions was to add the parenthetical “(mem.)” after the citation:
United States v. Higgs, 141 S. Ct. 645 (2021) (mem.).
The decisions falling into this category are not typically labeled “memorandum” by the Court itself; rather, this label comes from traditional citation practice to indicate what would otherwise look the same as a full opinion. Thus, we submit that other more descriptive parentheticals may be used in addition to or instead of (mem.) to indicate the posture of the decision:
United States v. Higgs, 141 S. Ct. 645 (2021) (emergency vacatur of stay and reversal, designating Indiana as state for inmate’s execution under 18 U.S.C. § 3596).
Whole Woman’s Health v. Jackson, 141 S. Ct. 2494 (2021) (mem.) (unsigned, on application for injunctive relief).
Shadow-docket decisions by the majority of the Court can be, and recently often are, accompanied by signed concurring or dissenting opinions. Dissents and other statements attached to the decision may be indicated in a similar fashion to concurrences and dissents from fully argued opinions on the merits. When one justice concurs or dissents in an opinion attached to a shadow docket decision and one or more justices join that opinion, indicate only the authoring justice. Indicate a pincite to concurring or dissenting opinions. The parenthetical (mem.) or other appropriate notation may optionally be included as well, to indicate that the concurrence or dissent is referring to an action that does not itself constitute a full formal opinion.
Ala. Ass’n of Realtors v. Dep’t of Health & Hum. Servs., 141 S. Ct. 2485, 2485 (2021) (mem.) (Roberts, C.J., concurring).
United States v. Higgs, 141 S. Ct. 645, 647 (2021) (Sotomayor, J., dissenting from vote).
When citing a case, include the subsequent history of the case, subject to several exceptions. Refer to Table T14 for how to abbreviate explanatory phrases when introducing case history. Italicize the explanatory phrase.
Indigo Inkling
The United States is a common law system, where court decisions play an important role in defining what the law is. To figure out the difference between good law and bad law, we have to look at the case’s subsequent history to make sure it was not vacated or reversed on the point being relied upon in a cited assertion. These types of important subsequent history are required by the Uniform System of Citation. On the other hand, some subsequent history is generally unimportant and should be omitted from the citation. Examples include the denial of a motion for reconsideration, or the denial of a petition for certiorari in a case decided more than two years ago. See Table T3 for some state-specific variations, and of course follow local practice and local court rules on subsequent history.
Note that subsequent history is the history of that particular case in litigation. If a different case (unrelated parties but a similar legal issue) later overrules an older case’s holding, that case is no longer good law for that point—but subsequent history is not involved in the citation. This is but one example of how legal citation overlaps with legal analysis itself. If a writer is citing a case that was later overruled, the writer should not simply polish the citation’s mandatory subsequent history, but rather re-consider why to cite that “bad law” in the first place.
Include subsequent history when necessary to protect credibility or clarify the weight of authority for the statement the citation supports. This includes most subsequent history except denials of rehearings or discretionary appeals. This also includes history on remand (which, by its nature, advances the litigation but does not change the law issued from a higher court on appeal), unless relevant to the point being made.
Always incorporate the following explanatory phrases when applicable, italicized, and followed by a comma and the citation information for the subsequent history. Include other subsequent history commensurate with this list, to indicate the weight of authority and whether the primary case being cited is good law for all or any points.
|
Required Subsequent History |
|
|
aff’d |
Case was affirmed by a higher court in the same litigation. |
|
cert. granted |
Case is subject to a pending petition for certiorari that the higher court has granted. |
|
rev’d |
Case has been reversed. Note this subsequent history can be combined with rev’d en banc where applicable. |
|
rev’d on other grounds |
Case has been reversed on a different ground other than the one for which it is being cited. |
|
cert. denied (only when citing a case decided less than two years ago, to show finality or for a specific point) |
Case was potentially subject to a petition for certiorari, which was in fact filed but denied (thus showing this case’s finality). |
|
vacated vacated as moot |
Case was vacated and is no longer good law. Use vacated as moot where the court so indicates. |
Examples:
In re Verizon Internet Servs., Inc., 257 F. Supp. 2d 244 (D.D.C. 2003), rev’d on other grounds, Recording Indus. Ass’n of Am., Inc. v. Verizon Internet Servs., Inc., 351 F.3d 1229 (D.C. Cir. 2003).
—Note: This subsequent history is always required because the primary case being cited has been reversed on at least one basis.
B.L. v. Mahanoy Area Sch. Dist., 964 F.3d 170 (3d Cir. 2020), cert. granted, No. 20-255 (Jan. 8, 2021).
—Note: This would be an appropriate citation while the Supreme Court’s decision and opinion remained pending. After the opinion, it is unlikely that this citation would be needed since the Supreme Court opinion itself is the final authority.
The district court’s decision withstood all layers of federal-appellate review. Energy & Env't Legal Inst. v. Epel, 43 F. Supp. 3d 1171 (D. Colo. 2014), aff’d, 793 F.3d 1169 (10th Cir. 2015), cert. denied, 577 U.S. 1043 (2015).
—Note: This denial of certiorari is included because it is integral to the sentence’s claim. This denial of certiorari would be appropriate even after the two-year period for including denial of petitions for certiorari had expired.
Include indirect history from other subsequent litigations or collateral litigation when the indirect history is directly negative or necessary for the point being made. The clearest example is overruled by <x>.
Include subsequent history when a case is superseded by statute or by a constitutional amendment. The subsequent legislative or constitutional history may be noted through a further (discretionary) subsequent history notation of a case recognizing it as such.
Examples:
Hemerley v. Am. Fam. Mut. Ins. Co., 379 N.W.2d 860 (Wis. Ct. App. 1985), overruled by Hull v. St. Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 586 N.W.2d 863 (Wis. 1998).
Schuster v. Derocili, 775 A.2d 1029 (Del. 2001), superseded by statute, 19 Del. Code Ann. § 712(b) (2005), as recognized in Yatzus v. Appoquinimink Sch. Dist., 458 F. Supp. 2d 235 (D. Del. 2006).
When the case has a different name in the subsequent history, provide the new case name after the italicized phrase “sub nom.” (“under the name of”). There is no comma after sub nom.
Example:
Lerman v. Comm’r, 939 F.2d 44 (3d Cir. 1991), rev’d sub nom. Horn v. Comm’r, 968 F.2d 1229 (D.C. Cir. 1992).
Do not provide the new case name if either the parties’ names are merely reversed or if the subsequent history is simply a denial of certiorari or rehearing:
Correct:
United States v. Schmuck, 840 F.2d 384 (7th Cir. 1988), aff’d, 489 U.S. 705 (1989).
Incorrect:
United States v. Schmuck, 840 F.2d 384 (7th Cir. 1988), aff’d, Schmuck v. United States, 489 U.S. 705 (1989).
When the case involved an enslaved person or people as parties or at issue in the case, add a parenthetical so indicating.
Example:
Rives v. Wilborne, 6 Ala. 45, 47 (1844) (enslaved people at issue).
Indigo Inkling
Legal citation is not just a set of formatting rules, but an expression of ethics, an expression extending far beyond the dictate to literally cite one’s sources. The ethical dimensions of legal citation encompass its broader impacts such as how these rules socialize new lawyers-in-training, how they function within the legal world, what they represent about law and its practitioners, what they omit, and what effects they cast over the law’s sphere of influence. See, e.g., Susie Salmon, Shedding the Uniform: Beyond a “Uniform System of Citation” to a More Efficient Fit, 99 Marq. L. Rev. 763 (2016); Jennifer Elisa Chapman, Citation Ethics: Towards an Ethical Framework of Legal Citation, in The Role of Citation in the Law: A Yale Law School Symposium (Michael Chiorazzi ed., 2022), available at https://ssrn.com/abstract=3856202. Citation of cases involving enslaved persons are one example. Historically, these cases were cited no differently than any other case. As of January 2021, the latest printing of The Bluebook (21st ed.) added a rule to expand the citation for such cases, which must now include a parenthetical indicating that an enslaved person or people were parties or at issue in the case. This Second Edition of The Indigo Book expresses this rule and welcomes the continued examination of legal citation rules and practices.
Once a case has been cited in full, you may refer to the case by a short-citation form. Specifically, you may refer to the case name in a textual sentence and provide shortened citation information after the sentence.
For the case name, use the chosen party’s name—usually the first-named party’s name—consistent with these rules for selecting a short-form citation and consistent with the abbreviation rules in Rule R11 for all case names (full citation or short citation). For the citation format, include the volume of the reporter, the reporter, the word “at” and the pincite to the page being cited.
Within the text sentence or (preferably) after the text sentence, provide a truncated citation sentence in the form of <volume> <Name of Reporter> at <pincite>.
Examples:
The court in Fenton also held the lower court erred in awarding damages based on loss of fair market value of property due to the flying balls. 233 N.E.2d at 219.
As the court further noted in Fenton, 233 N.E.2d at 219, the lower court erred in awarding damages based on loss of fair market value of property due to the flying balls.
Case names can be long, so various short-citation forms must be used when referring to the same case repeatedly in sequence or in scattered, interspersed references. Id. is the preferred reference if it can be used as noted below, because it is the most concise. But other short forms are frequently required for interspersed references throughout a legal document.
Once a case has been cited in full, you may refer to the case by a short-citation form. Specifically, you provide a short-form citation sentence or clause with truncated information compared to the full citation. The reference must be unambiguous, and the full citation must be easily accessible earlier in the text.
Discretion may be applied to repeat the full-citation form later in a document when useful to the reader, such as after five short-form uses of id., five footnotes using id., or after a new heading or page break.
In general, the short citation uses the first-named party in the case name. As with full citations, the case name is italicized but the comma after the case name is not italicized. The shortened citation form omits the “v.” (for versus) and second-named party after the “v.” The shortened citation form also omits the first page of the case as found in the reporter, and simply provides an “at” with the pincite.
For cases, a short form citation usually includes: <The First Party of the Case Name>, <volume number> <Reporter> at <pincite>. As shown in Rule R15.1, if the shortened case name is incorporated into the textual sentence, do not repeat that shortened name in the short-form citation after the textual sentence.
Examples (where case name not part of preceding textual sentence):
Fenton, 233 N.E.2d at 219.
Malletier, 500 F. Supp. 2d at 281.
Do not use the first party of the case name if that party either is a geographical or governmental unit or a party name that is used for multiple cases. Choose the second party name if needed to avoid confusion.
Examples:
United States v. Carmel, 548 F.3d 571 (7th Cir. 2008) becomes Carmel, 548 F.3d at 573.
Gonzalez v. Raich, 545 U.S. 1 (2005) becomes Raich, 545 U.S. at 8.
Shorten a long party name, but only if the shortening saves significant useful space and if the reference remains clear. Use a [hereinafter <x>] designation if needed.
Examples:
Home Depot USA, Inc. v. Jackson, 139 S. Ct. 1743, 1744 (2019) becomes Home Depot, 139 S. Ct. at 1744.
A Book Named “John Cleland’s Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure” v. Attorney Gen. of Mass., 383 U.S. 413, 418 (1966) [hereinafter, Memoirs] can then become Memoirs, 383 U.S. at 418.
If you are citing to the same case referenced in the immediately preceding citation, use id. as the short form citation. Id. by itself refers to the same case and same pincite in that case.
Example:
When the author of a work is a judge or legislator, it carries the force of law and cannot be copyrighted. Georgia v. Public.Resource.org, 140 S. Ct. 1498, 1513 (2020). To hold otherwise would be to discourage the use of “official legal works that illuminate the law we are all presumed to know and understand.” Id.
If you are referring to the immediately preceding case, but to a different page, use id. at <pincite>.
Example:
Fair use is ultimately a legal question because the question “primarily involves legal work.” Google LLC v. Oracle Am., Inc., 141 S. Ct. 1183, 1199 (2021). Although “subsidiary factual questions” may be involved, the ultimate question is legal rather than factual. Id. at 1200.
Id. should be used only if the preceding citation cites to one source.
Correct:
In examining the third factor—the proximity of the parties’ products in the marketplace—courts assess whether the parties occupy “distinct merchandising markets.” Naked Cowboy v. CBS, 844 F. Supp. 2d 510, 517-18 (S.D.N.Y. 2012). For example, would an unsophisticated viewer confuse the source of the long-running daytime television series with another party’s street performances or his souvenirs? Id.
Incorrect:
In examining the third factor—the proximity of the parties’ products in the marketplace—courts assess whether the parties occupy “distinct merchandising markets.” Hormel Foods Corp. v. Jim Henson Prods., Inc., 73 F.3d 497, 504 (2d Cir. 1996); Naked Cowboy v. CBS, 844 F. Supp. 2d 510, 517-18 (S.D.N.Y. 2012). For example, would an unsophisticated viewer confuse the source of the long-running daytime television series with another party’s street performances or his souvenirs? Id.
Correct:
In examining the third factor—the proximity of the parties’ products in the marketplace—courts assess whether the parties occupy “distinct merchandising markets.” Hormel Foods Corp. v. Jim Henson Prods., Inc., 73 F.3d 497, 504 (2d Cir. 1996); Naked Cowboy v. CBS, 844 F. Supp. 2d 510, 517-18 (S.D.N.Y. 2012). For example, would an unsophisticated viewer confuse the source of the long-running daytime television series with another party’s street performances or his souvenirs? Naked Cowboy, 844 F. Supp. 2d at 517-18.
Indigo Inkling
The short form id.—capitalized as Id. when it starts a citation sentence—can be used only to refer to the immediately preceding citation. The standard for what is immediately preceding is strict. Do not use id. simply because a full citation has been given somewhere at some point previously in the text; it is not catchall short citation but must be tailored to context. Id. can be used after a citation to a single source (a full or a short citation, the important characteristic being a citation to one and only one source). Id. cannot follow a string citation listing two or more sources. It also cannot be used after any intervening textual reference, such as mentioning a different case or other authority by name. Citing multiple sources in a string or mentioning other intervening sources creates possible ambiguity and thus makes id. unhelpful and incorrect.
There is one exception to this strict construction of when to use id. If the preceding citation includes a parenthetical citing a case within that parenthetical, that citation-within-a-citation does not foreclose the use of id. In that scenario, id. may be used to cite back to the immediately preceding citation to which the citation-within-a-citation is attached. Thus, a source cited parenthetically does not become the immediately preceding citation. This is structurally different from a string citation. Do not use id. after a string citation, even to attempt to refer to the final citation in the string.
Indigo Inkling
Federal statutes, like most state statutes, use the § symbol to indicate the specific codified section. Traditionally, the section symbol is always followed by a space—for example, § 107 or §§ 106-107 for a span of sections.
Even though the Uniform System of Citation dictates a space between § and the section number, sometimes in practice that space is intentionally and systematically omitted. The United States Supreme Court itself does not use the space, and some SCOTUS briefs do while others do not (per an unscientific review of 2021 opinions and briefs). The decision may be strategic in briefs subject to a word-count rule such as the 13,000-word maximum imposed by Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 32. The Bluebook, however, does not on its face permit this deviation.
The Bluebook has very recently, however, acknowledged the role of word counts in another context: whether to keep the space between F. and Supp. in F. Supp. or between S. and Ct. in S. Ct. This space is technically required by the Uniform System of Citation’s rule that adjacent capitals like S.E. may be closed up, but a capital may not close up with an abbreviation that is not a single capital, like Ct. in S. Ct. As of 2020, The Bluebook’s Bluepages Rule B6 softened its stance, advising writers they may close up other traditionally expected spaces in S. Ct. and F. Supp. 2d so as to conserve space. In a potentially controversial (?) stance, we submit that closing up the space between the section symbol and section number may be an equivalent acceptable deviation from traditional citation mechanics, for writers facing word-count pressure. The Supreme Court and members of the Supreme Court Bar do it even when holding a client’s case in their hands. So maybe you can too.
For citations to the current United States Code (the official code of the United States and thus the preferred citation), cite the title, the United States Code, the section symbol or symbols, and section number or numbers being cited. The name of the Act being cited may be included before the citation, if appropriate.
<title> U.S.C. § <section number>.
<Name of Act [optional]>, <title> U.S.C. § <section number>.
Examples:
17 U.S.C. § 107.
18 U.S.C. § 1030.
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, 21 U.S.C. §§ 301-399i.
The year in a United States Code citation is optional if the citation refers to the current codified statute. Omitting the year from a U.S.C. citation indicates the most current version of the federal statute being cited, whether that current version is published in the codified edition or a more recent supplement issued to amend the codified edition.
The U.S.C. is codified once every six years, with various supplements issued in the interim six years between codification. For historical citations to previous versions of the United States Code, citations should be to the appropriate codifying year (e.g., 2000, 2006, 2012). Cite the most recent edition that includes the version of the statute being cited. If you are citing to a historical version of a statute first published in a supplement published in the interim period between official codifications, be sure to consult the supplements, indicate the supplement’s title and year of publication in the citation.
Example:
Communications Act of 1934, 47 U.S.C. § 223 (2012 & Supp. I 2013).
If the U.S.C. cite is not available, then cite to an unofficial code such as U.S. Code Annotated or U.S. Code Service. The citation form is:
<title> U.S.C.A. § <section number> (West).
<title> U.S.C.S. § <section number> (LexisNexis).
As with the United States Code, the year is not required in citations to the current code.
Examples:
5 U.S.C.A. § 572 (West).
5 U.S.C.S. § 572 (LexisNexis).
For citations where the date is relevant or for historical code citations, indicate the date parenthetically. The date consists of the year through which the code section is current or may include “current through” an exact date or legislative session, if relevant.
Examples:
5 U.S.C.A. § 572 (West 2021).
5 U.S.C.S. § 572 (LexisNexis current through July 22, 2021).
The original section numbering of enacted legislation does not inherently correspond to the section numbering in codified statutes. When naming and citing an Act in its original enacted form and in its codified form, include parallel citations to original section number in the Act, and the codified location.
Use the following form: <Name of Statute> <original section number>, <title> <Abbreviation for Name of Statutory Code> § <section number> <(<Name of Publisher, but only if citing unofficial code> <year published>)>.
Examples:
Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act § 202, 17 U.S.C. § 271(e).
Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 § 103, 17 U.S.C.A. § 1201 (West).
If neither a United States Code or unofficial annotated code citation is available, then cite to the Public Law Number and parallel official session laws (i.e., the Statutes at Large). Omit the year of passage if it is part of the Act’s name. For a citation without a pincite, use the following format: <Name of Statute,> Pub. L. No. <____>, <volume> Stat. <page number> <(year passed)>.
The citation may include pincite to the specific section in the original Act and the page in the session laws. For a citation with a pincite, use the following format: <Name of Statute,> Pub. L. No. <____>, <original section number>, <volume> Stat. <page number>, <page pinpoint> <(year passed)>.
Examples:
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Pub. L. No. 111-148, § 1101, 124 Stat. 119, 141-43 (2010).
Family Sponsor Immigration Act of 2002, Pub. L. No. 107-150, 116 Stat. 74.
After a full citation to the United States Code or alternative (or session laws), a short form may be used. These short citations may take various forms but must clearly identify the reference including the pincite.
Examples:
§ 107.
Id.
Id. § 106.
First Step Act of 2018 § 401.
§ 401, 132 Stat. at 5220.
Indigo Inkling
“Session laws” are a bound collection of all statutes enacted by a given legislature, each volume collecting statutes chronologically in the year they were passed. The Statutes at Large (“Stat.”) is the official compilation for federal session laws. Generally, only cite to session laws if the official or unofficial code is unavailable or insufficient, or if you need to refer to the historical fact of the statute’s enactment.
You should cite state statutes to official codes if at all possible. State code compilations are ranked by order of preference shown in Table T3. State code citations may require the publisher’s name, as shown in Table T3.
A citation to a state code must include the code’s name (abbreviated) and identifying information such as the code volume and section number being cited. State-code formats vary by state. See Table T3. The citation must also include a parenthetical providing the publisher’s name if necessary for an unofficial citation, as shown in Table T3; and the current year of that code. State code citations are never underlined (even if they appear underlined in online hyperlinked sources.)
Examples:
Fla. Stat. § 90.506 (2020).
O.C.G.A. § 51-3-22 (2020).
18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 30.3 (2020).
Some state codes use subject-matter abbreviations in their citation formats. Follow Table T3 and the abbreviations shown there to cite such codes.
Examples:
Tex. Est. Code Ann. § 251.107 (West 2019).
N.Y. Arts & Cult. Aff. Law § 60.03 (McKinney 2020).
Provide the year of the state code’s edition or publication date in a parenthetical. Do not include the year the statutory provision was passed.
Example:
Del. Code tit. 8, § 145 (2021).
Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 2927.27 (2021).
Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Ann. § 27.001 (West 2021).
Indigo Inkling
The Uniform System of Citation requires full citations of state statutes to include the code’s publication date, unlike citations to the United States Code. But in many state jurisdictions, common practice suggests—or local court rules require—omitting the publication year of the state code. Consult Table T3 and state-specific rules and resources.
To cite a statute no longer in force, refer to its most recent available citation. The citation must also include a parenthetical indicating the statute’s subsequent negative history.
Example:
Ala. Code § 13A-12-5(a)(1) (repealed 2015).
State codes may be cited in a short form after the first full citation, using a short form that clearly identifies what is being cited. The short form may include most of the full citation except the publisher and year. Or the short form may take an even more truncated format if clear.
Examples:
§ 27.001.
Id.
Id. § 209.
Cite current federal or state rules by indicating the abbreviation of the source, followed by the rule number. Do not use a section symbol (§) when citing rules of evidence or procedure, unless using a jurisdiction-specific citation form that requires it. Do not include a date for current rules of evidence or procedure. Include the date of repeal if citing a historical rule no longer in force, and other appropriate information in a parenthetical.
Examples:
Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1).
Fed. R. App. P. 1.
Mo. R. Civ. P. 67.01.
N.J. R. Evid. 406.
Cite uniform rules in the same manner as for state or federal rules. Follow how the rules indicate they should be cited as well as how they are in fact cited.
In citation sentences and clauses, follow customary abbreviations for the rules being cited. As with all state citations, local customs and rules may differ.
Examples:
|
Rules by Name |
Abbreviation (national and local) |
|
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure |
Fed. R. Civ. P. |
|
Federal Rules of Evidence |
Fed. R. Evid. |
|
New Jersey Rules of Evidence |
N.J. R. Evid. (national) N.J.R.E. (local) |
|
Missouri Rules of Civil Procedure |
Mo. R. Civ. P. (national) Rule (local) |
|
Uniform Rules of Evidence |
Unif. R. Evid. |
Cite Restatements by indicating the title of the particular Restatement cited, including the ordinal edition such as Restatement (Third) spelled out.
Follow the title and edition with the number of the section being cited and, parenthetically, the publisher and the year that edition was published. Use the following form: Restatement (<spelled ordinal>) of <Subject Matter> <: Subject-Matter Subtitle (if applicable)> § <section number> (<publisher> <year published>).
A comment may be indicated by its letter designation after the Restatement section. Comments are abbreviated “cmt.”
Examples:
Restatement (Second) of Trusts § 46 (Am. L. Inst. 1959).
Restatement (Third) of the Law Governing Lawyers § 2 cmt. e (Am. L. Inst. 2000).
Restatement (Third) of Prop.: Servitudes § 7.1 (Am. L. Inst. 2000).
Do not abbreviate or use numerical form for the ordinal portion of the Restatement title such as “(Second)”. You may optionally abbreviate words in the Restatement title as noted in Table T11, such as “Property” as “Prop.” Try to avoid awkward and non-traditional abbreviations such as “Restatement (Third) of Conflict of Ls.” and “Restatement (Second) of Conts.” Use the option to abbreviate words of eight letters or more such as “Enrichment” as “Enrich.” if desired, avoiding ambiguity with established abbreviations.
Indigo Inkling
The recent history of Restatement citations is a good case study in how citation formats evolve and are influenced by user feedback and advocacy. As of the 19th edition of The Bluebook, published in 2010, Restatement citations followed a fairly slim format:
Restatement (Second) of Trusts § 46 (1959).
The 20th edition of The Bluebook, published in 2015, added the requirement of parenthetically indicating the institutional author along with the year in citations to Restatements, Uniform Acts, and Model Rules:
Restatement (Second) of Trusts § 46 (Am. Law Inst. 1959).
See Richard L. Revesz, The American Law Institute and the Bluebook, The ALI Reporter (Fall 2015), at 3, https://www.ali.org/news/articles/ali-reporter-fall-2015/ (noting that this new citation format was added to The Bluebook at the request of the American Law Institute to protect the American Law Institute’s brand and the influence of its work). The 21st edition of The Bluebook, published in 2020, stated a slightly modifed citation:
Restatement (Second) of Trusts § 46 (Am. L. Inst. 1959).
This relatively recent citation development may be appropriate in scholarly legal writing and is used by law reviews closely implementing the latest version of The Bluebook specifically. This suggested citation format has been picked up by some courts but does not appear to have been systematically adopted as of 2022. See, e.g., Gallardo by & through Vassallo v. Marstiller, 142 S. Ct. 1571, 1761 (2022) (citing Restatement (Second) of Contracts § 321(1) (1981)).
Citations to the Uniform Commercial Code take the following form: U.C.C. § <section number> (<publisher> <year published>). In academic legal documents and other contexts where the publisher is important to note, add the publisher in the first full citation.
Examples:
U.C.C. § 9-105.
U.C.C. § 9-105 (Am. L. Inst. & Unif. L. Comm’n 1977).
Use a similar format for other uniform laws, following the general abbreviations in Table T11.
Examples:
Unif. Trade Secrets Act § 1(4) (Unif. L. Comm’n 1985) (as amended).
U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Manual § 6A1.5 (U.S. Sentencing Comm’n 2018).
Citations to federal administrative rules and regulations take the following form for citing a section. Provide as specific and precise a citation as the source allows.
<title number of C.F.R. provision> C.F.R. § <section number> <(year published)>.
Examples:
36 C.F.R. § 272.1 (2020).
21 C.F.R. § 133.113 (2020).
Citations to a part (that is a particular, defined “Part”) of the C.F.R. take the following form.:
<title number of C.F.R. provision> C.F.R. pt. <part number> <(year published)>.
If the regulation is generally referred to by name or listing the name and/or the name of the agency issuing the regulation would otherwise improve clarity, include it at the beginning of the citation. Citations to administrative rules and regulations that include the regulation name take the following form:
<Name of the Regulation and/or Name of the Agency Promulgating the Regulation>, <title no. of C.F.R. provision> C.F.R. § <section number> <(year published)>.
Examples:
DOE Employee Standards of Conduct with Regard to Privacy, 10 C.F.R. § 1008.3 (2020).
FDA Standards of Identity for Food, 21 C.F.R. Parts 130 to 169 (2020).
Cite state regulations following the federal format when permitted by the structure and form of the state’s source material. State regulations vary widely from state to state in their structure and form; thus, the appropriate citation to a state regulation—particularly for use within that state—may require consulting a state-specific citation manual such as those listed in Table T3.
Examples:
|
State Regulation |
Uniform System of Citation Format |
State-Specific Format |
|
Missouri Code of State Regulations Title 15, Section 30-200.030, updated as of 2020 |
Mo. Code Regs. Ann. tit. 15, § 30-200.030 (2020). |
15 CSR 30-200.030. |
|
New Jersey Administrative Code Section 2:16-1.1, updated as of 2020 |
N.J. Admin. Code § 2:16-1.1 (2020). |
N.J.A.C. 2:16-1.1. |
Agency adjudications are similar to case citations but more streamlined. Use only the first-listed private party. Omit all procedural words such as “In re” and similar. See Table T2 of The Indigo Book for specific guidance on citing agency adjudications and arbitration citations.
Example:
Tegna, Inc., 367 N.L.R.B. No. 71 (Jan. 17, 2019).
Agency arbitrations follow the format for case citations (Rule R11) if they have adversary parties and the citation for an agency adjudication (Rule R19.3.1) if they do not. Indicate the arbitrator’s name and abbreviated title Arb. at the end of the citation.
Provide a citation to an official or unofficial reporter if available. If an official publication is not available at all or not yet for the adjudication, cite to the agency’s website using a similar format to citing unpublished cases (Rule R11.3.4) and electronic sources (Rule R32). A citation to a proprietary database is permitted and may be helpful but is not required.
Examples:
Landrys Inc., 199 L.R.R.M. (BL) ¶ 2103 (N.L.R.B. Div. of Judges June 26, 2014).
Online Political Files of Trending Media, Inc., File No.: POL-070121-27365113 (FCC Feb. 12, 2021) (order and attached consent decree), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-21-156A1.pdf.
Ronnie v. Office Depot, Inc., Arb. Case No. 2019-0020, ALJ Case No. 2018-SOX-00006 (Dep’t of Labor Sept. 29, 2020), https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/OALJ/PUBLIC/ARB/DECISIONS/ARB_DECISIONS/SOX/19_020_SOXP.PDF.
Amazon, Inc. and Amazon Logistics, Inc., File No. 1923123, 2021 WL 489846 (FTC Feb. 2, 2021) (agreement containing consent order), https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/amazon_flex_order_with_no_signatures.pdf.
Pincite to specific pages in the document by using page numbers, paragraph numbers, star pagination to proprietary page numbers, or another appropriate pincite reference. See Rule R5.
Include the proposed rule’s title, citation to the Federal Register, and date of proposal:
<Title of Proposed Rule> , <Volume> Fed. Reg. <Page> , <(proposed on <date rule was proposed>)> (to be codified at <intended C.F.R. citation>)>, <URL where Proposed Rule can be found>.
If the proposed rule is not yet included in the Federal Register, provide a citation to the agency’s website including docket number if available and URL.
Include the commenter’s name and the proposed rule that is the subject of comment, followed by the exact date and URL:
<Commenter’s name>, Comment on <Proposed Rule Being Commented Upon, including optional citation in the Federal Register (<date>) <(date of comment filed)>, <URL of Comment if available and helpful>.
Include the docket number or comment number in the citation, if applicable and helpful.
Examples:
Georgia Dep’t of Agric., Public Submission on the FDA’s Comprehensive, Multi-Year Nutrition Innovation Strategy (Aug. 23, 2018), https://www.regulations.gov/comment/FDA-2018-N-2381-0690.
Georgia Dep’t of Agric., Public Submission on the FDA’s Comprehensive, Multi-Year Nutrition Innovation Strategy (83 Fed. Reg. 30180 (June 27, 2018)) (comment submitted Aug. 23, 2018), https://www.regulations.gov/comment/FDA-2018-N-2381-0690.
When citing a comment in which administrative procedure requires an agency response and when the agency has in fact issued its response, supplement or replace the URL of the comment standing alone to add citation information for the rule appendix or other source containing both the comment and the agency response.
Indigo Inkling
Citations to agency sources must build on the fundamentals of legal citation, while adapting the special conventions of administrative-law practice and the relevant agency or agencies. Fundamentally, all legal citations should provide the correct information including title, issuing agency, date, and indexing information such that the source can be found and the reader can assess the source in context. Special conventions of administrative-law practice vary by federal and state agency. Specialty conventions may include omitting information (such as a date where it is superfluous), citing to agency-specific sources rather than general federal sources, or citing general federal sources plus additional parallel citations, cross-references, and/or URLs. Those who work frequently with a particular agency will often rely more heavily on the agency’s website or other sources than on general publication in the Federal Register.
For example, a generic citation to agency work by the Federal Communications Commission might look like this, following the overall Uniform System of Citation:
Rates for Interstate Inmate Calling Services, 85 Fed. Reg. 67,450 (Oct. 23, 2020) (to be codified at 47 C.F.R. pt. 64); Rates for Interstate Inmate Calling Services, 85 Fed. Reg. 67,480 (proposed Oct. 23, 2020) (to be codified at 47 C.F.R. pt. 64).
But an attorney or policy advocate knowledgeable about FCC customs might cite the source more like the following, knowing that the Federal Register documents are only a summary of the FCC's full document, released more than two months after the FCC's initial release of the document, and missing the separate statements of FCC commissioners on the document:
Rates for Interstate Inmate Calling Services, Report and Order on Remand and Fourth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, WC Docket No. 12-375, 35 FCC Rcd. 8485 (Aug. 7, 2020), https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-seeks-reduce-rates-and-charges-inmate-calling-services-0.
Table T1 provides more detailed information about federal-agency practice, and Table T3 provides information on state-specific administrative-law citations (acknowledging that comprehensive treatment of state practice is beyond the scope of The Indigo Book). For work focused on particular agencies, any overall source expressing the Uniform System of Citation should be supplemented by obtaining agency-specific citation guides, studying recent samples of work in that agency, and working with experienced practitioners. For these examples, we are grateful to Blake Reid, Clinical Professor and Director of the Samuelson-Glushko Technology Law & Policy Clinic at the University of Colorado School of Law.
Citations to the Internal Revenue Code take either of two forms—the United States Code or the Internal Revenue Code (which inherently refers to Title 26 of the United States Code). Either way, these citations do not include the year when the citation refers to the current year of the Code.
Citations to the code itself take the following form: I.R.C. § <section number> .
Citations to Title 26 of the United States Code, which is where the Internal Revenue Code is codified, take the following form: 26 U.S.C. § <section number>.
Examples:
I.R.C. § 312.
26 U.S.C. § 312.
Indicate the publisher if citing to an unofficial code. Do not indicate the year when citing the current unofficial code, but do include the year if citing a past edition or dated supplement.
The Department of the Treasury issues Treasury Regulations pursuant to § 7805 of the Internal Revenue Code. Treasury Regulations are codified in Title 26 of the Code of Federal Regulations (“C.F.R.”), but should be cited as “Treas. Reg.” according to the following form: Treas. Reg. § <section number> <(year published)>. If the regulation is temporary, then begin the citation with Temp. Treas. Reg. instead.
Examples:
Treas. Reg. § 1.414(r)-8 (1994).
Temp. Treas. Reg. § 1.274-5T(6) (1985).
Cite Revenue Rulings (“Rev. Rul.”), Revenue Procedures (“Rev. Proc.”), and Treasury Decisions (“T.D.”) to the following sources, in the following order of preference: (1) Cumulative Bulletin (“C.B.”); (2) Internal Revenue Bulletin (“I.R.B.”); then (3) Treasury Decisions Under Internal Revenue Laws (“Treas. Dec. Int. Rev.”).
Examples:
Rev. Rul. 81-225, 1981-2 C.B. 12.
Rev. Proc. 97-27, 1997-21 I.R.B. 11.
T.D. 2135, 17 Treas. Dec. Int. Rev. 39 (1915).
Cite Private Letter Rulings using the following format: I.R.S. P.L. R. <ruling number> (<exact date>).
Example:
I.R.S. P.L.R. 202121010 (May 28, 2021).
If unenacted, cite as follows: <name of bill, if helpful>, <abbreviation from the list below> <bill number>, <number of the Congress> <section, if not citing the entire bill> <year of publication>, with additional information when needed to distinguish between different versions of the bill in a given Congress. Abbreviate the names of subcommittees and committees according to the form set out in Table T5, Table T11, and Table T12. As shown below, select an abbreviation based on the type of bill or resolution:
|
Type |
Abbreviation |
|
Senate Bill |
S. |
|
House Bill |
H.R. |
|
Senate Resolution |
S. Res. |
|
House Resolution |
H.R. Res. |
|
Senate Joint Resolution |
S.J. Res. |
|
House Joint Resolution |
H.R.J. Res. |
|
Senate Concurrent Resolution |
S. Con. Res. |
|
House Concurrent Resolution |
H.R. Con. Res. |
|
Senate Executive Resolution |
S. Exec. Res. |
Examples:
S. 812, 108th Cong. (2003).
Clinical Social Work Medicare Equality Act of 2001, S. 1083, 107th Cong. § 2(b) (2001).
ABLE Act of 2014, H.R. 647, 113th Cong. (as passed by House, Dec. 3, 2014).
H.R. 1746, 111th Cong. § 2(c)(4) (as reported by H. Comm. on Transp. and Infrastructure, Apr. 23, 2009).
H.R. Res. 431, 114th Cong. (2015).
S.J. Res. 12, 109th Cong. (2005).
Indigo Inkling
Every two years, a new Congress is constituted, based on the two-year term for Members of Congress set forth in Article 1, Section 2 of the United States Constitution. Each of these Congresses has its own number, and that number is crucial in legislative-history citations. The 2021-22 Congress (elected in 2020) is the 117th Congress. Public Laws enacted by this Congress and signed by the President will follow a citation format such as Pub. L. 117-1 (the first act to be enacted sequentially by the 117th Congress). The 2019-2020 Congress (elected in 2018) was the 116th Congress. Those Public Laws would follow a citation format such as Pub. L. 116-25 (the twenty-fifth act to be passed by the 116th Congress); and so on. Likewise other legislative documents use the number of that Congress as a core piece of the citation. Online resources for government-document research seem to be constantly in flux; consult Congress.gov or Govinfo.gov for more information.
Once enacted, bills and joint resolutions are statutes subject to codification and should be cited as such following Rule R16.1. For citations to the legislation’s history (rather than as a codified statute), cite them as unenacted bills or resolutions. Cite enacted simple resolutions and concurrent resolutions as if they were unenacted, but add an “(enacted)” parenthetical if it would be helpful.
Cite state bills and resolutions as follows: <number of bill or resolution>, <number, or year if unnumbered, of the legislative body>, <number or designation of the legislative session> (<name of state, abbreviated as in Table T12 and year of enactment or publication, if unenacted>).
Example:
L.D. 3, 127th Leg., Reg. Sess. (Me. 2015).
Cite committee hearings as follows: <full title of hearing>: Hearing on <bill number, if any> Before the <name of committee or subcommittee>, <number of the Congress> <optional pincite to page number> <year of publication> <name and title of speaker>. For the names of subcommittees and committees, abbreviate according to the form set out in Table T5, Table T11, and Table T12. For the names of individuals, use Table T10.
For state committee hearings, cite as follows: <full title of hearing>: Hearing on <bill number, if any> Before the <name of committee or subcommittee>, <number of the legislative session> <optional pincite to page number> <abbreviation for the state’s name from Table T12> <year of publication> <name and title of speaker>. Use the same abbreviation resources as for Congressional committee hearings.
Examples:
Cell Tax Fairness Act of 2008: Hearing on H.R. 5793 Before the Subcomm. on Commercial and Administrative Law of the H. Comm. on the Judiciary, 110th Cong. 12 (2008) (statement of Zoe Lofgren, Member, H. Comm. on the Judiciary).
Welfare and Poverty in America: Hearing before the S. Comm. on Fin., 114th Cong. (2015) (statement of Dr. Pamela Loprest, Senior Fellow, Urban Institute).
Testimony from invited guests addressing the use of eminent domain in the State: Hearing before the Assemb. Commerce and Econ. Dev. Com., 2006–2007 Sess. 5 (N.J. 2006) (statement of Guy R. Gregg, Assemblyman).
Hearing on L.D. 319 Before the Health and Human Servs. Comm., 127th Leg., Reg. Sess. (Me. 2015) (statement of Susan Lamb, Executive Director, Maine Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers).
Cite numbered federal reports as follows: <name of house, in small caps> Rep. No. <number of the Congress, followed by a hyphen and the number of the report>, <at optional pincite> <year of publication> <parenthetical to indicate conference report, if applicable>.
Examples:
S. Rep. No. 106-261, at 441 (2000).
H.R. Rep. No. 110-803, at 105 (2008) (Conf. Rep.).
Citations to federal and state non-statutory legislative materials, including legislative history and unenacted bills, aren’t expressed in a uniform manner, but generally include the following elements:
Examples:
Paycheck Fairness Act, H.R. 11, 111th Cong. § 203 (2009).
American Clean Energy and Security Act, H.R. 2454, 111th Cong. (2009).
S. 2318, 112th Cong. (2013) (enacted).
For subsequent citations in the same general discussion after a first full citation, short forms that clearly identify the source are permissible.
Id. may be used to identify the immediately preceding source consistent with Rule R6. Id. can be used for different subsections of the same code title and section, or for different code sections within the same title. A subsequent citation to a different title of that code necessitates a more complete short-form citation than Id.
|
Full citation |
Id. citation |
Id. citation |
|
7 U.S.C. § 7101. |
Id. |
Id. § 7102(26). |
|
9 C.F.R. § 54.1 (2014). |
Id. |
Id. § 151.9. |
Citations to the federal Constitution follow a simple form, using abbreviations from Table T12 (state names) and Table T13 (document subdivisions).
For current Constitutional provisions, do not include a date. Parenthetical information may be added consistent with Rule R10, such as for repeal or amendment.
The format is as follows: <U.S. Const.> <cited section of constitution, abbreviated> <number of article or amendment in Roman numeral form> <§ and pinpoint, if applicable> <(additional information, if needed)>.
Examples:
U.S. Const. amend. XIII, § 1.
U.S. Const. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933).
U.S. Const. pmbl.
Citations to state constitutions are expressed the same format, substituting the abbreviated name of the state following Table T12 and document subdivisions in Table T13.
Examples:
Ariz. Const. art. XVI, § 2.
N.D. Const. art. III, § 1.
Federal and state constitutions do not have a shorter alternative form for use after the first full citation. They should be cited in full each time used. It is permissible, however, to use id. for sequential citations to the same constitutional provision.
Indigo Inkling
Section B of The Indigo Book (Rules R11-R15) focuses on citations to “cases”—that is judicial opinions, both published and unpublished. But not everything a court issues is an “opinion.” An opinion states the court’s legal basis and reasoning for that decision. An order manages and directs the litigation in a particular case. Rules R24-27 address court and litigation documents, and here we note the connection to case citations.
Citing orders to a court during active litigation in that court will vary and depend on that court’s own rules and customs. In contexts outside the litigation, orders should be cited consistently with the opinion rules in Rule R12.4.1 Thus, an order in a 2022 labor dispute involving a Memphis Starbucks would be cited differently when participating in the litigation and outside of it.
Briefing in the context of the litigation:
(ECF No. 45 at PageID 478, n. 1).
Citation in public contexts outside the litigation:
McKinney v. Starbucks Corp., No. 2:22-cv-02292, Order Denying in Part and Granting in Part Motion of Workers United to Intervene or, in the Alternative, to Participate as Amicus Curiae, at 2, n. 1 (W.D. Tenn. May 10, 2022).
ECF and Page ID page citations vary court by court, and full coverage of the Case Management/Electronic Case Files system and PACER is beyond the scope of The Indigo Book. We note our support for open-access initiatives such as RECAP, which is a searchable online archive, browser extension, and email alert capturing utility made available by the Free Law Project and Center for Information Technology Policy at Princeton.
At the trial stage, court and litigation documents take a variety of forms such as pleadings, affidavits, discovery requests and responses, motions, and court orders, just to name a few. On appeal, the record below may become a formal numbered “Record” with its own page references. Documents for use on appeal may also take the form of an appendix or joint appendix.
In federal court, court and litigation documents must be filed with the federal government’s Case Management/Electronic Case Files system, variously known as CM/ECF (for case management and electronic case filing, respectively) and PACER (for accessing case materials). Thus, federal court documents have traditional document names, pagination, and in some types of pleading documents, paragraph designations provided by the filer; as well as an assigned ECF number for the document and PageID numbering within the document provided by the CM/ECF system.
Consult the document abbreviations in Table T18. Follow it in the absence of more specific rules or guidance from local rules. When abbreviating document names, other abbreviations may be employed for long words (typically seven or more letters) if clear and helpful to the reader. Always abbreviate an official record, such as the appellate record, to “R.” Do not abbreviate if the abbreviation would confuse the reader.
Examples:
Compl. for Copyright Infringement ¶ 11.
Def.’s Second Am. Answer ¶ 28.
Jones Dep. 8:24-9:5.
Def. Acme’s Resp. to Pl. Morrison’s Req. for Admis. No. 2.A.
R. at 22.
J.A. at 137.
For court and litigation documents other than an appellate record, provide the exact page or paragraph. Where line numbers are available such as in deposition transcripts, also provide the line being referred to. Do not use “p.” before a page number, but refer to pages with “at <x>.”
Generally cite the appellate record with an “at.” Record citations also sometimes omit the “at” to save on a word count. Most importantly, be accurate and be internally consistent.
Examples:
R. at 2.
R. 2.
Use a colon to separate page and line.
Example:
Smith Dep. 5:21–6:10.
Use commas if necessary to avoid confusion. When abbreviating both a document name and an exhibit to that document, add a comma after the Exhibit reference before the pincite.
Example:
Smith Dep. Ex. 12, at 3.
Include the date of the document if the date is particularly relevant or if omitting the date could cause confusion.
Examples:
Miller Aff. ¶ 8, Jan. 12, 2015.
Pl.’s Br. 4–5, May 7, 2014.
Trial Tr. vol. 3, 45, Mar. 5, 2015.
Include an ECF number whenever a document has been filed electronically. Find the ECF number on PACER, a federal case management system that assigns each case document a document number. Use the page number on the original document, not the Page ID reference added by the ECF system upon filing, except in citations provided to a court where applicable court rules require using the ECF’s Page ID reference.
Examples:
Pl.’s Compl. ¶ 12, ECF No. 147.
Sanchez Dep. 1:1–2, Jan. 3, 2005, ECF No. 8.
Example where Page ID required:
(Petition for Temporary Injunction Pursuant to Section 10(j) of the National Labor Relations Act ¶ 6, ECF No. 1 at Page ID 3-6.)
Citations to court or litigation documents may stand alone as citation sentences or clauses or may be enclosed in parentheses or brackets. If using parenthesis or brackets, place the period outside the closing parenthesis or closing bracket. As with all types of citations, following applicable court rules and maintaining internal consistency in a document are crucial.
Examples:
J.A. at 182.
R. 24.
(Resp. Br. 18).
[R. at 7].
Dockets and litigation documents are widely available now in commercial databases and other platforms. This rule describes how to cite litigation documents in other documents, not for litigation in that particular case, which is governed by Rule R24. This rule does, however, draw on Rule R24 as a partial basis for the citation, with additional citation information as shown here.
After citing to the document according to Rule R24 above, add the full citation for the case where it comes from, and the case docket number in parentheses. An additional citation to a commercial database may be added (optional).
<Name of document> <pincite> , <Citation to case in which document was filed> (<docket number in parenthesis>), <optional commercial database identifier or webpage URL>.
Example:
Compl. 5, Parsell v. Shell Oil Co., 421 F. Supp. 1275 (D. Conn. 1976) (Civ. No. B-700).
Pl.’s Resp. to Defs.’ Mot. for Summ. J. 14, Martinez-Mendoza v. Champion Int’l Corp., 340 F.3d 1200 (11th Cir. 2003) (No. 06-19139).
Brief for Brendan Keefe in His Official Capacity as Investigative Reporter for 11Alive Atlanta, and WXIA-TV as Amici Curiae in Support of Respondent, Georgia v. Public.Resource.org, Inc., 140 S. Ct. 1498 (2020) (No. 18-1150), 2019 WL 5391110.
If there has been no decision in the case you’re citing, then provide the name of the document and pincite, followed by the docket number, the date in parentheses, and other optional information to direct the reader.
<Name of document> <pincite>, <Name of case>, <docket number>, (<exact date of document being cited>) <optional commercial database identifier or webpage URL>.
Examples:
Compl. ¶ 2, Jones v. Smith, No. 09-230 (9th Cir. Apr. 17, 2015), ECF No. 2.
Pet. for Writ of Cert. at 6, Crowe v. Ore. St. Bar, No. 20-1678 (May 27, 2021), https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/crowe-v-oregon-state-bar/.
Provide the title indicating Oral Argument for an audio citation and Transcript for a transcript citation. Pincite to the minute or page. Provide the case name, citation of the case, and the year parenthetically.
Examples:
Oral Argument at 32:50, Georgia v. Public.Resource.org, 140 S. Ct. 1498 (2020) (No. 18-1150), https://www.oyez.org/cases/2019/18-1150.
Transcript of Oral Argument at 5, Ramos v. Louisiana, 140 S. Ct. 1390 (2020) (No. 18-5924), https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2019/18-5924_4gcj.pdf.
Use a short form citation for court documents when the full citation is close enough to be useful and the short form used is clear and helpful. Note that court documents may be cited using supra. Don’t use “id.” for court documents, unless it saves a lot of space. In particular do not use id. for record citations.
Examples:
|
Full Form (Original citation) |
Short Form Citation (subsequent reference) |
|
Pl.’s Resp. to Defs.’ Mot. for Summ. J. at 14, Martinez-Mendoza v. Champion Int’l Corp., 340 F.3d 1200 (11th Cir. 2003) (No. 06-19139). |
Pl.’s Resp. to Defs.’ Mot. for Summ. J. at 14, Martinez-Mendoza, 340 F.3d 1200 (No. 06-19139). |
|
Decl. of Martha Woodmansee at 7, Salinger v. Colting, 641 F. Supp. 2d 250 (S.D.N.Y. 2010) (No. 09 Civ. 05095). |
Decl. of Martha Woodmansee at 7, Salinger, 641 F. Supp. 2d 250 (No. 09 Civ. 05095). |
Capitalize “Court” in each of the following situations:
Examples:
The Court held that the Official Code of Georgia Annotated is a government edict that cannot be copyrighted by the State of Georgia.
The U.S. Court of Federal Claims held jurisdiction.
The Aalmuhammed court explained that the word author “is traditionally used to mean the originator or the person who causes something to come into being.”
This Court is being asked to expand the definition of “author” far beyond the statutory text.
Capitalize “Plaintiff,” “Defendant,” “Appellant” and “Appellee,” unless you are referring to parties from other litigation.
Example (in the case involving this plaintiff as a party):
The Plaintiff does not have a cognizable copyright interest in her acting performance.
Example (referring to a different litigation):
In Bobbs-Merrill, the plaintiff-copyright owner sold its book with a printed notice announcing that any retailer who sold the book for less than one dollar was liable for copyright infringement.
In litigation filings, use the capitalized and unabbreviated title of any litigation document in that case, when referring to it in full in a textual sentence. A litigation document may also be referred to in a citation sentence in a full or short form, in which case it should be capitalized but abbreviated.
Example:
The Plaintiff’s Motion for Reconsideration should be denied.
Pl.’s Mot. Recons. at 4.
Do not capitalize the name for a type of court document, such as an injunction, petition, etc.
A full citation to a book or other non-periodical is made up of the following elements:
Examples:
1 Melville B. Nimmer & David Nimmer, Nimmer on Copyright § 1.01[B][1][a] at 1–14–15 (2019).
Matthew Reidsma, Masked by Trust: Bias in Library Discovery (2019).
Lawyers in Practice: Ethical Decision Making in Context (Leslie C. Levin & Lynn Mather eds., 2012).
Joseph Williams & Joseph Bizup, Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace (12th ed. 2016).
Use standard roman type (not italicized) for the author name or names.
In general, list the names of the authors as listed on the publication, such as by including listed first names and middle initials in addition to surnames. Use titles that follow an author’s name (Sr.) but not titles that precede them (Hon.)
For two authors, list them in the same order as on the publication separated by “&.” For more than two authors, you may list all of the authors with “&” before the last. Or you may use “et al.” after the first-named author.
Indigo Inkling
The “et al.” option for books and law review articles with multiple authors may be a space-saving option, but it may also effectively erase the contribution of co-authors other than the first-named. This citation erasure may occur qualitatively (in how the article is remembered) and/or quantitatively (in various empirical citation rankings). University of Pennsylvania Law School professor Dave Hoffman has argued that all authors should be included in the full citation, and indeed a number of law reviews have rejected the et al. option. Professor Hoffman calls this approach the “Fair Citation Rule. ”
Short-forms for books and law review articles may be based on just the first-named author, an approach consistent with the spirit of efficient short-form citations. But the Fair Citation Rule can be followed in short citations as well, an approach that is less efficient but more representative of the work.
Place the publication title in italics.
Include the exact page number being cited immediately after the name of the publication. Do not use “at” before the pincite in a full citation. When citing a work organized using sections or paragraphs, use those instead, adding a page number only if helpful.
Example:
Marc A. Franklin et al., Mass Media Law Cases and Materials 472 (8th ed. 2011).
The full citation to a book publication has up to four elements in the required parenthetical, in the following order:
If listing an editor or a translator, then follow the name with the designation “ed.,” or “trans.,” respectively. Do not place a comma before the designation of ed. or trans., but do include a comma after that designation and before the year of publication.
Examples:
Gabriel García Márquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude (Gregory Rabassa trans., Harper & Row 2003) (1967).
Roger Angell, This Old Man, in The Best American Essays 2015 (Ariel Levy & Robert Atwan eds., 2015).
Id. may be used for references to books or non-periodical material cited in the immediately preceding citation, assuming that citation contains only one source. Update the page number you’re referring to within that source, as needed, by using “Id. at <x>.”
Do not use id. for internal cross references, or for citing back to a body of collected works when actually citing a single work from that body.
Use “supra” when you’ve used the full citation before, but it’s not the immediately preceding citation. Use a shortened title if you cite to multiple sources from the same author. Where a source has more than two authors, short citation forms using supra may use the first-named author and “et al.” to refer to other named authors, regardless of whether the first full citation has done so. You may retain all the authors if desired for giving credit.
The short form supra can be used in references to an earlier-cited work where “id.” does not apply. Citations built using supra should include:
Examples:
|
Full: |
Id.: |
Supra |
|
B.F. Skinner, Beyond Freedom and Dignity 32 (2002). |
Id. at 21. |
Skinner, supra, at 21. |
|
3 Melville Nimmer & David Nimmer, Nimmer on Copyright § 12.01 (Rev. ed. 2015) |
See id. § 14.02. |
See Nimmer & Nimmer, supra, § 14.02 |
|
Graham C. Lilly et al., Principles of Evidence 122 (6th ed. 2012) |
Id. at 88–103 |
Lilly, supra, at 90 |
Citations to consecutively paginated journals (that is, journals in which page numbering is continued from the last issue) take the following form:
<Author’s Name(s)>, <Italicized Title of the Article>, <volume number, if applicable> <Name of Publication, abbreviated> <page number of first page of article cited>, <pincite, if citing to specific point> <(year published)>.
Follow Rule R30.2 below for author name rules and Rule R30.3 for abbreviating the name of the publication.
Example:
Liz Brown, Bridging the Gap: Improving Intellectual Property Protection for the Look and Feel of Websites, 3 N.Y.U. J. Intell. Prop. & Ent. L. 310, 351 (2014).
Citations to journals and magazines with standard pagination (that is, where pagination re-starts for every issue) take the following form:
<Author’s Name(s)>, <Italicized Title of the Article>, <Name of Publication, abbreviated>, <full date of publication>, at <page number of first page of article cited>.
Example:
Jack Dickey, The Power of Taylor Swift, Time, Nov. 24, 2014, at 13.
A pincite to a specific page may be added after the page number of the article’s first page, in the following form: , <pincite>.
Example:
Jack Dickey, The Power of Taylor Swift, Time, Nov. 24, 2014, at 13, 17.
Citations to material written by students in law journals such as comments and notes take the following form:
<Author’s Name(s), if signed with more than initials>, <Designation of Piece>, <Italicized Title of the Article>, <volume number, if applicable> <Name of Publication, abbreviated> <page number of first page of article cited>, <pincite, if citing to specific point> <(year published)>.
Examples:
Amanda Levendowski, Note, Using Copyright to Combat Revenge Porn, 3 N.Y.U. J. Intell. Prop. & Ent. L. 422 (2014).
Victoria Nemiah, Note, License and Registration, Please: Using Copyright “Conditions” To Protect Free/Open Source Software, 3 N.Y.U. J. Intell. Prop. & Ent. L. 358, 361 (2014).
Comment, Law and Lawns: Mandatory Water Restrictions and Substantive Due Process, 7 Calif. L. Rev. 138 (1972).
Indigo Inkling
Many sources such as newspapers and magazines are available both in a traditional hard-copy publication and an online format. Although the online site is almost certainly easier to find and read, traditional legal citation prioritizes the hard-copy publication for law reviews, magazines, and similar periodical sources. Newspapers are treated differently as shown in Rule R30.4.
Show the author’s name beginning with first name, initials if indicated on the publication, and last name followed by any name suffixes (Jr., III) indicated on the publication title.
For two authors, indicate their names in the order shown on the publication, separated by an ampersand. Do not insert a comma before the ampersand.
For more than two authors, all authors may be listed with an ampersand before the last name; or all but the first may be omitted and replaced by “et al.” Indicate all authors when relevant the point being made, or when recognition of all authors is desirable.
When no author is listed at the beginning or end of the publication source, skip the author field and begin the citation with the publication’s title.
Use the abbreviations for common institutional names as listed in Table T15 if the name is listed. If the institutional name is not listed in Table T15, use abbreviations as listed in Table T11 and Table T12. If the periodical title has an abbreviation in it, use the abbreviation. If the word is not found in any of these tables, do not abbreviate the word in the abbreviated title.
For journals not listed in the tables, streamline the journal title with these grammar mechanics. Do not use the words “a,” “at,” “in,” “of,” and “the” in the abbreviated title. Do, however, use the word “on.” If the title consists of “a,” “at,” “in,” “of,” or “the” followed by a single word, do not abbreviate the remaining word. Omit all commas in abbreviated titles, but retain other punctuation. If a periodical title has a colon followed by words, omit all that from the abbreviated title.
Use discretion to format a journal title differently when the journal identifies its own abbreviated title differently, particularly for legal journals (as opposed to those from other disciplines using other citation conventions).
Examples:
“Sociological Journal of Law” becomes “Socio. J. Law”
“Law Journal on the Litigation World” becomes “L.J. on Litig. World”
“Journal at Legal Crossroads” becomes “J. Legal Crossroads”
To cite an online supplement to a print publication, use the proper abbreviation for the print publication, followed by the name of the online supplement.
If a periodical has been renumbered into a new series, indicate that by prefacing the series number with “(n.s.)”. Use the title of the periodical on the issue you are citing, even if the name of the periodical has changed.
Citations to newspaper articles traditionally required the print-based citation, but now may use either the print-based citation or the online citation with exact date and URL consistent with Rule R32.
Citations to newspaper articles take the following form: <Author’s Name(s), if signed>, <Italicized Title of the Article>, <Name of Publication, abbreviated>, <full date of publication>, at <number of first page of article>. Add a designation after the author’s name such as “editorial,” where appropriate.
Examples:
Charlie Savage, U.N. Commission Presses U.S. on Torture, N.Y. Times, Nov. 14, 2014, at A6.
Vikas Bajaj, Editorial, Rules for the Marijuana Market, N.Y. Times, Aug. 5, 2014, at A20.
Examples:
Charlie Savage, U.N. Commission Presses U.S. on Torture, N.Y. Times (Nov. 14, 2014), https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/14/world/europe/un-commission-presses-us-on-torture.html.
Vikas Bajaj, Editorial, Rules for the Marijuana Market, N.Y. Times (Aug. 5, 2014), https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/05/opinion/high-time-rules-for-the-marijuana-market.html.
Use “id.” when referring to the source cited in the immediately preceding citation. Id. can be used to refer to the same source as in a preceding citation that is itself also id., but do not repeat id. more than four times sequentially. After the fourth id., add more information by repeating the full citation or providing a short citation with supra.
Id. may be used by itself to indicate the same page of the same source, or with “at” to indicate a different page of that source.
Use “supra” when you’ve used the full citation before, but it’s not right next to the sentence you will provide the citation for now. Use a shortened title if you cite to multiple sources from the same author. Where a source has more than two authors, short citation forms using supra may use the first-named author and “et al.” to refer to other named authors, regardless of whether the first full citation has done so. You may retain all the authors if desired for giving credit.
Example (in-text citation):
Robbins, Painting with Print, supra, at 112.
Example (footnote):
Baumeister et al., Bad Is Stronger than Good, supra note 5, at 325.
When an authenticated, official, or exact copy of a document is available online, cite as if to the equivalent print source (i.e., URL information should not be included).
For sources that are available in a non-internet source, append the URL to the end of the citation if doing so would make accessing the source significantly easier.
Example:
Daniel E. Ho & Frederick Schauer, Testing the Marketplace of Ideas, 90 N.Y.U. L. Rev. 1160, 1175 (2015), http://www.nyulawreview.org/sites/default/files/pdf/NYULawReview-90-4-Ho_Schauer.pdf.
For Internet sources that have the characteristics of a print source, cite as if you were citing the print source, and append the URL to the end of the citation. Internet sources have the characteristics of a print source when the following conditions are met: the source has all the information needed to cite it according to another rule, and the source has a fixed, permanent pagination (such as a PDF).
For citations directly to webpages and other Internet sources that do not exist in any other printed format, follow the formula in Rule R33 below.
Indigo Inkling
Even in an online world, the format of the printed page reigns supreme in legal citation. Thus, when a document is available in multiple formats, choose the citation format that best preserves the document as it would display if printed. For example, PDF is preferred over HTML. The benefit of these citations is allowing citations to specific page numbers (for pincites) regardless of whether it is being viewed digitally or in print.
Note that many of the Internet citation rules are little more than common sense (that’s a compliment, not a dig). For example: include the URL that most directly links your reader to the authority, as you don’t want to send readers on a wild goose chase through the recesses of the Internet in search of a source. For the sake of completeness, we include these rules below, even though most people would probably intuit them.
One internet citation rule is not common sense, however. Traditional legal citation does not underline the URL to indicate a hyperlink. (Indeed, if you are using italics for case names, titles, and such, nothing will be underlined anywhere in the document.) As you create a citation to an internet source, your word processor may helpfully add an underlined hyperlink with URL text turned a different color. For citation per the Uniform System of Citation, believe it or not, you should remove that formatting change. Depending on the situation, you might choose to leave the non-compliant (yet helpful) obvious hyperlink. You could remove the hyperlink altogether. Or you could change the formatting so the hyperlink works but is rendered in plain font, consistent with traditional legal citation.
Citations to Internet sources follow this form: <Author Name>, <Title of Website Page>, <Main Website Title>, <pincite> <(Date source posted, with exact time of posting if available)>, <URL>.
When available, use the name or names of the individual, personal authors of the source.
Example:
Kate Klonick, Facebook v. Sullivan, Knight First Amend. Inst. (Oct. 1, 2018), https:// knightcolumbia.org/content/facebook-v-sullivan.
When the name of the individual, personal author is unavailable, use the name of the institution associated with the source if one is clearly apparent. Institutional authors should be omitted if the website’s title makes the domain’s owner clear. Institutional authors should be abbreviated (see Table T12 and Table T11 for abbreviations). Excessively long institutional-author names may be truncated, such as by omitting prepositional phrases that are not needed for clear identification.
Examples:
The Pew Charitable Trusts, How Debt Collectors Are Transforming State Courts, Pew (May 6, 2020), https://www.pewtrusts.org/-/media/assets/2020/06/debt-collectors-to-consumers.pdf
Economic Liberty, Inst. for Just., https://ij.org/issues/economic-liberty/ (last visited July 6, 2021).
Community Standards Enforcement Report, Facebook (Nov. 2019), https://transparency.facebook.com /community-standards-enforcement
For web posts and comments, use the actual name of the post author, or the username of the post author if the actual name is not available. For comments, the author of the comment should be included if available, but the author of the original post need not be cited.
If the name of the author is unavailable in each of the above forms, it may be omitted from the basic formula.
Include the particular cited webpage as the source title (roughly equivalent to citing the title of an article). This title should be based on either the title bar or the heading of that page as viewed in the browser.
Examples:
Mike Masnick, Left Shark Bites Back: 3D Printer Sculptor Hires Lawyer to Respond to Katy Perry’s Bogus Takedown, TechDirt (Feb. 9, 2015, 12:27 PM), https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20150209/11373729960/left-shark-bites-back-3d-printer-sculptor-hires-lawyer-to-respond-to-katy-perrys-bogus-takedown.shtml.
Priority Legis.—U.S. House and Senate, Nat’l Cannabis Indus. Ass’n, https://thecannabisindustry.org/government-affairs/priority-legislation-us-senate/ (last visited July 6, 2021).
The content title should be informative but not unduly long, if possible without compromising clarity and precision.
Include the title of certain pages linked from main website when relevant, including postings, comments, and titles of subheadings (in italics). Where relevant, as in comments, subheadings should indicate their relationship to the page to which they are responsive.
Example:
Nasch, Re: Costumes, IP, and Ownership Rights, Comment to Left Shark Bites Back, TechDirt (Feb. 14, 2015, 9:55 AM), https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20150209/11373729960/left-shark-bites-back-3d-printer-sculptor-hires-lawyer-to-respond-to-katy-perrys-bogus-takedown.shtml.
Provide the internet source’s overall website title (roughly equivalent to the publication title in a periodical citation). Use the name of the home page; the title given in the blog’s header; or, in the unlikely event no name is given, the website’s top-level domain name (as distinct from the specific URL provided later in the citation).
Title should be abbreviated per Table T11, Table T12, and Table T15.
Example:
Priority Legis.—U.S. House and Senate, Nat’l Cannabis Indus. Ass’n, https://thecannabisindustry.org/government-affairs/priority-legislation-us-senate/ (last visited July 6, 2021).
Include when an electronic document preserves the pagination of a printed version. Cite to pages as they would appear on the document if printed.
Example:
James Huguenin-Love, Song on Wire: A Technical Analysis of ReDigi and the Pre-Owned Digital Media Marketplace, 4 N.Y.U. J. Intell. Prop. & Ent. L. 1, 4 (2014), http://jipel.law.nyu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/JIPEL-Winter-2014-Edition.pdf.
Include the date of the webpage or publication, as published on the website. The date may be found at the top, similar to a byline or at the bottom similar to a sign-off. Include the exact time of publication if given.
Examples:
Laura Moy, Public Knowledge & Consumers Petition Copyright Office for Right to Unlock Access to Their Own Stuff, Public Knowledge Blogs (Nov. 3, 2014), https://www.publicknowledge.org/news-blog/blogs/public-knowledge-consumers-petition-copyright-office-for-right-to-unlock-ac.
Chris Cillizza, Winners and Losers of the 2014 Midterm Elections, Wash. Post Blogs (Nov. 5, 2014, 10:25 AM), http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/11/04/winners-and-losers-of-the-2014-election-early-edition/.
Omit time if the source is not updated throughout the day or if there is no time listed.
If no date is provided, add a parenthetical indicating the “last modified” or “last updated” date for the URL, or, if none of the above are provided, use the “last visited” date. Any date cited in one of these three formats should be placed after the URL in the citation.
Example:
ESPN, http://www.espn.go.com/ (last visited July 5, 2021).
Cite in its entirety unless the URL is especially long or unwieldy (a very high standard, given how long most URLs are).
If the URL is too long and unwieldy, cite just to the root URL and include a parenthetical directing the user to the specific material cited.
Example:
Google Books Ngram Viewer, Google, https://books.google.com/ngrams (select corpus “English Fiction”; then search for “Arrakis”) (last visited Apr. 17, 2012).
When helpful (such as to preserve a site that may change or to preserve a site for future readers), include URL to an archived version of the webpage in brackets.
Example:
Kevin Underhill, Gollum Experts to Testify, Says Court, Lowering the Bar (Dec. 4, 2015), http://www.loweringthebar.net/2015/12/gollum-experts.html [https://web.archive.org/web/20151208124302/http://www.loweringthebar.net/2015/12/gollum-experts.html].
When a website is served by multiple URLs, use the primary one. When a source is published on multiple URLs (such as a law-firm website and a content aggregator), use the most authoritative and original website.
Include the author’s name, handle or other identifying information parenthetically, the platform, parenthetical with the exact date and time posted, followed by the URL of the post.
Example:
American Bar Association (@ABAesq), Twitter (July 6, 2021, 8:11 PM), https://twitter.com/ABAesq/status/1412564952846581761?s=20.
After a full citation to an internet source, an appropriate short form may be used. Id. can be used to refer to an internet source, consistent with Rule R6. The short form supra can be used to shorten the full citation where id. is not appropriate.
A bracketed parenthetical also may also be used to provide a short-form definition, if needed to avoid ambiguity or to preserve clarity. When citing directly to Internet sources, the “hereinafter” bracketed parenthetical should come right after the URL or, if applicable, the “last visited” parenthetical.
Example (full citation):
Chris Cillizza, Winners and Losers of the 2014 Midterm Elections, Wash. Post Blogs (Nov. 5, 2014, 10:25 AM), http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/11/04/winners-and-losers-of-the-2014-election-early-edition/.
Example (short form):
Cillizza, supra.
Example (full citation):
Superfan Suits, http://www.superfansuits.com/ (last visited Feb. 21, 2015).
Example (short form):
Superfan Suits, supra.
Example (full citation):
Ohio’s Official Online Publication of State Laws and Regulations, https://codes.ohi (last visited July 6, 2021) [hereinafter, “Ohio Official Online State Laws”].
Example (short form):
Ohio Official Online State Laws, supra.
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Materials |
Date |
Citation |
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United States Supreme Court (U.S.): Cite to U.S., if possible. If not, cite to S. Ct. If that’s not possible, cite to L. Ed. If you can cite to none of the above, cite to U.S.L.W. |
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United States Reports |
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91 U.S. to date |
1875–date |
U.S. |
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Wallace |
1863–1874 |
e.g., 68 U.S. (1 Wall.) |
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Black |
1861–1862 |
e.g., 66 U.S. (1 Black) |
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Howard |
1843–1860 |
e.g., 42 U.S. (1 How.) |
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Peters |
1828–1842 |
e.g., 26 U.S. (1 Pet.) |
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Wheaton |
1816–1827 |
e.g., 14 U.S. (1 Wheat.) |
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Cranch |
1801–1815 |
e.g., 5 U.S. (1 Cranch) |
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Dallas |
1790–1800 |
e.g., 1 U.S. (1 Dall.) |
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Supreme Court Reporter |
1882–date |
S. Ct. |
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United States Supreme Court Reports, Lawyers’ Edition |
1790–date |
L. Ed., L. Ed. 2d |
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United States Law Week |
1933–date |
U.S.L.W. |
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Circuit Justices (e.g., Gorsuch, J., in chambers): Cite to U.S. if possible; otherwise, cite to S. Ct., Rapp’s Reports, L. Ed., or U.S.L.W. in that order of preference. For more on Rapp’s Reports and in-chambers opinions by a single justice, see In-Chambers Opinions (Cynthia Rapp, Ross E. Davies & Ira Brad Metetsky, eds.), http://www.greenbag.org/green_bag_press/in-chambers%20opinions/in-chambers%20opinions.html and the Journal of In-Chambers Practice (Ira Brad Metetsky, ed.), http://journaloflaw.us/10%20JICP/JICP_home.html Some cases presided over by Circuit Justices are found in other reporters. After the citation, indicate the Circuit Justice and applicable circuit parenthetically as in this example: (Jackson, Circuit Justice, 2d Cir. 1950). |
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United States Courts of Appeals (1st Cir., 2d Cir., 3d Cir., 4th Cir., 5th Cir., 6th Cir., 7th Cir., 8th Cir., 9th Cir., 10th Cir., 11th Cir., and D.C. Cir.): Cite to F., F.2d, F.3d, or F.4th. |
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Federal Reporter |
1891–date |
F., F.2d, F.3d, F.4th |
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Federal Appendix |
2001–2021 |
F. App’x |
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Circuit Courts (e.g., C.C.S.D.N.Y., C.C.D. Cal.) (abolished 1912): Cite to F. or F. Cas. |
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Federal Reporter |
1880–1912 |
F. |
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Federal Cases |
1789–1880 |
F. Cas. |
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Temporary Emergency Court of Appeals (Temp. Emer. Ct. App.) (1971–1993), Emergency Court of Appeals (Emer. Ct. App.) (created 1942, abolished 1961), and Commerce Court (Comm. Ct.) (created 1910, abolished 1913): Cite to F. or F.2d. |
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Federal Reporter |
1910–1993 |
F., F.2d |
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United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (Fed. Cir.) (created 1982), successor to the United States Court of Customs and Patent Appeals (C.C.P.A.) (previously the Court of Customs Appeals (Ct. Cust. App.)) and the appellate jurisdiction of the Court of Claims (Ct. Cl.): Cite to F., F.2d, F.3d, or F.4th; else, cite to the official reporter. |
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Federal Reporter |
1910–date |
F., F.2d, F.3d, F.4th |
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Court of Claims Reports |
1956–1982 |
Ct. Cl. |
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Court of Customs and Patent Appeals Reports |
1929–1982 |
C.C.P.A. |
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Court of Customs Appeals Reports |
1910–1929 |
Ct. Cust. |
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United States Court of Federal Claims (Fed. Cl.) (created 1992), formerly United States Claims Court (Cl. Ct.) (created 1982), and successor to the original jurisdiction of the Court of Claims (Ct. Cl.): Cite to one of the following reporters: |
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Federal Claims Reporter |
1992–date |
Fed. Cl. |
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United States Claims Court Reporter |
1983–1992 |
Cl. Ct. |
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Federal Reporter |
1930–1932 |
F.2d |
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1960–1982 |
F.2d |
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Federal Supplement |
1932–1960 |
F. Supp. |
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Court of Claims Reports |
1863–1982 |
Ct. Cl. |
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United States Court of International Trade (Ct. Int’l Trade) (created 1980), formerly United States Customs Court (Cust. Ct.) (created 1926): Cite to the official reporters, if possible; if not, in the following order, cite to F. Supp., F. Supp. 2d, or F. Supp. 3d to Cust. B. & Dec. (an official publication), or to I.T.R.D. (BL). |
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Court of International Trade Reports |
1980–date |
Ct. Int’l Trade |
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Customs Court Reports |
1938–1980 |
Cust. Ct. |
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Federal Supplement |
1980–date |
F. Supp., F. Supp. 2d, F. Supp. 3d |
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Customs Bulletin and Decisions |
1967–date |
Cust. B. & Dec. |
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International Trade Reporter Decisions |
1980–date |
I.T.R.D. (BL) |
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District Courts (e.g., D. Mass., S.D.N.Y.): Cite F. Supp., F. Supp. 2d, F. Supp. 3d, F.R.D., or B.R. If the case is not published in the priority reporters above, cite to Fed. R. Serv., Fed. R. Serv. 2d, or Fed. R. Serv. 3d. For cases before 1932, cite to F., F.2d, or F. Cas. Use Table T9 for court abbreviations and Table T12 for geographical abbreviations to construct the proper abbreviation for the District Court, such as C.D. Cal. and D.N.M. |
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Federal Supplement |
1932–date |
F. Supp., F. Supp. 2d, F. Supp. 3d |
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Federal Rules Decisions |
1938–date |
F.R.D. |
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West’s Bankruptcy Reporter |
1979–date |
B.R. |
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Federal Rules Service |
1938–date |
Fed. R. Serv. (Callaghan), Fed. R. Serv. 2d (Callaghan), Fed. R. Serv. 3d (West) |
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Federal Reporter |
1880–1932 |
F., F.2d |
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Federal Cases |
1789–1880 |
F. Cas. |
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Citations to F. Cas. should give the case number parenthetically. Example: Davey v. The Mary Frost, 7 F. Cas. 11 (E.D. Tx. 1876) (No. 3591). |
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Bankruptcy Courts and Bankruptcy Appellate Panels (e.g., Bankr. N.D. Cal.; B.A.P. 1st Cir.), cite to B.R.; else, cite to a looseleaf service. |
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Bankruptcy Reporter |
1979–date |
B.R. |
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Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (J.P.M.L.) (created 1968) and Special Court, Regional Rail Reorganization Act (Reg’l Rail Reorg. Ct.) (created 1973): Cite to F. Supp., F. Supp. 2d., or F. Supp. 3d. |
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Federal Supplement |
1968–date |
F. Supp., F. Supp. 2d, F. Supp. 3d |
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Tax Court (T.C.) (created 1942), previously Board of Tax Appeals (B.T.A.), cite to T.C. or B.T.A.; else, cite to T.C.M. (CCH), T.C.M. (P-H), T.C.M. (RIA), or B.T.A.M. (P-H). |
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United States Tax Court Reports |
1942–date |
T.C. |
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Reports of the United States Board of Tax Appeals |
1924–1942 |
B.T.A. |
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Tax Court Memorandum Decisions |
1942–date |
T.C.M. (CCH) |
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1942–1991 |
T.C.M. (P-H) |
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1991–date |
T.C.M. (RIA) |
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Board of Tax Appeals Memorandum Decisions |
1928–1942 |
B.T.A.M. (P-H) |
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United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (Vet. App.), previously United States Court of Veterans Appeals (Vet. App.) (created 1988), cite to Vet. App. |
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West’s Veterans Appeals Reporter |
1990–date |
Vet. App. |
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United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces (C.A.A.F.), previously United States Court of Military Appeals (C.M.A.): Cite to C.M.A. |
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Decisions of the United States Court of Military Appeals |
1951–1975 |
C.M.A. |
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West’s Military Justice Reporter |
1978–date |
M.J. |
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Court Martial Reports |
1951–1975 |
C.M.R. |
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Military Service Courts of Criminal Appeals (A. Ct. Crim. App., A.F. Ct. Crim. App., C.G. Ct. Crim. App., N-M. Ct. Crim. App.), previously Courts of Military Review (e.g., A.C.M.R.), previously Boards of Review (e.g., A.B.R.): For cases after 1950, cite to M.J. or C.M.R. For earlier cases, cite to the official reporter. |
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West’s Military Justice Reporter |
1975–date |
M.J. |
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Court Martial Reports |
1951–1975 |
C.M.R. |
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For statutory compilations, cite to the United States Code (U.S.C.) |
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United States Code |
<tit. no.> U.S.C. § x |
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Note: 26 U.S.C. may be abbreviated as I.R.C. |
26 I.R.C. § x |
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United States Code Annotated |
<tit. no.> U.S.C.A. § x (West) |
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United States Code Service |
<tit. no.> U.S.C.S. § x (LexisNexis) |
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Session laws |
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United States Statutes at Large |
<vol. no.> Stat. <page no.> (<year>) |
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For public laws before 1957, cite by chapter number; for subsequent public laws, cite by public law number. |
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Note that the year of the code section is not required, but may be included if appropriate to the citation context. The exact date of the unofficial publisher’s “current through” date may also be provided if relevant and helpful to the citation context. |
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Administrative Materials |
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Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals (ASBCA) |
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Decisions: Cite decisions as: <case name>, ASBCA No. <decision number>, <citation to services> For citations to the Board of Contract Appeals Decisions (BCA), published by Commerce Clearing House, the publisher is not indicated and the volume number should be used to indicate the year of the decision. Example: RMTC Sys., Inc., ASBCA No. 43466, 93-1 BCA ¶ 25,508. |
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Civilian Board of Contract Appeals (CBCA) |
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Decisions: Cite the same way as a citation for the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals, but include the opposing agency in the case name. Example: G2G, LLC v. Dept. of Commerce, CBCA 4845-R, 15-1 BCA ¶ 36,163. |
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Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals (ASBCA) |
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Decisions: Cite decisions as: <case name>, ASBCA No. <decision number>, <citation to services> For citations to the Board of Contract Appeals Decisions (BCA), published by Commerce Clearing House, the publisher is not indicated and the volume number should be used to indicate the year of the decision. |
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Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) |
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Decisions: Cite as <case name>, CFTC No. <docket number>, <secondary source if available> (<date>). Example: Windjammer Capital LLC v. Glob. Futures Exch. & Trading Co., Inc., CFTC No. 14-R1, 2015 WL 9434227 (Dec. 22, 2015). |
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Interpretive Letters, No-Action Letters, and Exemptive Letters: Cite a service or an electronic database. Include the full name of the correspondent if available, the CFTC docket number, and the full date on which the letter became publicly available. |
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Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) |
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Decisions: Cite as <case name>, CFPB No. <decision number>, <secondary source if available> (<date>). Example: American Express Travel Related Servs., Inc., CFPB No. 2013-CFPB-0013 (Dec. 24, 2013). |
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Department of Agriculture (USDA) |
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Decisions: Cite to the Agriculture Decisions (Agric. Dec). Example: Arizona Livestock Auction, Inc., 55 Agric Dec. 1121 (U.S.D.A. 1996). |
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Directives: Cite as: <issuing agency abbreviated according to table below> <directive number>, <directive title> (U.S.D.A. <year>). |
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Agricultural Marketing Service |
AMS |
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Agricultural Research Service |
ARS 218 |
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Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service |
APHIS |
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Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion |
CNPP |
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Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service |
CSREES |
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Economic Research Service |
ERS |
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Farm Service Agency |
FSA |
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Food and Nutrition Service |
FNS |
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Food Safety and Inspection Service |
FSIS |
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Foreign Agricultural Service |
FAS |
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Forest Service |
FS |
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Grain Inspection, Packers, and Stockyards Administration |
GIPSA |
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National Agricultural Library |
NAL |
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National Agricultural Statistics Service |
NASS |
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National Institute of Food and Agriculture |
NIFA |
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National Resources Conservation Service |
NRCS |
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Risk Management Agency |
RMA |
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Rural Development |
RD |
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Rural Housing Service |
RHS |
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Rural Utilities Service |
RUS |
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Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) |
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Decisions in Consistency Appeals Under the Coastal Zone Management Act: Citation format for decisions of the Secretary of Commerce under the Coastal Zone Management Act: Decision and Findings in the Consistency Appeal of <party name>, from an objection by <state or relevant state agency’s name> (Sec’y of Commerce <date>). If these decisions are not published in an official reporter; indicate the source where the decision is located. |
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Other NOAA Decisions: For decisions of administrative law judges in civil administrative law cases, cite to the Ocean Resources and Wildlife Reporter (O.R.W.); else cite to an appropriate secondary source. |
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Decisions of the Administrator for Appeals (NOAA App.) should so specify. |
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Department of Commerce, Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) |
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Decisions: For decisions of the Commissioner of Patents, cite to Decisions of the Commissioner of Patents (Dec. Comm’r Pat.) following Rule 19 but including all procedural phrases in party names. |
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For decisions of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (P.T.A.B.), cite as <case name>, No. <docket number>, <citation to secondary source> (P.T.A.B. <year>). Use the U.S.P.Q.2d as the preferred secondary source in these citations if available, rather than a commercial database. |
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For decisions of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board that are not published but available on a website or otherwise, cite as Ex parte <Name>, decision of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, Patent No. <case xxx,xxx,xxx>, paper No. <xxx>, <xxx> pages. See Manual of Patent Examining Procedure 707.06. |
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For decisions of the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (T.T.A.B.), cite as: <case name>, <citation to secondary source> (T.T.A.B. <year>). Use the U.S.P.Q.2d as the preferred secondary source in these citations if available, rather than a commercial database. |
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Pre-Sept. 16, 2012: For decisions by the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences (B.P.A.I.), cite as: <party name>, No. <docket number>, <citation to secondary source if available> (B.P.A.I. <date>). |
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Patents: |
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Cite the patent number and the date the patent was filed. Example: U.S. Patent No. 8,112,504 B2 (filed Mar. 4, 2009) |
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The patent name and/or issuing date may be included if relevant. System for disseminating media content representing episodes in a serialized sequence, U.S. Patent No. 8,112,504 B2 (filed Mar. 4, 2009) (issued Feb. 7, 2012) |
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For citations to a specific field of the title page, include the field code in brackets. Example: U.S. Patent No. 8,112,504 B2, at [75] (filed Mar. 4, 2009) |
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For citations to a specific portion of patent text, a patent figure, or an item within a figure. Example: U.S. Patent No. 8,112,504 B2, fig. 1, item 141 (filed Mar. 4, 2009) |
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Short form patent citations include an apostrophe followed by the last three digits of the patent number. Example: ’504 Patent. |
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Trademarks: |
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For registered trademarks, cite as <TRADEMARK NAME>, Registration No. <registration number>. Example: THE BLUEBOOK A UNIFORM SYSTEM OF CITATION, Registration No. 3,886,986. |
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For trademarks that have been filed, but not approved, cite as U.S. Trademark Application Serial No. <Serial Number> (filed <date>). Example: U.S. Trademark Application Serial No. 86,680,743 (filed Jul. 1, 2015). |
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Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office (1872–1971) |
Off. Gaz. Pat. Office |
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Official Gazette of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (1975–2002) |
Off. Gaz. Pat. & Trademark Office |
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Trademark Manual of Examining Procedure |
TMEP (Oct. 2018) |
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Manual of Patent Examining Procedure |
MPEP (9th ed., Rev. 10.2019, June 2020) |
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Department of Education |
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Reports: Cite Institution of Education Sciences reports as Institution of Education Sciences, <title> <page> (<date>). Example: Institute of Education Sciences, National Board for Education Sciences Annual Report 12 (2014). |
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Reports: Cite federal student aid proceedings as <case name>, U.S. Dep’t of Educ., No. <docket number> (<date>). Example: Lincoln Univ., U.S. Dep’t of Educ., No. 13-68-SF (Mar. 16, 2015). |
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Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Customs and Border Protection |
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The two official reporters of the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection and its predecessors are the Administrative Decisions Under Immigration and Nationality Laws (I. & N. Dec.) and the Customs Bulletin and Decisions (Cust. B. & Dec). |
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Department of Justice |
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Advisory Opinions: For published, formal advisory opinions, cite in the same manner as adjudications. Cite opinions from the Attorney General as Opinions of the Attorneys General (Op. Att’y Gen.). Cite opinions from the Office of Legal Counsel as Opinions of the Office of Legal Counsel of the Department of Justice (Op. O.L.C.). Examples: Authority of Sec’y of Treasury to Compromise Final Judgments, 36 U.S. Op. Att’y Gen. 40 (1929) Diversion of Water from Niagara River, 30 Op. Att’y Gen. 217 (1913). U.S. Assistance to Countries that Shoot Down Civil Aircraft Involved in Drug Trafficking, 18 Op. O.L.C. 148, 165 (1994). Cite precedent decisions of the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) to Administrative Decisions Under Immigration and Nationality Laws (I. & N. Dec.) as published by the Department of Justice Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). |
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|
Department of Labor |
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|
Decisions in Petition for Modification Cases Under Section 101(c) of the Mine Act, 30 U.S.C. § 811(c): Cite as <description of decision>, <case name>, Docket No. <docket number> (Dep’t of Labor <date>). Note that these decisions have not been reported in any official reporter or service. |
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|
Decisions in Enforcement Actions Brought by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs: Cite as <case name>, <docket number>, <description of decision> (Dep’t of Labor <date>). Note that these decisions have not been reported in any official reporter or service. Example: OFCCP v. Bank of Am., 97-OFC-16, Secretary's Decision and Order of Remand (Dep't of Labor Mar. 31, 2003). |
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|
Decisions by the Benefits Review Board: Cite to a service. Example: Jones v. I.T.O. Corp. of Baltimore, 9 Ben. Rev. Bd. Serv. (MB) 583, 585 (1979). |
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|
Opinions: Cite as <Name of agency, Name of subagency if applicable>, <Title of Letter>, <Date>,<Further publication information or URL>. Example: U.S. Dep’t of Labor, Wage and Hour Div., Opinion Letter FLSA2021-2 (Jan. 8, 2021), https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/WHD/opinion-letters/FLSA/2021_01_08_02_FLSA.pdf. |
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|
Department of the Interior |
|
|
Cite agency decisions to Interior Decisions (Interior Dec.) or Interior and General Land Office Cases Relating to Public Lands (Pub. Lands Dec.). Where a board within the agency issues the opinion, note the board in the same parenthetical as the date, using these abbreviations: |
|
|
Interior Board of Land Appeals |
IBLA |
|
Interior Board of Indian Appeals |
DBIA |
|
Interior Board of Contract Appeals |
IBCA |
|
Example: Shell Offshore, Inc., 94 Interior Dec. 69 (IBLA 1987). |
|
|
Department of State |
|
|
Reports: For reports of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, cite as: U.S. Dep’t of State, Bureau of Democracy, H.R. and Lab., <title> <page> (<date>). Example: U.S. Dep’t of State, Bureau of Democracy, H.R. and Lab., International Religious Freedom Report 14 (2014). |
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|
Department of the Treasury |
|
|
Regulations: For Department of Treasury regulations, cite as <Treas. Reg.>, despite the fact that they are published under Title 26 of the C.F.R. |
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|
For unamended regulations, cite the year. Example: Treas. Reg. § 1.41-2 (1989). Indicate if the regulation is a temporary regulation by beginning the citation with Temp: Example: Temp. Treas. Reg. § 5e.274-8 (1982). |
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|
For specific questions and answers, cite as: Example: Treas. Reg. § 1.72-16(a), Q&A (3)(a) (1963). |
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|
If any subsection of the cited section has been amended or appears in substantially different versions, give the year of the most recent amendment. Follow this rule even if the particular subsection you are citing has never been amended. Example: Treas. Reg. § 1.41-2 (as amended in 2001). |
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|
Indicate when the source of the amendment is relevant. Example: Treas. Reg. § 1.41-2 (as amended by T.D. 8930, 65 FR 287). |
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|
For proposed Treasury regulations to the Federal Register, cite in the following manner: Example: Prop. Treas. Reg. § 1.704-1, 48 Fed. Reg. 9871, 9872 (Mar. 9, 1983). |
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|
Treasury Determinations: Cite Revenue Rulings, Revenue Procedures, and Treasury Decisions to the Cumulative Bulletin (C.B.) or its advance sheet, the Internal Revenue Bulletin (I.R.B.), or to Treasury Decisions Under Internal Revenue Laws (Treas. Dec. Int. Rev.), in that order of preference. |
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|
The numbering of the Cumulative Bulletin is as follows:
The abbreviations used are explained in the introductory pages of each volume of the Cumulative Bulletin. |
|
|
Private Letter Rulings: Cite by number and the date issued, if available. |
|
|
Technical Advice Memoranda: Cite by number and the date issued, if available. |
|
|
General Counsel Memoranda: Cite by number and the date on which the memorandum was approved. |
|
|
Other Treasury Determinations: For all other Treasury materials, cite to the Cumulative Bulletin, Internal Revenue Bulletin, or Internal Revenue Manual (IRM). Delegation Orders (Deleg. Order) Treasury Orders (Treas. Order) Notices, Announcements, and News Releases Otherwise cite by number and date issued. |
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|
Cases: For the Tax Court and Board of Tax Appeals, cite as those of a court, not of an agency. |
|
|
Acquiescence: The following may be indicated in the case citation if the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service has published an acquiescence (acq.), acquiescence in result only (acq. In result), or nonacquiescence (nonacq.) in a decision of the Tax Court or Board of Tax Appeals. |
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|
Action on Decision: To cite an action on decision (action on dec) as subsequent history, include its identifying number, if any, and its full date. |
|
|
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) |
|
|
Decisions: For Environmental Administrative Decisions (E.A.D.) indicate the decision maker—either the Environmental Appeals Board (EAB) or an administrative law judge—if the source does not make it obvious. Example: Donald Cutler, 11 E.A.D. 622, 623 (EAB 2004). |
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|
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) |
|
|
Decisions: For EEOC decisions that do not have readily identifiable titles, cite using the decision number in place of the title. Otherwise cite per Rule 19.3. Example: Budnik v. Chertoff, EEOC DOC 0520070154 (2006). |
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|
For EEOC Federal Sector decisions that have party names, cite in accordance with Rule 11.2. |
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|
Executive Office of the President |
|
|
Executive Orders, Presidential Proclamations, and Reorganization Plans: Cite by page number to 3 C.F.R. However, since all executive orders are not reprinted in successive years of the C.F.R., cite to the original year, rather than the most recent edition of the C.F.R. Where relevant, include a parallel citation to the U.S.C. Example: Exec. Order 13,136, 3 C.F.R. 216 (Sep. 3, 1999). |
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|
If the material is not in the C.F.R., cite to the Federal Register. Example: Exec. Order 14,023, 86 Fed. Reg. 19569 (April 9, 2021). |
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|
A parallel citation to the Statutes at Large may also be given. |
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|
Other Presidential Papers: Cite to Public Papers of the Presidents (Papers) if found there. If not recorded in the Public Papers, cite the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents (Weekly Comp. Pres. Doc.), published from 1965 to January 29, 2009, the Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents (Daily Comp. Pres. Doc.), published from January 29, 2009 to date, or the U.S. Code Congressional and Administrative News (U.S.C.C.A.N.). |
|
|
Budgets: Use the structure of book citations for governmental budgets. Example: Office of Mgmt. & Budget, Exec. Office of the President, Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 2014 (2013). |
|
|
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) |
|
|
Decisions: For decisions of administrative law judges in civil penalty enforcement matters adjudicated under 14 C.F.R. pt. 13, § 13.16 and subpart G, cite per Rule R12.4 as slip opinions. |
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|
For Decisions of the Administrator or his delegate, cite using an order number, not a docket number. |
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|
For Decisions of the Office of Dispute Resolution for Acquisition (ODRA) adjudicated under 14 C.F.R. Part 17, the citation should incorporate the type of dispute. |
|
|
For other FAA decisions and orders, the citation should indicate the nature of the decision, followed by the date. |
|
|
Examples: Federal Express Corporation, FAA Order No. 2002-20, 2002 WL 31777976 (F.A.A.). Envirosolve, LLC, FAA Order No. 2006-2, 2006 WL 465371 (Feb. 7, 2006). Aerocomp, Inc., FAA Order No. 2006-1, Order Dismissing Appeal (Jan. 12, 2006). |
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|
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) |
|
|
Cite to the Federal Communications Commission Reports (F.C.C., F.C.C.2d), published 1934-1986, or the Federal Communications Commission Record (FCC Rcd.), published since 1986. Example: Protecting and Promoting the Open Internet, GN Docket No. 14-28, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 29 FCC Rcd. 5561 (2014). |
|
|
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) |
|
|
Cite decisions to the Federal Energy Guidelines: FERC Reports (FERC). Example: Filing of Privileged Materials and Answers to Motions, Order No. 769, 141 FERC ¶ 61,049 (2012). |
|
|
Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) |
|
|
Cite decisions to the Decisions of the Federal Labor Relations Authority (F.L.R.A.). |
|
|
Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission (FMSHRC) |
|
|
Cite decisions to the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission Decisions (FMSHRC). |
|
|
Federal Reserve System |
|
|
Enforcement Actions: Cite written agreements resulting from enforcement actions as: Written Agreement between <private bank name> and <Federal Reserve Bank name>, Docket no. <docket number> (<date>). Example: Written Agreement Between Allied First Bancorp, Inc. and Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Docket No. 14-006-WA/RB-HC (2014). |
|
|
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) |
|
|
Cite decisions to the Federal Trade Commission (F.T.C.). |
|
|
Government Accountability Office (GAO) |
|
|
Bid Protest Decisions: Cite to Decisions of the Comptroller General of the United States (Comp. Gen.). Example: Space Communications Co., 66 Comp. Gen. 2 (1987). |
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|
For unpublished decisions to a readily accessible source, cite as: <protesting party>, <docket number>, <volume number or year> <source> <location within source volume or year> (Comp. Gen. <date>). Do not indicate the publisher when citing these cases to the Comptroller General’s Procurement Decision, published by West. Examples: HP Enterprise Services, LLC, B-405692, 2012 CPD ¶ 13 (Comp. Gen. Dec. 14, 2011). Phoenix Environmental Design, Inc., B-412503, 2016 WL 873296 (Comp. Gen. Mar. 7, 2016). |
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|
Insert “et al.” after the docket number where a decision resolves multiple bid protests, each having its own docket number. Example: IAP-Hill, LLC, B-406289 et al, 2012 CPD ¶ 151 (Comp. Gen. Apr. 4, 2012). |
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|
International Trade Commission (USITC) |
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|
Trade Remedy Investigations: Cite as: <investigation name>, Inv. No. <number>, USITC Pub. <number> (<date>) (<status>). Indicate where a single decision contains multiple investigation numbers. Examples: Trade and Investment Polices in India, 2014–2015, Inv. No. 332-550, USITC Pub. 4566 (Sep. 2015). The Year in Trade 2014: Operation of the Trade Agreements Program, USITC Pub. 4543 (July 2015). Polyvinyl Alcohol from China, Japan, and Taiwan, Inv. Nos. 701-TA-309, 731-TA-528, 731-TA-529, USITC Pub. 4067 (Mar. 27, 2009) (Review). |
|
|
Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) |
|
|
Cite decisions to the Decisions of the United States Merit Systems Protection Board (M.S.P.B.). |
|
|
National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) |
|
|
Cite decisions and orders to the Decisions and Orders of the National Labor Relations Board (N.L.R.B.). |
|
|
National Mediation Board (NMB) |
|
|
Cite decisions to the Decisions of the National Mediation Board (N.M.B.). |
|
|
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) |
|
|
Cite decisions to the National Transportation Safety Board Decisions (N.T.S.B.), published from 1967-1977. |
|
|
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) |
|
|
For decisions of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, cite to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Issuances (N.R.C.). For decisions of its predecessor, the Atomic Energy Commission (1956–1975), cite to the Atomic Energy Commission Reports (A.E.C.). |
|
|
Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC) |
|
|
Decisions: For commission decisions reported in a service, cite as: <party name>, <service volume number> <publisher> <service, abbreviated as below> <page/paragraph number> (No. <docket number>, <year>). Example: US Pagoda, Inc., CCH OSHD ¶ 33123 (No. 10-2035, 2011). |
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|
At the end of a citation, indicate parenthetically when an administrative law judge issued the decision, rather than the commission. Example: Miller Construction Co., 24 BL OSHC 1817 (No. 13-0323, 2013) (ALJ). |
|
|
The abbreviations OSHRC uses for services reporting its decisions vary from those in Table T4 as follows: |
|
|
Occupational Safety & Health Cases (BL) |
BL OSHC |
|
Occupational Safety & Health Decisions (CCH) |
CCH OSHD |
|
A decision that is not cited in any service or database may be cited as an unpublished slip opinion following the format in Rule R12.4. Example: Prime Roofing Corp., No. 07-1409 (OSHRC Feb. 5, 2008), https://www.pewtrusts.org/-/media/assets/2020/06/debt-collectors-to-consumers.pdf |
|
|
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) |
|
|
Interpretive Letters, No-Action Letters, and Exemptive Letters: Cite a looseleaf service or an electronic database. In the citation, include the correspondent’s full name and the date that the letter became publicly available. Examples: Poplogix LLC, SEC No-Action Letter, 2010 WL 4472794 (Nov. 5, 2010). MP Environmental Funding LLC, SEC Interpretive Letter, 2007 WL 2838964 (Sep. 19, 2007) |
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|
Releases: Cite the Federal Register, SEC Docket, or a loose-leaf service. Releases that have subject-matter title may be presented in a short form. Make sure to include the act under which the release was issued, the release number, and the date. Example: SEC Whistleblower Rules, Exchange Act Release No. 75592, 80 Fed. Reg 47829 (Aug. 10, 2015). |
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|
If the release is an adjudication, abbreviate the parties’ names according to Rule 11. Example: Midas Sec., LLC, Exchange Act Release No. 66200, 102 SEC Docket 3123, 102 SEC Docket 3137 (Jan. 20, 2012). |
|
|
If the adjudication occurred before an administrative law judge, indicate this fact in the date parenthetical. |
|
|
If a particular release is issued under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, or the Investment Company Act, a parallel citation should be given in that order. |
|
|
Staff Interpretations: Cite SEC Staff Accounting Bulletins, Staff Legal Bulletins, and Telephone Interpretations as follows: Example: SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 99, 64 Fed. Reg. 45150 (Aug. 19, 1999). |
|
|
SEC Filings: For annual reports, proxy statements, and other company filings required under federal securities laws, provide the name of the company (abbreviated according to Rule 15), the title as given in the document, the form type in parentheses, the page number if applicable, and the full date of filing with the SEC. Example: Apple Inc., Annual Report (Form 10-K), (Oct. 28, 2015). |
|
|
If citing annual reports, proxy statements, or other documents in a form other than that filed with the SEC, treat as books under Rule 15. Example: Facebook, Inc., 2014 Annual Report (2014). |
|
|
Small Business Administration (SBA) |
|
|
Decisions: Cite decisions as: <party name>, SBA No. <docket number> (<date>). Example: OxyHeal Medical Systems, Inc., SBA No. SIZ-5707 (Jan. 19, 2016). |
|
|
The docket number indicates the type of decision: |
|
|
Small disadvantaged business |
SDBA |
|
Size determination |
SIZ |
|
Service-disabled veteran-owned business |
VET |
|
Business development program |
BDP |
|
North American Industry Classification System |
NAICS |
|
Social Security Administration (SSA) |
|
|
Rulings and Acquiescence Rulings: For Social Security Rulings, cite as SSR; for Social Security Acquiescence Rulings, cite as SSAR. Cite to the Social Security Rulings, Cumulative Edition (S.S.R. Cum. Ed.). If not published there, cite to another official source, such as the Code of Federal Regulations or the Federal Register. Otherwise, cite a commercial database or other source. Example: SSR 62-2, 1960-1974 Soc. Sec. Rep. Serv. 69 (Jan. 1, 1962). |
|
|
Surface Transportation Board (STB) |
|
|
For materials from the Surface Transportation Board, cite to the Surface Transportation Board Reporter (S.T.B.). For materials from its predecessor, cite to the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC), to the Interstate Commerce Commission Reporter (I.C.C., I.C.C. 2d). |
|
|
The official date for unpublished decisions is the date on which the decision was served on the parties or otherwise filed by the STB (or ICC). Do not cite the date of the decision. |
|
This table provides a uniform standard for citing state and U.S. territorial legal sources. It also provides selected Local Notes on state-specific practices. This table does not attempt to comprehensively address state-specific citation rules and customs; indeed, its primary use is simply to illustrate that many states’ legal-citation practices vary widely from the Uniform System of Citation. To dig deep into a particular state’s citations rules and customs, refer to court websites, court rules, and state style manuals if available, as well as the expertise of law librarians and legal professionals. See also Peter Martin, Introduction to Basic Legal Citation § 7-500, Table of State-Specific Citation Norms and Practices, https://www.law.cornell.edu/citation/7-500. Updates and suggested Local Notes may be provided to the editors of The Indigo Book.
|
Category |
Dates |
Abbreviation |
|
|
Alabama |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Ala.): Cite to So., So. 2d, or So. 3d. |
|||
|
Southern Reporter |
1886–date |
So., So. 2d, So. 3d |
|
|
Alabama Reports |
1840–1976 |
Ala. |
|
|
Porter |
1834–1839 |
Port. |
|
|
Stewart and Porter |
1831–1834 |
Stew. & P. |
|
|
Stewart |
1827–1831 |
Stew. |
|
|
Minor |
1820–1826 |
Minor |
|
|
Court of Civil Appeals (Ala. Civ. App.) and Court of Criminal Appeals (Ala. Crim. App.), before 1969 Court of Appeals (Ala. Ct. App.): Cite to So., So. 2d, or So. 3d. |
|||
|
Southern Reporter |
1911–date |
So., So. 2d, So. 3d |
|
|
Alabama Appellate Courts Reports |
1911–1974 |
Ala. App. |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to Ala. Code (published by West). |
|||
|
Code of Alabama, 1975 (West) |
Ala. Code § x-x-x (<year>) |
||
|
Michie’s Alabama Code, 1975 (LexisNexis) |
Ala. Code § x-x-x (LexisNexis <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Ala. Laws. |
|||
|
Alabama Laws |
<year> Ala. Laws <page no.> |
||
|
West’s Alabama Legislative Service |
<year> Ala. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Michie’s Alabama Code <year> Advance Legislative Service (LexisNexis) |
<year>-<pamph. no.> Ala. Adv. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (LexisNexis) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Alabama Administrative Code |
Ala. Admin. Code r. x-x-x.x (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
Alabama Administrative Monthly |
<vol. no.> Ala. Admin. Monthly <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
Alaska |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Alaska): Cite to P.2d or P.3d. |
|||
|
Pacific Reporter |
1960–date |
P.2d, P.3d |
|
|
Court of Appeals (Alaska Ct. App.): Cite to P.2d or P.3d. |
|||
|
Pacific Reporter |
1980–date |
P.2d, P.3d |
|
|
District Courts of Alaska (D. Alaska): These courts had local jurisdiction from 1884 to 1959. Cite to F. Supp., F., or F.2d; else, cite to Alaska or Alaska Fed., in that order of preference. |
|||
|
Federal Supplement |
1946–1959 |
F. Supp. |
|
|
Federal Reporter |
1886–1932 |
F., F.2d |
|
|
Alaska Reports |
1887–1958 |
Alaska |
|
|
Alaska Federal Reports |
1869–1937 |
Alaska Fed. |
|
|
United States District Courts for California and Oregon, and District Courts of Washington (D. Cal., D. Or., D. Wash.): These courts had local jurisdiction in Alaska until 1884. Cite to F. or F. Cas. |
|||
|
Federal Reporter |
1880–1884 |
F. |
|
|
Federal Cases |
1867–1880 |
F. Cas. |
|
|
Alaska Federal Reports |
1869–1937 |
Alaska Fed. |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to Alaska Stat. |
|||
|
Alaska Statutes (LexisNexis) |
Alaska Stat. § x.x.x (<year>) |
||
|
West’s Alaska Statutes Annotated |
Alaska Stat. Ann. § x.x.x (West <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Alaska Sess. Laws. |
|||
|
Session Laws of Alaska |
<year> Alaska Sess. Laws <page no.> |
||
|
Alaska Statutes <year> Advance Legislative Service |
<year>-<pamph. no.> Alaska Adv. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (LexisNexis) |
||
|
West’s Alaska Legislative Service |
<year> Alaska Legis. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Alaska Administrative Code (LexisNexis) |
Alaska Admin. Code tit. x, § x.x (<year>) |
||
|
Arizona |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Ariz.): Cite to P., P.2d, or P.3d. |
|||
|
Pacific Reporter |
1883–date |
P., P.2d, P.3d |
|
|
Arizona Reports |
1866–date |
Ariz. |
|
|
Court of Appeals (Ariz. Ct. App.): Cite to P.2d or P.3d. |
|||
|
Pacific Reporter |
1965–date |
P.2d, P.3d |
|
|
Arizona Reports |
1976–date |
Ariz. |
|
|
Arizona Appeals Reports |
1965–1977 |
Ariz. App. |
|
|
Tax Court (Ariz. Tax Ct.): Cite to P.2d or P.3d. |
|||
|
Pacific Reporter |
1988–date |
P.2d, P.3d |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. |
|||
|
Arizona Revised Statutes Annotated (West) |
Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § x-x (<year>) |
||
|
Arizona Revised Statutes (LexisNexis) |
Ariz. Rev. Stat. § x-x (LexisNexis <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Ariz. Sess. Laws. |
|||
|
Session Laws, Arizona |
<year> Ariz. Sess. Laws <page no.> |
||
|
Arizona Legislative Service (West) |
<year> Ariz. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Arizona Administrative Code |
Ariz. Admin. Code § x-x-x (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
Arizona Administrative Register |
<vol. no.> Ariz. Admin. Reg. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
Arkansas |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Ark.): Cite to S.W., S.W.2d, or S.W.3d. |
|||
|
South Western Reporter |
1886–date |
S.W., S.W.2d, or S.W.3d |
|
|
Arkansas Reports |
1837–2009 |
Ark. |
|
|
Court of Appeals (Ark. Ct. App.): Cite to S.W.2d or S.W.3d. |
|||
|
South Western Reporter |
1979–date |
S.W.2d, S.W.3d |
|
|
Arkansas Appellate Reports |
1981–2009 |
Ark. App. |
|
|
Arkansas Reports |
1979–1981 |
Ark. |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to Ark. Code Ann. (published by LexisNexis). |
|||
|
Arkansas Code of 1987 Annotated (LexisNexis) |
Ark. Code Ann. § x-x-x (<year>) |
||
|
West's Arkansas Code Annotated |
Ark. Code Ann. § x-x-x (West <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Ark. Acts. |
|||
|
Acts of Arkansas (West) |
<year> Ark. Acts <page no.> |
||
|
Arkansas Code of 1987 Annotated <year> Advance Legislative Service (LexisNexis) |
<year>-<pamph. no.> Ark. Adv. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (LexisNexis) |
||
|
West's Arkansas Legislative Service |
<year> Ark. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Code of Arkansas Rules (LexisNexis) |
x-x-x Ark. Code R. § x (LexisNexis <year>) |
||
|
Administrative registers: Cite to Ark. Reg. |
|||
|
Arkansas Register |
<vol. no.> Ark. Reg. <page no.> (<month year>) |
||
|
Arkansas Government Register |
<iss. no.> Ark. Gov’t Reg. <page no.> (LexisNexis <month year>) |
||
|
Local Notes: Arkansas has adopted a public domain citation format for cases after February 13, 2009. Citations include a parallel citation to the Southwestern Reports or other source. For additional instruction, consult Arkansas Supreme Court Rule 5-2. Examples: Box v. J.B. Hunt Transp., Inc., 2017 Ark. App. 605, 533 S.W.3d 603. Mounce v. Jeronimo Insulating LLC, 2021 Ark. App. 195, 2021 WL 1655901. See generally Arkansas Reporter of Decisions, House Style Guide (2010), https://courts.arkansas.gov/sites/default/files/House%20Style%20Guide%20September2010.pdf (“This House Style Guide is intended for internal use by the judiciary and staff of the Arkansas Supreme Court and Court of Appeals in preparing opinions. Practitioners may also consult this House Style Guide, but must adhere to specific requirements of the Arkansas Rules of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals regarding pleadings, briefs, and other documents submitted to the supreme court and court of appeals.”) |
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|
California |
|||
|
Local Notes: The year of cases is indicated parenthetically after the case name. Parallel citations may be placed in brackets after the California Reports citation. Citation sentences are entirely enclosed in parentheses. Example: (Brescia v. Angelin (2009) 172 Cal.App.4th 133 [90 Cal.Rptr.3d 842]). California statutory and administrative code citations follow state-specific abbreviations, such as Cal. U. Com. Code for the California Uniform Commercial Code. See Edward W. Jessen, California Style Manual: A Handbook of Legal Style for California Courts and Lawyers (4th ed. 2000), available at http://www.sdap.org/downloads/Style-Manual.pdf |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Cal.): Cite to P., P.2d, or P.3d. |
|||
|
Pacific Reporter |
1883–date |
P., P.2d, P.3d |
|
|
California Reports |
1850–date |
Cal., Cal. 2d, Cal. 3d, Cal. 4th |
|
|
West’s California Reporter |
1959–date |
Cal. Rptr., Cal. Rptr. 2d, Cal. Rptr. 3d |
|
|
California Unreported Cases |
1855–1910 |
Cal. Unrep. |
|
|
Court of Appeal (Cal. Ct. App.), previously District Court of Appeal (Cal. Dist. Ct. App.): Cite to P. or P.2d (before 1960) or Cal. Rptr., Cal. Rptr. 2d (after 1959), or Cal. Rptr. 3d. |
|||
|
West’s California Reporter |
1959–date |
Cal. Rptr., Cal. Rptr. 2d, Cal. Rptr. 3d |
|
|
Pacific Reporter |
1905–1959 |
P., P.2d |
|
|
California Appellate Reports |
1905–date |
Cal. App., Cal. App. 2d, Cal. App. 3d, Cal. App. 4th |
|
|
Appellate Divisions of the Superior Court (Cal. App. Dep’t Super. Ct.): Cite to P. or P.2d (before 1960) or to Cal. Rptr., Cal. Rptr. 2d (after 1959), or Cal. Rptr. 3d. |
|||
|
West’s California Reporter |
1959–date |
Cal. Rptr., Cal. Rptr. 2d, Cal. Rptr. 3d |
|
|
Pacific Reporter |
1929–1959 |
P., P.2d |
|
|
California Appellate Reports Supplement (bound with Cal. App.) |
1929–date |
Cal. App. Supp., Cal. App. 2d Supp., Cal. App. 3d Supp., Cal. App. 4th Supp. |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to either the West or the Deering subject-matter code. |
|||
|
West’s Annotated California Codes |
Cal. <Subject> Code § x (West <year>) |
||
|
Deering’s California Codes, Annotated (LexisNexis) |
Cal. <Subject> Code § x (Deering <year>) |
||
|
Agricultural (renamed “Food and Agricultural” in 1972) |
Agric. |
||
|
Business and Professions |
Bus. & Prof. |
||
|
Civil |
Civ. |
||
|
Civil Procedure |
Civ. Proc. |
||
|
Commercial |
Com. |
||
|
Corporations |
Corp. |
||
|
Education |
Educ. |
||
|
Elections |
Elec. |
||
|
Evidence |
Evid. |
||
|
Family |
Fam. |
||
|
Financial |
Fin. |
||
|
Fish and Game |
Fish & Game |
||
|
Food and Agricultural (formerly “Agricultural”) |
Food & Agric. |
||
|
Government |
Gov’t |
||
|
Harbors and Navigation |
Harb. & Nav. |
||
|
Health and Safety |
Health & Safety |
||
|
Insurance |
Ins. |
||
|
Labor |
Lab. |
||
|
Military and Veterans |
Mil. & Vet. |
||
|
Penal |
Penal |
||
|
Probate |
Prob. |
||
|
Public Contract |
Pub. Cont. |
||
|
Public Resources |
Pub. Res. |
||
|
Public Utilities |
Pub. Util. |
||
|
Revenue and Taxation |
Rev. & Tax. |
||
|
Streets and Highways |
Sts. & High. |
||
|
Unemployment Insurance |
Unemp. Ins. |
||
|
Vehicle |
Veh. |
||
|
Water |
Water |
||
|
Welfare and Institutions |
Welf. & Inst. |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Cal. Stat. |
|||
|
Statutes of California |
<year> Cal. Stat. <page no.> |
||
|
West’s California Legislative Service |
<year> Cal. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Deering’s California Advance Legislative Service (LexisNexis) |
<year>-<pamph. no.> Cal. Adv. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (LexisNexis) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
California Code of Regulations (West) |
Cal. Code Regs. tit. x, § x (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
California Regulatory Notice Register |
<iss. no.> Cal. Regulatory Notice Reg. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
Colorado |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Colo.): Cite to P., P.2d, or P.3d, if found there; else, cite to Colo., if found there, or to Colo. Law. or Brief Times Rptr. |
|||
|
Pacific Reporter |
1883–date |
P., P.2d, P.3d |
|
|
Colorado Reports |
1864–1980 |
Colo. |
|
|
Colorado Lawyer |
1972–date |
Colo. Law. |
|
|
Brief Times Reporter |
1977–1996 |
Brief Times Rptr. |
|
|
Colorado Journal |
1996–2002 |
Colo. J. |
|
|
Law Week Colorado |
2002–date |
L. Week Colo. |
|
|
Court of Appeals (Colo. App.): Cite to P., P.2d, or P.3d, if found there; else, cite to Colo. App., if found there, or else to one of the other reporters listed below. |
|||
|
Pacific Reporter |
1970–date |
P.2d, P.3d |
|
|
1912–1915 |
P. |
||
|
1891–1905 |
P. |
||
|
Colorado Court of Appeals Reports |
1891–1905 |
Colo. App. |
|
|
1912–1915 |
Colo. App. |
||
|
1970–1980 |
Colo. App. |
||
|
Colorado Lawyer |
1972–date |
Colo. Law. |
|
|
Brief Times Reporter |
1977–1996 |
Brief Times Rptr. |
|
|
Colorado Journal |
1996–2002 |
Colo. J. |
|
|
Law Week Colorado |
2002–date |
L. Week Colo. |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to Colo. Rev. Stat. |
|||
|
Colorado Revised Statutes (LexisNexis): Colo. Rev. Stat. § <title-article-section> (<year>) |
Colo. Rev. Stat. § x-x-x (<year>) |
||
|
West’s Colorado Revised Statutes Annotated: Colo. Rev. Stat. Ann. § <title-article-section> (West <year>) |
Colo. Rev. Stat. Ann. § x-x-x (West <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Colo. Sess. Laws. |
|||
|
Session Laws of Colorado (LexisNexis) |
<year> Colo. Sess. Laws <page no.> |
||
|
Colorado Legislative Service (West) |
<year> Colo. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Administrative compilations: Cite to Colo. Code Regs. |
|||
|
Colorado Code of Regulations |
Colo. Code Regs. § x-x (<year>) |
||
|
Code of Colorado Regulations (LexisNexis) |
<vol. no.> Colo. Code Regs. § x-x (LexisNexis <year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
Colorado Register |
<iss. no.> Colo. Reg. <page no.> (<month year>) |
||
|
Local Notes: Colorado has adopted a public domain citation format for cases after January 3, 2012. For additional information, consult Rules of the Supreme Court of Colorado, Chief Justice Directive 12-01. Examples: McCoy v. People, 2019 CO 44, ¶ 20, 442 P.3d 379, 385. People v. McClintic, 202 COA 120M, 484 P.3d 724. |
|||
|
Connecticut |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Conn.), previously Supreme Court of Errors (Conn.): Cite to A., A.2d, or A.3d. |
|||
|
Atlantic Reporter |
1885–date |
A., A.2d, A.3d |
|
|
Connecticut Reports |
1814–date |
Conn. |
|
|
Day |
1802–1813 |
Day |
|
|
Root |
1789–1798 |
Root |
|
|
Kirby |
1785–1789 |
Kirby |
|
|
Appellate Court (Conn. App. Ct.): Cite to A.2d or A.3d. |
|||
|
Atlantic Reporter |
1983–date |
A.2d, A.3d |
|
|
Connecticut Appellate Reports |
1983–date |
Conn. App. |
|
|
Superior Court (Conn. Super. Ct.) and Court of Common Pleas (Conn. C.P.): Cite to A.2d or A.3d, if found there; else, cite to Conn. Supp., if found there, or else to one of the other reporters listed below. |
|||
|
Atlantic Reporter |
1954–date |
A.2d, A.3d |
|
|
Connecticut Supplement |
1935–date |
Conn. Supp. |
|
|
Connecticut Law Reporter |
1990–date |
Conn. L. Rptr. |
|
|
Connecticut Superior Court Reports |
1986–1994 |
Conn. Super. Ct. |
|
|
Circuit Court (Conn. Cir. Ct.): Cite to A.2d or A.3d. |
|||
|
Atlantic Reporter |
1961–1974 |
A.2d, A.3d |
|
|
Connecticut Circuit Court Reports |
1961–1974 |
Conn. Cir. Ct. |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to Conn. Gen. Stat. |
|||
|
General Statutes of Connecticut |
Conn. Gen. Stat. § x-x (<year>) |
||
|
Connecticut General Statutes Annotated (West) |
Conn. Gen. Stat. Ann. § x-x (West <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Conn. Acts, Conn. Pub. Acts, or Conn. Spec. Acts. |
|||
|
Connecticut Public & Special Acts |
1972–date |
<year> Conn. Acts <page no.> ([Reg. or Spec.] Sess.) |
|
|
Connecticut Public Acts |
1650–1971 |
<year> Conn. Pub. Acts <page no.> |
|
|
Connecticut Special Acts (Resolves & Private Laws, Private & Special Laws, Special Laws, Resolves & Private Acts, Resolutions & Private Acts, Private Acts & Resolutions, and Special Acts & Resolutions) |
1789–1971 |
<year> Conn. Spec. Acts <page no.> |
|
|
Connecticut Legislative Service (West) |
<year> Conn. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies |
Conn. Agencies Regs. § x-x-x (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative registers: Cite to Conn. L.J. |
|||
|
Connecticut Law Journal |
<vol. no.> Conn. L.J. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
Connecticut Government Register (LexisNexis) |
<iss. no.> Conn. Gov’t Reg. <page no.> (LexisNexis <month year>) |
||
|
Local Notes: See generally Office of the Reporter of Judicial Decisions, The Manual of Style for the Connecticut Courts (3d ed. 2013). |
|||
|
Delaware |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Del.), previously Court of Errors and Appeals (Del.): Cite to A., A.2d, or A.3d. |
|||
|
Atlantic Reporter |
1886–date |
A., A.2d, A.3d |
|
|
Delaware Reports |
|||
|
31 Del. to 59 Del. |
1919–1966 |
Del. |
|
|
Boyce |
1909–1920 |
e.g., 24 Del. (1 Boyce) |
|
|
Pennewill |
1897–1909 |
e.g., 17 Del. (1 Penne.) |
|
|
Marvel |
1893–1897 |
e.g., 15 Del. (1 Marv.) |
|
|
Houston |
1855–1893 |
e.g., 6 Del. (1 Houst.) |
|
|
Harrington |
1832–1855 |
e.g., 1 Del. (1 Harr.) |
|
|
Delaware Cases |
1792–1830 |
Del. Cas. |
|
|
Court of Chancery (Del. Ch.): Cite to A., A.2d, or A.3d. |
|||
|
Atlantic Reporter |
1886–date |
A., A.2d, A.3d |
|
|
Delaware Chancery Reports |
1814–1968 |
Del. Ch. |
|
|
Delaware Cases |
1792–1830 |
Del. Cas. |
|
|
Superior Court (Del. Super. Ct.), previously Superior Court and Orphans’ Court (Del. Super. Ct. & Orphans’ Ct.): Cite to A.2d or A.3d, if found there; else, cite to one of the official reporters listed under Supreme Court (Del.). |
|||
|
Atlantic Reporter |
1951–date |
A.2d, A.3d |
|
|
Family Court (Del. Fam. Ct.): Cite to A.2d or A.3d. |
|||
|
Atlantic Reporter |
1977–date |
A.2d, A.3d |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to Del. Code Ann. |
|||
|
Delaware Code Annotated (LexisNexis) |
Del. Code Ann. tit. x, § x (<year>) |
||
|
West’s Delaware Code Annotated |
Del. Code Ann. tit. x, § x (West <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Del. Laws. |
|||
|
Laws of Delaware |
<vol. no.> Del. Laws <page no.> (<year>) |
||
|
Delaware Code Annotated <year> Advance Legislative Service (LexisNexis) |
<year>-<pamph. no.> Del. Code. Ann. Adv. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (LexisNexis) |
||
|
West’s Delaware Legislative Service |
<year> Del. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Administrative compilations: Cite to Del. Admin. Code. |
|||
|
Delaware Administrative Code |
x-x-x Del. Admin. Code § x (<year>) |
||
|
Code of Delaware Regulations (LexisNexis) |
x-x-x Del. Code Regs. § x (LexisNexis <year>) |
||
|
Administrative registers: Cite to Del. Reg. Regs. |
|||
|
Delaware Register of Regulations |
<vol. no.> Del. Reg. Regs. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
Delaware Government Register (LexisNexis) |
<iss. no.> Del Gov’t Reg. <page no.> (LexisNexis <month year>) |
||
|
Local Notes: The Delaware Code is cited as <vol.> Del. C. <section>. See generally Superior Court of Delaware, Guide to the Delaware Rules of Legal Citation (2004), https://courts.delaware.gov/superior/pdf/citation_guide.pdf Blake Rohrbacher, Delaware Uniform Citations (2008), https://courts.delaware.gov/superior/pdf/de_uniform_citation_2008.pdf (adopted by the Litigation Section of the Delaware State Bar Association). |
|||
|
District of Columbia |
|||
|
Court of Appeals (D.C.), previously Municipal Court of Appeals (D.C.): Cite to A.2d or A.3d. |
|||
|
Atlantic Reporter |
1943–date |
A.2d, A.3d |
|
|
United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (D.C. Cir.), previously Court of Appeals of/for the District of Columbia (D.C. Cir.), previously Supreme Court of the District of Columbia (D.C.): Cite to F., F.2d, or F.3d. |
|||
|
Federal Reporter |
1919–date |
F., F.2d, F.3d |
|
|
United States Court of Appeals Reports |
1941–date |
U.S. App. D.C. |
|
|
Appeal Cases, District of Columbia |
1893–1941 |
App. D.C. |
|
|
District of Columbia Reports |
|||
|
Tucker and Clephane |
1892–1893 |
21 D.C. (Tuck. & Cl.) |
|
|
Mackey |
1880–1892 |
<12–20> D.C. (Mackey <1–9>) |
|
|
MacArthur and Mackey |
1879–1880 |
11 D.C. (MacArth. & M.) |
|
|
MacArthur |
1873–1879 |
<8–10> D.C. (MacArth. <1–3>) |
|
|
District of Columbia Reports (reported by Mackey) |
1863–1872 |
<6–7> D.C. |
|
|
Hayward & Hazleton, Circuit Court (Circuit Court Reports, vols. 6–7) |
1840–1863 |
<1–2> Hay. & Haz. |
|
|
Cranch, Circuit Court |
1801–1840 |
<1–5> D.C. (Cranch <1–5>) |
|
|
Superior Court (D.C. Super. Ct.), previously Municipal Court (D.C. Mun. Ct.): Cite to Daily Wash. L. Rptr. |
|||
|
Daily Washington Law Reporter |
1971–date |
Daily Wash. L. Rptr. |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to D.C. Code. |
|||
|
District of Columbia Official Code (LexisNexis) |
D.C. Code § x-x (<year>) |
||
|
West's District of Columbia Code Annotated (West) |
D.C. Code Ann. § x-x (West <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Stat., D.C. Reg., or D.C. Code Adv. Leg. Serv. |
|||
|
United States Statutes at Large |
<vol. no.> Stat. <page no.> (<year>) |
||
|
District of Columbia Register |
<vol. no.> D.C. Reg. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
District of Columbia Official Code Lexis Advance Legislative Service |
<year>-<pamph. no.> D.C. Code Adv. Leg. Serv. <page no.> |
||
|
District of Columbia Session Law Service West |
<year> D.C. Sess. L. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Municipal regulations: Cite to D.C. Mun. Regs. |
|||
|
Code of D.C. Municipal Regulations |
D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. x, § x (<year>) |
||
|
Code of District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (LexisNexis) |
D.C. Code Mun. Regs. tit. x § x (LexisNexis <year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
District of Columbia Register |
<vol. no.> D.C. Reg. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
Local Notes: See generally District of Columbia Court of Appeals Style Guide (2019), https://www.dccourts.gov/sites/default/files/matters-docs/DCCACitationGuide.pdf |
|||
|
Florida |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Fla.): Cite to So., So. 2d, or So. 3d. |
|||
|
Southern Reporter |
1886–date |
So., So. 2d, So. 3d |
|
|
Florida Reports |
1846–1948 |
Fla. |
|
|
Florida Law Weekly |
1978–date |
Fla. L. Weekly |
|
|
District Court of Appeal (Fla. Dist. Ct. App.): Cite to So. 2d or So. 3d. |
|||
|
Southern Reporter |
1957–date |
So. 2d, So. 3d |
|
|
Florida Law Weekly |
1978–date |
Fla. L. Weekly |
|
|
Circuit Court (Fla. Cir. Ct.), County Court (e.g., Fla. Orange Cnty. Ct.), Public Service Commission (Fla. P.S.C.), and other lower courts of record: Cite to Fla. Supp. or Fla. Supp. 2d. |
|||
|
Florida Supplement |
1950–1991 |
Fla. Supp., Fla. Supp. 2d |
|
|
Florida Law Weekly Supplement |
1992–date |
Fla. L. Weekly Supp. |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to Fla. Stat. |
|||
|
Florida Statutes |
Fla. Stat. § x.x (<year>) |
||
|
West’s Florida Statutes Annotated |
Fla. Stat. Ann. § x.x (West <year>) |
||
|
LexisNexis Florida Statutes Annotated |
Fla. Stat. Ann. § x.x (LexisNexis <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Fla. Laws. |
|||
|
Laws of Florida |
<year> Fla. Laws <page no.> |
||
|
West’s Florida Session Law Service |
<year> Fla. Sess. Law Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Florida Administrative Code Annotated (LexisNexis) |
Fla. Admin. Code Ann. r. x-x.x (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative register: Cite to Fla. Admin. Reg. |
|||
|
Florida Administrative Register |
2012–date |
<vol. no.> Fla. Admin. Reg. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
|
|
Florida Administrative Weekly (LexisNexis) |
1996–2012 |
<vol. no.> Fla. Admin. Weekly <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
|
|
Local Notes: Florida statutes are customarily cited with section first: § xx.xxx, Fla. Stat. (2020). At the intermediate appellate level, the Florida courts are divided into five District Courts of Appeal. Citations indicate the applicable District Court of Appeal, abbreviated as DCA. See Fla. R. App. P. 8.800; Indigo Book Rule R12.1.2. Example: Saldana v. State, 295 So. 3d 1235 (Fla. 1st DCA 2020). See generally Florida Style Manual (Florida State Univ. Law Rev., eds., 8th ed. 2019), https://www.floridastylemanual.com/ |
|||
|
Georgia |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Ga.): Cite to S.E. or S.E.2d. |
|||
|
South Eastern Reporter |
1887–date |
S.E., S.E.2d |
|
|
Georgia Reports |
1846–date |
Ga. |
|
|
Court of Appeals (Ga. Ct. App.): Cite to S.E. or S.E.2d. |
|||
|
South Eastern Reporter |
1907–date |
S.E., S.E.2d |
|
|
Georgia Appeals Reports |
1907–date |
Ga. App. |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to Ga. Code Ann. (published by LexisNexis). |
|||
|
Official Code of Georgia Annotated (LexisNexis) |
Ga. Code Ann. § x-x-x (<year>) |
||
|
West’s Code of Georgia Annotated |
Ga. Code Ann. § x-x-x (West <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Ga. Laws. |
|||
|
Georgia Laws |
<year> Ga. Laws <page no.> |
||
|
Georgia <year> Advance Legislative Service (LexisNexis) |
<year>-<pamph. no.> Ga. Code Ann. Adv. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (LexisNexis) |
||
|
West’s Georgia Legislative Service |
<year> Ga. Code Ann. Adv. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Official Compilation Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia |
Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. x-x-x.x (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
Georgia Government Register (LexisNexis) |
<iss. no.> Ga. Gov’t Reg. <page no.> (LexisNexis <month year>) |
||
|
Local Notes: The Official Code of Georgia Annotated is cited as O.C.G.A. See O.C.G.A. § 1-1-8(e). |
|||
|
Hawaii |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Haw.): Cite to P.2d or P.3d. |
|||
|
Pacific Reporter |
1959–date |
P.2d, P.3d |
|
|
West’s Hawaii Reports (begins with vol. 76) |
1994–date |
Haw. |
|
|
Hawaii Reports (ends with vol. 75) |
1847–1994 |
Haw. |
|
|
Intermediate Court of Appeals (Haw. Ct. App.): Cite to P.2d or P.3d. |
|||
|
Pacific Reporter |
1980–date |
P.2d, P.3d |
|
|
West’s Hawaii Reports |
1994–date |
Haw. |
|
|
Hawaii Appellate Reports |
1980–1994 |
Haw. App. |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to Haw. Rev. Stat. |
|||
|
Hawaii Revised Statutes |
Haw. Rev. Stat. § x-x (<year>) |
||
|
Michie’s Hawaii Revised Statutes Annotated (LexisNexis) |
Haw. Rev. Stat. Ann. § x-x (LexisNexis <year>) |
||
|
West’s Hawai'i Revised Statutes Annotated |
Haw. Rev. Stat. Ann. § x-x (West <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Haw. Sess. Laws. |
|||
|
Session Laws of Hawaii |
<year> Haw. Sess. Laws <page no.> |
||
|
Michie’s Hawaii Revised Statutes Annotated Advance Legislative Service (LexisNexis) |
<year>-<pamph. no.> Haw. Rev. Stat. Ann. Adv. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (LexisNexis) |
||
|
West’s Hawai'i Legislative Service |
<year> Haw. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Code of Hawaii Rules (LexisNexis) |
Haw. Code R. § x-x-x (LexisNexis <year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
Hawaii Government Register (LexisNexis) |
<iss. no.> Haw. Gov’t Reg. <page no.> (LexisNexis <month year>) |
||
|
Local Notes: See generally A Handbook of Citation Forms for the Law Clerks at the Appellate Courts of the State of Hawai’i (2008), https://www.law.hawaii.edu/sites/www.law.hawaii.edu/files/content/library/HandbookofCitationForm.pdf (keyed to The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (Columbia L. Rev. et al., eds., 18th ed. 2005)). |
|||
|
Idaho |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Idaho): Cite to P., P.2d, or P.3d. |
|||
|
Pacific Reporter |
1883–date |
P., P.2d, P.3d |
|
|
Idaho Reports |
1866–date |
Idaho |
|
|
Court of Appeals (Idaho Ct. App.): Cite to P.2d or P.3d. |
|||
|
Pacific Reporter |
1982–date |
P.2d, P.3d |
|
|
Idaho Reports |
1982–date |
Idaho |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to Idaho Code (published by LexisNexis). |
|||
|
Idaho Code (LexisNexis) |
Idaho Code § x-x (<year>) |
||
|
West’s Idaho Code Annotated |
Idaho Code Ann. § x-x (West <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Idaho Sess. Laws. |
|||
|
Idaho Session Laws |
<year> Idaho Sess. Laws <page no.> |
||
|
Idaho Code Annotated Advance Legislative Service (LexisNexis) |
<year>-<pamph. no.> Idaho Code Ann. Adv. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (LexisNexis) |
||
|
West’s Idaho Legislative Service |
<year> Idaho Legis. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Administrative compilation: http://adminrules.gov/rules/current |
|||
|
Idaho Administrative Code |
Idaho Admin. Code r. x.x.x.x (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
Idaho Administrative Bulletin |
<vol. no.> Idaho Admin. Bull. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
Local Notes: The Idaho Code is commonly cited in the state as I.C. § xx-xxxx. |
|||
|
Illinois |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Ill.): Cite to N.E., N.E.2d, or N.E.3d. |
|||
|
North Eastern Reporter |
1884–date |
N.E., N.E.2d, N.E.3d |
|
|
Illinois Official Reports |
2011–date |
<year> IL <docket no.> |
|
|
Illinois Reports |
|||
|
11 Ill. to date |
1849–2011 |
Ill., Ill. 2d |
|
|
Gilman |
1844–1849 |
e.g., 6 Ill. (1 Gilm.) |
|
|
Scammon |
1832–1843 |
e.g., 2 Ill. (1 Scam.) |
|
|
Breese |
1819–1831 |
1 Ill. (Breese) |
|
|
West's Illinois Decisions |
1976–date |
Ill. Dec. |
|
|
Appellate Court (Ill. App. Ct.): Cite to N.E.2d, N.E.3d. |
|||
|
North Eastern Reporter |
1936–date |
N.E.2d, N.E.3d |
|
|
Illinois Official Reports |
2011–date |
<year> IL App. (<court no.>) |
|
|
Illinois Appellate Court Reports |
1877–2011 |
Ill. App., Ill. App. 2d, Ill. App. 3d |
|
|
West’s Illinois Decisions |
1976–date |
Ill. Dec. |
|
|
Illinois Circuit Court (Ill. Cir. Ct.), previously Court of Claims (Ill. Ct. Cl.): Cite to Ill. Ct. Cl. |
|||
|
Illinois Court of Claims Reports |
1889–date |
Ill. Ct. Cl. |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to Ill. Comp. Stat. |
|||
|
Illinois Compiled Statutes |
<ch. no.> Ill. Comp. Stat. <act no.> / <sec. no.> (<year>) |
||
|
West’s Smith-Hurd Illinois Compiled Statutes Annotated |
<ch. no.> Ill. Comp. Stat. Ann. <act no.> / <sec. no.> (West <year>) |
||
|
Illinois Compiled Statutes Annotated (LexisNexis) |
<ch. no.> Ill. Comp. Stat. Ann. <act no.> / <sec. no.> (LexisNexis <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Ill. Laws. |
|||
|
Laws of Illinois |
<year> Ill. Laws <page no.> |
||
|
Illinois Legislative Service (West) |
<year> Ill. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Illinois Compiled Statutes Annotated Advance Legislative Service (LexisNexis) |
<year>-<pamph. no.> Ill. Comp. Stat. Ann. Adv. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (LexisNexis) |
||
|
Administrative compilations: Cite to Ill. Admin. Code. |
|||
|
Illinois Administrative Code |
Ill. Admin. Code tit. x, § x (<year>) |
||
|
Code of Illinois Rules (LexisNexis) |
<vol. no.> Ill. Code R. <rule no.> (LexisNexis <year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
Illinois Register |
<vol. no.> Ill. Reg. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
Local Notes: In Illinois practice, the Illinois Compiled Statutes are cited using “ILCS.” Example: 725 ILCS 5/100-1 (West 2020) Illinois has adopted a public domain citation format for cases effective July 1, 2011. See Illinois Supreme Court Rule 6. Thus, when citing an Illinois intermediate appellate court decision and including a parallel citation to the North Eastern Reporter, it is advisable to include the intermediate appellate division, noting also that the public domain format renders the court and year unambiguously clear. See generally Style Manual for the Supreme Court and Appellate Courts of Illinois (5th ed. 2017), https://courts.illinois.gov/StyleManual/SupCrt_StyleManual.pdf Examples: People v. Pinkett, 2023 IL 127223 Dustman v. Advocate Aurora Health, Inc., 2021 IL App (4th) 210157, 455 Ill. Dec. 630, 192 N.E.3d 47 Burns v. Municipal Officers Electoral Bd. of Elk Grove Village, 2020 IL 125714, 443 Ill. Dec. 287, 161 N.E.3d 939 |
|||
|
Indiana |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Ind.): Cite to N.E., N.E.2d, N.E.3d. |
|||
|
North Eastern Reporter |
1885–date |
N.E., N.E.2d, N.E.3d |
|
|
Indiana Reports |
1848–1981 |
Ind. |
|
|
Blackford |
1817–1847 |
Blackf. |
|
|
Court of Appeals (Ind. Ct. App.), previously Appellate Court (Ind. App.): Cite to N.E., N.E.2d, or N.E.3d. |
|||
|
North Eastern Reporter |
1891–date |
N.E., N.E.2d, N.E.3d |
|
|
Indiana Court of Appeals Reports (prior to 1972, Indiana Appellate Court Reports) |
1890–1979 |
Ind. App. |
|
|
Tax Court (Ind. T.C.): Cite to N.E.2d or N.E.3d. |
|||
|
North Eastern Reporter |
1986–date |
N.E., N.E.2d, N.E.3d |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to Ind. Code. |
|||
|
Indiana Code |
Ind. Code § x-x-x-x (<year>) |
||
|
West’s Annotated Indiana Code |
Ind. Code Ann. § x-x-x-x (West <year>) |
||
|
Burns Indiana Statutes Annotated (LexisNexis) |
Ind. Code Ann. § x-x-x-x (LexisNexis <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Ind. Acts. |
|||
|
Acts, Indiana |
<year> Ind. Acts <page no.> |
||
|
West’s Indiana Legislative Service |
<year> Ind. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Burns Indiana Statutes Annotated Advance Legislative Service (LexisNexis) |
<year>-<pamph. no.> Ind. Stat. Ann. Adv. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (LexisNexis) |
||
|
Administrative compilations: Cite to Ind. Admin. Code. |
|||
|
Indiana Administrative Code |
<tit. no.> Ind. Admin. Code x-x-x (<year>) |
||
|
West’s Indiana Administrative Code |
<tit. no.> Ind. Admin. Code Code x-x-x (West <year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
Indiana Register |
<vol. no.> Ind. Reg. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
Local Notes: The Indiana Code is referred to in short citations as I.C. or IC. The Indiana Administrative Code is referred to in short citations as I.A.C. or IAC. See Ind. R. App. P. 22 (2021), https://www.in.gov/courts/rules/appellate/index.html. |
|||
|
Iowa |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Iowa): Cite to N.W. or N.W.2d. |
|||
|
North Western Reporter |
1879–date |
N.W., N.W.2d |
|
|
Iowa Reports (Cite to edition published by Clarke for vols. 1–8.) |
1855–1968 |
Iowa |
|
|
Greene |
1847–1854 |
Greene |
|
|
Morris |
1839–1846 |
Morris |
|
|
Bradford |
1838–1841 |
Bradf. |
|
|
Court of Appeals (Iowa Ct. App.): Cite to N.W.2d. |
|||
|
North Western Reporter |
1977–date |
N.W.2d |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to Iowa Code. |
|||
|
Code of Iowa |
Iowa Code § x.x (<year>) |
||
|
West’s Iowa Code Annotated |
Iowa Code Ann. § x.x (West <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Iowa Acts. |
|||
|
Acts of the State of Iowa |
<year> Iowa Acts <page no.> |
||
|
Iowa Legislative Service (West) |
<year> Iowa Legis. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Iowa Administrative Code |
Iowa Admin. Code r. x-x.x (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
Iowa Administrative Bulletin |
<vol. no.> Iowa Admin. Bull. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
Kansas |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Kan.): Cite to P., P.2d, or P.3d. |
|||
|
Pacific Reporter |
1883–date |
P., P.2d, P.3d |
|
|
Kansas Reports |
1862–date |
Kan. |
|
|
McCahon |
1858–1868 |
McCahon |
|
|
Court of Appeals (Kan. Ct. App.): Cite to P., P.2d, or P.3d. |
|||
|
Pacific Reporter |
1895–1901 |
P. |
|
|
1977–date |
P.2d, P.3d |
||
|
Kansas Court of Appeals Reports |
1895–1901 |
Kan. App. |
|
|
1977–date |
Kan. App. 2d |
||
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to Kan. Stat. Ann. |
|||
|
Kansas Statutes Annotated |
Kan. Stat. Ann. § x-x (<year>) |
||
|
West’s Kansas Statutes Annotated |
Kan. Stat. Ann. § x-x (West <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Kan. Sess. Laws. |
|||
|
Session Laws of Kansas |
<year> Kan. Sess. Laws <page no.> |
||
|
West’s Kansas Legislative Service |
<year> Kan. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Kansas Administrative Regulations (updated by supplements) |
Kan. Admin. Regs. § x-x-x (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
Kansas Register |
<vol. no.> Kan. Reg. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
Local Notes: Kansas Statutes Annotated are cited as K.S.A. xx-xxx. See Kansas Appellate Practice Handbook, Citation Guide app’x C (2018), https://www.kansasjudicialcouncil.org/Documents/Appellate%20Practice%20Handbook/Appendix%20C-Revised%202018.pdf |
|||
|
Kentucky |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Ky.): before 1976 the Court of Appeals (Ky.) was the highest state court. Cite to S.W., S.W.2d, or S.W.3d. |
|||
|
South Western Reporter |
1886–date |
S.W., S.W.2d, S.W.3d |
|
|
Kentucky Reports |
|||
|
78 Ky. to 314 Ky. |
1879–1951 |
Ky. |
|
|
Bush |
1866–1879 |
e.g., 66 Ky. (3 Bush) |
|
|
Duvall |
1863–1866 |
e.g., 62 Ky. (1 Duv.) |
|
|
Metcalf |
1858–1863 |
e.g., 58 Ky. (1 Met.) |
|
|
Monroe, Ben |
1840–1857 |
e.g., 53 Ky. (14 B. Mon.) |
|
|
Dana |
1833–1840 |
e.g., 35 Ky. (5 Dana) |
|
|
Marshall, J.J. |
1829–1832 |
e.g., 27 Ky. (4 J.J. Marsh.) |
|
|
Monroe, T.B. |
1824–1828 |
e.g., 19 Ky. (3 T.B. Mon.) |
|
|
Littell |
1822–1824 |
e.g., 13 Ky. (3 Litt.) |
|
|
Littell’s Selected Cases |
1795–1821 |
e.g., 16 Ky. (1 Litt. Sel. Cas.) |
|
|
Marshall, A.K. |
1817–1821 |
e.g., 10 Ky. (3 A.K. Marsh.) |
|
|
Bibb |
1808–1817 |
e.g., 6 Ky. (3 Bibb) |
|
|
Hardin |
1805–1808 |
3 Ky. (Hard.) |
|
|
Sneed |
1801–1805 |
2 Ky. (Sneed) |
|
|
Hughes |
1785–1801 |
1 Ky. (Hughes) |
|
|
Kentucky Opinions |
1864–1886 |
Ky. Op. |
|
|
Kentucky Law Reporter |
1880–1908 |
Ky. L. Rptr. |
|
|
Kentucky Appellate Reporter |
1994–2000 |
Ky. App. |
|
|
Kentucky Attorneys Memo |
2001–2007 |
Ky. Att’y Memo |
|
|
Kentucky Law Summary |
1966–date |
Ky. L. Summ. |
|
|
Court of Appeals (Ky. Ct. App.) (for decisions before 1976, see Kentucky Supreme Court): Cite to S.W.2d or S.W.3d. |
|||
|
South Western Reporter |
1976–date |
S.W.2d, S.W.3d |
|
|
Kentucky Appellate Reporter |
1994–2000 |
Ky. App. |
|
|
Kentucky Attorneys Memo |
2001–2007 |
Ky. Att’y Memo |
|
|
Kentucky Law Summary |
1966–date |
Ky. L. Summ. |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to one of the following codes. |
|||
|
Baldwin’s Kentucky Revised Statutes Annotated (West) |
Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § x.x (West <year>) |
||
|
Michie’s Kentucky Revised Statutes Annotated (LexisNexis) |
Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § x.x (LexisNexis <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Ky. Acts. |
|||
|
Acts of Kentucky |
<year> Ky. Acts <page no.> |
||
|
Kentucky Revised Statutes and Rules Service (West) |
<year> Ky. Rev. Stat. & R. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Michie’s Kentucky Revised Statutes Advance Legislative Service (LexisNexis) |
<year>-<pamph. no.> Ky. Rev. Stat. Adv. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (LexisNexis) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Kentucky Administrative Regulations Service |
<tit. no.> Ky. Admin. Regs. <rule no.> (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
Administrative Register of Kentucky |
<vol. no.> Ky. Admin. Reg. <page no.> (<month year>) |
||
|
Local Notes: The Kentucky Revised Statutes Annotated are cited locally as KRS xx.xxxx. See Ky. R. Civ. P. 76.12(4)(g). |
|||
|
Louisiana |
|||
|
Supreme Court (La.), before 1813 the Superior Court of Louisiana (La.) and the Superior Court of the Territory of Orleans (Orleans): Cite to So., So. 2d, or So. 3d. |
|||
|
Southern Reporter |
1886–date |
So., So. 2d, So. 3d |
|
|
Louisiana Reports |
1901–1972 |
La. |
|
|
Louisiana Annual Reports |
1846–1900 |
La. Ann. |
|
|
Robinson |
1841–1846 |
Rob. |
|
|
Louisiana Reports |
1830–1841 |
La. |
|
|
Martin (Louisiana Term Reports) |
1809–1830 |
Mart. (o.s.), Mart. (n.s.) |
|
|
Court of Appeal (La. Ct. App.): Cite to So., So. 2d, or So. 3d. |
|||
|
Southern Reporter |
1928–date |
So., So. 2d, So. 3d |
|
|
Louisiana Court of Appeals Reports |
1924–1932 |
La. App. |
|
|
Peltier’s Decisions, Parish at Orleans |
1917–1924 |
Pelt. |
|
|
Teissier, Orleans Court of Appeals |
1903–1917 |
Teiss. |
|
|
Gunby’s Reports |
1885 |
Gunby |
|
|
McGloin |
1881–1884 |
McGl. |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to one of the following codes. |
|||
|
West’s Louisiana Statutes Annotated |
La. Stat. Ann. § x:x (<year>) |
||
|
West’s Louisiana Children’s Code Annotated |
La. Child. Code Ann. art. x (<year>) |
||
|
West’s Louisiana Civil Code Annotated |
La. Civ. Code Ann. art. x (<year>) |
||
|
West’s Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure Annotated |
La. Code Civ. Proc. Ann. art. x (<year>) |
||
|
West’s Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure Annotated |
La. Code Crim. Proc. Ann. art. x (<year>) |
||
|
West’s Louisiana Code of Evidence Annotated |
La. Code Evid. Ann. art. x (<year>) |
||
|
West's Louisiana Constitution Annotated |
La. Const. Ann. art. x (<year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to La. Acts. |
|||
|
State of Louisiana: Acts of the Legislature <year> La. Acts <page no.> |
|||
|
West’s Louisiana Session Law Service |
<year> La. Sess. Law Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Louisiana Administrative Code |
La. Admin. Code tit. x, § x (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
Louisiana Register |
<vol. no.> La. Reg. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
Local Notes: Local practice in Louisiana uses large-and-small caps for statutes: La. Civ. Code art. 2315 (2019). For administrative rules, likewise local practice uses large-and-small caps: La. Admin. Code tit. 51, pt. 1, §105 (2019). See generally Louisiana Citation and Style Manual, 70 La. L. Rev. 1239 (2019), https://digitalcommons.law.lsu.edu/lalrev/vol79/iss4/13/ Louisiana has adopted a public domain citation format for cases after December 31, 1993. See Rules of the Supreme Court of Louisiana, part G, section 8. The format is: Examples: Smith v. Jones, 93-2345 (La. 7/15/94); 650 So.2d 500. Smith v. Jones, 93-2345 (La. App. 1 Cir. 7/15/94); 660 So.2d 400. Smith v. Jones, 94-2345, p. 7 (La. 7/15/94); 650 So.2d 500, 504. |
|||
|
Maine |
|||
|
Supreme Judicial Court (Me.): Cite to A., A.2d or A.3d. |
|||
|
Atlantic Reporter |
1885–date |
A., A.2d, A.3d |
|
|
Maine Reports |
1820–1965 |
Me. |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to Me. Stat. |
|||
|
West’s Maine Statutes |
Me. Stat. tit. x, § x (<year>) |
||
|
Maine Revised Statutes Annotated (West) |
Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. x, § x (<year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Me. Laws. |
|||
|
Laws of the State of Maine |
<year> Me. Laws <page no.> |
||
|
Maine Legislative Service (West) |
<year> Me. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Code of Maine Rules (LexisNexis) |
x-x-x Me. Code R. § x (LexisNexis <year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
Maine Government Register (LexisNexis) |
<iss. no.> Me. Gov’t Reg. <page no.> (LexisNexis <month year>) |
||
|
Local Notes: Maine has adopted a public domain citation format for cases after December 31, 1996. See Administrative Order of the Supreme Judicial Court—New Citation Form (Aug. 20, 1996); Michael D. Selzinger, Charles K. Leadbetter, and Sara T.S. Wolfe, Uniform Maine Citations (2020-21 ed.), https://digitalcommons.mainelaw.maine.edu/uniform-maine-citations/16/ Examples: Estate of Hoch v. Stifel, 2011 ME 24, 16 A.3d 137. Estate of Hoch v. Stifel, 2011 ME 24, ¶ 11, 16 A.3d 137. Saucier v. State Tax Assessor, 1998 ME 61, 708 A.2d 28. |
|||
|
Maryland |
|||
|
Supreme Court of Maryland (Md.): Cite to A., A.2d or A.3d. |
|||
|
Atlantic Reporter |
1885–date |
A., A.2d, A.3d |
|
|
Maryland Reports |
1851–date |
Md. |
|
|
Gill |
1843–1851 |
Gill |
|
|
Gill and Johnson |
1829–1842 |
G. & J. |
|
|
Harris and Gill |
1826–1829 |
H. & G. |
|
|
Harris and Johnson |
1800–1826 |
H. & J. |
|
|
Harris and McHenry |
1770–1774 |
H. & McH. |
|
|
Appellate Court of Maryland (Md. App. Ct.): Cite to A.2d or A.3d. Note: As of December 14, 2022, the Appellate Court of Maryland became the new court name for Maryland’s intermediate appellate court, previously named the Maryland Court of Special Appeals (Md. Ct. Spec. App.). See below for more local information. |
|||
|
Atlantic Reporter |
1967–date |
A.2d, A.3d |
|
|
Maryland Appellate Reports |
1967–date |
Md. App. |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite by subject to either Michie’s Md. Code Ann. or West’s Md. Code Ann. |
|||
|
Michie’s Annotated Code of Maryland (LexisNexis) |
Md. Code Ann., <subject> § x-x (LexisNexis <year>) |
||
|
West’s Annotated Code of Maryland |
Md. Code Ann., <subject> § x-x (West <year>) |
||
|
Agriculture |
Agric. |
||
|
Business Occupations and Professions |
Bus. Occ. & Prof. |
||
|
Business Regulation |
Bus. Reg. |
||
|
Commercial Law |
Com. Law |
||
|
Constitutions |
Const. |
||
|
Corporations and Associations |
Corps. & Ass’ns |
||
|
Correctional Services |
Corr. Servs. |
||
|
Courts and Judicial Proceedings |
Cts. & Jud. Proc. |
||
|
Criminal Law |
Crim. Law |
||
|
Criminal Procedure |
Crim. Proc. |
||
|
Economic Development |
Econ. Dev. |
||
|
Education |
Educ. |
||
|
Election Law |
Elec. Law |
||
|
Environment |
Envir. |
||
|
Estates and Trusts |
Est. & Trusts |
||
|
Family Law |
Fam. Law |
||
|
Financial Institutions |
Fin. Inst. |
||
|
Health–General |
Health–Gen. |
||
|
Health Occupations |
Health Occ. |
||
|
Housing and Community Development |
Hous. & Cmty. Dev. |
||
|
Human Services |
Hum. Servs. |
||
|
Insurance |
Ins. |
||
|
Labor and Employment |
Lab. & Empl. |
||
|
Land Use |
Land Use |
||
|
Local Government |
Local Gov't |
||
|
Natural Resources |
Nat. Res. |
||
|
Public Safety |
Pub. Safety |
||
|
Public Utility |
Pub. Util. |
||
|
Real Property |
Real Prop. |
||
|
State Finance and Procurement |
State Fin. & Proc. |
||
|
State Government |
State Gov’t |
||
|
State Personnel and Pensions |
State Pers. & Pens. |
||
|
Tax–General |
Tax–Gen. |
||
|
Tax–Property |
Tax–Prop. |
||
|
Transportation |
Transp. |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Md. Laws. |
|||
|
Laws of Maryland |
<year> Md. Laws <page no.> |
||
|
Michie’s Annotated Code of Maryland Advance Legislative Service (LexisNexis) |
<year>-<pamph. no.> Md. Code Ann. Adv. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (LexisNexis) |
||
|
West’s Maryland Legislative Service |
<year> Md. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Code of Maryland Regulations |
Md. Code Regs. <reg. no.> (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
Maryland Register |
<vol. no.> Md. Reg. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
Local Notes: In 2022, the Maryland courts went through a constitutional re-naming process effective December 14, 2022. The state high court had been named the Maryland Court of Appeals; it has now become the Maryland Supreme Court. The intermediate appellate court had been named the Maryland Court of Special Appeals; it has now become the Appellate Court of Maryland. In Maryland, citations to all intermediate appellate cases, including those before the renaming, now use the current court names and citation conventions. In local practice, reported opinions are cited to the Maryland Appeals Reports, and thus the Appellate Court of Maryland is redundant information that need not be abbreviated: Scarbrough v. Transplant Res. Ctr., 242 Md. App. 453 (2019) For unreported opinions, the Appellate Court of Maryland has been abbreviated variously as follows, so as to clearly indicate the deciding court: Rowan v. State, No. 233 Sept. Term, 2018, 2020 WL 3265119 (Md. App. June 17, 2020) Simard v. Gallagher, No. 132, Sept. Term, 2022, 2023 WL 2595254 (App. Ct. Md. March 22, 2023) In local practice, the new abbreviations are used for all intermediate appellate cases—both before and after the name change. If it is important to the proposition being asserted, the Appellate Court of Maryland’s previous name and abbreviation (Md. Ct. Spec. App.) may be indicated. |
|||
|
Massachusetts |
|||
|
Supreme Judicial Court (Mass.): Cite to N.E., or N.E.2d, N.E.3d. |
|||
|
North Eastern Reporter |
1885–date |
N.E., N.E.2d, N.E.3d |
|
|
Massachusetts Reports |
|||
|
97 Mass. to date |
1867–date |
Mass. |
|
|
Allen |
1861–1867 |
e.g., 83 Mass. (1 Allen) |
|
|
Gray |
1854–1860 |
e.g., 67 Mass. (1 Gray) |
|
|
Cushing |
1848–1853 |
e.g., 55 Mass. (1 Cush.) |
|
|
Metcalf |
1840–1847 |
e.g., 42 Mass. (1 Met.) |
|
|
Pickering |
1822–1839 |
e.g., 18 Mass. (1 Pick.) |
|
|
Tyng |
1805–1822 |
e.g., 2 Mass. (1 Tyng) |
|
|
Williams |
1804–1805 |
1 Mass. (1 Will.) |
|
|
Appeals Court (Mass. App. Ct.): Cite to N.E.2d, N.E.3d. |
|||
|
North Eastern Reporter |
1972–date |
N.E.2d, N.E.3d |
|
|
Massachusetts Appeals Court Reports |
1972–date |
Mass. App. Ct. |
|
|
Lower Courts (Mass. Dist. Ct., Bos. Mun. Ct.): Cite to Mass. App. Div., if found there; else cite to Mass. Supp. or Mass. App. Dec. |
|||
|
Reports of Massachusetts |
1936–1950 |
Mass. App. Div. |
|
|
Appellate Division |
1980–date |
||
|
Massachusetts Reports Supplement |
1980–1983 |
Mass. Supp. |
|
|
Massachusetts Appellate Decisions |
1941–1977 |
Mass. App. Dec. |
|
|
Appellate Division Advance Sheets |
1975–1979 |
<year> Mass. App. Div. Adv. Sh. <page no.> |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to Mass. Gen. Laws. |
|||
|
General Laws of Massachusetts (Mass. Bar Ass’n/West): Mass. Gen. Laws ch.<chapter no.>, § <section no.> (<year> ) |
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. x, § x (<year>) |
||
|
Massachusetts General Laws Annotated (West): Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. ch.<chapter no.>, § <section no.> (West <year> ) |
Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. ch. x, § x (West <year>) |
||
|
Annotated Laws of Massachusetts (LexisNexis): Mass. Ann. Gen. Laws ch. <chapter no.>, § <section no.> (LexisNexis <year> ) |
Mass. Ann. Laws ch. x, § x (LexisNexis <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Mass. Acts. |
|||
|
Acts and Resolves of Massachusetts |
<year> Mass. Acts <page no.> |
||
|
Massachusetts Legislative Service (West) |
<year> Mass. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Massachusetts Advance Legislative Service (LexisNexis) |
<year>-<pamph. no.> Mass. Adv. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (LexisNexis) |
||
|
Administrative compilations: Cite to official Mass. Code Regs. |
|||
|
Code of Massachusetts Regulations |
<tit. no.> Mass. Code Regs. <sec. no.> (<year>) |
||
|
Code of Massachusetts Regulations (LexisNexis) |
<tit. no.> Mass. Code Regs. <sec. no.> (LexisNexis <year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
Massachusetts Register |
<iss. no.> Mass. Reg. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
Local Notes: The General Laws of Massachusetts are cited in Massachusetts courts as G.L. c. x, § x. See generally SJC Style Manual (2020), https://www.mass.gov/doc/sjc-style-manual; Trial Court Law Libraries, Massachusetts Legal Writing and Citations, https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-legal-writing-and-citations (last updated August 3, 2020). |
|||
|
Michigan |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Mich.): Cite to N.W. or N.W.2d. |
|||
|
North Western Reporter |
1879–date |
N.W., N.W.2d |
|
|
Michigan Reports |
1847–date |
Mich. |
|
|
Douglass |
1843–1847 |
Doug. |
|
|
Blume, Unreported Opinions |
1836–1843 |
Blume Unrep. Op. |
|
|
Blume, Supreme Court Transactions |
1836–1843 |
Blume Sup. Ct. Trans. |
|
|
Court of Appeals (Mich. Ct. App.): Cite to N.W.2d. |
|||
|
North Western Reporter |
1965–date |
N.W.2d |
|
|
Michigan Appeals Reports |
1965–date |
Mich. App. |
|
|
Court of Claims (Mich. Ct. Cl.): Cite to Mich. Ct. Cl. |
|||
|
Michigan Court of Claims Reports |
1939–1942 |
Mich. Ct. Cl. |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to Mich. Comp. Laws. |
|||
|
Michigan Compiled Laws (1979) |
Mich. Comp. Laws § x.x (<year>) |
||
|
Michigan Compiled Laws Annotated (West) |
Mich. Comp. Laws Ann. § x.x (West <year>) |
||
|
Michigan Compiled Laws Service (LexisNexis) |
Mich. Comp. Laws Serv. § x.x (LexisNexis <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Mich. Pub. Acts. |
|||
|
Public and Local Acts of the Legislature of the State of Michigan |
<year> Mich. Pub. Acts <page no.> |
||
|
Michigan Legislative Service (West) |
<year> Mich. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Michigan Advance Legislative Service (LexisNexis) |
<year>-<pamph. no.> Mich. Adv. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (LexisNexis) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Michigan Administrative Code |
Mich. Admin. Code r. x.x (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
Michigan Register |
<iss. no.> Mich. Reg. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
Local Notes: The Michigan Compiled Laws are customarily cited locally as MCL xxxx.xx. See Michigan Supreme Court Office of the Reporter of Decisions, Michigan Appellate Opinion Manual (rev. Dec. 2017), https://courts.michigan.gov/Courts/MichiganSupremeCourt/Documents/MiAppOpManual.pdf |
|||
|
Minnesota |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Minn.): Cite to N.W. or N.W.2d. |
|||
|
North Western Reporter |
1879–date |
N.W., N.W.2d |
|
|
Minnesota Reports |
1851–1977 |
Minn. |
|
|
Court of Appeals (Minn. Ct. App.): Cite to N.W.2d. |
|||
|
North Western Reporter |
1983–date |
N.W.2d |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to Minn. Stat. |
|||
|
Minnesota Statutes |
Minn. Stat. § x.x (<year>) |
||
|
Minnesota Statutes Annotated (West) |
Minn. Stat. Ann. § x.x (West <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Minn. Laws. |
|||
|
Laws of Minnesota |
<year> Minn. Laws <page no.> |
||
|
Minnesota Session Law Service (West) |
<year> Minn. Sess. Law Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Minnesota Rules |
Minn. R. <rule no.> (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
Minnesota State Register |
<vol. no.> Minn. Reg. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
Mississippi |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Miss.): Cite to So., So. 2d, or So. 3d. |
|||
|
Southern Reporter |
1886–date |
So., So. 2d, So. 3d |
|
|
Mississippi Reports |
|||
|
23 Miss. to 254 Miss. |
1851–1966 |
Miss. |
|
|
Smedes and Marshall |
1843–1850 |
e.g., 9 Miss. (1 S. & M.) |
|
|
Howard |
1834–1843 |
e.g., 2 Miss. (1 Howard) |
|
|
Walker |
1818–1832 |
1 Miss. (1 Walker) |
|
|
Mississippi Decisions |
1820–1885 |
Miss. Dec. |
|
|
Court of Appeals (Miss. Ct. App.): Cite to So. 2d or So. 3d. |
|||
|
Southern Reporter |
1995–date |
So. 2d, So. 3d |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to Miss. Code Ann. (published by LexisNexis). |
|||
|
Mississippi Code 1972 Annotated (LexisNexis) |
Miss. Code Ann. § x-x-x (<year>) |
||
|
West’s Annotated Mississippi Code |
Miss. Code Ann. § x-x-x (West <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Miss. Laws. |
|||
|
General Laws of Mississippi |
<year> Miss. Laws <page no.> |
||
|
Mississippi General Laws Advance Sheets (LexisNexis) |
<year>-<pamph. no.> Miss. Laws Adv. Sh. <page no.> (LexisNexis) |
||
|
West's Mississippi Legislative Service |
<year> Miss. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Code of Mississippi Rules (LexisNexis) |
<tit. no.>-<ch. no.> Miss. Code R. § x (LexisNexis <year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
Mississippi Government Register (LexisNexis) |
<iss. no.> Miss. Gov’t Reg. <page no.> (LexisNexis <month year>) |
||
|
Local Notes: Mississippi has adopted a public domain citation format for cases after July 1, 1997. See Miss. R. App. P. 28(f), https://courts.ms.gov/research/rules/msrulesofcourt/Rules%20of%20Appellate%20Procedure%20Current.pdf. Examples: Okoloise v. Yost, 2017-CA-01472-SCT (Miss. 2019). Okoloise v. Yost, 2017-CA-01472-SCT (¶ 30) (Miss. 2019). |
|||
|
Missouri |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Mo.): Cite to S.W., S.W.2d, or S.W.3d. |
|||
|
South Western Reporter |
1886–date |
S.W., S.W.2d, S.W.3d |
|
|
Missouri Reports |
1821–1956 |
Mo. |
|
|
Court of Appeals (Mo. Ct. App.): Cite to S.W., S.W.2d, or S.W.3d. |
|||
|
South Western Reporter |
1902–date |
S.W., S.W.2d, S.W.3d |
|
|
Missouri Appeals Reports |
1876–1954 |
Mo. App. |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to Mo. Rev. Stat. |
|||
|
Missouri Revised Statutes |
Mo. Rev. Stat. § x.x (<year>) |
||
|
Vernon’s Annotated Missouri Statutes (West) |
Mo. Ann. Stat. § x.x (West <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Mo. Laws. |
|||
|
Session Laws of Missouri |
<year> Mo. Laws <page no.> |
||
|
Missouri Legislative Service (West) |
<year> Mo. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Missouri Code of State Regulations Annotated |
Mo. Code Regs. Ann. tit. x, § x-x.x (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
Missouri Register |
<vol. no.> Mo. Reg. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
Local Notes: Missouri statutes are cited locally around the following basic template: Section xxx.xxx, RSMo 2016 or § xxx.xxx, RSMo 2016. Missouri Supreme Court cases are generally decided en banc and are cited (Mo. banc <year>). The Missouri Court of Appeals is cited locally as “Mo. App.” (omitting the “Ct.” as shown in this Table). Missouri Court of Appeals cases may indicate the district of decision where relevant: (Mo. App. S.D.). See Thomas Patrick Deaton, Jr., Show Me Citations: A Manual for Legal Citations in Missouri Courts (9th ed. 2020) (practitioner-maintained manual), https://www.thomaspatrickdeaton.com/ShowMeCitations2020-0706.pdf |
|||
|
Montana |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Mont.): Cite to P., P.2d, or P.3d. |
|||
|
Pacific Reporter |
1883–date |
P., P.2d, P.3d |
|
|
Montana Reports |
1868–date |
Mont. |
|
|
State Reporter |
1945–date |
State Rptr. |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to Mont. Code Ann. |
|||
|
Montana Code Annotated |
Mont. Code Ann. § x-x-x (<year>) |
||
|
West's Montana Code Annotated |
Mont. Code Ann. § x-x-x (West <year>) |
||
|
Session laws |
|||
|
Laws of Montana |
<year> Mont. Laws <page no.> |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Administrative Rules of Montana |
Mont. Admin. R. <rule no.> (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
Montana Administrative Register |
<iss. no.> Mont. Admin. Reg. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
Local Notes: Montana has adopted a public domain citation format for cases after December 31, 1997. See Order In re: Opinion Forms and Citation Standards of the Supreme Court of Montana and the Adoption of Public Domain and Neutral-Format Citation (Dec. 16, 1997); Order In the Matter of Aneding Citation Standards, No. AF-07-0064 (Jan. 22, 2009); Order in the Matter of Amending Citations Standards for the Montana Supreme Court, No. AF 06-0632 (Feb. 24, 2010), https://casetext.com/case/in-re-matter-of-opinion-forms. Example: Doe v. Roe, 1998 MT 12, ¶¶ 44-45, 286 Mont. 175, 989 P.2d 1312. |
|||
|
Nebraska |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Neb.): Cite to N.W. or N.W.2d. |
|||
|
North Western Reporter |
1879–date |
N.W., N.W.2d |
|
|
Nebraska Reports |
1860–date |
Neb. |
|
|
Court of Appeals (Neb. Ct. App.): Cite to N.W.2d. |
|||
|
North Western Reporter |
1992–date |
N.W.2d |
|
|
Nebraska Appellate Reports |
1992–date |
Neb. App. |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to Neb. Rev. Stat. |
|||
|
Revised Statutes of Nebraska |
Neb. Rev. Stat. § x-x (<year>) |
||
|
Revised Statutes of Nebraska Annotated (LexisNexis) |
Neb. Rev. Stat. Ann. § x-x (LexisNexis <year>) |
||
|
West's Revised Statutes of Nebraska Annotated |
Neb. Rev. Stat. Ann. § x-x (West <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Neb. Laws. |
|||
|
Laws of Nebraska |
<year> Neb. Laws <page no.> |
||
|
West's Nebraska Legislative Service |
<year> Neb. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Nebraska Administrative Code |
<tit. no.> Neb. Admin. Code § x-x (<year>) |
||
|
Nevada |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Nev.): Cite to P., P.2d, or P.3d. |
|||
|
Pacific Reporter |
1883–date |
P., P.2d, P.3d |
|
|
Nevada Reports |
1865–date |
Nev. |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to Nev. Rev. Stat. |
|||
|
Nevada Revised Statutes |
Nev. Rev. Stat. § x.x (<year>) |
||
|
Michie's Nevada Revised Statutes Annotated (LexisNexis) |
Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § x.x (LexisNexis <year>) |
||
|
West’s Nevada Revised Statutes Annotated |
Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § x.x (West <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Nev. Stat. |
|||
|
Statutes of Nevada |
<year> Nev. Stat. <page no.> |
||
|
West’s Nevada Legislative Service |
<year> Nev. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Nevada Administrative Code |
Nev. Admin. Code § x.x (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
Nevada Register of Administrative Regulations |
<vol. no.> Nev. Reg. Admin. Regs. <reg. no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
New Hampshire |
|||
|
Supreme Court (N.H.): Cite to A., A.2d, or A.3d. |
|||
|
Atlantic Reporter |
1885–date |
A., A.2d, A.3d |
|
|
New Hampshire Reports |
1816–date |
N.H. |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. (published by West). |
|||
|
New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated (West) |
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § x:x (<year>) |
||
|
Lexis New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated |
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § x:x (LexisNexis <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to N.H. Laws or N.H. Legis. Serv. |
|||
|
Laws of the State of New Hampshire (West) |
<year> N.H. Laws <page no.> |
||
|
New Hampshire Legislative Service (West) |
<year> N.H. Legis. Serv. <page no.> |
||
|
Lexis New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated <year> Advance Legislative Service (LexisNexis) |
<year>-<pamph. no.> N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. Adv. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (LexisNexis) |
||
|
Administrative compilations: Cite to N.H. Code Admin. R. Ann. |
|||
|
New Hampshire Code of Administrative Rules Annotated (LexisNexis) |
N.H. Code Admin. R. Ann. <dep't name as abbreviated in Rules> <rule no.> (<year>) |
||
|
Code of New Hampshire Rules (LexisNexis) |
N.H. Code R. <dep't name as abbreviated in Rules> <rule no.> (LexisNexis <year>) |
||
|
Administrative registers: Cite to N.H. Rulemaking Reg. |
|||
|
New Hampshire Rulemaking Register |
<vol. no.> N.H. Rulemaking Reg. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
New Hampshire Government Register (LexisNexis) |
<iss. no.> N.H. Gov’t Reg. <page no.> (LexisNexis <month year>) |
||
|
New Jersey |
|||
|
Supreme Court (N.J.), previously Court of Errors and Appeals (N.J.): Cite to A., A.2d, or A.3d. |
|||
|
Atlantic Reporter |
1885–date |
A., A.2d, A.3d |
|
|
New Jersey Reports |
1948–date |
N.J. |
|
|
New Jersey Law Reports |
1790–1948 |
N.J.L. |
|
|
New Jersey Equity Reports |
1845–1948 |
N.J. Eq. |
|
|
New Jersey Miscellaneous Reports |
1923–1948 |
N.J. Misc. |
|
|
Superior Court (N.J. Super. Ct. App. Div., N.J. Super. Ct. Ch. Div., N.J. Super. Ct. Law Div.), previously Court of Chancery (N.J. Ch.), Supreme Court (N.J. Sup. Ct.), and Prerogative Court (N.J. Prerog. Ct.): Cite to A., A.2d, or A.3d. |
|||
|
Atlantic Reporter |
1885–date |
A., A.2d, A.3d |
|
|
New Jersey Superior Court Reports |
1948–date |
N.J. Super. |
|
|
New Jersey Law Reports |
1790–1948 |
N.J.L. |
|
|
New Jersey Equity Reports |
1830–1948 |
N.J. Eq. |
|
|
New Jersey Miscellaneous Reports |
1923–1948 |
N.J. Misc. |
|
|
County Court (e.g., Essex Cnty. Ct.) and other lower courts: Cite to A.2d. |
|||
|
Tax Court (N.J. Tax Ct.): Cite to N.J. Tax. |
|||
|
New Jersey Tax Court Reports |
1979–date |
N.J. Tax |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to N.J. Stat. Ann. |
|||
|
New Jersey Statutes Annotated (West) |
N.J. Stat. Ann. § x:x (West <year>) |
||
|
New Jersey Revised Statutes (2013) |
N.J. Rev. Stat. § x:x (<year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to N.J. Laws. |
|||
|
Laws of New Jersey |
<year> N.J. Laws <page no.> |
||
|
New Jersey Session Law Service (West) |
<year> N.J. Sess. Law Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
New Jersey Administrative Code (LexisNexis) |
N.J. Admin. Code § x:x-x.x (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
New Jersey Register (LexisNexis) |
<vol. no.> N.J. Reg. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
Administrative report |
|||
|
New Jersey Administrative Reports |
1979–date |
N.J. Admin., N.J. Admin. 2d |
|
|
Local Notes: In local practice, the New Jersey Constitution’s name is underlined: N.J. Const. art. <Roman numeral>, § <number>, ¶ <number>. New Jersey Statutes Annotated are cited as N.J.S.A. followed by the relevant section number but no section symbol: N.J.S.A. <section number>. See New Jersey Manual on Style for Judicial Opinions (2017), https://www.njcourts.gov/attorneys/assets/attyresources/manualonstyle.pdf |
|||
|
New Mexico |
|||
|
Supreme Court (N.M.): Cite to P., P.2d, or P.3d. |
|||
|
Pacific Reporter |
1883–date |
P., P.2d, P.3d |
|
|
New Mexico Reports |
1852–2012 |
N.M. |
|
|
Court of Appeals (N.M. Ct. App.): Cite to P.2d or P.3d. |
|||
|
Pacific Reporter |
1967–date |
P.2d, P.3d |
|
|
New Mexico Reports |
1967–2012 |
N.M. |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to N.M. Stat. Ann. |
|||
|
New Mexico Statutes Annotated 1978 (Conway Greene) |
N.M. Stat. Ann. § x-x-x (<year>) |
||
|
West’s New Mexico Statutes Annotated |
N.M. Stat. Ann. § x-x-x (West <year>) |
||
|
Michie's Annotated Statutes of New Mexico (LexisNexis) |
N.M. Stat. Ann. § x-x-x (LexisNexis <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to N.M. Laws. |
|||
|
Laws of the State of New Mexico |
<year> N.M. Laws <page no.> |
||
|
New Mexico Advance Legislative Service (Conway Greene) |
<year> N.M. Adv. Legis. Serv. <page no.> |
||
|
West's New Mexico Legislative Service |
<year> N.M. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Code of New Mexico Rules (LexisNexis) |
N.M. Code R. § x.x.x.x (LexisNexis <year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
New Mexico Register |
<vol. no.> N.M. Reg. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
Local Notes: New Mexico has adopted a public domain citation format for cases effective July 1, 2013. See N.M. Sup. Ct. R. 23-112 (Appendix), available at https://casetext.com/rule/new-mexico-court-rules/new-mexico-supreme-court-general-rules/rule-23-112-citations-for-pleadings-and-other-papers/appendix-to-rule-23-112-nmra-technical-and-citation-information. Examples: Glaser v. LeBus, 2012-NMSC-012, 276 P.3d 959. Lasen, Inc. v. Tadjikov, 2020-NMCA-006, 456 P.3d 1090. |
|||
|
New York |
|||
|
Court of Appeals (N.Y.): Cite to N.E., N.E.2d, or N.E.3d. |
|||
|
North Eastern Reporter |
1885–date |
N.E., N.E.2d, N.E.3d |
|
|
New York Reports (The first series of N.Y. is reprinted in N.Y.S. and N.Y.S.2d without separate pagination. Do not include a parallel cite to N.Y.S. or N.Y.S.2d in citations to the first series of N.Y.) |
1847–date |
N.Y., N.Y.2d |
|
|
West’s New York Supplement |
1956–date |
N.Y.S.2d, N.Y.S.3d |
|
|
Court for the Correction of Errors (N.Y.) and Supreme Court of Judicature (N.Y. Sup. Ct.) (highest state courts of law before 1847): Cite to one of the following reporters. |
|||
|
Lockwood’s Reversed Cases |
1799–1847 |
Lock. Rev. Cas. |
|
|
Denio’s Reports |
1845–1848 |
Denio |
|
|
Hill and Denio Supplement (Lalor) |
1842–1844 |
Hill & Den. |
|
|
Hill’s Reports |
1841–1844 |
Hill |
|
|
Edmond’s Select Cases |
1834–1853 |
Edm. Sel. Cas. |
|
|
Yates’ Select Cases |
1809 |
Yates Sel. Cas. |
|
|
Anthon’s Nisi Prius Cases |
1807–1851 |
Ant. N.P. Cas. |
|
|
Wendell’s Reports |
1828–1841 |
Wend. |
|
|
Cowen’s Reports |
1823–1829 |
Cow. |
|
|
Johnson’s Reports |
1806–1823 |
Johns. |
|
|
Caines’ Reports |
1803–1805 |
Cai. |
|
|
Caines’ Cases |
1796–1805 |
Cai. Cas. |
|
|
Coleman & Caines’ Cases |
1794–1805 |
Cole. & Cai. Cas. |
|
|
Johnson’s Cases |
1799–1803 |
Johns. Cas. |
|
|
Coleman’s Cases |
1791–1800 |
Cole. Cas. |
|
|
Court of Chancery (N.Y. Ch.) (highest state court of equity before 1848): Cite to one of the following reporters. |
|||
|
Edwards’ Chancery Reports |
1831–1850 |
Edw. Ch. |
|
|
Barbour’s Chancery Reports |
1845–1848 |
Barb. Ch. |
|
|
Sandford’s Chancery Reports |
1843–1847 |
Sand. Ch. |
|
|
Saratoga Chancery Sentinel |
1841–1847 |
Sarat. Ch. Sent. |
|
|
Paige’s Chancery Reports |
1828–1845 |
Paige Ch. |
|
|
Clarke’s Chancery Reports |
1839–1841 |
Cl. Ch. |
|
|
Hoffman’s Chancery Reports |
1839–1840 |
Hoff. Ch. |
|
|
Hopkins’ Chancery Reports |
1823–1826 |
Hopk. Ch. |
|
|
Lansing’s Chancery Reports |
1824–1826 |
Lans. Ch. |
|
|
Johnson’s Chancery Reports |
1814–1823 |
Johns. Ch. |
|
|
New York Chancery Reports Annotated |
1814–1847 |
N.Y. Ch. Ann. |
|
|
Supreme Court, Appellate Division (N.Y. App. Div.), previously Supreme Court, General Term (N.Y. Gen. Term): Cite to N.Y.S., N.Y.S.2d, or N.Y.S.3d. |
|||
|
West’s New York Supplement |
1888–date |
N.Y.S., N.Y.S.2d, N.Y.S.3d |
|
|
Appellate Division Reports |
1896–date |
A.D., A.D.2d, A.D.3d |
|
|
Supreme Court Reports |
1874–1896 |
N.Y. Sup. Ct. |
|
|
Lansing’s Reports |
1869–1873 |
Lans. |
|
|
Barbour’s Supreme Court Reports |
1847–1877 |
Barb. |
|
|
Other lower courts (e.g., N.Y. App. Term, N.Y. Sup. Ct., N.Y. Ct. Cl., N.Y. Civ. Ct., N.Y. Crim. Ct., N.Y. Fam. Ct.): Cite to N.Y.S., N.Y.S.2d, or N.Y.S.3d. |
|||
|
West’s New York Supplement |
1888–date |
N.Y.S., N.Y.S.2d, N.Y.S.3d |
|
|
New York Miscellaneous Reports |
1892–date |
Misc., Misc. 2d |
|
|
Other lower courts before 1888: Cite to one of the following reporters. |
|||
|
Abbott’s New Cases |
1876–1894 |
Abb. N. Cas. |
|
|
Abbott’s Practice Reports |
1854–1875 |
Abb. Pr., Abb. Pr. (n.s.) |
|
|
Howard’s Practice Reports |
1844–1886 |
How. Pr., How. Pr. (n.s.) |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to one of the following sources. |
|||
|
McKinney’s Consolidated Laws of New York Annotated (West) |
N.Y. <subject> Law § x (McKinney <year>) |
||
|
New York Consolidated Laws Service (LexisNexis) |
N.Y. <subject> Law § x (Consol. <year>) |
||
|
New York Consolidated Laws Unannotated (LexisNexis) |
N.Y. <subject> Law § x (LexisNexis <year>) |
||
|
Abandoned Property |
Aband. Prop. |
||
|
Agricultural Conservation |
Agric. Conserv. |
||
|
Agriculture and Markets |
Agric. & Mkts. |
||
|
Alcoholic Beverage Control |
Alco. Bev. Cont. |
||
|
Alternative County Government |
Alt. County Gov’t |
||
|
Arts and Cultural Affairs |
Arts & Cult. Aff. |
||
|
Banking |
Banking |
||
|
Benevolent Orders |
Ben. Ord. |
||
|
Business Corporation |
Bus. Corp. |
||
|
Canal |
Canal |
||
|
Civil Practice Law and Rules |
N.Y. C.P.L.R. <rule no.> (McKinney <year>) |
||
|
Civil Rights |
Civ. Rights |
||
|
Civil Service |
Civ. Serv. |
||
|
Commerce |
Com. |
||
|
Cooperative Corporations |
Coop. Corp. |
||
|
Correction |
Correct. |
||
|
County |
County |
||
|
Criminal Procedure |
Crim. Proc. |
||
|
Debtor and Creditor |
Debt. & Cred. |
||
|
Domestic Relations |
Dom. Rel. |
||
|
Economic Development |
Econ. Dev. |
||
|
Education |
Educ. |
||
|
Elder |
Elder |
||
|
Election |
Elec. |
||
|
Eminent Domain Procedure |
Em. Dom. Proc. |
||
|
Employers’ Liability |
Empl’rs Liab. |
||
|
Energy |
Energy |
||
|
Environmental Conservation |
Envtl. Conserv. |
||
|
Estates, Powers and Trusts |
Est. Powers & Trusts |
||
|
Executive |
Exec. |
||
|
Financial Services |
Fin. Serv. |
||
|
General Associations |
Gen. Ass’ns |
||
|
General Business |
Gen. Bus. |
||
|
General City |
Gen. City |
||
|
General Construction |
Gen. Constr. |
||
|
General Municipal |
Gen. Mun. |
||
|
General Obligations |
Gen. Oblig. |
||
|
Highway |
High. |
||
|
Indian |
Indian |
||
|
Insurance |
Ins. |
||
|
Judiciary |
Jud. |
||
|
Judiciary Court Acts |
Jud. Ct. Acts |
||
|
Labor |
Lab. |
||
|
Legislative |
Legis. |
||
|
Lien |
Lien |
||
|
Limited Liability Company |
Ltd. Liab. Co. |
||
|
Local Finance |
Local Fin. |
||
|
Mental Hygiene |
Mental Hyg. |
||
|
Military |
Mil. |
||
|
Multiple Dwelling |
Mult. Dwell. |
||
|
Multiple Residence |
Mult. Resid. |
||
|
Municipal Home Rule and Statute of Local Governments |
Mun. Home Rule |
||
|
Navigation |
Nav. |
||
|
Not-for-Profit Corporation |
Not-for-Profit Corp. |
||
|
Optional County Government |
Opt. Cty. Gov’t |
||
|
Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation |
Parks Rec. & Hist. Preserv. |
||
|
Partnership |
P’ship |
||
|
Penal |
Penal |
||
|
Personal Property |
Pers. Prop. |
||
|
Private Housing Finance |
Priv. Hous. Fin. |
||
|
Public Authorities |
Pub. Auth. |
||
|
Public Buildings |
Pub. Bldgs. |
||
|
Public Health |
Pub. Health |
||
|
Public Housing |
Pub. Hous. |
||
|
Public Lands |
Pub. Lands |
||
|
Public Officers |
Pub. Off. |
||
|
Public Service |
Pub. Serv. |
||
|
Racing, Pari-Mutuel Wagering and Breeding |
Rac. Pari-Mut. Wag. & Breed. |
||
|
Railroad |
R.R. |
||
|
Rapid Transit |
Rapid Trans. |
||
|
Real Property |
Real Prop. |
||
|
Real Property Actions and Proceedings |
Real Prop. Acts. |
||
|
Real Property Tax |
Real Prop. Tax |
||
|
Religious Corporations |
Relig. Corp. |
||
|
Retirement and Social Security |
Retire. & Soc. Sec. |
||
|
Rural Electric Cooperative |
Rural Elec. Coop. |
||
|
Second Class Cities |
Second Class Cities |
||
|
Social Services |
Soc. Serv. |
||
|
Soil and Water Conservation Districts |
Soil & Water Conserv. Dist. |
||
|
State |
State |
||
|
State Administrative Procedure Act |
A.P.A. |
||
|
State Finance |
State Fin. |
||
|
State Printing and Public Documents |
State Print. & Pub. Docs. |
||
|
State Technology |
State Tech. |
||
|
Statutes |
Stat. |
||
|
Surrogate’s Court Procedure Act |
Surr. Ct. Proc. Act |
||
|
Tax |
Tax |
||
|
Town |
Town |
||
|
Transportation |
Transp. |
||
|
Transportation Corporations |
Transp. Corp. |
||
|
Unconsolidated |
Unconsol. |
||
|
Uniform Commercial Code |
U.C.C. |
||
|
Vehicle and Traffic |
Veh. & Traf. |
||
|
Village |
Village |
||
|
Volunteer Ambulance Workers’ Benefit |
Vol. Ambul. Workers’ Ben. |
||
|
Volunteer Firefighters’ Benefit |
Vol. Fire. Ben. |
||
|
Workers’ Compensation |
Workers’ Comp. |
||
|
Uncompiled laws: Cite to one of the following sources. For the user’s convenience, the McKinney’s volume in which the law appears is indicated parenthetically below. |
|||
|
McKinney’s Consolidated Laws |
N.Y. <law> § x (McKinney <year>) |
||
|
Consolidated Laws Service |
N.Y. <law> § x (Consol. <year>) |
||
|
LexisNexis New York Consolidated Laws Unannotated |
N.Y. <law> § x (LexisNexis <year>) |
||
|
New York City Civil Court Act (29A) |
City Civ. Ct. Act |
||
|
New York City Criminal Court Act (29A) |
City Crim. Ct. Act |
||
|
Code of Criminal Procedure (11A) |
Code Crim. Proc. |
||
|
Court of Claims Act (29A) |
Ct. Cl. Act |
||
|
Family Court Act (29A) |
Fam. Ct. Act |
||
|
Uniform City Court Act (29A) |
Uniform City Ct. Act |
||
|
Uniform District Court Act (29A) |
Uniform Dist. Ct. Act |
||
|
Uniform Justice Court Act (29A) |
Uniform Just. Ct. Act |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to official N.Y. Laws, if found there; else, cite to N.Y. Sess. Laws. |
|||
|
Laws of New York |
<year> N.Y. Laws <page no.> |
||
|
McKinney's Session Laws of New York (West) (McKinney) |
<year> N.Y. Sess. Laws <page no.> |
||
|
New York Consolidated Laws Service |
<year>-<pamph. no.> N.Y. Consol. Laws Adv. |
||
|
Advance Legislative Service (LexisNexis) |
Legis. Serv. <page no.> (LexisNexis) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Official Compilation of Codes, Rules & Regulations of the State of New York (West) |
N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. tit. x, § x (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
New York State Register |
<vol. no.> N.Y. Reg. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
Local Notes: Case-citation formats follow the formats shown in the New York Law Reports Style Manual (2017 ed., with cumulative updates through 2020), https://www.nycourts.gov/reporter/style-manual/2017/2017-SM.htm. A few key differences include citing the applicable reporter from the New York Official Reports Service, and indicating the Department of the Appellate Division in the court/year parenthetical for intermediate appellate divisions. A few formatting differences include placing the entire citation in parentheses, placing the year in brackets, and omitting periods from the various citation components. Examples: (Brown & Brown, Inc. v Johnson, 25 NY3d 364 [2015]). (Boss v Am. Express Fin. Advisors, Inc., 15 AD3d 306 [1st Dept 2005]). Statutory citations also vary significantly from the Uniform System of Citation’s general standards. For example, periods with abbreviations are also often omitted from New York statutory citations in local practice, such as with citing the Civil Practice Laws and Rules are as CPLR xxxx. |
|||
|
North Carolina |
|||
|
Supreme Court (N.C.): Cite to S.E. or S.E.2d. |
|||
|
South Eastern Reporter |
1887–date |
S.E., S.E.2d |
|
|
North Carolina Reports |
|||
|
63 N.C. to date |
1868–date |
N.C. |
|
|
Phillips’ Equity |
1866–1868 |
62 N.C. (Phil. Eq.) |
|
|
Phillips’ Law |
1866–1868 |
61 N.C. (Phil.) |
|
|
Winston |
1863–1864 |
60 N.C. (Win.) |
|
|
Jones’ Equity (54–59) |
1853–1863 |
e.g., 54 N.C. (1 Jones Eq.) |
|
|
Jones’ Law (46–53) |
1853–1862 |
e.g., 46 N.C. (1 Jones) |
|
|
Busbee’s Equity |
1852–1853 |
45 N.C. (Busb. Eq.) |
|
|
Busbee’s Law |
1852–1853 |
44 N.C. (Busb.) |
|
|
Iredell’s Equity (36–43) |
1840–1852 |
e.g., 36 N.C. (1 Ired. Eq.) |
|
|
Iredell’s Law (23–35) |
1840–1852 |
e.g., 23 N.C. (1 Ired.) |
|
|
Devereux & Battle’s Equity (21–22) |
1834–1839 |
e.g., 21 N.C. (1 Dev. & Bat. Eq.) |
|
|
Devereux & Battle’s Law (18–20) |
1834–1839 |
e.g., 20 N.C. (3 & 4 Dev. & Bat.) |
|
|
Devereux’s Equity (16–17) |
1826–1834 |
e.g., 16 N.C. (1 Dev. Eq.) |
|
|
Devereux’s Law (12–15) |
1826–1834 |
e.g., 12 N.C. (1 Dev.) |
|
|
Hawks (8–11) |
1820–1826 |
e.g., 8 N.C. (1 Hawks) |
|
|
Murphey (5–7) |
1804–1813 |
e.g., 5 N.C. (1 Mur.) |
|
|
Taylor’s North Carolina Term Reports |
1816–1818 |
4 N.C. (Taylor) |
|
|
Carolina Law Repository |
1813–1816 |
4 N.C. (Car. L. Rep.) |
|
|
Haywood (2–3) |
1789–1806 |
e.g., 2 N.C. (1 Hayw.) |
|
|
Conference by Cameron & Norwood |
1800–1804 |
1 N.C. (Cam. & Nor.) |
|
|
Taylor |
1798–1802 |
1 N.C. (Tay.) |
|
|
Martin |
1778–1797 |
1 N.C. (Mart.) |
|
|
Court of Appeals (N.C. Ct. App.): Cite to S.E.2d. |
|||
|
South Eastern Reporter |
1968–date |
S.E.2d |
|
|
North Carolina Court of Appeals Reports |
1968–date |
N.C. App. |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to N.C. Gen. Stat. (published by LexisNexis). |
|||
|
General Statutes of North Carolina (LexisNexis) |
N.C. Gen. Stat. § x-x (<year>) |
||
|
West’s North Carolina General Statutes Annotated |
N.C. Gen. Stat. Ann. § x-x (West <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to N.C. Sess. Laws. |
|||
|
Session Laws of North Carolina |
<year> N.C. Sess. Laws <page no.> |
||
|
North Carolina <year> Advance Legislative Service (LexisNexis) |
<year>-<pamph. no.> N.C. Adv. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (LexisNexis) |
||
|
North Carolina Legislative Service (West) |
<year> N.C. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
North Carolina Administrative Code (West) |
<tit. no.> N.C. Admin. Code <rule no.> (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
North Carolina Register (LexisNexis) |
<vol. no.> N.C. Reg. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
Local Notes: North Carolina has adopted a public domain citation format, effective January 2021. See Supreme Court of North Carolina, Universal Citation for North Carolina Fact Sheet (Nov. 2020), https://www.nccourts.gov/assets/news-uploads/FINAL_fact-sheet_UniversalCitation--SCofNC_11182020.pdf?JVPiE5JQ6Yeng5IJ8_a1TzZF6bjdSTgt Examples: Crazie Overstock Promotions, LLC v. State, 2021-NCSC-57, 858 S.E.2d 581. Town of Apex v. Rubin, 2021-NCCOA-187, 858 S.E.2d 387. North Carolina statutes are cited as N.C.G.S. § xx-xx (year). See generally Supreme Court Office of Administrative Counsel, The Guidebook: Citation, Style, and Usage at the Supreme Court of North Carolina (2019), https://www.nccourts.gov/assets/inline-files/TheGuidebook_SupremeCourtofNorthCarolina_062019_0.pdf?1lTTY94loM9lL3LuzuIEZ04IbNaxjiSJ; Appellate Rules Committee of the North Carolina Bar Association, A Style Manual for the North Carolina Rules of Appellate Procedure (2021), https://www.ncbar.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/2021-05-13-FINAL-Style-Manual-with-Hyperlinks.pdf. |
|||
|
North Dakota |
|||
|
Supreme Court (N.D.): Cite to N.W. or N.W.2d. |
|||
|
North Western Reporter |
1890–date |
N.W., N.W.2d |
|
|
North Dakota Reports |
1890–1953 |
N.D. |
|
|
Supreme Court of Dakota (Dakota): Cite to N.W. |
|||
|
North Western Reporter |
1879–1889 |
N.W. |
|
|
Dakota Reports |
1867–1889 |
Dakota |
|
|
Court of Appeals of North Dakota (N.D. Ct. App.): Cite to N.W.2d. |
|||
|
North Western Reporter |
1987–date |
N.W.2d |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to N.D. Cent. Code. |
|||
|
North Dakota Century Code (LexisNexis) |
N.D. Cent. Code § x-x-x (<year>) |
||
|
West’s North Dakota Century Code Annotated |
N.D. Cent. Code Ann. § x-x-x (West <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to N.D. Laws. |
|||
|
Laws of North Dakota |
<year> N.D. Laws <page no.> |
||
|
North Dakota Century Code <year> Advance Legislative Service (LexisNexis) |
<year>-<pamph. no.> N.D. Cent. Code Adv. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (LexisNexis) |
||
|
West’s North Dakota Legislative Service |
<year> N.D. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
North Dakota Administrative Code |
N.D. Admin. Code <rule no.> (<year>) |
||
|
Local Notes: North Dakota has adopted a public domain citation format for cases after December 31, 1996. See North Dakota Supreme Court Citation Manual (2000), https://www.ndcourts.gov/supreme-court/citation-manual Examples: Smith v. Jones, 1997 ND 15. Smith v. Jones, 1997 ND 15, 600 N.W.2d 900. Smith v. Jones, 1997 ND 15, ¶ 21. Smith v. Jones, 1997 ND 15, ¶ 21, 600 N.W.2d 900. |
|||
|
Ohio |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Ohio): Cite to N.E., N.E.2d, or N.E.3d. |
|||
|
North Eastern Reporter |
1885–date |
N.E., N.E.2d, N.E.3d |
|
|
Ohio State Reports |
1852–date |
Ohio St., Ohio St. 2d, Ohio St. 3d |
|
|
Ohio Reports |
1821–1851 |
Ohio |
|
|
Wilcox’s Condensed Reports |
1821–1831 |
Wilc. Cond. Rep. |
|
|
Wright |
1831–1834 |
Wright |
|
|
Ohio Unreported Cases |
1809–1899 |
Ohio Unrep. Cas. |
|
|
Court of Appeals (Ohio Ct. App.): Cite to N.E., N.E.2d, or N.E.3d. |
|||
|
North Eastern Reporter |
1926–date |
N.E., N.E.2d, N.E.3d |
|
|
Ohio Appellate Reports |
1913–date |
Ohio App., Ohio App. 2d, Ohio App. 3d |
|
|
Ohio Circuit Court Reports |
1914–1917 |
Ohio C.C. |
|
|
Ohio Courts of Appeals Reports |
1916–1922 |
Ohio Ct. App. |
|
|
Other law courts: Cite to N.E., N.E.2d, or N.E.3d, if found there; else, cite to another reporter in the following order of preference. |
|||
|
North Eastern Reporter |
1926–date |
N.E., N.E.2d, N.E.3d |
|
|
Ohio Miscellaneous Reports |
1962–2012 |
Ohio Misc., Ohio Misc. 2d |
|
|
Ohio Bar Reports |
1982–1987 |
Ohio B. |
|
|
Ohio Opinions |
1934–1982 |
Ohio Op., Ohio Op. 2d, Ohio Op. 3d |
|
|
Ohio Law Abstract |
1922–1964 |
Ohio Law Abs. |
|
|
Ohio Nisi Prius Reports |
1903–1934 |
Ohio N.P., Ohio N.P. (n.s.) |
|
|
Ohio Decisions |
1894–1921 |
Ohio Dec. |
|
|
Ohio Decisions, Reprint |
1840–1893 |
Ohio Dec. Reprint |
|
|
Ohio Circuit Decisions |
1885–1923 |
Ohio Cir. Dec. |
|
|
Ohio Circuit Court Decisions |
1901–1923 |
e.g., 13-23 Ohio C.C. Dec. |
|
|
Ohio Circuit Court Reports |
1885–1901 |
Ohio C.C. |
|
|
Ohio Law Bulletin |
1876–1921 |
Ohio L. Bull. |
|
|
Ohio Circuit Court Reports, New Series |
1903–1917 |
Ohio C.C. (n.s.) |
|
|
Ohio Law Reporter |
1903–1934 |
Ohio L.R. |
|
|
Tappen’s Reports |
1816–1819 |
Tapp. Rep. |
|
|
Anderson’s Unreported Ohio Appellate Cases |
1990 |
Ohio App. Unrep. |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to one of the following codes. |
|||
|
Page’s Ohio Revised Code Annotated (LexisNexis): Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § <section number> (LexisNexis <year> ) |
Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § x.x (LexisNexis <year>) |
||
|
Baldwin’s Ohio Revised Code Annotated (West): Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § <section number> (West <year> ) |
Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § x.x (West <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Ohio Laws. |
|||
|
State of Ohio: Legislative Acts Passed and Joint Resolutions Adopted <year> Ohio Laws <page no.> |
|||
|
Page’s Ohio Legislative Bulletin (LexisNexis) |
<year> Ohio Legis. Bull. <page no.> (LexisNexis) |
||
|
Baldwin’s Ohio Legislative Service Annotated (West) |
<year> Ohio Legis. Serv. Ann. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Baldwin's Ohio Administrative Code (West): Ohio Admin. Code <rule no.> <year> |
Ohio Admin. Code <rule no.> (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative and executive registers: Cite to one of the following registers. |
|||
|
Baldwin's Ohio Monthly Record |
1977–date |
Ohio Monthly Rec. <page no.> (<month year>) |
|
|
Ohio Government Reports |
1965–1976 |
Ohio Gov’t <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
|
|
Ohio Department Reports |
1914–1964 |
Ohio Dep’t <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
|
|
Local Notes: Extensive guidance and rules are provided by the Supreme Court of Ohio’s Writing Manual: A Guide to Citations, Style, and Judicial Opinion Writing (2d ed. 2013), https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/ROD/manual.pdf. The Ohio Revised Code is customarily cited locally as R.C. § xx.xx. A common local variation of this statutory citation is O.R.C. § xx.xx. The Ohio Court of Appeals is divided into appellate districts that should be indicated parenthetically in the court/year component. Ohio has adopted a public domain citation format for cases decided after April 30, 2002. Examples: Bonacorsi v. Wheeling & Lake Erie Ry. Co., 95 Ohio St.3d 314, 2002-Ohio-2220, 767 N.E.2d 707, ¶ 15. Bowling Green v. Godwin, 110 Ohio St.3d 58, 2006-Ohio-3563, 850 N.E.2d 698, ¶ 13, fn. 1. Byer v. Wright, 160 Ohio App.3d 472, 2005-Ohio-1797, 827 N.E.2d 835 (11th Dist.). |
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|
Oklahoma |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Okla.): Cite to P., P.2d, or P.3d. |
|||
|
Pacific Reporter |
1890–date |
P., P.2d, P.3d |
|
|
Oklahoma Reports |
1890–1953 |
Okla. |
|
|
Court of Appeals of Indian Territory (Indian Terr.): Cite to S.W. |
|||
|
South Western Reporter |
1896–1907 |
S.W. |
|
|
Indian Territory Reports |
1896–1907 |
Indian Terr. |
|
|
Court of Criminal Appeals (Okla. Crim. App.), before 1959 Criminal Court of Appeals (Okla. Crim. App.): Cite to P., P.2d, or P.3d. |
|||
|
Pacific Reporter |
1908–date |
P., P.2d, P.3d |
|
|
Oklahoma Criminal Reports |
1908–1953 |
Okla. Crim. |
|
|
Court of Civil Appeals (Okla. Civ. App.): Cite to P.2d or P.3d. |
|||
|
Pacific Reporter |
1971–date |
P.2d, P.3d |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to Okla. Stat. |
|||
|
Oklahoma Statutes (West) |
Okla. Stat. tit. x, § x (<year>) |
||
|
Oklahoma Statutes Annotated (West) |
Okla. Stat. Ann. tit. x, § x (West <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Okla. Sess. Laws. |
|||
|
Oklahoma Session Laws (West) |
<year> Okla. Sess. Laws <page no.> |
||
|
Oklahoma Session Law Service (West) |
<year> Okla. Sess. Law Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Oklahoma Administrative Code |
Okla. Admin. Code § x:x-x-x (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative registers: Cite to one of the following sources. |
|||
|
Oklahoma Register 1983–date |
<vol. no.> Okla. Reg. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
Oklahoma Gazette 1962–1983 |
<vol. no.> Okla. Gaz. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
Local Notes: Oklahoma has adopted a public domain citation format for cases after May 1, 1997. See Okla. Sup. Ct. R. 1.200(e); Okla. Crim. App. R. 3.5.C(2)(a). Examples: MTG Guarnieri Mfg., Inc. v. Clouatre, 2010 OK CIV APP 71, 239 P.3d 202. Harvell v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., 2006 OK 24, 164 P.3d 1028. |
|||
|
Oregon |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Or.): Cite to P., P.2d, or P.3d. |
|||
|
Pacific Reporter |
1883–date |
P., P.2d, P.3d |
|
|
Oregon Reports |
1853–date |
Or. |
|
|
Court of Appeals (Or. Ct. App.): Cite to P.2d or P.3d. |
|||
|
Pacific Reporter |
1969–date |
P.2d, P.3d |
|
|
Oregon Reports, Court of Appeals |
1969–date |
Or. App. |
|
|
Tax Court (Or. T.C.): Cite to Or. Tax. |
|||
|
Oregon Tax Reports |
1962–date |
Or. Tax |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to Or. Rev. Stat. |
|||
|
Oregon Revised Statutes |
Or. Rev. Stat. § x.x (<year>) |
||
|
West’s Oregon Revised Statutes Annotated |
Or. Rev. Stat. Ann. § x.x (West <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Or. Laws. When citing statutes repealed during or after 1953, indicate parenthetically the former Or. Rev. Stat. sections. |
|||
|
Oregon Laws and Resolutions |
<year> Or. Laws <page no.> |
||
|
<year> Or. Laws Spec. Sess. <page no.> |
|||
|
<year> Or. Laws Adv. Sh. No. x, <page no.> |
|||
|
West’s Oregon Legislative Service |
<year> Or. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Oregon Administrative Rules |
Or. Admin. R. <rule no.> (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
Oregon Bulletin |
<vol. no.> Or. Bull. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
Local Notes: Oregon Statutes are locally cited ORS § xxx.xxx. See generally Oregon Appellate Courts Style Manual (2018), https://www.courts.oregon.gov/publications/Documents/UpdatedStyleManual2002.pdf |
|||
|
Pennsylvania |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Pa.): Cite to A., A.2d, or A.3d. |
|||
|
Atlantic Reporter |
1885–date |
A., A.2d, A.3d |
|
|
Pennsylvania State Reports |
1845–date |
Pa. |
|
|
Monaghan |
1888–1890 |
Monag. |
|
|
Sadler |
1885–1889 |
Sadler |
|
|
Walker |
1855–1885 |
Walk. |
|
|
Pennypacker |
1881–1884 |
Pennyp. |
|
|
Grant |
1814–1863 |
Grant |
|
|
Watts and Sergeant |
1841–1845 |
Watts & Serg. |
|
|
Wharton |
1835–1841 |
Whart. |
|
|
Watts |
1832–1840 |
Watts |
|
|
Rawle |
1828–1835 |
Rawle |
|
|
Penrose and Watts |
1829–1832 |
Pen. & W. |
|
|
Sergeant and Rawle |
1814–1828 |
Serg. & Rawle |
|
|
Binney |
1799–1814 |
Binn. |
|
|
Yeates |
1791–1808 |
Yeates |
|
|
Addison |
1791–1799 |
Add. |
|
|
Dallas |
1754–1806 |
Dall. |
|
|
Alden |
1754–1814 |
Ald. |
|
|
Superior Court (Pa. Super. Ct.): Cite to A., A.2d, or A.3d. For cases decided after December 31, 1998, use the following public domain citation format: Example: Jones v. Smith, 1999 PA Super 1 |
|||
|
Atlantic Reporter |
1931–date |
A., A.2d, A.3d |
|
|
Pennsylvania Superior Court Reports |
1895–1997 |
Pa. Super. |
|
|
Commonwealth Court (Pa. Commw. Ct.): Cite to A.2d or A.3d. |
|||
|
Atlantic Reporter |
1970–date |
A.2d, A.3d |
|
|
Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court Reports |
1970–1994 |
Pa. Commw. |
|
|
Other lower courts: Cite to Pa. D. & C., Pa. D. & C.2d, Pa. D. & C.3d, Pa. D. & C.4th, or Pa. D. & C.5th. Not all lower court decisions are reproduced in the reporters listed below, and it may be necessary, on occasion, to cite to the legal reporter for an individual county, if available. For a comprehensive list of Pennsylvania county court reports, consult chapter seven, appendix four, Frank Y. Liu et al., Pennsylvania Legal Research Handbook (2008). |
|||
|
Pennsylvania District and County Reports |
1918–date |
Pa. D. & C., Pa. D. & C.2d, Pa. D. & C.3d, Pa. D. & C.4th, Pa. D. & C.5th |
|
|
Pennsylvania District Reports |
1892–1921 |
Pa. D. |
|
|
Pennsylvania County Court Reports |
1870–1921 |
Pa. C. |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to Pa. Cons. Stat. (79 titles). These publications should not be confused with Pa. Code, which is a code of regulations, not of legislation. |
|||
|
Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes |
<tit. no.> Pa. Cons. Stat. § x (<year>) |
||
|
Purdon’s Pennsylvania Statutes and Consolidated Statutes Annotated (West) |
<tit. no.> Pa. Stat. and Cons. Stat. Ann. § x (West <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Pa. Laws. |
|||
|
Laws of Pennsylvania |
<year> Pa. Laws <page no.> |
||
|
Purdon’s Pennsylvania Legislative Service (West) |
<year> Pa. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Pennsylvania Code (Fry Communications) |
<tit. no.> Pa. Code § x.x (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
Pennsylvania Bulletin (Fry Communications) |
<vol. no.> Pa. Bull. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
Local Notes: Pennsylvania has a complex system of consolidated and unconsolidated statutes, and may provide a parallel citation to Purdom’s Pennsylvania Statutes Annotated if available. See Order Amending Rule 126 of the Pennsylvania Rules of Appellate Procedure, No. 278 Appellate Procedural Rules Doc., 49 Pa. B. 1335 (March 23, 2019), http://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pabull?file=/secure/pabulletin/data/vol49/49-12/416.html. |
|||
|
Rhode Island |
|||
|
Supreme Court (R.I.): Cite to A., A.2d or A.3d. |
|||
|
Atlantic Reporter |
1885–date |
A., A.2d, A.3d |
|
|
Rhode Island Reports |
1828–1980 |
R.I. |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to R.I. Gen. Laws. |
|||
|
General Laws of Rhode Island (LexisNexis) |
<tit. no.> R.I. Gen. Laws § x-x-x (<year>) |
||
|
West’s General Laws of Rhode Island Annotated |
<tit. no.> R.I. Gen. Laws Ann. § x-x-x (West <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to R.I. Pub. Laws. |
|||
|
Public Laws of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations |
<year> R.I. Pub. Laws <page no.> |
||
|
Acts and Resolves of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations |
<year> R.I. Acts & Resolves <page no.> |
||
|
Rhode Island Advance Legislative Service (LexisNexis) |
<year>-<pamph. no.> R.I. Adv. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (LexisNexis) |
||
|
West’s Rhode Island Advance Legislative Service |
<year> R.I. Adv. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Code of Rhode Island Rules (LexisNexis) |
<tit. no.>-<ch. no.> R.I. Code R. § x (LexisNexis <year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
Rhode Island Government Register (LexisNexis) |
<iss. no.> R.I. Gov’t Reg. <page no.> (LexisNexis <month year>) |
||
|
South Carolina |
|||
|
Supreme Court after 1868 (S.C.): Cite to S.E. or S.E.2d. |
|||
|
South Eastern Reporter |
1887–date |
S.E., S.E.2d |
|
|
South Carolina Reports |
1868–date |
S.C. |
|
|
Court of Appeals (S.C. Ct. App.): Cite to S.E.2d. |
|||
|
South Eastern Reporter |
1983–date |
S.E.2d |
|
|
South Carolina Reports |
1983–date |
S.C. |
|
|
Courts of law before 1868: Cite to South Carolina Law Reports (S.C.L.) |
|||
|
Richardson (37–49) |
1850–1868 |
e.g., 37 S.C.L. (3 Rich.) |
|
|
Strobhart (32–36) |
1846–1850 |
e.g., 32 S.C.L. (1 Strob.) |
|
|
Richardson (30–31) |
1844–1846 |
e.g., 30 S.C.L. (1 Rich.) |
|
|
Speers (28–29) |
1842–1844 |
e.g., 28 S.C.L. (1 Speers) |
|
|
McMullan (26–27) |
1840–1842 |
e.g., 26 S.C.L. (1 McMul.) |
|
|
Cheves |
1839–1840 |
25 S.C.L. (Chev.) |
|
|
Rice |
1838–1839 |
24 S.C.L. (Rice) |
|
|
Dudley |
1837–1838 |
23 S.C.L. (Dud.) |
|
|
Riley |
1836–1837 |
22 S.C.L. (Ril.) |
|
|
Hill (19–21) |
1833–1837 |
e.g., 19 S.C.L. (1 Hill) |
|
|
Bailey (17–18) |
1828–1832 |
e.g., 17 S.C.L. (1 Bail.) |
|
|
Harper |
1823–1824 |
16 S.C.L. (Harp.) |
|
|
McCord (12–15) |
1821–1828 |
e.g., 12 S.C.L. (1 McCord) |
|
|
Nott and McCord (10–11) |
1817–1820 |
e.g., 10 S.C.L. (1 Nott & McC.) |
|
|
Mill (Constitutional) (8–9) |
1817–1818 |
e.g., 8 S.C.L. (1 Mill) |
|
|
Treadway (6–7) |
1812–1816 |
e.g., 6 S.C.L. (1 Tread.) |
|
|
Brevard (3–5) |
1793–1816 |
e.g., 3 S.C.L. (1 Brev.) |
|
|
Bay (1–2) |
1783–1804 |
e.g., 1 S.C.L. (1 Bay) |
|
|
Courts of equity before 1868: Cite to South Carolina Equity Reports (S.C. Eq.) |
|||
|
Richardson’s Equity (24–35) |
1850–1868 |
e.g., 24 S.C. Eq. (3 Rich. Eq.) |
|
|
Strobhart’s Equity (20–23) |
1846–1850 |
e.g., 20 S.C. Eq. (1 Strob. Eq.) |
|
|
Richardson’s Equity (18–19) |
1844–1846 |
e.g., 18 S.C. Eq. (1 Rich. Eq.) |
|
|
Speers’ Equity |
1842–1844 |
17 S.C. Eq. (Speers Eq.) |
|
|
McMullan’s Equity |
1840–1842 |
16 S.C. Eq. (McMul. Eq.) |
|
|
Cheves’ Equity |
1839–1840 |
15 S.C. Eq. (Chev. Eq.) |
|
|
Rice’s Equity |
1838–1839 |
14 S.C. Eq. (Rice Eq.) |
|
|
Dudley’s Equity |
1837–1838 |
13 S.C. Eq. (Dud. Eq.) |
|
|
Riley’s Chancery |
1836–1837 |
12 S.C. Eq. (Ril. Eq.) |
|
|
Hill’s Chancery (10–11) |
1833–1837 |
e.g., 10 S.C. Eq. (1 Hill Eq.) |
|
|
Richardson’s Cases |
1831–1832 |
9 S.C. Eq. (Rich. Cas.) |
|
|
Bailey’s Equity |
1830–1831 |
8 S.C. Eq. (Bail. Eq.) |
|
|
McCord’s Chancery (6–7) |
1825–1827 |
e.g., 6 S.C. Eq. (1 McCord Eq.) |
|
|
Harper’s Equity |
1824 |
5 S.C. Eq. (Harp. Eq.) |
|
|
Desaussure’s Equity (1–4) |
1784–1817 |
e.g., 1 S.C. Eq. (1 Des. Eq.) |
|
|
Statutory compilation |
|||
|
Code of Laws of South Carolina 1976 Annotated |
S.C. Code Ann. § x-x-x (<year>) |
||
|
Session laws |
|||
|
Acts and Joint Resolutions, South Carolina |
<year> S.C. Acts <page no.> |
||
|
Administrative compilation: Administrative regulations appear in volumes 1–10 of S.C. Code Ann. This publication should not be confused with the statutory compilation of the same name, which also contains volumes 1–10. |
|||
|
Code of Laws of South Carolina 1976 Annotated: Code of Regulations (West) |
S.C. Code Ann. Regs. <reg no.> (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
South Carolina State Register |
<vol. no.> S.C. Reg. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
South Dakota |
|||
|
Supreme Court (S.D.): Cite to N.W. or N.W.2d. |
|||
|
North Western Reporter |
1890–date |
N.W., N.W.2d |
|
|
South Dakota Reports |
1890–1976 |
S.D. |
|
|
Supreme Court of Dakota (Dakota): Cite to N.W. |
|||
|
North Western Reporter |
1879–1889 |
N.W. |
|
|
Dakota Reports |
1867–1889 |
Dakota |
|
|
Statutory compilation |
|||
|
South Dakota Codified Laws (West) |
S.D. Codified Laws § x-x-x (<year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to S.D. Sess. Laws. |
|||
|
Session Laws of South Dakota |
<year> S.D. Sess. Laws <ch. x § x> <page no.> |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Administrative Rules of South Dakota |
S.D. Admin. R. <rule no.> (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
South Dakota Register |
<vol. no.> S.D. Reg. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
Local Notes: The South Dakota Codified Laws are locally cited as SDCL § x-x-x. See SDCL § 2-16-18. South Dakota has adopted a public domain citation format for cases after December 31, 1996. See S.D. R. Civ. Pro. § 15-26A-69.1 and S.D. Sup. Ct. R. 10-05. Example: JAS Enters., Inc. v. BBS Enters., Inc., 2013 S.D. 54, 835 N.W.2d 117. |
|||
|
Tennessee |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Tenn.): Cite to S.W., S.W.2d, or S.W.3d. |
|||
|
South Western Reporter |
1886–date |
S.W., S.W.2d, S.W.3d |
|
|
Tennessee Reports |
|||
|
60 Tenn. to 225 Tenn. |
1872–1972 |
Tenn. |
|
|
Heiskell |
1870–1874 |
e.g., 48 Tenn. (1 Heisk.) |
|
|
Coldwell |
1860–1870 |
e.g., 41 Tenn. (1 Cold.) |
|
|
Head |
1858–1860 |
e.g., 38 Tenn. (1 Head) |
|
|
Sneed |
1853–1858 |
e.g., 33 Tenn. (1 Sneed) |
|
|
Swan |
1851–1853 |
e.g., 31 Tenn. (1 Swan) |
|
|
Humphreys |
1839–1851 |
e.g., 20 Tenn. (1 Hum.) |
|
|
Meigs |
1838–1839 |
19 Tenn. (Meigs) |
|
|
Yerger |
1818–1837 |
e.g., 9 Tenn. (1 Yer.) |
|
|
Martin & Yerger |
1825–1828 |
8 Tenn. (Mart. & Yer.) |
|
|
Peck |
1821–1824 |
7 Tenn. (Peck) |
|
|
Haywood |
1816–1818 |
e.g., 4 Tenn. (1 Hayw.) |
|
|
Cooke |
1811–1814 |
3 Tenn. (Cooke) |
|
|
Overton |
1791–1815 |
e.g., 1 Tenn. (1 Overt.) |
|
|
Court of Appeals (Tenn. Ct. App.): Cite to S.W.2d or S.W.3d. |
|||
|
South Western Reporter |
1932–date |
S.W.2d, S.W.3d |
|
|
Tennessee Appeals Reports |
1925–1971 |
Tenn. App. |
|
|
Court of Criminal Appeals (Tenn. Crim. App.): Cite to S.W.2d or S.W.3d. |
|||
|
South Western Reporter |
1967–date |
S.W.2d, S.W.3d |
|
|
Tennessee Criminal Appeals Reports |
1967–1971 |
Tenn. Crim. App. |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to Tenn. Code Ann. (published by LexisNexis). |
|||
|
Tennessee Code Annotated (LexisNexis) |
Tenn. Code Ann. § x-x-x (<year>) |
||
|
West's Tennessee Code Annotated |
Tenn. Code Ann. § x-x-x (West <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Tenn. Pub. Acts or Tenn. Priv. Acts. |
|||
|
Public Acts of the State of Tennessee |
<year> Tenn. Pub. Acts <page no.> |
||
|
Private Acts of the State of Tennessee |
<year> Tenn. Priv. Acts <page no.> |
||
|
Tennessee Code Annotated Advance Legislative Service (LexisNexis) |
<year>-<pamph. no.> Tenn. Code Ann. Adv. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (LexisNexis) |
||
|
West’s Tennessee Legislative Service |
<year> Tenn. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Official Compilation Rules & Regulations of the State of Tennessee |
Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. <rule no.> (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
Tennessee Administrative Register |
<vol. no.> Tenn. Admin. Reg. <page no.> (<month year>) |
||
|
Texas |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Tex.): Cite to S.W., S.W.2d, or S.W.3d. |
|||
|
South Western Reporter |
1886–date |
S.W., S.W.2d, S.W.3d |
|
|
Texas Reports |
1846–1962 |
Tex. |
|
|
Synopses of the Decisions of the Supreme Court of Texas Arising from Restraints by Conscript and Other Military Authorities (Robards) |
1862–1865 |
Robards (no vol. number) |
|
|
Texas Law Review (containing previously unpublished cases from the 1845 term) |
1845–1846 |
65 Tex. L. Rev. |
|
|
Digest of the Laws of Texas (Dallam’s Opinions) |
1840–1844 |
Dallam (no vol. number) |
|
|
Texas Supreme Court Journal |
1957–date |
Tex. Sup. Ct. J. |
|
|
Court of Criminal Appeals (Tex. Crim. App.), previously Court of Appeals (Tex. Ct. App.): Cite to S.W., S.W.2d, or S.W.3d. |
|||
|
South Western Reporter |
1892–date |
S.W., S.W.2d, S.W.3d |
|
|
Texas Criminal Reports |
1892–1962 |
Tex. Crim. |
|
|
Texas Court of Appeals Reports |
1876–1892 |
Tex. Ct. App. |
|
|
Condensed Reports of Decisions in Civil Causes in the Court of Appeals (White & Willson vol. 1) (Willson vols. 2–4) |
1876–1883 |
White & W. Willson |
|
|
Commission of Appeals (Tex. Comm’n App.): Cite to S.W. or S.W.2d. |
|||
|
South Western Reporter |
1886–1892 |
S.W. |
|
|
1918–1945 |
S.W.2d |
||
|
Texas Reports |
1879–1892 |
Tex. |
|
|
Texas Unreported Cases (Posey) |
1879–1884 |
Posey |
|
|
Condensed Reports of Decisions in Civil Causes in the Court of Appeals (White & Willson) |
1879–1883 |
White & W. |
|
|
Courts of Appeals (Tex. App.), previously Courts of Civil Appeals (Tex. Civ. App.): Cite to S.W., S.W.2d, or S.W.3d. |
|||
|
South Western Reporter |
1892–date |
S.W., S.W.2d, S.W.3d |
|
|
Texas Civil Appeals Reports |
1892–1911 |
Tex. Civ. App. |
|
|
Consult Texas-specific citation guides for historical subsequent history when citing opinions of the Commission of Appeals from 1879 to 1892. For additional information on the history and structure of Texas courts and on local citation rules, the following sources are suggested: Texas Law Review Ass’n, The Greenbook: Texas Rules of Form (14th ed. 2018); Lydia M.V. Brandt, Texas Legal Research (1995); and A Reference Guide to Texas Law and Legal History (Karl T. Gruben & James E. Hambleton eds., 2d ed. 1987). |
|||
|
Statutory compilations: Texas is nearing the completion of a recodification of its laws. Cite to the new subject-matter Tex. Code Ann., if found there; else, cite to Tex. Rev. Civ. Stat. Ann. or to one of the independent codes contained in the series Vernon’s Texas Civil Statutes or Vernon’s Texas Statutes Annotated. Note that the independent codes were not part of the new subject-matter Tex. Code Ann., but as of the 2023 printing of this citation manual, their subject matter has been almost entirely recodified into the Tex. Code Ann. |
|||
|
Vernon’s Texas Codes Annotated (West) |
Tex. <Subject> Code Ann. § x (West <year>) |
||
|
Vernon’s Texas Revised Civil Statutes Annotated (West) |
Tex. Rev. Civ. Stat. Ann. art. x, § x (West <year>) |
||
|
Vernon’s Texas Business Corporation Act Annotated (West) |
Tex. Bus. Corp. Act Ann. art. x (West <year>) |
||
|
Vernon’s Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Annotated (West) |
Tex. Code Crim. Proc. Ann. art. x (West <year>) |
||
|
Vernon’s Texas Insurance Code Annotated (West) |
Tex. Ins. Code Ann. art. x (West <year>) |
||
|
Vernon’s Texas Probate Code Annotated (West) (repealed) |
Tex. Prob. Code Ann. § x (West <year>) (Note this independent code has been repealed as of 2014) |
||
|
Texas Subject-Matter Codes |
|||
|
Agriculture |
Agric. |
||
|
Alcoholic Beverage |
Alco. Bev. |
||
|
Business and Commerce |
Bus. & Com. |
||
|
Business Organizations (effective Jan. 1, 2006) |
Bus. Orgs. |
||
|
Civil Practice and Remedies |
Civ. Prac. & Rem. |
||
|
Education |
Educ. |
||
|
Election |
Elec. |
||
|
Estates |
Est. |
||
|
Family |
Fam. |
||
|
Finance |
Fin. |
||
|
Government |
Gov’t |
||
|
Health and Safety |
Health & Safety |
||
|
Human Resources |
Hum. Res. |
||
|
Insurance |
Ins. |
||
|
Labor |
Lab. |
||
|
Local Government |
Loc. Gov’t |
||
|
Natural Resources |
Nat. Res. |
||
|
Occupations |
Occ. |
||
|
Parks and Wildlife |
Parks & Wild. |
||
|
Penal |
Penal |
||
|
Property |
Prop. |
||
|
Special District Local Laws |
Spec. Dists. |
||
|
Tax |
Tax |
||
|
Transportation |
Transp. |
||
|
Utilities |
Util. |
||
|
Water |
Water |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Tex. Gen. Laws. |
|||
|
General and Special Laws of the State of Texas |
<year> Tex. Gen. Laws <page no.> |
||
|
Vernon’s Texas Session Law Service (West) |
<year> Tex. Sess. Law Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Laws of the Republic of Texas |
<year> Repub. Tex. Laws <page no.> |
||
|
Session laws passed before 1941 must be cited according to the exact title, e.g., Tex. Loc. & Spec. Laws, Tex. Gen. & Spec. Laws, and Tex. Gen. Laws. The Revised Statutes were enacted and published separately in 1879, 1895, 1911, and 1925 and should be cited as <year> Tex. Rev. Civ. Stat. xxx. The Code of Criminal Procedure and Penal Code were enacted and published separately in 1856, 1879, 1895, 1911, and 1925 and should be cited as <year> Tex. Crim. Stat. xxx. |
|||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Texas Administrative Code (West) |
<tit. no.> Tex. Admin. Code § x.x (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
Texas Register (LexisNexis) |
<vol. no.> Tex. Reg. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
Local Notes: See generally The Greenbook, Texas Rules of Form (15th ed. 2022). At the intermediate appellate level, the Texas courts are divided into regional intermediate appellate districts. The Houston appellate district has two numbered districts and thus also includes either [1st Dist.] or [14th Dist.]. Customary local practice for Texas intermediate appellate citations is as follows: <case name>, <vo.> S.W. 2d <page> (Tex. App.—<name of intermediate appellate district> <year>). Customary local practice also includes subsequent history in the citation parenthetical. Example: Titan Oil & Gas Consultants, LLC v. Willis, 614 S.W.3d 261 (Tex. App.—Texarkana 2020, pet. filed). |
|||
|
Utah |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Utah): Cite to P., P.2d, or P.3d. |
|||
|
Pacific Reporter |
1881–date |
P., P.2d, P.3d |
|
|
Utah Reports |
1873–1974 |
Utah, Utah 2d |
|
|
Court of Appeals (Utah Ct. App.): Cite to P.2d or P.3d. |
|||
|
Pacific Reporter |
1987–date |
P.2d, P.3d |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to one of the following codes. |
|||
|
Utah Code Annotated (LexisNexis) |
Utah Code Ann. § x-x-x (LexisNexis <year>) |
||
|
West’s Utah Code Annotated |
Utah Code Ann. § x-x-x (West <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Utah Laws. |
|||
|
Laws of Utah |
<year> Utah Laws <page no.> |
||
|
Utah Code <year> Advance Legislative Service (LexisNexis) |
<year>-<pamph. no.> Utah Adv. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (LexisNexis) |
||
|
Utah Legislative Service (West) |
<year> Utah. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Utah Administrative Code |
Utah Admin. Code r. x-x-x (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
Utah State Bulletin |
<iss. no.> Utah Bull. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
Local Notes: Utah has adopted a public domain citation format for cases after December 31, 1998. See Utah App R. 24(f). Include parallel citations to the Pacific Reporter where available. Include parallel citations to the Utah Advanced Reports (if possible) when no citation to the Pacific Reporter is available. Examples: Smith v. Jones, 1999 UT 16. Smith v. Jones, 1999 UT App 16. Smith v. Jones, 1999 UT 16, 380 Utah Adv. Rep. 24. Smith v. Jones, 1999 UT App 16, 380 Utah Adv. Rep. 24. Smith v. Jones, 1999 UT 16, 998 P.2d 250. Smith v. Jones, 1999 UT App 16, 998 P.2d 250. |
|||
|
Vermont |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Vt.): Cite to A., A.2d or A.3d. |
|||
|
Atlantic Reporter |
1885–date |
A., A.2d, A.3d |
|
|
Vermont Reports |
1826–date |
Vt. |
|
|
Aikens |
1825–1828 |
Aik. |
|
|
Chipman, D. |
1789–1824 |
D. Chip. |
|
|
Brayton |
1815–1819 |
Brayt. |
|
|
Tyler |
1800–1803 |
Tyl. |
|
|
Chipman, N. |
1789–1791 |
N. Chip. |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to Vt. Stat. Ann. (published by LexisNexis), if found there |
|||
|
Vermont Statutes Annotated (LexisNexis) |
Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. x, § x (<year>) |
||
|
West’s Vermont Statutes Annotated |
Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. x, § x (West <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Vt. Acts & Resolves. |
|||
|
Acts and Resolves of Vermont |
<year> Vt. Acts & Resolves <page no.> |
||
|
Vermont <year> Advance Legislative Service(LexisNexis) |
<year>-<pamph. no.> Vt. Adv. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (LexisNexis) |
||
|
West’s Vermont Legislative Service |
<year> Vt. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Code of Vermont Rules (LexisNexis) |
<tit. no.>-<ch. no.> Vt. Code R. § x (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
Vermont Government Register (LexisNexis) |
<iss. no.> Vt. Gov’t Reg. <page no.> (LexisNexis <month year>) |
||
|
Local Notes: Vermont Statutes Annotated are cited locally as xx V.S.A. § xx. See 1 V.S.A. § 51. Vermont has adopted a public domain citation format for cases after December 31, 2002. See Vt. R. App. P. 28.2. Example: Smith v. Jones, 2001 VT 1, ¶ 12, 169 Vt. 203, 850 A.2d 421. |
|||
|
Virginia |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Va.), previously Supreme Court of Appeals (Va.): Cite to S.E. or S.E.2d. |
|||
|
South Eastern Reporter |
1887–date |
S.E., S.E.2d |
|
|
Virginia Reports |
|||
|
75 Va. to date |
1880–date |
Va. |
|
|
Grattan |
1844–1880 |
e.g., 42 Va. (1 Gratt.) |
|
|
Robinson |
1842–1844 |
e.g., 40 Va. (1 Rob.) |
|
|
Leigh |
1829–1842 |
e.g., 28 Va. (1 Leigh) |
|
|
Randolph |
1821–1828 |
e.g., 22 Va. (1 Rand.) |
|
|
Gilmer |
1820–1821 |
21 Va. (Gilmer) |
|
|
Munford |
1810–1820 |
e.g., 15 Va. (1 Munf.) |
|
|
Hening & Munford |
1806–1810 |
e.g., 11 Va. (1 Hen. & M.) |
|
|
Call |
1779–1825 |
e.g., 5 Va. (1 Call) |
|
|
Virginia Cases, Criminal |
1789–1826 |
e.g., 3 Va. (1 Va. Cas.) |
|
|
Washington |
1790–1796 |
e.g., 1 Va. (1 Wash.) |
|
|
Court of Appeals (Va. Ct. App.): Cite to S.E.2d. |
|||
|
South Eastern Reporter |
1985–date |
S.E.2d |
|
|
Virginia Court of Appeals Reports |
1985–date |
Va. App. |
|
|
Circuit Court (Va. Cir. Ct.): Cite to Va. Cir. |
|||
|
Virginia Circuit Court Opinions |
1957–date |
Va. Cir. |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to Va. Code Ann. (published by LexisNexis). |
|||
|
Code of Virginia 1950 Annotated (LexisNexis) |
Va. Code Ann. § x-x (<year>) |
||
|
West’s Annotated Code of Virginia |
Va. Code Ann. § x-x (West <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Va. Acts. |
|||
|
Acts of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia |
<year> Va. Acts <page no.> |
||
|
Virginia <year> Advance Legislative Service (LexisNexis) |
<year>-<pamph. no.> Va. Adv. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (LexisNexis) |
||
|
West’s Virginia Legislative Service |
<year> Va. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Virginia Administrative Code (West) |
<tit. no.> Va. Admin. Code § x-x-x (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
Virginia Register of Regulations (LexisNexis) |
<vol. no.> Va. Reg. Regs. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
Washington |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Wash.): Cite to P., P.2d, or P.3d. |
|||
|
Pacific Reporter |
1880–date |
P., P.2d, P.3d |
|
|
Washington Reports |
1889–date |
Wash., Wash. 2d |
|
|
Washington Territory Reports |
1854–1888 |
Wash. Terr. |
|
|
Court of Appeals (Wash. Ct. App.): Cite to P.2d or P.3d. |
|||
|
Pacific Reporter |
1969–date |
P.2d, P.3d |
|
|
Washington Appellate Reports |
1969–date |
Wash. App. |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to Wash. Rev. Code. |
|||
|
Revised Code of Washington |
Wash. Rev. Code § x.x.x (<year>) |
||
|
West's Revised Code of Washington Annotated |
Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § x.x.x (West <year>) |
||
|
Annotated Revised Code of Washington (LexisNexis) |
Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § x.x.x (LexisNexis <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Wash. Sess. Laws. |
|||
|
Session Laws of Washington |
<year> Wash. Sess. Laws <page no.> |
||
|
West’s Washington Legislative Service |
<year> Wash. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Washington Administrative Code |
Wash. Admin. Code § x-x-x (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
Washington State Register |
<iss. no.> Wash. Reg. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
Local Notes: Locally, the state code is often cited RCW xx.xx.xx. See generally Official Reporter of Decisions, Style Sheet, Washington Courts (July 3, 2018), https://www.courts.wa.gov/appellate_trial_courts/supreme/?fa=atc_supreme.style. In state court practice, parallel citations use unique reporter abbreviations: The Washington Reports, 1st & 2d Series are abbreviated as “Wash.” and “Wn.2d”, respectively. The Washington Appellate Reports are abbreviated as “Wn. App.” and “Wn. App. 2d”. Examples: Diaz v. State, 175 Wn.2d 457, 285 P.3d 873 (2012) Bengtsson v. Sunnyworld Int’l, Inc., 14 Wn. App. 2d 91, 469 P.3d 339 (2020) |
|||
|
West Virginia |
|||
|
Supreme Court of Appeals (W. Va.): Cite to S.E. or S.E.2d. |
|||
|
South Eastern Reporter |
1886–date |
S.E., S.E.2d |
|
|
West Virginia Reports |
1864–date |
W. Va. (do not indicate court in court/year parenthetical) |
|
|
West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals (W. Va. Ct. App.) |
|||
|
South Eastern Reporter (if published opinion) |
2022-date |
S.E.2d |
|
|
West Virginia Reports (if published opinion) |
2022-date |
W. Va. (indicate Ct. App. in court/year parenthetical) |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to W. Va. Code. |
|||
|
West Virginia Code |
W. Va. Code § x-x-x (<year>) |
||
|
Michie’s West Virginia Code Annotated (LexisNexis) |
W. Va. Code Ann. § x-x-x (LexisNexis <year>) |
||
|
West’s Annotated Code of West Virginia |
W. Va. Code Ann. § x-x-x (West <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to W. Va. Acts. |
|||
|
Acts of the Legislature of West Virginia |
<year> W. Va. Acts <page no.> |
||
|
West Virginia <year> Advance Legislative Service (LexisNexis) |
<year>-<pamph. no.> W. Va. Adv. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (LexisNexis) |
||
|
West’s West Virginia Legislative Service |
<year> W. Va. Legis. Serv. <page no.> |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
West Virginia Code of State Rules |
W. Va. Code R. § x-x-x (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
West Virginia Register |
<vol. no.> W. Va. Reg. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
Local Notes: The West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals began hearing and deciding cases in June 2021. Its published opinions are cited as shown above: PrimeCare Med. of WV, Inc. v. Foster, 247 W. Va. 590, 885 S.E.2d 171, 175 (Ct. App. 2023) Unpublished memorandum opinions are cited as follows: Blackhawk Mining, LLC v. Coomes, No. 22-ICA-264, 2023 WL 4029148 (W. Va. Ct. App. June 15, 2023) The West Virginia appellate courts typically cite the West Virginia Code with no year when citing current statutory law (similar to U.S. Code citations), or with the year of the most recent amendment to the code section being cited, such as this citation from a 2023 West Virginia Supreme Court opinion: West Virginia Code § 11-4-9 (1935), cited in Collingwood Appalachian Mins. III, LLC v. Erlewine, No. 22-0139, 2023 WL 4013373, at *4 (W. Va. June 15, 2023) |
|||
|
Wisconsin |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Wis.): Cite to N.W. or N.W.2d. |
|||
|
North Western Reporter |
1879–date |
N.W., N.W.2d |
|
|
Wisconsin Reports |
1853–date |
Wis., Wis. 2d |
|
|
Pinney |
1839–1852 |
Pin. |
|
|
Chandler |
1849–1852 |
Chand. |
|
|
Burnett |
1842–1843 |
Bur. |
|
|
Burnett (bound with session laws for Dec. 1841) |
1841 |
Bur. |
|
|
Court of Appeals (Wis. Ct. App.): Cite to N.W.2d. |
|||
|
North Western Reporter |
1978–date |
N.W.2d |
|
|
Wisconsin Reports |
1978–date |
Wis. 2d |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to Wis. Stat. |
|||
|
Wisconsin Statutes |
Wis. Stat. § x.x (<year>) |
||
|
West’s Wisconsin Statutes Annotated |
Wis. Stat. Ann. § x.x (West <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Wis. Sess. Laws. |
|||
|
Wisconsin Session Laws |
<year> Wis. Sess. Laws <page no.> |
||
|
West’s Wisconsin Legislative Service |
<year> Wis. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Wisconsin Administrative Code |
Wis. Admin. Code <agency abbreviation> § x-x (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
Wisconsin Administrative Register |
<iss. no.> Wis. Admin. Reg. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
Local Notes: Wisconsin has adopted a public domain citation format for cases decided after December 31, 1999. See Wis. Sup. Ct. R. 80, https://www.wicourts.gov/sc/scrule/DisplayDocument.pdf?content=pdf&seqNo=146082. Examples: Smith v. Jones, 2000 WI 14, ¶ 6. Smith v. Jones, 214 Wis. 2d 408, ¶ 12. Doe v. Roe, 2001 WI App 9, ¶ 17. Doe v. Roe, 595 N.W.2d 346, ¶ 27. |
|||
|
Wyoming |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Wyo.): Cite to P., P.2d, or P.3d. |
|||
|
Pacific Reporter |
1883–date |
P., P.2d, P.3d |
|
|
Wyoming Reports |
1870–1959 |
Wyo. |
|
|
Statutory compilations: Cite to Wyo. Stat. Ann. (published by LexisNexis). |
|||
|
Wyoming Statutes Annotated (LexisNexis) |
Wyo. Stat. Ann. § x-x-x (<year>) |
||
|
West’s Wyoming Statutes Annotated |
Wyo. Stat. Ann. § x-x-x (West <year>) |
||
|
Session laws: Cite to Wyo. Sess. Laws. |
|||
|
Session Laws of Wyoming |
<year> Wyo. Sess. Laws <page no.> |
||
|
West’s Wyoming Legislative Service |
<year> Wyo. Legis. Serv. <page no.> (West) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Code of Wyoming Rules (LexisNexis) |
<tit. no.>-<ch. no.> Wyo. Code R. § x (LexisNexis <year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
Wyoming Government Register (LexisNexis) |
<iss. no.> Wyo. Gov’t Reg. <page no.> (LexisNexis <month year>) |
||
|
Local Notes: Wyoming has adopted a public domain citation format for cases decided after December 31, 2003. See Order Amending Citation Format (Aug. 19, 2005). Parallel citations are optional. Examples: Doe v. Roe, 2001 WY 12. Doe v. Roe, 2001 WY 12, 989 P.2d 1312 (2001). |
|||
|
American Samoa |
|||
|
High Court of American Samoa (Am. Samoa): Cite to Am. Samoa, Am. Samoa 2d, or Am. Samoa 3d. |
|||
|
American Samoa Reports |
1900–date |
Am. Samoa, Am. Samoa 2d, Am. Samoa 3d |
|
|
Statutory compilation |
|||
|
American Samoa Code Annotated |
Am. Samoa Code Ann. § x (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
American Samoa Administrative Code |
Am. Samoa Admin. Code § x (<year>) |
||
|
Canal Zone |
|||
|
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana (E.D. La.): This court has jurisdiction over litigation pending as of Apr. 1, 1982, in the United States District Court for the District of the Canal Zone. Cite to F. Supp. |
|||
|
Federal Supplement |
1982–1983 |
F. Supp. |
|
|
United States District Court for the District of the Canal Zone (D.C.Z.): This court ceased to exist on Mar. 31, 1982. Cite to F. Supp. |
|||
|
Federal Supplement |
1946–1982 |
F. Supp. |
|
|
Statutory compilation |
|||
|
Panama Canal Code |
C.Z. Code tit. x, § x (<year>) |
||
|
Guam |
|||
|
Supreme Court of Guam (Guam): The Supreme Court of Guam uses a public domain format as shown here. A parallel citation may be included. Example: Santos v. Carney, 1997 Guam 4. Santos v. Carney, 1997 Guam 4, 1997 WL 460435. |
|||
|
District Court of Guam (D. Guam): Cite to F. Supp., F. Supp. 2d, or F. Supp. 3d. |
|||
|
Federal Supplement |
1951–date |
F. Supp., F. Supp. 2d, F. Supp. 3d |
|
|
Guam Reports |
1955–1980 |
Guam |
|
|
Statutory compilation |
|||
|
Guam Code Annotated |
<tit. no.> Guam Code Ann. § x (<year>) |
||
|
Session laws |
|||
|
Guam Session Laws |
Guam Pub. L. <law no.> (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Administrative Rules & Regulations of the Government of Guam |
<tit. no.> Guam Admin. R. & Regs. § x (<year>) |
||
|
Navajo Nation |
|||
|
Supreme Court (Navajo), previously Court of Appeals (Navajo): Cite to Navajo Rptr. |
|||
|
Navajo Reporter |
1969–date |
Navajo Rptr. |
|
|
District Court (Navajo D. Ct.): Cite to Navajo Rptr. |
|||
|
Navajo Reporter |
1969–date |
Navajo Rptr. |
|
|
Statutory compilation |
|||
|
Navajo Nation Code Annotated (West) |
Navajo Nation Code Ann. tit. x, § x (<year>) |
||
|
Northern Mariana Islands |
|||
|
The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands has adopted a public domain citation format. Example: ABC Company vs. XYZ Company, 2001 MP 1 ¶ 10. See Northern Mariana Islands Supreme Court Style Manual (Jan. 1, 2017), http://cnmilaw.org/pdf/courtrules/R26.pdf. |
|||
|
Supreme Court (N. Mar. I.): Cite to N. Mar. I. |
|||
|
Northern Mariana Islands Reporter |
1989–date |
N. Mar. I. |
|
|
District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands, Trial and Appellate Divisions (D. N. Mar. I. and D. N. Mar. I. App. Div.), and Commonwealth Superior Court (N. Mar. I. Commw. Super. Ct.), previously Commonwealth Trial Court (N. Mar. I. Commw. Trial Ct.): Cite to F. Supp., F. Supp. 2d, or F. Supp. 3d. |
|||
|
Federal Supplement |
1979–date |
F. Supp., F. Supp. 2d, F. Supp. 3d |
|
|
Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Reporter |
1979–date |
N. Mar. I. Commw. |
|
|
Statutory compilation |
|||
|
Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Code (LexisNexis) |
<tit. no.> N. Mar. I. Code § x (<year>) |
||
|
Session laws |
|||
|
Northern Mariana Islands Session Laws |
<year> N. Mar. I. Pub. L. <law no.> |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Northern Mariana Islands Administrative Code |
<tit. no.> N. Mar. I. Admin. Code § x (<year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Register |
<vol. no.> N. Mar. I. Reg. <page no.> (<month day, year>) |
||
|
Oklahoma Native Americans |
|||
|
Tribal Courts, Courts of Indian Offenses (Appellate Division), Courts of Indian Appeals, and Courts of Indian Offenses: Cite to Okla. Trib. |
|||
|
Oklahoma Tribal Court Reports |
1979–2009 |
Okla. Trib. |
|
|
Puerto Rico |
|||
|
Puerto Rico has adopted a public domain citation format for cases decided after December 31, 1997. The format is: Example: Yumac Home Furniture v. Caguas Lumber Yard, 2015 TSPR 148. |
|||
|
Supreme Court (P.R.): Cite to P.R. or P.R. Offic. Trans., if found there; else, cite to P.R. Dec. or P.R. Sent., in that order of preference. |
|||
|
Puerto Rico Reports |
1899–1978 |
P.R. |
|
|
Official Translations of the Opinions of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico |
1978–date |
P.R. Offic. Trans. |
|
|
Decisiones de Puerto Rico |
1899–date |
P.R. Dec. |
|
|
Sentencias del Tribunal Supremo de Puerto Rico |
1899–1902 |
P.R. Sent. |
|
|
Circuit Court of Appeals (P.R. Cir.): Cite to T.C.A |
|||
|
Decisiones del Tribunal de Circuito de Apelaciones de Puerto Rico |
1995–date |
T.C.A. |
|
|
Statutory compilation |
|||
|
Laws of Puerto Rico Annotated (LexisNexis) |
P.R. Laws Ann. tit. x, § x (<year>) |
||
|
Leyes de Puerto Rico Anotadas (LexisNexis) |
P.R. Leyes An.tit. x, § x (<year>) |
||
|
Session laws |
|||
|
Laws of Puerto Rico |
<year> P.R. Laws <page no.> |
||
|
Leyes de Puerto Rico (LexisNexis) |
<year> P.R. Leyes <page no.> |
||
|
Virgin Islands |
|||
|
All courts: Cite to V.I. |
|||
|
Virgin Islands Reports |
1917–date |
V.I. |
|
|
Statutory compilation |
|||
|
Virgin Islands Code Annotated (LexisNexis) |
1962–date |
V.I. Code Ann. tit. x, § x-x <year> |
|
|
Session laws: Cite to V.I. Sess. Laws. |
|||
|
Session Laws of the Virgin Islands |
<year> V.I. Sess. Laws <page no.> |
||
|
Virgin Islands Code Annotated Advance |
<year>-<pamph. no.> V.I. Code Ann. Adv. |
||
|
Legislative Service (LexisNexis) |
Legis. Serv. <page no.> (LexisNexis) |
||
|
Administrative compilation |
|||
|
Code of U.S. Virgin Islands Rules (LexisNexis) |
<tit. no.>-<ch. no.> V.I. Code R. § x-x (LexisNexis <year>) |
||
|
Administrative register |
|||
|
Virgin Islands Government Register (LexisNexis) |
<iss. no.> V.I. Gov’t Reg. <page no.> (LexisNexis <month year>) |
||
|
Service Publisher Name |
Abbreviation |
|
Bloomberg Law |
BL |
|
Commerce Clearing House |
CCH |
|
Matthew Bender |
MB |
|
Research Institute of America |
RIA |
For each looseleaf service title, the appropriate abbreviation is followed by the name of the publisher.
|
Service Name |
Abbreviation |
|
Administrative Law Third Series |
Admin. L.3d (BL) |
|
Affirmative Action Compliance Manual for Federal Contractors |
Aff. Action Compl. Man. (BL) |
|
AIDS Law & Litigation Reporter |
AIDS L. & Litig. Rep. (Univ. Pub. Group) |
|
All States Tax Guide |
All St. Tax Guide (RIA) |
|
American Federal Tax Reports, Second Series |
A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) |
|
American Stock Exchange Guide |
Am. Stock Ex. Guide (CCH) |
|
Antitrust & Trade Regulation Report |
Antitrust & Trade Reg. Rep. (BL) |
|
Aviation Law Reporter |
Av. L. Rep. (CCH) |
|
⇒ bound as Aviation Cases |
Av. Cas. (CCH) |
|
BL’s Banking Report |
Banking Rep. (BL) |
|
Bankruptcy Court Decisions |
Bankr. Ct. Dec. (LRP) |
|
Bankruptcy Law Reports |
Bankr. L. Rep. (CCH) |
|
Benefits Review Board Service |
Ben. Rev. Bd. Serv. (MB) |
|
BioLaw |
BioLaw (LexisNexis) |
|
Blue Sky Law Reporter |
Blue Sky L. Rep. (CCH) |
|
Board of Contract Appeals Decisions—see Contract Appeals Decisions |
|
|
Business Franchise Guide |
Bus. Franchise Guide (CCH) |
|
Canadian Commercial Law Guide |
Can. Com. L. Guide (CCH) |
|
Canadian Tax Reporter |
Can. Tax Rep. (CCH) |
|
Chemical Regulation Reporter |
Chem. Reg. Rep. (BL) |
|
Chicago Board Options Exchange Guide |
Chicago Bd. Options Ex. Guide (CCH) |
|
Collective Bargaining Negotiations & Contracts |
Collective Bargaining Negot. & Cont. (BL) |
|
Collier Bankruptcy Cases, Second Series |
Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d (MB) |
|
Commodity Futures Law Reporter |
Comm. Fut. L. Rep. (CCH) |
|
Communications Regulation |
Commc’ns Reg. (BL) |
|
Congressional Index |
Cong. Index (CCH) |
|
Consumer Credit Guide |
Consumer Cred. Guide (CCH) |
|
Consumer Product Safety Guide |
Consumer Prod. Safety Guide (CCH) |
|
Contract Appeals Decisions |
Cont. App. Dec. (CCH) |
|
⇒ bound as Board of Contract Appeals Decisions |
B.C.A. (CCH) |
|
Contracts Cases, Federal—see Government Contracts Reporter |
|
|
Copyright Law Decisions |
Copyright L. Dec. (CCH) |
|
Copyright Law Reporter |
Copyright L. Rep. (CCH) |
|
Cost Accounting Standards Guide |
Cost Accounting Stand. Guide (CCH) |
|
The Criminal Law Reporter |
Crim. L. Rep. (BL) |
|
Daily Labor Report |
Daily Lab. Rep. (BL) |
|
Dominion Tax Cases |
Dominion Tax Cas. (CCH) |
|
EEOC Compliance Manual |
EEOC Compl. Man. (BL) |
|
EEOC Compliance Manual |
EEOC Compl. Man. (CCH) |
|
Employee Benefits Cases |
Empl. Benefits Cas. (BL) |
|
Employee Benefits Compliance Coordinator |
Empl. Coordinator (RIA) |
|
Employment Practices Guide |
Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) |
|
Employment Safety and Health Guide |
Empl. Safety & Health Guide (CCH) |
|
⇒ bound as Occupational Safety and Health Decisions |
O.S.H. Dec. (CCH) |
|
Employment Testing: Law & Policy Reporter |
Empl. Testing (Univ. Pub. Am.) |
|
Energy Management & Federal Energy Guidelines |
Energy Mgmt. (CCH) |
|
Environment Reporter |
Env’t Rep. (BL) |
|
⇒ bound as Environment Reporter Cases |
Env’t Rep. Cas. (BL) |
|
Environmental Law Reporter |
Env’t L. Rep. (Env’t Law Inst.) |
|
Exempt Organizations Reports |
Exempt Org. Rep. (CCH) |
|
Fair Employment Practice Cases—see Labor Relations Reporter |
|
|
The Family Law Reporter |
Fam. L. Rep. (BL) |
|
Family Law Tax Guide |
Fam. L. Tax Guide (CCH) |
|
Federal Audit Guides |
Fed. Audit Guide (CCH) |
|
Federal Banking Law Reporter |
Fed. Banking L. Rep. (CCH) |
|
Federal Carriers Reports |
Fed. Carr. Rep. (CCH) |
|
⇒ bound as Federal Carriers Cases |
Fed. Carr. Cas. (CCH) |
|
Federal Contracts Report |
Fed. Cont. Rep. (BL) |
|
Federal Election Campaign Financing Guide |
Fed. Election Camp. Fin. Guide (CCH) |
|
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Reporter |
Fed. Energy Reg. Comm’n Rep. (CCH) |
|
Federal Estate and Gift Tax Reporter |
Fed. Est. & Gift Tax Rep. (CCH) |
|
⇒ bound as Standard Federal Tax Reporter |
Stand. Fed. Tax Rep. (CCH) |
|
Federal Excise Tax Reporter |
Fed. Ex. Tax Rep. (CCH) |
|
Federal Income, Gift and Estate Taxation |
Fed. Inc. Gift & Est. Tax’n (MB) |
|
Federal Rules Service, Second Series |
Fed. R. Serv. 2d (West) |
|
Federal Securities Law Reporter |
Fed. Sec. L. Rep. (CCH) |
|
Federal Tax Coordinator Second |
Fed. Tax Coordinator 2d (RIA) |
|
Federal Tax Guide Reports |
Fed. Tax Guide Rep. (CCH) |
|
Fire & Casualty Cases—see Insurance Law Reports |
|
|
Food Drug Cosmetic Law Reporter |
Food Drug Cosm. L. Rep. (CCH) |
|
Government Contracts Reporter |
Gov’t Cont. Rep. (CCH) |
|
⇒ bound as Contracts Cases, Federal |
Cont. Cas. Fed. (CCH) |
|
Government Employee Relations Report (ceased publication November 2017) |
Gov’t Empl. Rel. Rep. (BL) |
|
Housing & Development Reporter |
Hous. & Dev. Rep. (RIA) |
|
Human Resources Management OSHA Compliance Guide |
OSHA Comp. Guide (CCH) |
|
Immigration Law Service |
Immigr. L. Serv. (West) |
|
Insurance Law Reports |
Ins. L. Rep. (CCH) |
|
⇒ bound as Personal and Commercial Liability |
Personal and Comm. Liab. (CCH) |
|
⇒ bound as Life, Health & Accident Insurance Cases 2d |
Life Health & Accid. Ins. Cas. 2d (CCH) |
|
International Environment Reporter |
Int’l Env’t Rep. (BL) |
|
International Trade Reporter |
Int’l Trade Rep. (BL) |
|
IRS Positions |
IRS Pos. (CCH) |
|
Labor Arbitration Awards |
Lab. Arb. Awards (CCH) |
|
Labor Law Reporter |
Lab. L. Rep. (CCH) |
|
⇒ bound as Labor Cases |
Lab. Cas. (CCH) |
|
⇒ bound as NLRB Decisions |
NLRB Dec. (CCH) |
|
see also Employment Practices Guid |
|
|
Labor Relations Reporter: |
Lab. Rel. Rep. (BL) |
|
⇒ bound as Fair Employment Practice Cases |
Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BL) |
|
⇒ bound as Labor Arbitration Reports |
Lab. Arb. Rep. (BL) |
|
⇒ bound as Labor Relations Reference Manual |
L.R.R.M. (BL) |
|
⇒ bound as Wage and Hour Cases |
Wage & Hour Cas. (BL) |
|
ABA/Bloomberg Law Lawyers’ Manual on Professional Conduct |
Laws. Man. on Prof. Conduct (ABA/BL) |
|
Life, Health & Accident Insurance Cases—see Insurance Law Reports |
|
|
Liquor Control Law Reporter |
Liquor Cont. L. Rep. (CCH) |
|
Media Law Reporter |
Media L. Rep. (BL) |
|
Medical Devices Reporter |
Med. Devices Rep. (CCH) |
|
Medicare and Medicaid Guide |
Medicare & Medicaid Guide (CCH) |
|
Mutual Funds Guide |
Mut. Funds Guide (CCH) |
|
National Reporter on Legal Ethics & Professional Responsibility |
Nat’l Rep. Legal Ethics (Univ. Pub. Am.) |
|
New York Stock Exchange Guide |
N.Y.S.E. Guide (CCH) |
|
NLRB Decisions—see Labor Law Reporter |
|
|
Nuclear Regulation Reporter |
Nuclear Reg. Rep. (CCH) |
|
Occupational Safety & Health Reporter |
O.S.H. Rep. (BL) |
|
⇒ bound as Occupational Safety & Health Cases |
O.S.H. Cas. (BL) |
|
OFCCP Federal Contract Compliance Manual |
OFCCP Fed. Cont. Compl. Man. (CCH) |
|
Patent, Trademark & Copyright Journal |
Pat. Trademark & Copyright J. (BL) |
|
Pension & Benefits Reporter |
Pens. & Ben. Rep. (BL) |
|
Pension Plan Guide |
Pens. Plan Guide (CCH) |
|
Pension & Profit Sharing Second |
Pens. & Profit Sharing 2d (RIA) |
|
Product Safety & Liability Reporter |
Prod. Safety & Liab. Rep. (BL) |
|
Products Liability Reporter |
Prod. Liab. Rep. (CCH) |
|
Public Utilities Reports |
Pub. Util. Rep. (PUR) |
|
School Law Reporter |
School L. Rep. (Educ. Law Ass’n.) |
|
Search & Seizure Bulletin |
Search & Seizure Bull. (Quinlan) |
|
SEC Accounting Rules |
SEC Accounting R. (CCH) |
|
Secured Transactions Guide |
Secured Transactions Guide (CCH) |
|
Securities and Federal Corporate Law Report |
Sec. & Fed. Corp. L. Rep. (West) |
|
Securities Regulation & Law Report |
Sec. Reg. & L. Rep. (BL) |
|
Shipping Regulation |
Shipping Reg. (BL) |
|
Social Security Reporter |
Soc. Sec. Rep. (CCH) |
|
Standard Federal Tax Reporter |
Stand. Fed. Tax Rep. (CCH) |
|
⇒ bound as U.S. Tax Cases |
U.S. Tax Cas. (CCH) |
|
State and Local Tax Service |
St. & Loc. Tax Serv. (RIA) |
|
State and Local Taxes—see All States Tax Guide |
|
|
State Inheritance, Estate, and Gift Tax Reporter |
St. Inher., Est. & Gift Tax Rep. (CCH) |
|
State Tax Guide |
St. Tax Guide (CCH) |
|
State Tax Reporter |
St. Tax Rep. (CCH) |
|
Tax Court Memorandum Decisions |
T.C.M. (RIA) |
|
⇒ bound as Tax Court Reporter |
T.C.M. (CCH) [or (RIA)] |
|
Tax Court Reported Decisions |
Tax Ct. Rep. Dec. (RIA) |
|
Tax Court Reports |
Tax Ct. Rep. (CCH) |
|
Trade Regulation Reporter |
Trade Reg. Rep. (CCH) |
|
⇒ bound as Trade Cases |
Trade Cas. (CCH) |
|
Unemployment Insurance Reporter |
Unempl. Ins. Rep. (CCH) |
|
Uniform Commercial Code Reporting Service Second |
UCC Rep. Serv. (West) |
|
Union Labor Report Newsletter |
Union Lab. Rep. Newsl. (BL) |
|
The United States Law Week (published by Bloomberg Law, which need not be indicated in the service citation) |
U.S.L.W. |
|
The United States Patents Quarterly bound in same name |
U.S.P.Q. (BL), U.S.P.Q.2d (BL) |
|
U.S. Tax Cases—see Federal Estate and Gift Tax Reporter and Standard Federal Tax Reporter |
|
|
U.S. Tax Reporter |
U.S. Tax Rep. (RIA) |
|
U.S. Tax Treaties Reporter |
U.S. Tax Treaties Rep. (CCH) |
|
Utilities Law Reports |
Util. L. Rep. (CCH) |
|
Wage and Hour Cases—see Labor Relations Reporter |
Words not on this list that are more than six letters may be abbreviated for clarity and if the chosen abbreviation is not ambiguous. All articles and prepositions should be removed from the abbreviated title if the remaining title content still provides clear document identification.
|
Legislative Document |
Abbreviation |
|
Annals |
Annals |
|
Annual |
Ann. |
|
Assembly[man, woman, member] |
Assemb. |
|
Bill |
B. |
|
Committee |
Comm. |
|
Concurrent |
Con. |
|
Conference |
Conf. |
|
Congress[ional] |
Cong. |
|
Debate |
Deb. |
|
Delegate |
Del. |
|
Document[s] |
Doc. |
|
Executive |
Exec. |
|
Federal |
Fed. |
|
House |
H. |
|
House of Delegates |
H.D. |
|
House of Representatives |
H.R. |
|
Joint |
J. |
|
Legislat[ion, ive] |
Legis. |
|
Legislature |
Leg. |
|
Miscellaneous |
Misc. |
|
Number |
No. |
|
Order |
Order |
|
Record |
Rec. |
|
Register |
Reg. |
|
Regular |
Reg. |
|
Report |
Rep. |
|
Representative |
Rep. |
|
Resolution |
Res. |
|
Senate |
S. |
|
Senator |
Sen. |
|
Service |
Serv. |
|
Session |
Sess. |
|
Special |
Spec. |
|
Subcommittee |
Subcomm. |
Editor’s note: Refer to Table T6 in the first edition of The Indigo Book for treaty abbreviations, checking the applicable jurisdiction(s) for updates since 2016.
Editor’s note: Refer to Table T7 in the first edition of The Indigo Book for abbreviations of arbitral reporters, checking the applicable jurisdiction(s) for updates since 2016.
Editor’s note: Refer to Table T8 in the first edition of The Indigo Book for abbreviations of intergovernmental organizations, checking the applicable jurisdiction(s) for updates since 2016.
|
Court Name |
Abbreviation |
|
Administrative Court |
Admin. Ct. |
|
Admiralty [Court, Division] |
Adm. |
|
Aldermen’s Court |
Alder. Ct. |
|
Appeals Court |
App. Ct. |
|
Appellate Court |
App. Ct. |
|
Appellate Department |
App. Dep’t |
|
Appellate Division |
App. Div. |
|
Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals |
ASBCA |
|
Bankruptcy Appellate Panel |
B.A.P. |
|
Bankruptcy [Court, Judge] |
Bankr. |
|
Board of Contract Appeals |
B.C.A. |
|
Board of Immigration Appeals |
B.I.A. |
|
Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences |
B.P.A.I. |
|
Board of Tax Appeals |
B.T.A. |
|
Borough Court |
<Name> Bor. Ct. |
|
Business Court |
Bus. Ct. |
|
Central District |
C.D. |
|
Chancery [Court, Division] |
Ch. |
|
Children’s Court |
Child. Ct. |
|
Circuit Court (old federal) |
C.C. |
|
Circuit Court (state) |
Cir. Ct. |
|
Circuit Court of Appeals (federal) |
Cir. |
|
Circuit Court of Appeals (state) |
Cir. Ct. App. |
|
City Court |
<Name> City Ct. |
|
Civil Appeals |
Civ. App. |
|
Civil Court of Record |
Civ. Ct. Rec. |
|
Civil District Court |
Civ. Dist. Ct. |
|
Claims Court |
Cl. Ct. |
|
Commerce Court |
Comm. Ct. |
|
Commission |
Comm’n |
|
Common Pleas |
C.P. <when appropriate, name county or similar subdivision> |
|
Commonwealth Court |
Commw. Ct. |
|
Conciliation Court |
Concil. Ct. |
|
County Court |
<Name> Cnty. Ct. [could also use Cty. Ct.] |
|
County Judge’s Court |
Cnty. J. Ct. [could also use Cty. J. Ct.] |
|
Court |
Ct. |
|
Court of Appeal (English) |
C.A. |
|
Court of Appeals (federal) |
Cir. |
|
Court of Appeal[s] (state) |
Ct. App. |
|
Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces |
C.A.A.F. |
|
Court of Civil Appeals |
Civ. App. |
|
Court of Claims |
Ct. Cl. |
|
Court of Common Pleas |
Ct. Com. Pl. |
|
Court of Criminal Appeals |
Crim. App. |
|
Court of Customs and Patent Appeals |
C.C.P.A. |
|
Court of Customs Appeals |
Ct. Cust. App. |
|
Court of Errors |
Ct. Err. |
|
Court of Errors and Appeals |
Ct. Err. & App. |
|
Court of Federal Claims |
Fed. Cl. |
|
Court of [General, Special] Sessions |
Ct. <Gen. or Spec.> Sess. |
|
Court of International Trade |
Ct. Int’l Trade |
|
Court of Military Appeals |
C.M.A. |
|
Court of Military Review |
C.M.R. |
|
Court of Special Appeals |
Ct. Spec. App. |
|
Court of Veterans Appeals |
Ct. Vet. App. |
|
Criminal Appeals |
Crim. App. |
|
Criminal District Court |
Crim. Dist. Ct. |
|
Customs Court |
Cust. Ct. |
|
District Court (federal) |
D. |
|
District Court (state) |
Dist. Ct. |
|
District Court of Appeal[s] |
Dist. Ct. App. |
|
Division |
Div. |
|
Domestic Relations Court |
Dom. Rel. Ct. |
|
Eastern District |
E.D. |
|
Emergency Court of Appeals |
Emer. Ct. App. |
|
Equity [Court, Division] |
Eq. |
|
Family Court |
Fam. Ct. |
|
High Court |
High Ct. |
|
Judicial District |
Jud. Dist. |
|
Judicial Division |
Jud. Div. |
|
Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation |
J.P.M.L. |
|
Justice of the Peace’s Court |
J.P. Ct. |
|
Juvenile Court |
Juv. Ct. |
|
Land Court |
Land Ct. |
|
Law Court |
Law Ct. |
|
Law Division |
Law Div. |
|
Magistrate Division |
Magis. Div. |
|
Magistrate’s Court |
Magis. Ct. |
|
Middle District |
M.D. |
|
Municipal Court |
<Name> Mun. Ct. |
|
Northern District |
N.D. |
|
Orphans’ Court |
Orphans’ Ct. |
|
Parish Court |
<Name> Parish Ct. |
|
Patent Trial and Appeal Board |
P.T.A.B. |
|
Police Justice’s Court |
Police J. Ct. |
|
Prerogative Court |
Prerog. Ct. |
|
Probate Court |
Prob. Ct. |
|
Public Utilities Commission |
P.U.C. |
|
Real Estate Commission |
Real Est. Comm’n |
|
Recorder’s Court |
Rec’s Ct. |
|
Southern District |
S.D. |
|
Special Court Regional Rail Reorganization Act |
Reg’l Rail Reorg. Ct. |
|
Superior Court |
Super. Ct. |
|
Supreme Court (federal) |
U.S. |
|
Supreme Court (other) |
Sup. Ct. |
|
Supreme Court, Appellate Division |
App. Div. |
|
Supreme Court, Appellate Term |
App. Term |
|
Supreme Court of Errors |
Sup. Ct. Err. |
|
Supreme Judicial Court |
Sup. Jud. Ct. |
|
Surrogate’s Court |
Sur. Ct. |
|
Tax Appeal Court |
Tax App. Ct. |
|
Tax Court |
T.C. |
|
Teen Court |
Teen Ct. |
|
Temporary Emergency Court of Appeals |
Temp. Emer. Ct. App. |
|
Territorial, Territory |
Terr. |
|
Trademark Trial and Appeal Board |
T.T.A.B. |
|
Traffic Court |
Traffic Ct. |
|
Tribal Court |
<Name> Tribal Ct. |
|
Tribunal |
Trib. |
|
Water Court |
Water Ct. |
|
Western District |
W.D. |
|
Workmen’s Compensation Division |
Workmen’s Comp. Div. |
|
Youth Court |
Youth Ct. |
|
Title |
Abbreviation |
|
Administrative Law Judge |
A.L.J. |
|
Arbitrator |
Arb. |
|
Assembly[man, woman, member] |
Assemb. |
|
Attorney General |
Att’y Gen. |
|
Baron |
B. |
|
Chancellor |
C. |
|
Chief Baron |
C.B. |
|
Chief Judge, Chief Justice |
C.J. |
|
Commissioner |
Comm’r |
|
Delegate |
Del. |
|
Honorable |
Hon. |
|
Judge, Justice |
J. |
|
Judges, Justices |
JJ. |
|
Lord Justice |
L.J. |
|
Magistrate |
Mag. |
|
Master of the Rolls |
M.R. |
|
Mediator |
Med. |
|
Referee |
Ref. |
|
Representative |
Rep. |
|
Senator |
Sen. |
|
Vice Chancellor |
V.C. |
This table collects the abbreviations for various common words found in case names and periodical titles, as well as author names for institutional authors. Note that Table T15 provides abbreviations for specific institutional names in periodical titles. When in doubt, the specifics in Table T15 control the periodical title, over the general common-word abbreviations found here.
Using the common-word abbreviations in this table, here are examples of each:
Sample case name: Smith v. Detroit Fed’n of Teachers, Local 231
Sample periodical title: Cardozo Arts & Ent. L.J.
Sample institutional author: Fed. Jud. Ctr.
In case names and periodical titles, words can be pluralized by adding “s” to the abbreviation (Dep’ts, Exchs.) Possessive words are indicated with ’s after the abbreviation when singular (Mfr.’s ) and with ’ after the abbreviation when plural (Mfrs.’). Other words of eight letters or more may be abbreviated to save significant space, if the abbreviation is clear.
In case names, well-known acronyms can be abbreviated as such per Rule 11.2.19. Abbreviations already in periodical titles should be maintained as such (whether well-known or not) such as “NALP Bulletin” (which is the title of that publication).
In periodical titles, omit the words “a,” “at,” “in,” “of,” and “the.” If a title contains a single word after one of these short omitted words, do not abbreviate the next word. For example, “Journal of Construction” would become “J. Construction” (despite the abbreviation “Const.” in this table.) Omit words after a colon in a periodical title. Periodical titles have additional institution-specific and geographical abbreviations shown in Table T12 and T15.
|
Common Word in a Case Name, Periodical Title, Institutional Author Name |
Abbreviation |
|
Academic, Academy |
Acad. |
|
Accountant, Accounting, Accountancy |
Acct. |
|
Administrative, Administration |
Admin. |
|
Administrator, Administratrix |
Adm’r, Adm’x |
|
Advertising |
Advert. |
|
Advocate, Advocacy |
Advoc. |
|
Affair |
Aff. |
|
Africa, African |
Afr. |
|
Agriculture, Agricultural |
Agric. |
|
Alliance |
All. |
|
Alternative |
Alt. |
|
Amendment |
Amend. |
|
America, American |
Am. |
|
and |
& |
|
Annual |
Ann. |
|
Appellate |
App. |
|
Arbitration, Arbitrator |
Arb. |
|
Artificial Intelligence |
A.I. |
|
Associate |
Assoc. |
|
Association |
Ass’n |
|
Atlantic |
Atl. |
|
Attorney |
Att’y |
|
Authority |
Auth. |
|
Automobile, Automotive |
Auto. |
|
Avenue |
Ave. |
|
Bankruptcy |
Bankr. |
|
Behavior, Behavioral |
Behav. |
|
Board |
Bd. |
|
Broadcaster, Broadcasting |
Broad. |
|
Brotherhood |
Bhd. |
|
Brothers |
Bros. |
|
Building |
Bldg. |
|
Business, Businesses |
Bus. |
|
Capital |
Cap. |
|
Casualty, Casualties |
Cas. |
|
Catholic |
Cath. |
|
Center, Centre |
Ctr. |
|
Central |
Cent. |
|
Chemical |
Chem. |
|
Children |
Child. |
|
Chronicle |
Chron. |
|
Circuit |
Cir. |
|
Coalition |
Coal. |
|
College |
Coll. |
|
Commentary |
Comment. |
|
Commission |
Comm’n |
|
Commissioner |
Comm’r |
|
Committee |
Comm. |
|
Communication |
Commc’n |
|
Community |
Cmty. |
|
Company |
Co. |
|
Comparative |
Compar. |
|
Compensation |
Comp. |
|
Computer, Computing, Computational |
Comput. |
|
Condominium |
Condo. |
|
Conference |
Conf. |
|
Congress, Congressional |
Cong. |
|
Consolidated |
Consol. |
|
Construction |
Constr. |
|
Contemporary |
Contemp. |
|
Continental |
Cont’l |
|
Contract |
Cont. |
|
Conveyance, Conveyancer |
Conv. |
|
Cooperation, Cooperative |
Coop. |
|
Corporate, Corporation |
Corp. |
|
Corrections, Correctional |
Corr. |
|
Cosmetic |
Cosm. |
|
Counselor, Counselors, Counselor’s, Counseling |
Couns. |
|
County (Note: the traditional and, we submit, recommended abbreviation is Cty.) |
Cnty. |
|
Defend, Defender, Defense, Defensive |
Def. |
|
Delinquent, Delinquency |
Delinq. |
|
Department |
Dep’t |
|
Detention |
Det. |
|
Developer, Development |
Dev. |
|
Digest |
Dig. |
|
Digital |
Digit. |
|
Diplomacy (Optional: may also use with variations Diplomat and Diplomatic.) |
Dipl. |
|
Director |
Dir. |
|
Discount |
Disc. |
|
Dispute |
Disp. |
|
Distributor, Distributing, Distribution |
Distrib. |
|
District |
Dist. |
|
Division |
Div. |
|
Doctor |
Dr. |
|
East, Eastern |
E. |
|
Economic, Economical, Economics, Economy |
Econ. |
|
Editor, Editorial |
Ed. |
|
Educate, Education, Educating, Educational, Educator |
Educ. |
|
Electric, Electrical, Electricity, Electronic |
Elec. |
|
Employee, Employer, Employment |
Emp. |
|
Enforcement |
Enf’t |
|
Engineer |
Eng’r |
|
Engineering |
Eng’g |
|
English |
Eng. |
|
Enterprise |
Enter. |
|
Entertainment |
Ent. |
|
Environment, Environmental |
Env’t |
|
Equality |
Equal. |
|
Equipment |
Equip. |
|
Estate |
Est. |
|
Examiner |
Exam’r |
|
Exchange |
Exch. |
|
Executive |
Exec. |
|
Executor, Executrix |
Ex’[r, x] |
|
Exploration, Exploratory |
Expl. |
|
Exporter, Exportation |
Exp. |
|
Faculty |
Fac. |
|
Federal |
Fed. |
|
Federation |
Fed’n |
|
Fidelity |
Fid. |
|
Finance, Financial, Financing |
Fin. |
|
Fortnightly |
Fort. |
|
Forum |
F. |
|
Foundation |
Found. |
|
General |
Gen. |
|
Global |
Glob. |
|
Government |
Gov’t |
|
Group |
Grp. |
|
Guaranty, Guarantor |
Guar. |
|
Hispanic |
Hisp. |
|
Historical, History |
Hist. |
|
Hospital |
Hosp. |
|
Hospitality |
Hosp. |
|
Housing |
Hous. |
|
Human |
Hum. |
|
Import, Importer, Importation |
Imp. |
|
Incorporated |
Inc. |
|
Indemnity |
Indem. |
|
Independence, Independent |
Indep. |
|
Industry, Industries, Industrial |
Indus. |
|
Inequality |
Ineq. |
|
Information |
Info. |
|
Institute, Institution |
Inst. |
|
Insurance |
Ins. |
|
Intellectual |
Intell. |
|
Intelligence (But use A.I. for Artificial Intelligence.) |
Intel. |
|
Interdisciplinary |
Interdisc. |
|
Interest |
Int. |
|
International |
Int’l |
|
Investment, Investor |
Inv. |
|
Journal, Journals |
J. |
|
Judicial |
Jud. |
|
Juridicial |
Jurid. |
|
Jurisprudence |
Juris. |
|
Justice |
Just. |
|
Juvenile |
Juv. |
|
Labor |
Lab. |
|
Laboratory (Note: the traditional and, we submit, recommended abbreviation is Lab.) |
Lab’y Lab. |
|
Law (unless it is the the first word, in which case do not abbreviate) |
L. |
|
Lawyer |
Law. |
|
Legislate, Legislation, Legislative |
Legis. |
|
Liability |
Liab. |
|
Library, Librarian |
Libr. |
|
Limited |
Ltd. |
|
Litigation |
Litig. |
|
Local |
Loc. |
|
Machine, Machinery |
Mach. |
|
Magazine |
Mag. |
|
Maintenance |
Maint. |
|
Management |
Mgmt. |
|
Manufacturer |
Mfr. |
|
Manufacturing |
Mfg. |
|
Maritime |
Mar. |
|
Market |
Mkt. |
|
Marketing |
Mktg. |
|
Matrimonial |
Matrim. |
|
Mechanic, Mechanical |
Mech. |
|
Medical, Medicinal, Medicine |
Med. |
|
Memorial |
Mem’l |
|
Merchant, Merchandise, Merchandising |
Merch. |
|
Metropolitan |
Metro. |
|
Military |
Mil. |
|
Mineral |
Min. |
|
Modern |
Mod. |
|
Mortgage |
Mortg. |
|
Municipal, Municipality |
Mun. |
|
Mutual |
Mut. |
|
National |
Nat’l |
|
Nationality |
Nat’y |
|
Natural |
Nat. |
|
Negligence |
Negl. |
|
Negotiation, Negotiator |
Negot. |
|
Newsletter |
Newsl. |
|
North, Northern |
N. |
|
Northeast, Northeastern |
Ne. |
|
Northwest, Northwestern |
Nw. |
|
Number |
No. |
|
Office, Official |
Off. |
|
Opinion |
Op. |
|
Order |
Ord. |
|
Organization, Organizing |
Org. |
|
Pacific |
Pac. |
|
Parish |
Par. |
|
Partnership |
P’ship |
|
Patent |
Pat. |
|
Person, Personal, Personnel |
Pers. |
|
Perspective |
Persp. |
|
Pharmaceutic, Pharmaceutical |
Pharm. |
|
Philosophical, Philosophy |
Phil. |
|
Planning |
Plan. |
|
Policy |
Pol’y |
|
Politic, Political, Politics |
Pol. |
|
Practical, Practice, Practitioner |
Prac. |
|
Preserve, Preservation |
Pres. |
|
Privacy, Private |
Priv. |
|
Probate, Probation |
Prob. |
|
Problems |
Probs. |
|
Proceedings, Procedure |
Proc. |
|
Product, Production |
Prod. |
|
Profession, Professional (Note: Consider maintaining the more traditional “Prof.” or “Prof’l” rather than “Pro.” in context.) See Table T15, which prioritizes “Prof.” for specific periodical titles.) |
Pro. |
|
Property |
Prop. |
|
Protection |
Prot. |
|
Psychological, Psychologist, Psychology |
Psych. |
|
Public |
Pub. |
|
Publication |
Publ’n |
|
Publishing |
Publ’g |
|
Quarterly |
Q. |
|
Railroad |
R.R. |
|
Railway |
Ry. |
|
Record |
Rec. |
|
Referee |
Ref. |
|
Refining, Refinement |
Refin. |
|
Regional |
Reg’l |
|
Register |
Reg. |
|
Regulation, Regulator, Regulatory |
Regul. |
|
Rehabilitation, Rehabilitative |
Rehab. |
|
Relation |
Rel. |
|
Report, Reporter (Optional: disregard and do not abbreviate Reporter, as traditionally it has not been abbreviated. See, e.g., Reporters Comm. for Freedom of the Press) |
Rep. |
|
Reproduction, Reproductive |
Reprod. |
|
Research |
Rsch. |
|
Reservation, Reserve |
Rsrv. |
|
Resolution |
Resol. |
|
Resource, Resources |
Res. |
|
Responsibility |
Resp. |
|
Restaurant |
Rest. |
|
Retirement |
Ret. |
|
Review, Revista |
Rev. |
|
Rights |
Rts. |
|
Road |
Rd. |
|
Savings |
Sav. |
|
School |
Sch. |
|
Science, Scientific |
Sci. |
|
Scottish |
Scot. |
|
Secretary |
Sec’y |
|
Security, Securities |
Sec. |
|
Sentencing |
Sent’g |
|
Service |
Serv. |
|
Shareholder, Stockholder |
S’holder |
|
Social |
Soc. |
|
Society |
Soc’y |
|
Sociological, Sociology |
Socio. |
|
Solicitor |
Solic. |
|
Solution |
Sol. |
|
South, Southern |
S. |
|
Southeast, Southeastern |
Se. |
|
Southwest, Southwestern |
Sw. |
|
Statistic, Statistics, Statistical |
Stat. |
|
Steamship, Steamships |
S.S. |
|
Street |
St. |
|
Studies |
Stud. |
|
Subcommittee |
Subcomm. |
|
Supreme Court |
Sup. Ct. |
|
Surety |
Sur. |
|
System, Systems |
Sys. |
|
Taxation |
Tax’n |
|
Teacher |
Tchr. |
|
Technical, Technique, Technological, Technology |
Tech. |
|
Telecommunication |
Telecomm. |
|
Telephone, Telegraph |
Tel. |
|
Temporary |
Temp. |
|
Township |
Twp. |
|
Transcontinental |
Transcon. |
|
Transnational |
Transnat’l |
|
Transport, Transportation |
Transp. |
|
Tribune |
Trib. |
|
Trust, Trustee |
Tr. |
|
Turnpike |
Tpk. |
|
Uniform |
Unif. |
|
United States |
U.S. |
|
University |
Univ. (case names) |
|
University |
U. (periodical titles) |
|
Urban |
Urb. |
|
Utility |
Util. |
|
Village |
Vill. |
|
Week |
Wk. |
|
Weekly |
Wkly. |
|
West, Western |
W. |
|
Yearbook, Year Book |
Y.B. |
Abbreviations for states, cities, and territories are provided below. Note that abbreviations for city names may also be composed from state name abbreviations. For example, “Kansas City” should be shortened to “Kan. City.”
|
Place |
Abbreviation |
|
States |
|
|
Alabama |
Ala. |
|
Alaska |
Alaska |
|
Arizona |
Ariz. |
|
Arkansas |
Ark. |
|
California |
Cal. |
|
Colorado |
Colo. |
|
Connecticut |
Conn. |
|
Delaware |
Del. |
|
Florida |
Fla. |
|
Georgia |
Ga. |
|
Hawaii |
Haw. |
|
Idaho |
Idaho |
|
Illinois |
Ill. |
|
Indiana |
Ind. |
|
Iowa |
Iowa |
|
Kansas |
Kan. |
|
Kentucky |
Ky. |
|
Louisiana |
La. |
|
Maine |
Me. |
|
Maryland |
Md. |
|
Massachusetts |
Mass. |
|
Michigan |
Mich. |
|
Minnesota |
Minn. |
|
Mississippi |
Miss. |
|
Missouri |
Mo. |
|
Montana |
Mont. |
|
Nebraska |
Neb. |
|
Nevada |
Nev. |
|
New Hampshire |
N.H. |
|
New Jersey |
N.J. |
|
New Mexico |
N.M. |
|
New York |
N.Y. |
|
North Carolina |
N.C. |
|
North Dakota |
N.D. |
|
Ohio |
Ohio |
|
Oklahoma |
Okla. |
|
Oregon |
Or. |
|
Pennsylvania |
Pa. |
|
Rhode Island |
R.I. |
|
South Carolina |
S.C. |
|
South Dakota |
S.D. |
|
Tennessee |
Tenn. |
|
Texas |
Tex. |
|
Utah |
Utah |
|
Vermont |
Vt. |
|
Virginia |
Va. |
|
Washington |
Wash. |
|
West Virginia |
W. Va. |
|
Wisconsin |
Wis. |
|
Wyoming |
Wyo. |
|
Cities |
|
|
Baltimore |
Balt. |
|
Boston |
Bos. |
|
Chicago |
Chi. |
|
Dallas |
Dall. |
|
District of Columbia |
D.C. |
|
Houston |
Hous. |
|
Los Angeles |
L.A. |
|
Miami |
Mia. |
|
New York |
N.Y.C. |
|
Philadelphia |
Phila. |
|
Phoenix |
Phx. |
|
San Francisco |
S.F. |
|
Territories |
|
|
American Samoa |
Am. Sam. |
|
Guam |
Guam |
|
Northern Mariana Islands |
N. Mar. I. |
|
Puerto Rico |
P.R. |
|
Virgin Islands |
V.I. |
|
Place |
Abbreviation |
|
Australia |
|
|
Australian Capital Territory |
Austl. Cap. Terr. |
|
New South Wales |
N.S.W. |
|
Northern Territory |
N. Terr. |
|
Queensland |
Queensl. |
|
South Australia |
S. Austl. |
|
Tasmania |
Tas. |
|
Victoria |
Vict. |
|
Western Australia |
W. Austl. |
|
Canada |
|
|
Alberta |
Alta. |
|
British Columbia |
B.C. |
|
Manitoba |
Man. |
|
New Brunswick |
N.B. |
|
Newfoundland & Labrador |
Nfld. |
|
Northwest Territories |
N.W.T. |
|
Nova Scotia |
N.S. |
|
Nunavut |
Nun. |
|
Ontario |
Ont. |
|
Prince Edward Island |
P.E.I. |
|
Quebec |
Que. |
|
Saskatchewan |
Sask. |
|
Yukon |
Yukon |
|
Place |
Abbreviation |
|
Afghanistan |
Afg. |
|
Africa |
Afr. |
|
Albania |
Alb. |
|
Algeria |
Alg. |
|
Andorra |
Andorra |
|
Angola |
Angl. |
|
Anguilla |
Anguilla |
|
Antarctica |
Antarctica |
|
Antigua & Barbuda |
Ant. & Barb. |
|
Argentina |
Arg. |
|
Armenia |
Arm. |
|
Asia |
Asia |
|
Australia |
Austl. |
|
Austria |
Austria |
|
Azerbaijan |
Azer. |
|
Bahamas |
Bah. |
|
Bahrain |
Bahr. |
|
Bangladesh |
Bangl. |
|
Barbados |
Barb. |
|
Belarus |
Belr. |
|
Belgium |
Belg. |
|
Belize |
Belize |
|
Benin |
Benin |
|
Bermuda |
Berm. |
|
Bhutan |
Bhutan |
|
Bolivia |
Bol. |
|
Bosnia and Herzegovina |
Bosn. & Herz. |
|
Botswana |
Bots. |
|
Brazil |
Braz. |
|
Brunei |
Brunei |
|
Bulgaria |
Bulg. |
|
Burkina Faso |
Burk. Faso |
|
Burundi |
Burundi |
|
Cambodia |
Cambodia |
|
Cameroon |
Cameroon |
|
Canada |
Can. |
|
Cape Verde |
Cape Verde |
|
Cayman Islands |
Cayman Is. |
|
Central African Republic |
Cent. Afr. Rep. |
|
Chad |
Chad |
|
Chile |
Chile |
|
China, People’s Republic of |
China |
|
Colombia |
Colom. |
|
Comoros |
Comoros |
|
Congo, Democratic Republic of the |
Dem. Rep. Congo |
|
Congo, Republic of the |
Congo |
|
Costa Rica |
Costa Rica |
|
Côte d'Ivoire |
Côte d'Ivoire |
|
Croatia |
Croat. |
|
Cuba |
Cuba |
|
Cyprus |
Cyprus |
|
Czech Republic |
Czech |
|
Denmark |
Den. |
|
Djibouti |
Djib. |
|
Dominica |
Dominica |
|
Dominican Republic |
Dom. Rep. |
|
Ecuador |
Ecuador |
|
Egypt |
Egypt |
|
El Salvador |
El Sal. |
|
England |
Eng. |
|
Equatorial Guinea |
Eq. Guinea |
|
Eritrea |
Eri. |
|
Estonia |
Est. |
|
Ethiopia |
Eth. |
|
Europe |
Eur. |
|
Falkland Islands |
Falkland Is. |
|
Fiji |
Fiji |
|
Finland |
Fin. |
|
France |
Fr. |
|
Gabon |
Gabon |
|
Gambia |
Gam. |
|
Georgia |
Geor. |
|
Germany |
Ger. |
|
Ghana |
Ghana |
|
Gibraltar |
Gib. |
|
Great Britain |
Gr. Brit. |
|
Greece |
Greece |
|
Greenland |
Green. |
|
Grenada |
Gren. |
|
Guadeloupe |
Guad. |
|
Guatemala |
Guat. |
|
Guinea |
Guinea |
|
Guinea-Bissau |
Guinea-Bissau |
|
Guyana |
Guy. |
|
Haiti |
Haiti |
|
Honduras |
Hond. |
|
Hong Kong |
H.K. |
|
Hungary |
Hung. |
|
Iceland |
Ice. |
|
India |
India |
|
Indonesia |
Indon. |
|
Iran |
Iran |
|
Iraq |
Iraq |
|
Ireland |
Ir. |
|
Israel |
Isr. |
|
Italy |
It. |
|
Jamaica |
Jam. |
|
Japan |
Japan |
|
Jordan |
Jordan |
|
Kazakhstan |
Kaz. |
|
Kenya |
Kenya |
|
Kiribati |
Kiribati |
|
Korea, North |
N. Kor. |
|
Korea, South |
S. Kor. |
|
Kosovo |
Kos. |
|
Kuwait |
Kuwait |
|
Kyrgyzstan |
Kyrg. |
|
Laos |
Laos |
|
Latvia |
Lat. |
|
Lebanon |
Leb. |
|
Lesotho |
Lesotho |
|
Liberia |
Liber. |
|
Libya |
Libya |
|
Liechtenstein |
Liech. |
|
Lithuania |
Lith. |
|
Luxembourg |
Lux. |
|
Macau |
Mac. |
|
Macedonia |
Maced. |
|
Madagascar |
Madag. |
|
Malawi |
Malawi |
|
Malaysia |
Malay. |
|
Maldives |
Maldives |
|
Mali |
Mali |
|
Malta |
Malta |
|
Marshall Islands |
Marsh. Is. |
|
Martinique |
Mart. |
|
Mauritania |
Mauritania |
|
Mauritius |
Mauritius |
|
Mexico |
Mex. |
|
Micronesia |
Micr. |
|
Moldova |
Mold. |
|
Monaco |
Monaco |
|
Mongolia |
Mong. |
|
Montenegro |
Montenegro |
|
Montserrat |
Montserrat |
|
Morocco |
Morocco |
|
Mozambique |
Mozam. |
|
Myanmar |
Myan. |
|
Namibia |
Namib. |
|
Nauru |
Nauru |
|
Nepal |
Nepal |
|
Netherlands |
Neth. |
|
New Zealand |
N.Z. |
|
Nicaragua |
Nicar. |
|
Niger |
Niger |
|
Nigeria |
Nigeria |
|
North America |
N. Am. |
|
Northern Ireland |
N. Ir. |
|
Norway |
Nor. |
|
Oman |
Oman |
|
Pakistan |
Pak. |
|
Palau |
Palau |
|
Panama |
Pan. |
|
Papua New Guinea |
Papua N.G. |
|
Paraguay |
Para. |
|
Peru |
Peru |
|
Philippines |
Phil. |
|
Pitcairn Island |
Pitcairn Is. |
|
Poland |
Pol. |
|
Portugal |
Port. |
|
Qatar |
Qatar |
|
Réunion |
Réunion |
|
Romania |
Rom. |
|
Russia |
Russ. |
|
Rwanda |
Rwanda |
|
Saint Helena |
St. Helena |
|
Saint Kitts & Nevis |
St. Kitts & Nevis |
|
Saint Lucia |
St. Lucia |
|
Saint Vincent & the Grenadines |
St. Vincent |
|
Samoa |
Samoa |
|
San Marino |
San Marino |
|
São Tomé & Príncipe |
São Tomé & Príncipe |
|
Saudi Arabia |
Saudi Arabia |
|
Scotland |
Scot. |
|
Senegal |
Sen. |
|
Serbia |
Serb. |
|
Seychelles |
Sey. |
|
Sierra Leone |
Sierra Leone |
|
Singapore |
Sing. |
|
Slovakia |
Slovk. |
|
Slovenia |
Slovn. |
|
Solomon Islands |
Solom. Is. |
|
Somalia |
Som. |
|
South Africa |
S. Afr. |
|
South America |
S. Am. |
|
Spain |
Spain |
|
Sri Lanka |
Sri Lanka |
|
Sudan |
Sudan |
|
Suriname |
Surin. |
|
Swaziland |
Swaz. |
|
Sweden |
Swed. |
|
Switzerland |
Switz. |
|
Syria |
Syria |
|
Taiwan |
Taiwan |
|
Tajikistan |
Taj. |
|
Tanzania |
Tanz. |
|
Thailand |
Thai. |
|
Timor-Leste (East Timor) |
Timor-Leste |
|
Togo |
Togo |
|
Tonga |
Tonga |
|
Trinidad & Tobago |
Trin. & Tobago |
|
Tunisia |
Tunis. |
|
Turkey |
Turk. |
|
Turkmenistan |
Turkm. |
|
Turks & Caicos Islands |
Turks & Caicos Is. |
|
Tuvalu |
Tuvalu |
|
Uganda |
Uganda |
|
Ukraine |
Ukr. |
|
United Arab Emirates |
U.A.E. |
|
United Kingdom |
U.K. |
|
United States of America |
U.S. |
|
Uruguay |
Uru. |
|
Uzbekistan |
Uzb. |
|
Vanuatu |
Vanuatu |
|
Vatican City |
Vatican |
|
Venezuela |
Venez. |
|
Vietnam |
Viet. |
|
Virgin Islands, British |
Virgin Is. |
|
Wales |
Wales |
|
Yemen |
Yemen |
|
Zambia |
Zam. |
|
Zimbabwe |
Zim. |
|
Document Subdivision |
Abbreviation |
|
addendum |
add. |
|
amendment |
amend. |
|
annotation |
annot. |
|
appendi[x, ces] |
app., apps. |
|
article |
art. |
|
bibliography |
bibliog. |
|
book |
bk. |
|
chapter |
ch. |
|
clause |
cl. |
|
column |
col. |
|
comment[ary] |
cmt. |
|
decision |
dec. |
|
department |
dept. |
|
division |
div. |
|
example |
ex. |
|
figure |
fig. |
|
folio |
fol. |
|
footnote[s] in cross-references |
note, notes |
|
footnote[s] in other references2 |
n., nn. |
|
historical note[s]3 |
hist. n., hist. nn. |
|
hypothetical |
hypo. |
|
illustration[s] |
illus. |
|
introduction |
intro. |
|
line[s] |
l., ll. |
|
number |
no. |
|
page[s] in cross-references |
p., pp. |
|
page[s] in other references |
[at] |
|
paragraph[s] |
¶, ¶¶ |
|
paragraph[s] if symbol appears in source |
para., paras. |
|
part |
pt. |
|
preamble |
pmbl. |
|
principle |
princ. |
|
publication |
pub. |
|
rule |
r. |
|
schedule |
sched. |
|
section[s] in amending act |
sec., secs. |
|
section[s] in all other contexts |
§, §§ |
|
series, serial |
ser. |
|
subdivision |
subdiv. |
|
subsection |
subsec. |
|
supplement |
supp. |
|
table |
tbl. |
|
title |
tit. |
|
volume |
vol. |
If a phrase is followed a case name as the direct object, such as reversing <x>, the comma should be omitted.
|
Abbreviated Phrase |
|
acq. |
|
acq. in result |
|
aff’d, |
|
aff’d by an equally divided court, |
|
aff’d mem., |
|
aff’d on other grounds, |
|
aff’d on reh’g, |
|
aff’g |
|
amended by |
|
appeal denied, |
|
appeal dismissed, |
|
appeal docketed, |
|
appeal filed, |
|
argued, |
|
cert. denied, |
|
cert. dismissed, |
|
cert. granted, |
|
certifying questions to |
|
denying cert. to |
|
dismissing appeal from |
|
enforced, |
|
enforcing |
|
invalidated by |
|
mandamus denied, |
|
modified, |
|
modifying |
|
nonacq. |
|
overruled by |
|
perm. app. denied, |
|
perm. app. granted, |
|
petition for cert. filed, |
|
prob. Juris. noted, |
|
reh’g granted [denied], |
|
rev’d, |
|
rev’d on other grounds, |
|
rev’d per curiam, |
|
rev’g |
|
vacated, |
|
vacating as moot |
|
withdrawn, |
These abbreviations are required, but may be replaced by a periodical’s own preferred abbreviated title.
Related tables are Table T11 with common words and Table T12 with geographical abbreviations.
|
Institution Name |
Abbreviation |
|
Adelaide |
Adel. |
|
Air Force |
A.F. |
|
Albany |
Alb. |
|
American Bar Association (ABA) |
A.B.A. |
|
American Intellectual Property Law Association |
AIPLA |
|
American Law Institute |
A.L.I. |
|
American Medical Association (see also Journal of the American Medical Association, infra) |
AMA |
|
American Society of Composers, Authors, & Publishers |
ASCAP |
|
American University |
Am. U. |
|
Boston College |
B.C. |
|
Boston University |
B.U. |
|
Brigham Young University |
BYU |
|
Brooklyn |
Brook. |
|
Buffalo |
Buff. |
|
California (California Law Review only) |
Calif. |
|
Capital |
Cap. |
|
Chapman |
Chap. |
|
Chartered Life Underwriters |
C.L.U. |
|
Cincinnati |
Cin. |
|
City University of New York |
CUNY |
|
Cleveland |
Clev. |
|
Columbia |
Colum. |
|
Cumberland |
Cumb. |
|
Denver |
Denv. |
|
Detroit |
Det. |
|
Dickinson |
Dick. |
|
Duquesne |
Duq. |
|
East, Eastern |
E. |
|
Foreign Broadcast Information Service |
F.B.I.S. |
|
George Mason |
Geo. Mason |
|
George Washington |
Geo. Wash. |
|
Georgetown |
Geo. |
|
Gonzaga |
Gonz. |
|
Harvard |
Harv. |
|
Howard |
How. |
|
John Marshall |
J. Marshall |
|
Journal of the American Medical Association (see also American Medical Association, supra) |
JAMA |
|
Judge Advocate General, Judge Advocate General’s |
JAG |
|
Las Vegas |
L.V. |
|
Lawyer's Reports Annotated |
L.R.A. |
|
Loyola |
Loy. |
|
Marquette |
Marq. |
|
Melbourne |
Melb. |
|
Memphis |
Mem. |
|
New England |
New Eng. |
|
New York University, New York University School of Law |
N.Y.U. |
|
North, Northern |
N. |
|
Northeast, Northeastern |
Ne. |
|
Northwest, Northwestern |
Nw. |
|
Pepperdine |
Pepp. |
|
Pittsburgh |
Pitt. |
|
Richmond |
Rich. |
|
Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Institute |
Rocky Mtn. Min. L. Inst. |
|
Saint Louis |
St. Louis |
|
San Fernando Valley |
San Fern. V. |
|
Southeast, Southeastern |
Se. |
|
South, Southern |
S. |
|
Southern Methodist University |
SMU |
|
Southwest, Southwestern |
Sw. |
|
Stanford |
Stan. |
|
Temple |
Temp. |
|
Thomas Jefferson |
T. Jefferson |
|
Thomas M. Cooley |
T.M. Cooley |
|
Thurgood Marshall |
T. Marshall |
|
Toledo |
Tol. |
|
Tulane |
Tul. |
|
Universidad de Puerto Rico |
U. P.R. |
|
University of California |
U.C. |
|
University of California - Los Angeles |
UCLA |
|
University of Missouri Kansas City |
UMKC |
|
University of the District of Columbia, David A. Clarke School of Law |
UDC/DCSL |
|
University of West Los Angeles |
UWLA |
|
Valparaiso |
Val. |
|
Vanderbilt |
Vand. |
|
Villanova |
Vill. |
|
Washington & Lee |
Wash. & Lee |
|
West, Western |
W. |
|
William & Mary |
Wm. & Mary |
|
William Mitchell |
Wm. Mitchell |
|
Publishing Term |
Abbreviation |
|
abridge[d, ment] |
abr. |
|
annotated |
ann. |
|
anonymous |
anon. |
|
circa |
c. |
|
compil[ation, ed] |
comp. |
|
copyright |
copy. |
|
draft |
drft. |
|
edit[ion, or] |
ed. |
|
manuscript |
ms. |
|
mimeograph |
mimeo. |
|
new series |
n.s. |
|
no date |
n.d. |
|
no place |
n.p. |
|
no publisher |
n. pub. |
|
offprint |
offprt. |
|
old series |
o.s. |
|
permanent |
perm. |
|
photoduplicated reprint |
photo. reprint |
|
printing |
prtg. |
|
replacement |
repl. |
|
reprint |
reprt. |
|
revis[ed, ion] |
rev. |
|
special |
spec. |
|
temporary |
temp. |
|
tentative |
tent. |
|
translat[ion, or] |
trans. |
|
unabridged |
unabr. |
|
volume |
vol. |
|
Month Name |
Abbreviation |
|
January |
Jan. |
|
February |
Feb. |
|
March |
Mar. |
|
April |
Apr. |
|
May |
May |
|
June |
June |
|
July |
July |
|
August |
Aug. |
|
September |
Sept. |
|
October |
Oct. |
|
November |
Nov. |
|
December |
Dec. |
This table provides abbreviations that may be used (or modified to fit local rules or custom). This table also notates words that should not be abbreviated when used in the title of a litigation document. Add “s” to make a plural.
|
Word |
Abbreviation |
|
Admission |
Admis. |
|
Affidavit |
Aff. |
|
Affirm |
Affirm |
|
Amended |
Am. |
|
Answer |
Answer |
|
Appeal |
Appeal |
|
Appellant |
Appellant |
|
Appellee |
Appellee |
|
Appendix |
App. |
|
Application |
Appl. |
|
Argument |
Arg. |
|
Attachment |
Attach. |
|
Attorney |
Att’y |
|
Brief |
Br. |
|
Certiorari |
Cert. |
|
Civil |
Civ. |
|
Compel |
Compel |
|
Counterclaim |
Countercl. |
|
Court |
Ct. |
|
Cross-claim |
Cross-cl. |
|
Declaration |
Decl. |
|
Defendant, Defendant’s |
Def., Def.’s |
|
Defendants, Defendants’ |
Defs., Defs.’ |
|
Demurrer |
Dem. |
|
Deny, Denying |
Den. |
|
Deposition |
Dep. |
|
Discovery |
Disc. |
|
Dismiss |
Dismiss |
|
Docket |
Docket |
|
Evidence |
Evid. |
|
Exhibit |
Ex. |
|
Grant |
Grant |
|
Hearing |
Hr’g |
|
Injunction |
Inj. |
|
Instruction |
Instr. |
|
Interrogatory |
Interrog. |
|
Joint Appendix |
J.A. |
|
Judgment |
J. |
|
Limine |
Lim. |
|
Memorandum |
Mem. |
|
Minute |
Min. |
|
Motion |
Mot. |
|
Objection |
Obj. |
|
Opinion |
Op. |
|
Opposition |
Opp’n |
|
Order |
Order |
|
Petition |
Pet. |
|
Petitioner, Petitioner’s |
Pet’r, Pet’r’s |
|
Petitioners, Petitioners’ |
Pet’rs, Pet’rs’ |
|
Plaintiff, Plaintiff’s |
Pl., Pl.’s |
|
Plaintiffs, Plaintiffs’ |
Pls., Pls.’ |
|
Points and Authorities |
P. & A. |
|
Preliminary |
Prelim. |
|
Produce, Production |
Produc. |
|
Quash |
Quash |
|
Reconsideration |
Recons. |
|
Record |
R. |
|
Rehearing |
Reh’g |
|
Reply |
Reply |
|
Report and Recommendation |
R. & R. |
|
Reporter |
Rep. |
|
Request |
Req. |
|
Respondent |
Resp’t |
|
Response |
Resp. |
|
Stay |
Stay |
|
Subpoena |
Subpoena |
|
Summary |
Summ. |
|
Supplement, Supplemental |
Supp. |
|
Suppress |
Suppress |
|
Temporary Restraining Order |
TRO |
|
Testimony |
Test. |
|
Transcript |
Tr. |
|
Verified Statement |
V.S. |
As noted in Rule R1, The Indigo Book provides citation formats for standard legal documents. This table provides examples of converting these citations to the general format used for academic legal documents. Academic legal documents generally place citation in footnotes. Standard legal documents more often use in-text citations but may be formatted with footnotes; either way, the citation format for standard legal documents is recommended. This chart is intended as a helpful illustration of key differences. A full treatment of citations in academic legal documents is beyond the scope of The Indigo Book.
|
Type of Citation |
Standard Legal Document |
Academic Legal Document |
|
Federal constitution |
U.S. Const. art. I, § 8, cl. 8. |
U.S. Const. art. I, § 8, cl. 8. |
|
State constitution |
Ga. Const. art VIII, § IV. |
Ga. Const. art VIII, § IV. |
|
Federal statute |
42 U.S.C. § 1983. |
42 U.S.C. § 1983. |
|
Session laws |
FASTER Act of 2021, Pub. L. No. 117-11, 135 Stat. 262 (2021). |
FASTER Act of 2021, Pub. L. No. 117-11, 135 Stat. 262 (2021). |
|
Bill (not enacted) |
H.R. 3054, 117th Cong. (2021). |
H.R. 3054, 117th Cong. (2021). |
|
Hearing |
Protecting Federal Judiciary Employees from Sexual Harassment, Discrimination, and Other Workplace Misconduct: Hearing Before the H. Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet, 116th Cong. (2020), https://www.congress.gov/event/116th-congress/house-event/110505. |
Protecting Federal Judiciary Employees from Sexual Harassment, Discrimination, and Other Workplace Misconduct: Hearing Before the H. Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet, 116th Cong. (2020), https://www.congress.gov/event/116th-congress/house-event/110505. |
|
Report |
H.R. Rep. 117-27, at 5 (2021). S. Rep. No. 99-146, at 363, as reprinted in 1986 U.S.C.C.A.N. 42, 412. |
H.R. Rep. 117-27, at 5 (2021). S. Rep. No. 99-146, at 363, as reprinted in 1986 U.S.C.C.A.N. 42, 412. |
|
State statute |
Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-90-107 (2021). |
Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-90-107 (2021). |
|
State statute with topic convention |
N.Y. Gen. Bus. Law § 349 (McKinney 2021). |
N.Y. Gen. Bus. Law § 349 (McKinney 2021). |
|
Rules, restatements, model rules, and uniform acts |
Fed. R. App. P. 32(a). Restatement (Third) of Agency § 2.01 (Am. L. Inst. 2006). Unif. Trade Secrets Act §1(4) (Unif. L. Comm’n 1985) (as amended). |
Fed. R. App. P. 32(a). Restatement (Third) of Agency § 2.01 (Am. L. Inst. 2006). Unif. Trade Secrets Act §1(4) (Unif. L. Comm’n 1985) (as amended). |
|
Federal and state cases |
South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc., 138 S. Ct. 2080 (2018). Pincheira v. Allstate Ins. Co., 190 P.3d 322 (N.M. 2008). |
If used in the main text, the case name is italicized. If cited in a footnote, the case name is in regular roman type (not italicized): South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc., 138 S. Ct. 2080 (2018). Pincheira v. Allstate Ins. Co., 190 P.3d 322 (N.M. 2008). |
|
Pending or unreported case |
Facteau v. Clinton Cnty. Bd. of Elections, No. 533784, 2021 WL 3684296, at *2 (N.Y. App. Div. Aug. 19, 2021) (per curiam). |
If used in the main text, the case name is italicized. If cited in a footnote: Facteau v. Clinton Cnty. Bd. of Elections, No. 533784, 2021 WL 3684296, at *2 (N.Y. App. Div. Aug. 19, 2021) (per curiam). |
|
Pending case (petition for certiorari filed) |
Sportswear, Inc. v. Savannah Coll. of Art & Design, 983 F.3d 1273 (11th Cir. 2020), petition for cert. filed 89 U.S.L.W. 3344 (U.S. March 31, 2021) (No. 20-1391). Or: Sportswear, Inc. v. Savannah Coll. of Art & Design, 983 F.3d 1273 (11th Cir. 2020), petition for cert. filed (No. 20-1391), https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/sportswear-inc-v-savannah-college-of-art-and-design-inc-2/. |
If used in the main text, the case name is italicized. If cited in a footnote: Sportswear, Inc. v. Savannah Coll. of Art & Design, 983 F.3d 1273 (11th Cir. 2020), petition for cert. filed, 89 U.S.L.W. 3344 (U.S. March 31, 2021) (No. 20-1391). |
|
State case with public-domain parallel citation and year embedded in citation |
State v. Blagg, 2021-NCSC-66, ¶ 15, 858 S.E.2d 268, 274. |
If used in the main text, the case name is italicized. If cited in a footnote: State v. Blagg, 2021-NCSC-66, ¶ 15, 858 S.E.2d 268, 274. |
|
Book |
Anjali Vats, The Color of Creatorship: Intellectual Property, Race, and the Making of Americans (2020). |
Anjali Vats, The Color of Creatorship: Intellectual Property, Race, and the Making of Americans (2020). Note that editor, translator, and edition information is in regular caps, not small caps like the author and title. |
|
Chapter in a collected work |
Sung Hui Kim, The Ethics of In-House Practice, in Lawyers in Practice: Ethical Decision Making in Context (Leslie C. Levin & Lynn Mather eds., 2012). |
Sung Hui Kim, The Ethics of In-House Practice, in Lawyers in Practice: Ethical Decision Making in Context (Leslie C. Levin & Lynn Mather eds., 2012). |
|
Journal article (with consecutive pagination, as common with law reviews) |
Elizabeth G. Porter & Kathryn A. Watts, Visual Rulemaking, 91 N.Y.U. L. Rev. 1183 (2016). |
Elizabeth G. Porter & Kathryn A. Watts, Visual Rulemaking, 91 N.Y.U. L. Rev. 1183 (2016). |
|
Journal or magazine article (nonconsecutive pages) |
Elizabeth Kolbert, The Lost Canyon, New Yorker, Aug. 16, 2021, at 40, 42. |
Elizabeth Kolbert, The Lost Canyon, New Yorker, Aug. 16, 2021, at 40, 42. |
|
Newspaper |
Adam Liptak, Supreme Court Rules for Cheerleader Punished for Vulgar Snapchat Message, N.Y. Times, June 23, 2021, at A1. |
Adam Liptak, Supreme Court Rules for Cheerleader Punished for Vulgar Snapchat Message, N.Y. Times, June 23, 2021, at A1. |
|
Internet |
Farhad Manjoo, Why You Should Never, Ever Use Two Spaces After a Period, Slate (Jan. 11, 2011, 6:00 AM), https://slate.com/technology/2011/01/two-spaces-after-a-period-why-you-should-never-ever-do-it.html |
Farhad Manjoo, Why You Should Never, Ever Use Two Spaces After a Period, Slate (Jan. 11, 2011, 6:00 AM), https://slate.com/technology/2011/01/two-spaces-after-a-period-why-you-should-never-ever-do-it.html |
Attempting to comprehensively capture every single rule and practice of U.S. and international legal citation is simply not possible. We attempt in this table to direct the reader to a series of other citation guides that are readily available online, providing further guidance.
Editor’s Note (2021): The Codicil will be updated with additional information about the Second Edition. This is the Codicil from the First Edition.
The Indigo Book: A Manual of Legal Citation is distributed as a single document coded with the HTML 5 and Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) standards.
Each rule and section of the file have a unique ID, making them individually addressable. Examples are:
The header of the file calls two open source Google fonts. If those fonts are not available, the CSS style sheet falls back to Georgia, which is present on most computers, and then to the generic serif font. The fonts we use are:
To clearly distinguish our work from other citation manuals, we have forgone the use of the color Royal Blue in favor of Indigo, in solidarity with the ryots of Bengal who were oppressed by the insatiable British demand for blue and the profits that flowed from it, leading to the Nilbridroha (Indigo revolt) and the beginning of the road that led to independence.
The CSS has been coded with support for printing on US Letter size paper. We use Prince XML to convert the HTML document to PDF format.
It is also possible to dynamically change the styles to perform tasks such as making all text in italics “pop” by turning it crimson or back to normal.
To create a file for use in Microsoft Word, an easy method is to comment out the calls to Google fonts, upload the document to Google Docs, and then downloading it in Word format.
The Second Edition of The Indigo Book: A Manual of Legal Citation (2021) was edited by Professor Jennifer Murphy Romig. Professor Romig was assisted by Emory University School of Law students Annabelle Bichler, Nancy Jin, and Akhil Morissetti, as well as Daniel Kaltman. Adding up cumulative thanks through the 2023 updated version of the Second Edition, Professor Romig would also like to thank Mindy Goldstein, Mark T. Gray, David Krech, Mike Lissner, Amber Madole, Olivia Marbutt, Jack Metzler, Maryland Appellate Court Judge Doug Nazarian, Peter Orlowicz, Sue Payne, Robin Pederson, Blake Reid, Joan Rocklin, Jody Sanders, Heather Simmons, Hollee Temple, Allison Thornton, and David Ziff for valuable comments and feedback, as well as Christopher Sprigman for his insightful feedback, wise counsel, and steadfast support of The Indigo Book. Professor Romig thanks Jeannette Livingston for exploring the ins and outs of Microsoft Word to assist this project. Professor Romig is grateful to Ben Chapman and Zach Stevenson for technical advice, and of course Frank Bennett and Carl Malamud. Professor Romig is also grateful to her daughter Laura Romig for proofreading assistance and helpful feedback.