Baby Blue’s
Manual of Legal Citation

Baby in Trouble: chromolithograph shows a small child holding a spoon as a dog eats from the child’s bowl.

An Open Implementation of
A Uniform System of Citation

Not affiliated with or authorized by the
Harvard Law Review Association

Manifest

Status

This document is in alpha release and was last modified on February 20, 2016. We are debugging the materials and conducting reviews as part of the public Request for Comments.

Publisher and License

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Public Resource does not charge for or restrict access to any materials we post. During the public Request for Comments period, this document is copyright Public.Resource.Org, All Rights Reserved. After conclusion of the public Request for Comments period, this document will be republished with revisions and will be available under the CC0 public domain dedication—“No Rights Reserved” and we waive all copyright and related rights in this work to the fullest extent allowed.

CC-Zero Stamp: No Rights Reserved

Cover Art

The cover art for this document is courtesy of the Library of Congress Digital File LC-DIG-pga-07885. The item is a circa 1869 chromolithograph from L. Prang & Co. entitled “Baby In Trouble” and depicts a small child holding a spoon as a dog eats from the child’s bowl. There are no known restrictions on publication of this item.

Statement of Nonaffiliation

This document is not authorized by nor in any way affiliated with the Harvard Law Review or The Bluebook® A Uniform System of Citation®.

Attribution

Cite as: Sprigman et anon. al., Baby Blue’s Manual of Legal Citation (Public.Resource.Org, 2016).

Foreword

In 2011, Frank Bennett, a law professor at Nagoya University in Japan, wrote to me about open source software he was developing that he now maintains under the name of Juris-M. Professor Bennett’s work is an extended variant of an amazingly useful tool called Zotero that is created by developers around the world who want to support scholars in their efforts to “organize, cite, and share research sources.” Frank added features to Zotero that support legal writing.

Professor Bennett was two years into work on his project when he contacted the Harvard Law Review Association concerning the use, in electronic form, of common abbreviations for U.S. sources as specified in the Bluebook. He was repeatedly rebuffed with stern “keep off the grass” warnings. I examined those abbreviations, and they are clearly facts that could only be expressed in one way. Not only are these abbreviations devoid of creativity, they are required by many legal jurisdictions in the United States before one can plead a case of law before judges. So, I posted those abbreviations on my web site, and promptly received my own “keep off the grass” missive from an outside law firm hired by the Harvard Law Review.

It is important to understand, when we are talking about “The Bluebook, A Uniform System of Citation,” that we are talking about two different things. There is a product, a spiral-bound booklet that sells for $38.50, which is accompanied by a rudimentary web site available to purchasers of the product.

Underlying that product, however, is something much more basic and fundamental, a uniform system of citation. Unpaid volunteers from a dozen law schools, under the stewardship of four nonprofit student-run law reviews, have labored mightily to reach a consensus standard for the citation of legal materials. This open consensus standard was developed, with no compensation to the authors, for the greater benefit of the legal system of the United States. By clearly and precisely referring to primary legal materials, we are able to communicate our legal reasoning to others, including pleading a case in the courts, advocating changes in legal policy in our legislatures or law reviews, or simply communicating the law to our fellow citizens so that we may be better informed.

We do not begrudge the Harvard Law Review Association one penny of the revenue from the sale of their spiral-bound book dressed in blue. However, we must not confuse the book with the system. There can be no proprietary claim over knowledge and facts, and there is no intellectual property right in the system and method of our legal machinery. The infrastructure of our legal system is a public utility, and belongs to all of us.

As Harvard professor Lawrence Lessig has famously stated, “code is law.” The system of citation is code, an algorithm consisting of rules and a set of enumerations of text strings and their proper abbreviations. This is code about law.

In thinking of the Bluebook, I have been reminded of Big Blue, the IBM corporation. IBM made a fortune selling Genuine IBM personal computers, but this did not prevent others from making clones that were able to exercise the instructions in the underlying chipset. When technology changed the nature of the computer industry, IBM did not spend its days trying to defend an outdated mode of operation and instead moved up the food chain. The company has grown and prospered because of the computing revolution and the Internet instead of trying to preserve an outdated position of economic power that could not last.

Likewise, I wish the Harvard Law Review Association and their three companion law reviews the best in continuing to sell their Genuine Blue spiral-bound book and any associated on-line services. However, that cannot mean prohibiting an open source developer from using common abbreviations, and it certainly does not imply any ownership or control over how, in our democracy, we communicate the law with our fellow citizens. I hope you will enjoy Baby Blue’s Manual of Legal Citation and that you will join me in extending my congratulations to Professor Sprigman and his students on the excellent job they have performed in re-coding those rules.

Carl Malamud
Public.Resource.Org

Introduction

Welcome to Baby Blue—a free, Creative Commons-dedicated implementation of the Bluebook’s Uniform System of Citation. Baby Blue was compiled by a team of students at the New York University School of Law, working under the direction of Professor Christopher Jon Sprigman.

Baby Blue isn’t the same as the Bluebook, but it does implement the same Uniform System of Citation that the Bluebook does. The scope of Baby Blue’s coverage is roughly equivalent to the Bluebook’s “Bluepages”—that is, Baby Blue covers legal citation for U.S. legal materials, as well as books, periodicals, and Internet and other electronic resources. In addition, Baby Blue offers citation guidance that is deeper than the Bluebook’s Bluepages—for example, Baby Blue has citation guidance for bills, and for legislative history, that the Bluepages lack. For the materials that it covers, anyone using Baby Blue will produce briefs, memoranda, law review articles, and other legal documents with citations that are compatible with the Uniform System of Citation.

Note that Baby Blue’s scope does not extend to (now virtually unused) loose-leaf reporters, nor to foreign legal materials or the publications of international organizations like the United Nations. Most American lawyers cite these materials only rarely, and providing citation rules for the enormous number of international jurisdictions is part of what makes the Bluebook as unwieldy as it has become.

Baby Blue offers a couple of important advantages to users, compared with the Bluebook. Unlike the Bluebook, Baby Blue is free. Free in two different ways that are equally important. First, Baby Blue is given to you free of charge. Considering that the Uniform System of Citation has become a basic piece of infrastructure for the American system of justice, it is vital that pro se litigants, prisoners, and others seeking justice but who lack resources are given effective access to the system lawyers use to cite to the law. That interest in access and basic fairness is part of what motivated Baby Blue’s creation.

Second, and perhaps even more importantly, Baby Blue is free of the restrictions of copyright. You are free to copy and distribute this work, and—most importantly—to improve on it. This is important, because we want people with a stake in our legal citation system to help make that system simpler and better. To achieve these goals, we are releasing Baby Blue under a Creative Commons “CC0” public domain dedication that allows you to use it, copy it, distribute it, and—we hope—improve it.

So, what sorts of improvement do we hope for? This original edition of Baby Blue is compatible with the current, 20th edition of the Bluebook. We will admit, however, that our decision to make Baby Blue compatible with the Bluebook’s Uniform System of Citation was mostly self-interested and strategic—we want people to adopt Baby Blue, and the best way to achieve that goal, we reasoned, was to give people a citation guide that they could use to produce documents that look as if they used the Bluebook.

We think this is the right path, at least initially, but please understand that our decision to make Baby Blue Bluebook-compatible doesn’t stop you from doing otherwise. There are ways to improve Baby Blue that involve breaking free of the Bluebook. Indeed, in some ways the recent editions of the Bluebook have adopted an unhelpfully over-prescriptive approach to citation that has resulted in needless complexity. It wasn’t always that way. Back in 1959, the 10th edition of the Bluebook declared that “[t]he 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.”

That sounds right to us. Can we get back to a more sensible, flexible system of legal citation? Baby Blue takes the first step by restating the Uniform System of Citation for U.S. legal materials, and for books, periodicals, and Internet and other electronic resources. The next step is up to you. Take Baby Blue, use it, enjoy it, improve it—maybe you international lawyers out there will add coverage of foreign and international law? Then, consistent with the spirit of our project—give your improvements to the world.

Professor Christopher Jon Sprigman
New York University School of Law

A. BACKGROUND RULES

R1. Two Types of Legal Documents

There are two basic varieties of legal documents. The Uniform System of Citation imposes somewhat different citation rules for each.

  1. R1.1. Standard Legal Documents (SLDs). These are the documents lawyers file in courts, agencies, or other places where practicing lawyers do what they do (e.g., briefs and motions). They also include the documents lawyers write to one another or to the public (e.g., legal letters and legal memoranda).
  2. R1.2. Academic Legal Documents (ALDs). These are articles for publication in law reviews.
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For reasons that make very little sense, the Uniform System of Citation treats SLDs and ALDs differently. If we were designing the system from scratch, we'd scrap this distinction. But for the moment, we’re stuck with it. In Baby Blue, we’ll state the rules for SLDs. When we need to refer to ALDs specifically, we'll do that.

R2. Typeface Standards

  1. R2.1. Only the following items should be italicized:
    • Case names—both full and short case names, and procedural phrases (e.g., In re and ex parte) preceding the case names (but note the special guidance for ALDs in Rule 11.2.3);
    • Book titles
    • Article titles
    • Legislative materials’ titles
    • Introductory signals (e.g., see, cf. and accord)
    • Explanatory phrases that introduce subsequent case history (e.g., aff’d or cert. denied)
    • Cross references, (e.g. infra, supra and id.)
    • Words and phrases that introduce related authority (e.g., reprinted in and available in)
  2. R2.2. The following words should be italicized when used in the text of SLDs:
    • Publication titles (e.g. The Onion)
    • Words that are italicized in the original quotation; and
    • All words that would be italicized in the text (e.g., foreign words that are not commonly used in English language documents).
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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 Baby Blue, you'll see us italicizing text rather than underlining, because that’s how we do it in the 21st Century. The Bluebook 20th Ed. still gives you the option to do either, but you know where we stand.

R3. In-Text Citations

  1. R3.1. For SLDs, in-text citations are rendered either as (i) a complete sentence that supports a claim in the immediately preceding sentence of text, or, (ii) when the citation relates to a particular part of a sentence, as a clause within the sentence, immediately following the claim it supports.
    • Only use footnotes for SLDs when allowed by a court’s local rules.
    • In contrast to SLDs, ALDs rely on footnotes for citations.
  2. R3.2. Citations Following Sentences
    • Most citations in SLDs follow complete text sentences. It is common to have several citations following a sentence, with each citation separated by a semicolon (known as a “string citation”).
    • It is also common to employ more than one introductory signal, with citations introduced by different signals arranged as separate sentences. (For the order in which introductory signals are arranged, see Rule 4.2, below.) Use this citation method to cite to sources and authorities that relate to the sentence as a whole.
    • Example: Even if the meaning of the statute were not plain, the FCC’s construction of the 1996 Act is reasonable and therefore entitled to deference. See Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Nat. Res. Defense Council, Inc., 467 U.S. 837 (1984). See also Nat’l Cable & Telecomms. Assn. v. Brand X Internet Svcs., 545 U.S. 967, 1000 (2005) (holding that Chevron mandates that courts defer to the FCC’s reasonable interpretation of its authority under the statutes that the agency administers, even where a current FCC interpretation is inconsistent with past practice); Home Care Assn. of Amer. v. Weil, No. 15-5018 (D.C. Cir. Aug. 21, 2015) (finding the Department of Labor’s reasonable interpretation of a provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act was entitled to deference under Chevron, even where it contravened previous reasonable interpretation of same provision).
  3. R3.3. Citations Within Sentences
    • Some citations in SLDs are placed within sentences. Use within-sentence citations to cite sources and authorities that relate to only a section of the sentence. Separate within-sentence citations from the text with commas. The citation clauses directly follow the claim which they support. Do not model them after normal sentences unless:
      • the clause opens with a source that would be capitalized anyway—this is the only case where the clause should begin with a capital letter; or
      • it is the sentence’s final clause—this is the only case where the clause should end with a period.
    • Example: Knowingly throwing undersized groupers overboard to avoid federal agents investigating a violation of federal conservation regulations is not destruction of evidence within the meaning of the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002, see Yates v. United States, 135 S. Ct. 1074 (2015), even though the Eleventh Circuit fishily held just the opposite, United States v. Yates, 733 F.3d 1059 (11th Cir. 2013).
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Scholars have criticized this elaborate system of string citations, requiring the writer to determine not only the degrees of authoritativeness of relied-upon works but also to disclose their precise relevance, including (perplexingly) sources contrary to the writer’s argument. One might ask why the legal profession chose for itself such an odd and onerous citation system. One commentator describes the system as derived from an “anxiety of authoritativeness.” Michael Bacchus, Strung Out: Legal Citation, The Bluebook, and the Anxiety of Authority, 151 U Penn. L Rev. 245 (2002).

R4. Signals

  1. R4.1. A signal illustrates the relationship between the author’s assertion and the source cited for that assertion. The signal begins the citation sentence or clause.
  2. R4.2. There are four basic categories of signals:
CategorySignals
Signals for Supporting Authority(1) [No signal]
(2) E.g.,
(3) Accord
(4) See
(5) See Also
(6) Cf.
Signals for Comparison(7) Compare <citation to source(s), separated with “and” if multiple> with <citation to source(s), separated with “and” if multiple>
Signals for Contradictory Authority(8) Contra
(9) But see
(10) But cf.
Signals for Background Material(11) See generally
  1. R4.3. When more than one authority is used in the same citation, they should be ordered first according to hierarchy of introductory signals (see table above), and then within each signal by strength of authority using a semicolon in between each one (see Rule 10 below: Order of Authorities Within Each Signal / Strength of Authority).
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For citation sentences, signals in the same category are listed within a single citation sentence, each one marked off by semicolons; signals in separate categories, however, should be listed in separate citation sentences.

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For citation clauses, all signals (irrespective of category) are listed within a single citation clause and separated by semicolons.

R5. Capitalization Rules

  1. R5.1. 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).
  2. R5.2. 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.

R6. Signals for Supporting Authority

  1. R6.1. <no signal>: A citation does not need a signal if--
    • The source makes the same assertion; or
      • 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; or
      • 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).
  2. R6.2. E.g.,
    • 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.
      • Example: 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).
      • Example: Prior to the Supreme Court’s decision in Riley v. California, 134 S. Ct. 2473 (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, in which case an italicized comma should separate the two signals. Note: The comma in the signal “e.g.,” should NOT be italicized.
      • Example: Several states have enacted legislation requiring witnesses to report certain crimes to authorities. See, e.g., Colo. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 18-8-115 (West 2014); Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. ch. 268, § 40 (West 2014); Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 2921.22 (West 2014).
      • Example: Most states have not enacted legislation requiring witnesses to report crimes to authorities. But see, e.g., Colo. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 18-8-115 (West 2014); Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. ch. 268, § 40 (West 2014); Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 2921.22 (West 2014).
  3. R6.3. Accord
  4. R6.4. See
    • 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: The defendant in a criminal case cannot be forced to testify against himself or herself. See U.S. Const. amend. V.
  5. R6.5. See also
    • See also is used for additional sources that support a proposition. Use see also when authority that states or clearly supports the proposition has already been cited or discussed. The use of a parenthetical is recommended when using see also.
      • Example: Slow and steady wins the race. See Don Daily, The Classic Treasury of Aesop’s Fables 43-46 (1999); see also The Shawshank Redemption (Castle Rock Entertainment 1994) (prisoner tunnels out of a prison by removing a few stones per day).
  6. R6.6. Cf.
    • Cf. is used for supporting authority that is analogous to your proposition, or which is related but which requires some interpretive work to connect to your proposition. Always use a parenthetical with cf. to explain the logical connection required for the argument.
      • Example: In the legal realm, there is a need for an easy-to-use, standard set of citation rules. Cf. The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (Columbia Law Review Ass’n et al. eds., 20th ed. 2015) (demonstrating, by virtue of 20 editions, the need for such a system, but producing a system that is overly complex).

R7. Signals for Comparison

  1. R7.1. Compare <citation to source or authority>, with <citation to source or authority>
    • Compare . . . 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 . . . signal may contain multiple sources; separate these sources using commas and italicized “and” as follows.
      • 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).

R8. Signals for Contradictory Authority

  1. R8.1. Contra
    • Contra is used when a cited authority directly conflicts with the proposition it follows. Contra is the opposite signal to <no signal>.
      • Example: The Bluebook is an example of absolute efficiency in the formulation and expression of the rules of legal citation. Contra Richard A. Posner, The Bluebook Blues, 120 Yale L.J. 950 (2011).
  2. R8.2. But see
    • 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: I have the right to falsely shout “Fire!” in a crowded theater. But see Schenck v. United States, 249 U.S. 47 (1919).
  3. R8.3. But cf.
    • But cf. is used to indicate that an authority supports a proposition that is similar to the opposite of the author’s main proposition. But cf. is the opposite signal to cf. Always use a parenthetical with but cf. to explain the logical connection required for the argument. This is the weakest signal for contrary authority.

R9. Signals for Background Material

  1. R9.1. See generally
    • 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: Some commentators have argued that the Supreme Court does more than “call balls and strikes,” and that politics may even be involved in some decisionmaking. See generally Jeffrey Toobin, The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court (2007) (arguing that the work of the Supreme Court often involves the Justices imposing values and even political preferences).

R10. Order of Authorities Within Each Signal / Strength of Authority

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Follow the order below for citing authorities within a signal. However, there is one exception: if an authority is more helpful than others cited within a signal, it should be cited first.

  1. R10.1. Constitutions. Order constitutions from the same jurisdiction from most recent to oldest.
    1. Federal
    2. State (alphabetize according to state)
    3. Foreign (alphabetize according to jurisdiction)
    4. Foundational Documents of International Groups (United Nations, the League of Nations, and the European Union, in that order)
  2. R10.2. Statutes
    1. R10.2.1. Federal:
      1. Statutes in U.S.C., U.S.C.A., or U.S.C.S. (in ascending order by U.S.C. Title)
      2. Current statutes that are not in U.S.C., U.S.C.A., or U.S.C.S. (from most recently enacted to oldest)
      3. Rules of Evidence and Procedure
      4. Repealed Statutes (from most recently enacted to oldest)
    2. R10.2.2. State (alphabetize according to state):
      1. Statutes currently codified (in ascending order within the codification)
      2. Statutes currently in force but not currently codified (from most recently enacted to oldest)
      3. Rules of Evidence and Procedure
      4. Repealed Statutes (from most recently enacted to oldest)
    3. R10.2.3. Foreign (alphabetize according to jurisdiction):
      1. Codes or Statutes currently codified (in ascending order in the codification)
      2. Statutes currently in force but not currently codified (from most recently enacted to oldest)
      3. Repealed Statutes (from most recently enacted to oldest)
  3. R10.3. Treaties and Other International Agreements (other than those above) are cited from most recently ratified/signed to oldest.
  4. R10.4. Cases. Order cases from the same court from most recent to oldest, without regard to prior or subsequent history. There’s no difference between Federal Circuit Court of Appeals or Federal District Courts.
    1. R10.4.1. Federal:
      1. Supreme Court
      2. Court of Appeals, Emergency Court of Appeals, and Temporary Emergency Court of Appeals
      3. Court of Claims, Court of Customs, and Patent Appeals and Bankruptcy Appellate Panels
      4. District Courts, Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, and Court of International Trade (formerly the Customs Court)
      5. District Bankruptcy Courts and Railroad Reorganization Court
      6. Court of Federal Claims (formerly the Trial Division for the Court of Claims), Court of Appeals for the Armed Services (formerly the Court of Military Appeals), and Tax Court (formerly the Board of Tax Appeals)
      7. Administrative Agencies (alphabetize according to agency)
    2. R10.4.2. State:
      1. Courts (alphabetize according to state, then by hierarchy in descending order)
      2. Agencies (alphabetize according to state, then by agency)
    3. R10.4.3. Foreign:
      1. Courts (alphabetize according to jurisdiction, then by hierarchy in descending order)
      2. Agencies (alphabetize according to jurisdiction, then by agency)
    4. R10.4.4. International:
      1. International Court of Justice, Permanent Court of International Justice
      2. Other International Tribunals and Arbitral Panels (in alphabetical order)
  5. R10.5. Legislative Materials (always cite federal materials first)
    1. Bills and Resolutions (most recent to oldest)
    2. Committee Hearings (most recent to oldest)
    3. Reports, Documents, and Committee Prints (most recent to oldest)
    4. Floor Debates (most recent to oldest)
  6. R10.6. Administrative and Executive Materials
    1. R10.6.1. Federal:
      1. Executive Orders
      2. Current Treasury Regulations, Proposed Treasury Regulations
      3. All Other Regulations currently in force (numerically by C.F.R. title in ascending order)
      4. Proposed Rules not yet in force (numerically by future C.F.R. titles, if any, in ascending order; otherwise from most recently proposed to oldest)
      5. All Materials repealed (from most recently promulgated to oldest)
    2. R10.6.2. State:
      1. State (alphabetize according to state), currently in force, then repealed
    3. R10.6.3. Foreign:
      1. Foreign (alphabetize according to jurisdiction), currently in force, then repealed
  7. R10.7. R10.7. Resolutions, Decisions, and Regulations of Intergovernmental Organizations
    1. United Nations and League of Nations (from most recent to oldest by issuing body, listing General Assembly first, then Security Council, then other organs alphabetically)
    2. Other Organizations (in alphabetical order by name)
  8. R10.8. Records, Briefs, and Petitions are cited in the same order as discussed in Rule 10.4. Briefs from the same case and court are ordered: (i) plaintiff/petitioner; (ii) defendant/respondent; (iii) amicus curiae (alphabetize according to amicus party)
  9. R10.9. Secondary Materials
    1. Uniform Codes, Model Codes, and Restatements, in that order (from most recent to oldest within each category)
    2. Books, Pamphlets, and Shorter Works in a collection of single author’s works (in alphabetical order by author’s last name; when there is no author, by the title’s first word)
    3. Journal Pieces (excluding magazines, newspapers, and student-written materials), including Forthcoming Works and Shorter Works in a collection of various authors’ works (in alphabetical order by first author’s last name)
    4. Book Reviews not written by students (alphabetize according to reviewer’s last name)
    5. Student-Written Law Review Pieces including Book Reviews (in alphabetical order by author’s last name; if there is no author, by the title’s first word; if there is no title, alphabetically by the periodical’s abbreviation)
    6. Annotations (from most recently published to oldest)
    7. Magazine and Newspaper Articles (in alphabetical order by author’s last name; if there is no author, by the title’s first word)
    8. Working Papers (in alphabetical order by author’s last name; if there is no author, by the title’s first word)
    9. Unpublished Materials not forthcoming (in alphabetical order by author’s last name; if there is no author, by the title’s first word)
    10. Electronic Sources, including Internet Sources (in alphabetical order by author’s last name; if there is no author, by the title’s first word)
  10. R10.10. Cross-references to the author’s own text or footnotes.

B. CASES

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Although the Bluebook encourages citations to Lexis or Westlaw when appropriate, note that many of the states have adopted public domain or media neutral citation of cases, as shown in Table 2. Baby Blue encourages the use of public domain or media neutral citations.

R11. Full citation

  1. R11.1. Elements of a full citation. When providing a full citation to a case, you should generally include the following:
    1. case name;
    2. volume number, reporter, first page;
    3. pincite (the exact page number you are referring to, if necessary);
    4. court, year (see special instructions below for pending and unreported cases);
    5. explanatory parenthetical (if necessary);
    6. prior or subsequent history of the case (if any).

    Examples:

    • Leonard v. Pepsico, Inc., 88 F. Supp. 2d 116, 127 (S.D.N.Y. 1999) (“Plaintiff’s understanding of the commercial as an offer must also be rejected because the Court finds that no objective person could reasonably have concluded that the commercial actually offered consumers a Harrier Jet.”), aff’d, 210 F.3d 88 (2d Cir. 2000).
    • Toolson v. N.Y. Yankees, Inc., 346 U.S. 356 (1953) (per curiam) (affirming baseball’s exemption from the scope of federal antitrust laws).
  2. R11.2. Case Name. Case names are often lengthy. Therefore when citing to a case, do not always include the case name in full.
    1. R11.2.1.

      When referring to a case with an individual’s name in the case name, use the person’s full family name (i.e., their last name). 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.

      Example: Van Leeuwen v. Souto de Moura

      Example: James T. Kirk & Assocs. v. Luke S.

      Correct: Smith v. Jones
      Incorrect: Jonathan H. Smith v. Allison T. Jones

      Correct: Xu Lanting v. Wong
      Incorrect: Xu Lanting v. James Wong

    2. R11.2.2. Only include the last name of the first listed party of the plaintiffs and the first listed party of the defendants.
    3. R11.2.3. Italicize everything in the case name, but don’t italicize the comma at the end of the case name. Exception for ALDs: do not italicize case names in ALD full citations, but do italicize case names in ALD short form citations and procedural phrases such as “In re.
    4. R11.2.4.

      Delete “et al.”, nicknames, and aliases.

      Correct: Jackson v. Leviston
      Incorrect: Curtis James Jackson III, p/k/a 50 Cent v. Lastonia Leviston

    5. R11.2.5. Replace procedural phrases, and omit all besides the first procedural phrase.
      1. When you see “on the relation of,” “on behalf of,” and similar expressions, replace with “ex rel.

        Correct: Affleck ex rel. Damon v. Kimmel
        Incorrect: Ben Affleck, on behalf of Matt Damon v. Jimmy Kimmel, et al.

      2. When you see “in the matter of,” “petition of,” and similar expressions, replace with “In re”, except do not use “In re”, or any procedural phrases besides “ex rel.” when the case name contains the name of an adversary.

        Correct: In re National Football League Players’ Concussion Injury Litigation
        Incorrect: In the Matter of National Football League Players’ Concussion Injury Litigation

        Correct: Estate of Jones v. Smith
        Incorrect: In re Estate of Jones v. Smith

    6. R11.2.6.

      Abbreviate words in case names according to Table T6. If the resulting abbreviation is not ambiguous, words of eight or more letters may be abbreviated to save substantial space. Also 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 “Ins.”

      Correct: Cont’l Paper Bag Co. v. E. Paper Bag Co.
      Incorrect: Continental Paper Bag Company v. Eastern Paper Bag Co.

      Exception: do not abbreviate if the citation appears in a textual sentence as explained in Rule 11.2.19, below

    7. R11.2.7.

      Abbreviate countries, states, and other geographical places according to Table 10.

      Correct: Church of Scientology of Cal. v. Blackman
      Incorrect: Church of Scientology of California v. Blackman

      Exception: if the geographical place is one of the parties in the case, do not abbreviate it

      Correct: South Dakota v. Fifteen Impounded Cats
      Incorrect: S.D. v. Fifteen Impounded Cats

      Exception: do not abbreviate if the geographical place is part of a citation that appears in a textual sentence as explained in Rule 11.2.19, below

    8. R11.2.8.

      Spell out “United States” when it is a named party.

      Correct: United States v. Ninety Five Barrels, More or Less
      Incorrect: U.S. v. Ninety Five Barrels, More or Less

    9. R11.2.9.

      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: Lessig v. Colorado, 17 U.S. 107 (1998).
      Incorrect: Lessig v. State of Colorado, 17 U.S. 107 (1998).

      Correct: Lessig v. State, 109 P.3d 224 (Colo. 1997).
      Incorrect: Lessig v. State of Colorado, 109 P.3d 224 (Colo. 1997).

    10. R11.2.10.

      Omit phrases such as “Town of” and “City of” if the expression does not comprise the first part of the name of a party.

      Correct: James v. Village of Jamestown
      Incorrect: James v. Jamestown

      Correct: James v. King of Jamestown
      Incorrect: James v. King of the Village of Jamestown

    11. R11.2.11.

      Do not include a prepositional phrase indicating location, unless the resulting party name would have only one word, or the phrase is part of a business’ full name.

      Correct: Stevenson v. Board of Trade
      Incorrect: Stevenson v. Board of Trade of Colorado

      Correct: ACLU of N.D. v. Jones
      Incorrect: ACLU v. Jones

      Correct: Dam Things from Denmark v. Russ Berrie & Co.
      Incorrect: Dam Things v. Russ Berrie & Co.

    12. R11.2.12.

      Include geographical designations introduced by a preposition, but omit those that follow a comma. Use “United States” instead of “United States of America,” but otherwise omit designations of national or larger geographical areas.

      Correct: California Board of Commerce v. City of Sacramento
      Incorrect: California Board of Commerce v. City of Sacramento, California

    13. R11.2.13.

      Delete “the” as the first word of a party’s name, unless the party is “The Queen” or the “The King,” or when referring to the established popular name in a citation or citation clause.

      Example: The Railroad Commission Cases

      Correct: Int’l Soc’y for Krishna Consciousness of Cal., Inc. v. City of Los Angeles
      Incorrect: Int’l Soc’y for Krishna Consciousness of Cal., Inc. v. The City of Los Angeles

      Exception: retain “the” if it is part of the name of the object of an in rem action.

      Correct: In re the Snug Harbor
      Incorrect: In re Snug Harbor

    14. R11.2.14. The Commissioner of Internal Revenue should be cited as “Commissioner” (abbreviated as “Comm’r” in citations).

      Correct: Plainfield-Union Water Co. v. Comm’r
      Incorrect: Plainfield-Union Water Co. v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue

    15. R11.2.15.

      For cases with multiple dispositions, include an italicized identifier if useful. In future citations of that case, the identifier can replace the full case name.

      Example: Liriano v. Hobart Corp. (Liriano II), 92 N.Y.2d 232 (1998).

      Example: Liriano v. Hobart Corp. (Liraino III), 170 F.3d 264, 266 (2d Cir. 1999) (citing Liriano II, 92 N.Y.2d at 236–37).

    16. R11.2.16.

      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. United States District Court (Smith), 89 U.S. 233 (2011).

    17. R11.2.17.

      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: Indus. Union Dep’t, AFL-CIO v. Am. Petroleum Inst. (The Benzene Case), 448 U.S. 607, 607 (1980).

    18. R11.2.18.

      Abbreviate any commonly recognized organizations, such as the SEC and the ACLU.

      Correct: Red Lion Broadcasting Co. v. FCC, 395 U.S. 367 (1969).
      Incorrect: Red Lion Broadcasting Co. v. Federal Communications Commission, 395 U.S. 367 (1969).

    19. R11.2.19.

      If you’re including the case name in the middle of the sentence (instead of at the end of a sentence or a footnote) do NOT abbreviate words listed in the tables referenced in Rule 11.2.6 and Rule 11.2.7 above.

      Correct: 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).
      Incorrect: According to Texas Dep’t of Cmty. 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).

      Exception: Shorten well-known acronyms and the following eight words: “&,” “Ass’n,” “Bros.,” “Co.,” “Corp.,” “Inc.,” “Ltd.,” and “No.”

      Correct: 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).
      Incorrect: In McDonnell Douglas Corporation 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).

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There are multiple ways to incorporate a case citation in the text of an article, brief, or other written work. In the previous example (reproduced below), the case name is stated in the text and the rest of the citation is included as a separate sentence. There is no strict rule here, so choose whichever method will be clearer to the reader.

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.

  1. R11.3. Volume Number, Reporter, First page. The citation should include: volume number of the reporter, abbreviated name of the reporter (listed by jurisdiction in accordance with Table T1), first page of the case.
    • Example: Terrible v. Terrible, 534 P.2d 919 (Nev. 1975) (denying ex-husband’s petition to split up property he and ex-wife owned as tenants in common).

    This is how you decode case citations. The left column shows what your citation should look like. The right column shows what the citation means for someone looking for the case.

CitationReporter
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 (Vt. 1955). Vol. 119, p. 62 of Vermont Reports
  1. R11.4. Pincite. To direct the reader to the specific page you are referring to, you must include a pincite after you list the first page where the case is found in the reporter.
    • Example: Mattel, Inc. v. MCA Records, Inc., 296 F.3d 894, 908 (9th Cir. 2002) (“The parties are advised to chill.”)
    • Example: Brown v. State, 216 S.E.2d 356, 356 (Ga. Ct. App. 1975) (“The D. A. was ready. His case was red-hot. Defendant was present, His witness was not.”).
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If the pincite is the first page of the opinion, be sure to still include it by just repeating the number.

  1. R11.5. Pincite referencing multiple pages or a page range:
    1. Multiple pages: 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).
    2. Page range: 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”).
    3. Passim. If your proposition appears in many locations in the opinion, or if you are referring to a general idea that pervades a source, feel free to append the word “passim” instead of a pincite.
    • Example: Anyone alive in the eighteenth century would have known that the problem of determining a ship’s longitude at sea was one of the most prominent scientific quests of the day. Dava Sobel, Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time (New York: Penguin, 1995), passim.
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For page ranges consisting of page numbers 100 or greater, you need only provide the last two digits of the second number in the page range, providing that the preceding digits are identical between the two numbers (e.g., 284–89; 4158–72). Otherwise, include both numbers in their entirety (e.g., 199–231).

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Learn to differentiate between hyphens, en dashes, and em dashes. These three marks all comprise short, horizontal lines that with the help of glasses and/or a magnifying glass, you will see have microscopically varying lengths.

  1. R11.6. Citing a footnote. 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: Davis v. City of New York, 902 F. Supp. 2d 405, 412 n.22 (S.D.N.Y. 2012) (Describing how Jay-Z “showcased his knowledge of these Fourth Amendment rights” in his song 99 Problems.)

R12. Court & Year

  1. R12.1. Citations should include both the deciding court and the year of decision in parentheses.
  2. R12.2. See Table T1 for how to abbreviate the names of all U.S. federal and state courts.

See the chart below for common examples:

CourtRuleExample

United States Supreme Court

Use U.S. if the opinion is published in the United States Reports. If not, use S. Ct.

***When citing to a Supreme Court decision, just cite the year and omit the court’s name.

Two Pesos, Inc. v. Taco Cabana, Inc., 505 U.S. 763 (1992).

Brown v. Entm’t Merchs. Ass’n, 131 S. Ct. 2729, 2738 (2011) (noting that Justice Alito has done “considerable independent research” on violent video games for his dissent).

Federal Courts of Appeals

Either F., F.2d, or F.3d, 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?”).

Federal District Courts

Either F. Supp. or F. Supp. 2d depending on the decision.

Frigaliment Importing Co. v. B.N.S. International Sales Corp., 190 F. Supp. 116, 117 (S.D.N.Y. 1960) (“The issue is, what is chicken?”).

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 T1.

Note: If citing an official reporter that publishes only decisions of the state’s highest court (e.g., “Cal.” for the California Supreme Court’s reporter), do not include the court’s name in parentheses.

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 T1.

Note: Do NOT include the department or district of intermediate state courts.

Brown v. Swindell, 198 So. 2d 432, 434 (La. Ct. App. 1967) (holding plaintiff could not recover damages for emotional distress allegedly due to embarrassment of owning a three-legged dog).

State v. Stroud, 30 Wash. App. 392 (1981).

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See Table T10 for the correct abbreviation for each state—even though some may not be consistent (e.g., New York is N.Y., whereas Michigan is Mich.). Also, be mindful of spacing.

  1. R12.3. Parallel Citation in State Court Documents
    1. R12.3.1. When submitting documents to state courts, follow the local rules for citations in Table T10.
    2. R12.3.2. State courts’ local rules often require a parallel citation: i.e., a citation to both the official state reporter and the unofficial regional and/or state-specific reporter, the latter following the former.
    3. R12.3.3. Two important notes:
      • Use one pincite per reporter citation.
      • When the official reporter title makes the state or court name apparent, then don’t include it again in parentheses.
      • Example: Harden v. Playboy Enterprises, Inc., 261 Ill. App. 3d 443, 633 N.E.2d 764 (1993).
  2. R12.4. Special Note on Pending and Unreported Cases: Some cases or opinions are not assigned to reporters. They generally can be found in one of the following three sources:
    1. R12.4.1.

      LEXIS and Westlaw cases: Citations to these electronic databases are similar to regular citations, except that they (a) replace the case code with a docket number and a database code supplied by LEXIS or Westlaw, and (b) include the full date of the decision in the following parenthetical, not just the year.

      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)>.

      • Example: Yates v. United States, No. 13–7451, 2015 U.S. LEXIS 1503, at *40 (Feb. 25, 2015) (citing Dr. Seuss, Justice Kagan explained, “A fish is, of course, a discrete thing that possesses physical form.”).
      • Example: State v. Green, No. 2012AP1475-CR, 2013 WL 5811261, at *7 (Wis. Ct. App. Oct. 30, 2013) (rejecting Green’s argument that there was a reversible error due to bailiff’s distribution of leftover halloween candy to the jury).
    2. R12.4.2. Slip opinions: A slip opinion is a published decision by a court that has not yet been included in a reporter. If there is a slip opinion for an unreported case, but it’s not in LEXIS or Westlaw, include the docket number, the court, and the full date of the most recent major disposition of the case:
      • Example: Beastie Boys v. Monster Energy Co., No. 12 Civ. 6065 (S.D.N.Y. Dec. 4, 2014).
    3. R12.4.3. Opinions only available online, but not in an electronic database: Some cases, particularly ones that are pending, may be accessed only through a court’s website. If so, include the URL.
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Different courts and publishers use different acronyms to identify civil and criminal docket numbers (e.g., CIV-A, Civ. A., Civ., No., etc.). Cite to the case docket number exactly as it appears. If a case has more than one docket number, these acronyms do not need to be included after the first reference:

R13. Weight of Authority and Explanatory Parenthetical

  1. R13.1.

    To highlight information regarding the weight of the cited authority (e.g., 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 (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) (disagreeing with Justice Goldberg as to the relative merits of bourbon and scotch).
  2. R13.2.

    To explain the proposition for which the case stands, insert an explanatory parenthetical.

    Examples:

    • Stambovsky v. Ackley, 169 A.D.2d 254, 256 (N.Y. App. Div. 1991) (“[A]s a matter of law, the house is haunted.”).
    • People v. Foranyic, 64 Cal. App. 4th 186, 190 (1998) (police have probable cause to detain someone they see riding a bike at 3 a.m., carrying an axe).

R14. History of the Case

  1. R14.1. When citing a case, include the prior or subsequent history of the case, subject to several exceptions. Refer to Table T15 for how to abbreviate explanatory phrases when introducing case history. Italicize the explanatory phrase.
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The United States is a common law system, where court decisions play an important role in defining what the law is. Simply put, there’s good case law and bad case law. To figure out the difference, we have to look at the case’s prior and subsequent history, because our view of what is good law may evolve as a case moves through the appeals process.

  1. R14.2.

    Always use the following explanatory phrases when applicable and italicize them:

    • aff’d
    • aff’g
    • cert. denied (but drop this explanatory phrase when the Supreme Court’s cert denial is more than two years in the past)
    • cert. granted
    • rev’d
    • rev’d on other grounds

    Examples:

    • United States v. Singleton, 144 F.3d 1343 (10th Cir. 1998), rev’d en banc, 165 F.3d 1297 (10th Cir. 1999), cert. denied, 527 U.S. 1024 (1999).
    • 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 America, Inc. v. Verizon Internet Servs., Inc., 351 F.3d 1229 (D.C. Cir. 2003).
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Note that in the above examples, the relevant explanatory phrases precede the subsequent history. Explanatory parenthetical information about the preceding case should be included before any subsequent history.

  1. R14.3.

    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”).

    Example: Lerman v. Commissioner, 939 F.2d 44 (3d Cir. 1991), rev’d sub nom. Horn v. Commissioner, 968 F.2d 1229 (D.C. Cir. 1992).

    Exception: 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).

R15. Short Form Citation for Cases

  1. R15.1. In Text
    1. R15.1.1. The first time a case is mentioned in the text, include a full citation as shown here:
      • Example: In Fenton v. Quaboag Country Club, the court holds that the house owners were entitled to an abatement of the trespasses by flying golf balls. 233 N.E.2d 216, 219 (Mass. 1968).
      • Example: In Fenton v. Quaboag Country Club, 233 N.E.2d 216, 219 (Mass. 1968), the court holds that the house owners were entitled to an abatement of the trespasses by flying golf balls.
    2. R15.1.2. For subsequent cites in text, refer to one party’s name (or an unambiguous reference to the case name), as well as a short form citation in the form of <volume> <Name of Reporter> at <pincite>, as shown here:
      • Example: The court in Fenton also holds that there was error in the award of damages based on loss of fair market value of property due to the flying balls. 233 N.E.2d at 219.
  2. R15.2. In Citations
    1. R15.2.1. If the reference is unambiguous and the full citation is easily accessible elsewhere, then you may use a short form citation.
    2. R15.2.2. For cases, a short form citation usually includes: <The First Party of the Case Name>, <volume number> <Reporter> at <pincite>.
      • Example: Malletier v. Dooney & Bourke, Inc., 500 F. Supp. 2d 276, 279 (S.D.N.Y. 2007) becomes Malletier, 500 F. Supp. 2d at 281.
    3. R15.2.3. Don’t 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. Otherwise, it may confuse the reader.
      • Example: United States v. Carmel, 548 F.3d 571 (7th Cir. 2008) becomes Carmel, 548 F.3d at 573.
      • Example: Gonzalez v. Raich, 545 U.S. 1 (2005) becomes Raich, 545 U.S. at 8.
    4. R15.2.4. Shorten a long party name . . . but only if the reference remains clear.
      • Example: A Book Named "John Cleveland’s Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure" v. Attorney Gen. of Com. of Mass., 383 U.S. 413, 418 (1966) can become Memoirs, 383 U.S. at 418.
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In the absence of a clear rule on this matter, 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.

  1. R15.3. Using Id.
    1. R15.3.1. If you are citing to the same case referenced in the immediately preceding citation, use Id. as the short form citation.
    2. R15.3.2. 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.” 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 v. CBS, 844 F. Supp. 2d 510, 517-18 (S.D.N.Y. 2012).
      • 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.
    3. R15.3.3. If you are referring to the immediately preceding case, but to a different page, use Id. at <pincite>.
      • Example: In addition to suing all the federal judges in the Southern District of Georgia, the plaintiff also requested the government to fund a sex change for him. Washington v. Alaimo, 934 F. Supp. 1395, 1398 (S.D. Ga. 1996). Accordingly, the court ordered plaintiff to show cause why he should not be sanctioned for "filing a motion for improper purposes," such as those hinted at in the title of the pleading, "Motion to Kiss My Ass." Id. at 1401.
    4. R15.3.4. Id. can be used for all types of authorities—not only for cases.
      • Example: After conducting research on the use of Yiddish words in law, the authors found that the word “chutzpah” had appeared in 101 cases since 1980. Alex Kozinski & Eugene Volokh, Lawsuit Shmawsuit, 103 Yale L.J. 463, 463 (1993). Their search for the use of “schmuck” was impeded “by the fact that many people are actually named Schmuck.” Id. at 464–65.
      • Example: The Supreme Court has consistently proven hostile to any statute that could be interpreted as imposing prior restraint on publications. See, e.g., Near v. Minnesota ex rel. Olson, 283 U.S. 697 (1931) (holding that a statute that enabled the state to close down newspapers on grounds they contributed to public nuisance violated the Fourteenth Amendment). The conspicuous absence of prior restraint laws in our nation’s history are indicative of a consistent belief they violate constitutional rights. Id. at 718.
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If there is an explanatory parenthetical or phrase in the preceding citation, it is not incorporated with the use of Id.

C. STATUTES, RULES, REGULATIONS, AND OTHER LEGISLATIVE & ADMINISTRATIVE MATERIALS

R16. Federal Statutes

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Don't italicize anything in a statute citation. The symbol “§” means “section,” and “§§” is the plural form.

  1. R16.1. Basic citation form
    1. R16.1.1. A full citation to a federal statute includes three things: (1) the official name of the statute; (2) the published source where the act may be found; and (3) indication of either (i) the source publication date or (ii) the year the statute was passed.
    2. R16.1.2. U.S. Code: For citations to the U.S. Code (the preferred citation): <Name of Statute>, <title> U.S.C. § <section number> <(year published)>.
      1. The U.S.C. is codified once every six years. Therefore, citations to the U.S.C. should be to the appropriate codifying year (e.g. 2000, 2006, 2012).
      2. Supplements: If you are citing to a statute that may have been amended after the most recent official codification, be sure to consult the supplements, which are published each year between codifications and are cumulative.

      Examples:

      • Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, 21 U.S.C. § 387 (2012).
      • Lanham (Trademark) Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 1051-1141n (2006).
      • Communications Act of 1934, 47 U.S.C. § 223 (2012 & Supp. I 2013).
    3. R16.1.3. U.S. Code Annotated: If the U.S.C. cite is not available, then cite to the U.S. Code Annotated. The citation form is <Name of Statute>, <title> U.S.C.A. § <section number> <(<Name of Publisher> <year published>)>.
      1. Note: Electronic databases like Westlaw or LEXIS generally refer to the most recent unofficial code, such as “U.S.C.A” (United States Code Annotated), and should be cited accordingly.
      2. List of common unofficial codes. U.S.C.A. is preferred.
        • United States Code Annotated, “U.S.C.A.” (published by West).
        • United States Code Service, “U.S.C.S.” (published by LEXIS).
        • Gould’s United States Code Unannotated, “U.S.C.U.” (published by Gould).

      Examples:

      • Stored Communications Act, 18 U.S.C.A. §§ 2701-2711 (West 2000).
      • Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, 30 U.S.C.S. §§ 181-287 (LEXIS 2015).
    4. R16.1.4. Pinpoint citations: To cite to an individual provision within a statute, use the following form: <Name of Statute> <original section number>, <title> <Abbreviation for Name of Reporter> § <section number> <(<Name of Publisher, but only if citing unofficial code> <year published>)>
      1. Include the original section number of the provision after the statute name.
      2. “Original section number” refers to the section in the original act, whereas “section number” refers to the equivalent section as codified in the code.

      Examples:

      • Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act § 202, 17 U.S.C. § 271(e) (2006).
      • Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 § 103, 17 U.S.C.A. § 1201 (West 2008).
    5. R16.1.5. Official Session Laws: If neither a U.S. Code or U.S. Code Annotated citation is available, then cite to official session laws, using the following forms:
      1. Cite without pinpoint: <Name of Statute,> Pub. L. No. <____>, <volume> Stat. <page number> <(year passed)>.
      2. Cite with pinpoint: <Name of Statute,> Pub. L. No. <____>, <original section number>, <volume> Stat. <page number>, <page pinpoint> <(year passed)>.

      Examples:

      • Family Sponsor Immigration Act of 2002, Pub. L. No. 107-150, 116 Stat. 74.
      • Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Pub. L. No. 111-148, § 1101, 124 Stat. 119, 141-43 (2010).
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.

R17. State Statutes

  1. R17.1. Official state codes: You should cite state statutes to official codes if at all possible. State code compilations are ranked by order of preference (in a manner that seems arbitrary); those rankings are available in Table T2.
  2. R17.2.

    The elements of a citation to a state code include: <Name of Code, abbreviated> § <section number> <(year in which the edition of the cited code was published)>

    Examples:

    • Ala. Code § 13A-12-5(a)(1) (2000) (“A person commits the offense of unlawful bear exploitation if he or she knowingly . . . [p]romotes, engages in, or is employed at a bear wrestling match.”).
    • N.Y. Arts & Cult. Aff. Law § 60.03 (McKinney 2000) (prohibiting the sale of knowingly forged sports personality autographs).
Indigo Inkling

Don't worry about the year the statute was passed—the only year that matters is the edition of the code.

If you can't find the official code, include the name of the publisher in the date parenthetical, preceding the year.

R18. Rules of Procedure and Evidence, Restatements, and Uniform Acts

  1. R18.1. Rules of Evidence and Procedure
    1. R18.1.1.

      Cite current or uniform rules of evidence or procedure by indicating the abbreviation of the source, followed by the rule number (no comma in between).

      Examples:

      • Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1).
      • Fed. R. App. P. 1.
      • Unif. R. Evid. 601.
    2. R18.1.2. We do not mandate specific abbreviations, but here are several suggestions:
      • Federal Rules of Civil Procedure: Fed. R. Civ. P.
      • Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure: Fed. R. Crim. P.
      • Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure: Fed. R. App. P.
      • Federal Rules of Evidence: Fed. R. Evid.
  2. R18.2. Restatements
    1. R18.2.1. Cite Restatements by indicating the title of the particular Restatement cited, followed by the number of the section containing the material you are referencing, followed by the year published in parentheses.
      • Do not use a comma in between title and section number, or between the section number and the year parenthetical.
      • You may in addition refer to a comment by its letter designation if the material you are citing is contained in a comment.
      • Comments are abbreviated “cmt.”

      Examples:

      • Restatement (Second) of Trusts § 46 (1959).
      • Restatement (Third) of The Law Governing Lawyers § 2 cmt. e (2000).
      • Restatement (Third) of Prop.: Servitudes § 7.1 (2000).
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It is unclear whether the Bluebook requires citation to different volumes. In practice, it makes little difference since the section number will direct the reader to the appropriate volume.

  1. R18.3. Uniform Commercial Code: Cites to the Uniform Commercial code take the following form: U.C.C. § <section number> <(year published)>.
    • Example: U.C.C § 9-105 (2010).
  2. R18.4. Uniform Laws Annotated: Citations to the Uniform Laws Annotated take the following form: <Title of Act> § <section number>, <volume> U.L.A. <page> <(year published)>.
    1. Use the abbreviations specified in Table T6; thus, “Uniform” becomes “Unif.”
    2. Cite the title of the act in full, including year of enactment where it is included in the title.

      Examples:

      • Unif. Rules of Evidence (1974) § 702 note 24, 13E U.L.A. 114 (2011)
      • Unif. Mediation Act § 8, 7A Pt. III U.L.A. 137 (2006).
Indigo Inkling

Judge Posner has criticized the long lists of uniform abbreviations mandated by the Bluebook as a contradiction in terms, since a non-obvious abbreviation (one you must learn from a predesignated list) will likely confuse the reader, and so should not be used at all. Still, we follow the system of abbreviations the Bluebook requires as a matter of consistency.

R19. Administrative Rules and Regulations

  1. R19.1. Citations to “administrative” rules and regulations—that is, those promulgated by an administrative agency (e.g. the Environmental Protection Agency or the Food and Drug Administration)—take the following form: <title number of CFR provision> C.F.R. § <section number> <(year published)>.
  2. R19.2. 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 CFR provision> C.F.R. § <section number> <(year published)>.
  3. R19.3.

    Include a parenthetical to explain content of rule or regulation where that information would be helpful.

    Examples:

    • 36 C.F.R. § 272.1 (2014) (defining the Forest Service’s iconic character as “a fanciful owl, who wears slacks (forest green when colored), a belt (brown when colored), and a Robin Hood style hat (forest green when colored) with a feather (red when colored), and who furthers the slogan, Give a Hoot, Don’t Pollute”).
    • DOE Employee Privacy Standards, 10 C.F.R. § 1008.3 (2000).
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There aren’t specific rules for state agency citations—just cite them using approximately the same form as you would the federal rules.

R20. Federal Taxation Materials

  1. R20.1. Internal Revenue Code: Citations to the Internal Revenue Code take either of two forms:
    1. R20.1.1. Citations to the code itself take the following form: I.R.C. § <section number> <(year published)>.
    2. R20.1.2.

      Citations to Title 26 of the U.S. Code, which is where the Internal Revenue Code is codified, take the following form: 26 U.S.C. § <section number> <(year published)>.

      Examples:

      • I.R.C. § 312 (2014).
      • 26 U.S.C. § 312 (2014).
  2. R20.2. Treasury Regulations
    • 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).
  3. R20.3. Treasury Determinations
    • Cite Revenue Rulings (“Rev. Rul.”), Revenue Procedures (“Rev. Proc.”), and Treasury Decisions (“T.D.”) to the following sources, in the following order of preference:
      • Cumulative Bulletin (“C.B.”)
      • Internal Revenue Bulletin (“I.R.B.”)
      • 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).

R21. Legislative Materials

  1. R21.1. Federal Bills and Resolutions

    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, with names of subcommittees and committees abbreviated according to the form set out in Table T4, Table T6, and Table T10.

    Select an abbreviation based on the type of bill or resolution:

    TypeAbbreviation
    Senate BillS.
    House BillH.R.
    Senate ResolutionS. Res.
    House ResolutionH.R. Res.
    Senate Joint ResolutionS.J. Res.
    House Joint ResolutionH.R.J. Res.
    Senate Concurrent ResolutionS. Con. Res.
    House Concurrent ResolutionH.R. Con. Res.
    Senate Executive ResolutionS. 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

When citing Congressional legislation, you can include in your citation whether it was enacted in the first or second session of Congress.

  1. R21.2.

    Enacted federal bills and resolutions

    Once enacted, bills and joint resolutions are statutes and should be cited as such, except cite them as unenacted bills or resolutions when showing the legislation’s history. Cite enacted simple resolutions and concurrent resolutions as if they were unenacted, but add an “(enacted)” parenthetical if it would be helpful.

  2. R21.3.

    State bills and resolutions

    Cite 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 T10, and year of enactment or publication, if unenacted>.

    Examples:

    • L.D. 3, 127th Leg., Reg. Sess. (Me. 2015).
  3. R21.4. Committee Hearings
    1. R21.4.1.

      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 T4, Table T6, and Table T10. For the names of individuals, abbreviate using Table T11.

    2. R21.4.2.

      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 T10> <year of publication> <name and title of speaker>. For the names of subcommittees and committees, abbreviate according to the form set out in Table T4, Table T6, and Table T10. For the names of individuals, abbreviate using Table T11.

      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).
  4. R21.5. Federal reports
    1. R21.5.1.

      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. Rep. No. 110-803, at 105 (2008) (Conf. Rep.).
    2. R21.5.2.

      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:

      • title, if available,
      • name of legislative body, abbreviated
      • section number, page no. or number of report
      • number of Congress and/or legislative session
      • (publication year)
      • (if the bill or resolution was enacted). Only include this additional parenthetical if the bill was enacted; if unenacted, you don’t need to add anything extra.

      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).

R22. Short Form Citation of Legislative and Administrative Materials

  1. R22.1. The first time you mention a statute, rule, regulation, or legislative material, use the full citation.
  2. R22.2. For subsequent citations in the same general discussion, you may use any short form that clearly identifies the source.
  3. R22.3. Use of “Id.”: see below . . .
Full citationid. citation
for same provision
id. citation
for different provision
within same title
7 U.S.C. § 7101 (2012). Id. Id. § 7102(26).
9 C.F.R. § 54.1 (2014). Id. Id. § 151.9.

R23. Sources and Authorities: Constitutions

  1. R23.1. Citations to the U.S. Constitution follow a simple form, elaborated below:
    • <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)>.
  2. R23.2. Use Table T10 and Table T16 to find abbreviations.
  3. R23.3. Citations to state constitutions are expressed the same format, substituting U.S. with the abbreviated name of the state.
Indigo Inkling

Perhaps because constitutions are considered Capital-I important, they should never be expressed in the short form except for id.

D. COURT & LITIGATION DOCUMENTS

R24. Citing Court or Litigation Documents from Your Case

The full citation for a court or litigation document includes:

  1. R24.1. Document title
    • Check Table T1 to figure out what to abbreviate.
      • Exception: Never abbreviate if the abbreviation would confuse the reader.
      • Always abbreviate an official record, such as the appellate record, to “R.”
    • Example: For their own profit and advantage, Defendants are misappropriating the non-transformed, copyrighted material in which each Plaintiff has invested heavily. Compl. for Copyright Infringement 11.
  2. R24.2. The exact page and line (or paragraph) you’re referring to
    • Use commas only if necessary to avoid confusion.
    • Use colon to separate page and line.
    • Don’t use “p.” before the page number.
    • Use “at” if citing to an appellate record.
  3. R24.3. Date of document, if the date is particularly relevant or omitting the date could cause confusion
    • Miller Aff. ¶ 8, Jan. 12, 2015.
    • Pl.’s Br. 4–5, May 7, 2014.
    • Trial Tr. vol. 3, 45, Mar. 5, 2015.
  4. R24.4. Electronic Case Filing number, if applicable :
    • Include an ECF number in your own case whenever a document has been filed electronically. For other cases, the ECF number is optional unless it is necessary to find the document.
    • 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 ECF page number.

Examples:

Indigo Inkling

Citations to court or litigation documents may also be enclosed in parentheses: (Mem. Opp’n 7)

R25. Citing Court or Litigation Documents from Another Case

  1. R25.1. After you cite to the document according to the rules set out directly above, add the full citation for the case where it comes from, and end with the case docket number in parentheses.
  2. R25.2. If there has been no decision in the case you’re citing, then replace the year in parentheses with the date on which the filing was made.

Examples:

R26. Short Form Citation for Court Documents

Use a short form citation for court documents when:

  1. there is no mistaking what the short citation refers to;
  2. the full citation is not too far away (the full citation can be to the case itself, any other document from the case, or to the same document); and
  3. the reader has easy access to the full citation.
Indigo Inkling

Don’t use “Id.” in court documents, unless it saves a lot of space. Unlike cases, court documents may be cited using supra.

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).

R27. Capitalization Within the Text of Court Documents and Legal Memoranda

  1. R27.1.

    Capitalize “Court” if:

    • you are naming the court in full.
    • you are referring to the U.S. Supreme Court.
    • you are referring to the court you’re sending the document to.

    Example: The Court of Appeals held that actress’s performance satisfied minimum requirements for performance to be copyrightable.

    But: 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.”

  2. R27.2. Capitalize “Plaintiff,” “Defendant,” “Appellant” and“Appellee,” unless you are referring to parties from other litigation.
    • Example: The Court concluded that it was unclear whether the Plaintiff had a copyright interest in her acting performance.
    • But, if referring to parties from other 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.
  3. R27.3. Capitalize court document titles if:
    • the document is filed in your dispute and
    • you’re using the exact title or short form. (Do not abbreviate court documents within the text.)
  4. R27.4. Do not capitalize the name for a type of court document, such as an injunction, petition, etc.

E. BOOKS & NON-PERIODICALS

R28. Full Citation for Books & Non-Periodicals

A full citation to a book or other non-periodical is made up of the following elements:

  1. Volume number (if there is more than one volume).
  2. Names of the authors, as listed on the publication.
    • For two authors, list in the same order and use an “&.”
    • For more than two authors, use an “et al.” after the first name and stop there. (If you’re bored, feel free to list out all the authors with an “&” before the last.)
    • Use titles that follow an author’s name (Sr.) but not titles that precede them (Hon.)
  3. Italicized title of the publication, capitalized as necessary.
    • For ALDs, use small caps for both the title and author, and do not italicize the title.
  4. The exact page number you are referring to. If you are citing a work organized using sections or paragraphs, use those instead, adding a page number only if helpful.
  5. Year of publication, name of editor or translator (if applicable), edition (if more than one), all in parentheses.
    • If listing an editor or a translator, then follow the name with ed., or trans., respectively. Include that comma before the year of publication.
    • Cite the most recent edition, unless you have a really good (read: substantive) reason for citing older.

Examples:

R29. Short Form Citation for Books & Non-Periodicals

  1. R29.1. Id.: References to books or non-periodical material cited in the immediately preceding citation (when that citation contains only one source) should be followed by “Id.
    • Update the page number you’re referring to within that source, as needed.
    • Do not use for internal cross references, or for citing back to a body of collected works when you are really supposed to be citing a single work from that body.
  2. R29.2. supra: Can be used instead of “id.” Supra should include:
    • last name of the author
    • italicize “Supra”, but not the comma that follows
    • update the specific page you’re referring to

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

F. JOURNALS, MAGAZINES, & NEWSPAPER ARTICLES

R30. Full Citation for Journals, Magazines & Newspaper Articles

  1. R30.1. 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)>.
    • 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).
  2. R30.2. 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>. You may add a pincite to the end of the citation, if you are citing to a particular point in the article, in the following form: , <pincite>.
    • Example: Jack Dickey, The Power of Taylor Swift, Time, Nov. 24, 2014, at 13, 17.
  3. R30.3.

    Citations to material written by students in law journals 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).
  4. R30.4.

    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>.

    Examples:

    • Vikas Bajaj, Rules for the Marijuana Market, N.Y. Times, Aug. 5, 2014, at A20.
    • Charlie Savage, U.N. Commission Presses U.S. on Torture, N.Y. Times, Nov. 14, 2014, at A6.
    • Peter Baker & Julie Hirschfeld Davis, Obama, Down But Not Out, Presses Ahead, N.Y. Times, Nov. 14, 2014, at A1.

R31. Short Form Citation for Journals, Magazines & Newspaper Articles

If you have already cited a work from a periodical in full . . .

  1. R31.1. Use “Id.” to avoid placing two full citations that are exactly the same right next to each other.
    • Example: The 24-year-old pop star spoke with TIME this fall as she readied for the release of her new album and again as she watched its record reception. Jack Dickey, The Power of Taylor Swift, Time, Nov. 24, 2014, at 13. ‘Other women who are killing it should motivate you,’ she says. Id.
  2. R31.2. 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.
    • Example: Brown, Bridging The Gap, supra, at 320.

G. INTERNET SOURCES

R32. General Principles for Internet Sources

  1. R32.1. 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).
    • Authenticated copy: source that uses some authenticating tool, such as a digital signature. This is generally the preferred version.
    • Official copy: version of document designated “official” by a federal, state, or local government.
    • Exact copy: unaltered online reproduction of the entirety of a printed source, including pagination.
  2. R32.2. 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.
  3. R32.3. 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 if 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).
  4. R32.4. For cites directly to webpages and other Internet sources, follow the formula in Rule 33, below.
Indigo Inkling

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 good chase through the recesses of the Internet in search of a source. For completeness sake, we include these rules below, even though most people would probably intuit them.

R33. Basic Formula for Internet Sources

Citations to Internet sources follow this form: <Author Name>, <Title of Website Page>, <Main Website Title>, <pincite> <(Date & Time Accessed)>, <URL>.

  1. R33.1. Author Name(s)
    1. R33.1.1. Actual authors: When available, use the name(s) of the actual authors(s) of the source.
    2. R33.1.2. Institutional authors: When the name of the actual 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 T6 and Table T10 for abbreviations).
    3. R33.1.3. Forum authors: 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.
    4. R33.1.4. If the name of the author is unavailable in each of the above forms, it may be omitted from the basic formula.
  2. R33.2. Title of Specific Website Page
    1. R33.2.1. Include the particular cited page within the website. This title should be based on either the title bar or the heading of that page as viewed in the browser.
    2. R33.2.2. The included title should be informative but not unduly long, if possible.
    3. R33.2.3. 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.
    4. R33.2.4. Descriptive titles (not italicized) may also be used where page headings alone are not clear.
      • Example: Parker Higgins & Sarah Jeong, Archive of 5 Useful Articles Newsletter, 5 Useful Articles, http://tinyletter.com/5ua (last visited March 2, 2015).
  3. R33.3. Main Website Title
    1. R33.3.1. Include the domain name/ homepage where the citation may be found.
    2. R33.3.2. Title should be abbreviated (see Table T10 and Table T13 for abbreviations).
Indigo Inkling

Think of a webpage as the page in your Internet browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.) where you can scroll up and down. Think of a website as a group of webpages that work together. For example, abovethelaw.com is a website. Once you click on an article or a tab, then you’re on a webpage.

  1. R33.4. Pincite
    1. R33.4.1. Include when an electronic document preserves the pagination of a printed version. Cite to pages as they would appear on the document if printed.
  2. R33.5. Date & Time
    1. R33.5.1. Omit time (i) if the source is not updated throughout the day or (ii) if there is no time listed
    2. R33.5.2. If no date is provided cite to 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.
  3. R33.6. URL
    1. R33.6.1. Cite in its entirety unless the URL is especially long or unwieldy.
    2. R33.6.2. 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.
    3. R33.6.3. When helpful, include URL to an archived version of the webpage in brackets
    4. R33.6.4. When a website is served by multiple URLs, use the primary one.
Indigo Inkling

When a document is available in multiple formats, cite to the format that best preserves the document as it would display if printed. This will allow citations to specific page numbers (for pincites) regardless of whether it is being viewed digitally or in print. For example, PDF is preferred over HTML.

R34. Short Form Citations for Internet Sources

Id. and supra can be used, together with the author name, as a short form citation following the full citation of an Internet source. Note: if no author is provided, use the title of the source (see section [NUMBER], above).

Examples:

H. EXPLANATORY PARENTHETICALS

Sometimes, it is helpful to include extra information to explain the relevance of certain citations. This information goes at the end of your citation but before any citation indicating subsequent history. Explanatory parentheticals may consist of present participles, direct quotations, or short statements.

R35. General Principles for Explanatory Parentheticals

  1. R35.1. If not quoting the authority, do not begin 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 parody of O.J. Simpson murder trial was substantially similar to copyrighted work).
  2. R35.2. 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.”).

R36. Order of parentheticals

(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>), available at http://www.domainname.com (explanatory parenthetical), prior or subsequent history.

When citing directly to Internet sources, the “hereinafter” parenthetical should come right after the URL or, if one exists, the “last visited” parenthetical.

I. QUOTATIONS

R37. General Principles for Quotations

  1. R37.1. Quotations should be designated with quotation marks.
  2. R37.2. The quotation should flow with the rest of the text unless it is a block quotation (see below).
  3. R37.3. Punctuation that is part of the quoted text should appear inside the quotation marks. Commas and periods that are not part of the quoted text should also appear inside the quotation marks.
  4. R37.4. Insert the citation sentence for the quoted material directly after the close of the quotation marks. Frequently as its own citation sentence.

R38. Alterations of Quotations

  1. R38.1. Substitution of Letters or Words: Any substitutions into quoted material should be bracketed. This includes . . .
    • words which might add clarity and context
    • changes to the capitalization of letters
      • Example: “[T]he [Copyright] Office is a department of the Library of Congress.”
  2. R38.2. Omission of Letters from a Common Root Word: Place an empty bracket at the end of a common root word to indicate the change.
    • Example: “The court dismissed the claim[].”
  3. R38.3. Mistakes in the Original Quotation: 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.”
  4. R38.4. Use of Parenthetical Clauses to Indicate Changes to Quotation
    • (emphasis added)
    • (alteration in original)
    • (citation omitted)
    • (emphasis omitted)
    • (internal quotation marks omitted)
    • (footnote omitted)
Indigo Inkling

The following should not be indicated in a parenthetical:

Indigo Inkling

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 signalling that its citation has been omitted.

R39. Omissions in Quotations

  1. R39.1. Generally
    • Omissions are indicated by an ellipsis [ . . . ]
    • The ellipsis in legal writing is represented by three periods, with 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.
    • An ellipsis never begins a quotation.
  2. R39.2. When Using a Quotation as a Phrase or Clause: 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 “the distinguished jurists who drafted the Subcommittee Working Paper . . . agree that this provision, on its face, overrules Zahn.”).
  3. R39.3. When Using a Quotation as a Complete Sentence
    • 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. In other words, the 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.” Viacom Int’l, Inc. v. YouTube, Inc., 676 F.3d 19, 31 (2d Cir. 2012).
  4. R39.4. When omitting the beginning of a quoted sentence, do not use an ellipsis. Instead, capitalize the first letter and place it in brackets.
    • 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.”
  5. R39.5. 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.”
  6. R39.6. 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 . . . .”
  7. R39.7. 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.”
  8. R39.8. When omitting material following a final punctuation mark but including material in the next sentence use an ellipsis to connect the final punctuation with the beginning of the new quote and capitalize and bracket the next letter.
    • 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. . . . [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.”
  9. R39.9. 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.”
  10. R39.10. When omitting a footnote or citation, insert a parenthetical indicating the omission immediately after the citation to the quoted source (see above).

R40. Special Rules for Block Quotations

  1. R40.1. Basic form: Set off quotations consisting of 50+ words into a block quotation, which appears as in the example below:

    Here is where the block quotation should begin and here is where it should end. See the indentations on the right and left sides? This is how it should appear in your writing. The reasoning behind this set-up is to offset the lengthy quotations from the rest of the text and to clearly indicate that this is all directly cited material.

  2. R40.2. Formatting of block quotations.
    • Block quotations are single spaced.
    • Indent both left and right.
    • Block quotations should be formatted with “full justification”—that is, all lines in a paragraph are expanded so they butt up against both the left and right text margins.
    • DO NOT use quotation marks surrounding the block quotation.
    • Internal quotation marks should appear as in the original.
    • The citation following a block quotation should start at the line’s left margin, without any indentation.

Example: Judge Patterson explains the excellence of the Harry Potter series:

Plaintiff J.K. Rowling is the author of the highly acclaimed Harry Potter book series [. . .] Written for children but enjoyed by children and adults alike, the Harry Potter series chronicles the lives and adventures of Harry Potter and his friends as they come of age at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and face the evil Lord Voldemort. [. . .] It is a tale of a fictional world filled with magical spells, fantastical creatures, and imaginary places and things [. . .]

Warner Bros. Entm’t Inc. v. RDR Books, 575 F. Supp. 2d 513, 518 (S.D.N.Y. 2008) (describing an excellent book series).

Indigo Inkling

Here is where some have noted that the Bluebook rules sometime produce odd results. The Bluebook makes no exception for quotations of 50 or more words in parentheticals, meaning that the following footnote is formatted correctly, if bizarrely:

See id. (

To perhaps a greater extent than even the legal scholars, modern economists assume that property consists of an ad hoc collection of rights in resources. Indeed there is a tendency among economists to use the term property to describe virtually every device—public or private, common-law or regulatory, contractual or governmental, formal or informal—by which divergences between private and social costs or benefits are reduced.

(citations omitted)).

[Source: http://prawfsblawg.blogs.com/prawfsblawg/2005/05/the_bluebook_is.html]

J. TABLES

T1. Federal Jurisdictions

T1.1. Federal Judicial and Legislative Materials

MaterialsDateCitation
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.
United States Reports
91 U.S. to date1875–dateU.S.
Wallace1863–1874e.g., 68 U.S. (1 Wall.)
Black1861–1862e.g., 66 U.S. (1 Black)
Howard1843–1860e.g., 42 U.S. (1 How.)
Peters1828–1842e.g., 26 U.S. (1 Pet.)
Wheaton1816–1827e.g., 14 U.S. (1 Wheat.)
Cranch1801–1815e.g., 5 U.S. (1 Cranch)
Dallas1790–1800e.g., 1 U.S. (1 Dall.)
Supreme Court Reporter1882–dateS. Ct.
United States Supreme Court Reports, Lawyers’ Edition 1790–dateL. Ed., L. Ed. 2d
United States Law Week1933–dateU.S.L.W.
Circuit Justices (e.g., Burger, Circuit Justice): Cite to U.S., else, cite to S. Ct., L. Ed., or U.S.L.W. in that order of preference.
United States Reports1893–dateU.S.
Supreme Court Reporter1893–dateS. Ct.
United States Supreme Court Reports, Lawyers’ Edition1790–dateL. Ed., L. Ed. 2d
United States Law Week1933–dateU.S.L.W.

Some cases presided over by Circuit Justices are found in other reporters. Cite to these cases in the following manner:

  • Williamson v. United States, 184 F.2d 280 (Jackson, Circuit Justice, 2d Cir. 1950).
Courts of Appeals (e.g.,2d Cir., D.C. Cir.), previously Circuit Courts of Appeals (e.g., 2d Cir.), and Court of Appeals of/for the District of Columbia (D.C. Cir.): Cite to F., F.2d, or F.3d.
Federal Reporter1891–dateF., F.2d, F.3d
Federal Appendix2001–dateF. App’x
Circuit Courts (e.g., C.C.S.D.N.Y., C.C.D. Cal.) (abolished 1912): Cite to F. or F. Cas.
Federal Reporter1880–1912F.
Federal Cases1789–1880F. Cas.
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.
Federal Reporter1910–1993F., F.2d
For 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, or F.3d; else, cite to the official reporter.
Federal Reporter1910–dateF., F.2d, F.3d
Court of Claims Reports1956–1982Ct. Cl.
Court of Customs and Patent Appeals Reports1929–1982C.C.P.A.
Court of Customs Appeals Reports1910–1929Ct. Cust.
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:
Federal Claims Reporter1992–dateFed. Cl.
United States Claims Court Reporter1983–1992Cl. Ct.
Federal Reporter1930–1932 F.2d
1960–1982F.2d
Federal Supplement1932–1960F. Supp.
Court of Claims Reports1863–1982Ct. Cl.
For 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. (BNA).
Court of International Trade Reports1980–dateCt. Int’l Trade
Customs Court Reports1938–1980Cust. Ct.
Federal Supplement1980–dateF. Supp., F. Supp. 2d, F. Supp. 3d
Customs Bulletin and Decisions1967–dateCust. B. & Dec.
International Trade Reporter Decisions1980–dateI.T.R.D. (BNA)
For District Courts (e.g., D. Mass., S.D.N.Y.): For cases after 1932, cite to F. Supp., F. Supp. 2d, F. Supp. 3d, F.R.D., or B.R.; else, cite to Fed. R. Serv.,Fed. R. Serv. 2d, or Fed. R. Serv. 3d. For prior cases, cite to F., F.2d, or F. Cas.
Federal Supplement1932–dateF. Supp., F. Supp. 2d, F. Supp. 3d
Federal Rules Decisions1938–dateF.R.D.
West’s Bankruptcy Reporter1979–dateB.R.
Federal Rules Service1938–dateFed. R. Serv. (Callaghan), Fed. R. Serv. 2d (Callaghan), Fed. R. Serv. 3d (West)
Federal Reporter1880–1932F., F.2d
Federal Cases1789–1880F. Cas.

Citations to F. Cas. should give the case number parenthetically.

  • Davey v. The Mary Frost, 7 F. Cas. 11 (E.D. Tx. 1876) (No. 3591).
For Bankruptcy Courts (e.g., Bankr. N.D. Cal.) and Bankruptcy Appellate Panels (e.g., B.A.P. 1st Cir.), cite to B.R.; else, cite to a service.
Bankruptcy Reporter1979–dateB.R.
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.
Federal Supplement1968–dateF. Supp., F. Supp. 2d, F. Supp. 3d
For 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).
United States Tax Court Reports1942–dateT.C.
Reports of the United States Board of Tax Appeals1924–1942B.T.A.
Tax Court Memorandum Decisions1942–dateT.C.M. (CCH)
1942–1991T.C.M. (P-H)
1991–dateT.C.M. (RIA)
Board of Tax Appeals Memorandum Decisions1928–1942B.T.A.M. (P-H)
For 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.
West’s Veterans Appeals Reporter1990–dateVet. App.
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..
Decisions of the United States Court of Military Appeals1951–1975C.M.A.
West’s Military Justice Reporter1978–dateM.J.
Court Martial Reports1951–1975C.M.R.
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.
West’s Military Justice Reporter1975–dateM.J.
Court Martial Reports1951–1975C.M.R.
For statutory compilations, cite to U.S.C.
United States Code (26 U.S.C. may be abbreviated as I.R.C.) <tit. no.> U.S.C. § x (<year>)
United States Code Annotated<tit. no.> U.S.C.A. § x (West <year>)
United States Code Service<tit. no.> U.S.C.S. § x (LexisNexis <year>)
Gould’s United States Code Unannotated<tit. no.> U.S.C.U. § x (Gould <year>)
Session laws
United States Statutes at Large<vol. no.> Stat. <page no.> (<year>)
For public laws before 1957, cite by by chapter number; for subsequent public laws, cite by public law number.

T1.2. Federal Administrative and Legislative Materials

MaterialsCitation
Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals (ASBCA)
Decisions: Cite decisions as: <case name>, ASBCA No. <decislon 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.
Civilian Board of Contract Appeals (CBCA)
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.
Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals (ASBCA)
Decisions: Cite decisions as: <case name>, ASBCA No. <decislon 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.
Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)
Decisions: Cite as <case name>, CFTC No. <docket number>, <secondary source if available> (<date>).
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.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
Decisions: Cite as <case name>, CFPB No. <decision number>, <secondary source if available> (<date>).
Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Decisions: Cite to the Agriculture Decisions (Agric. Dec).
Directives: Cite as: <issuing agency abbreviated according to table below> <directive number>, <directive title> (U.S.D.A. <year>).
Agricultural Marketing ServiceAMS
Agricultural Research ServiceARS 218
Animal and Plant Health Inspection ServiceAPHIS
Center for Nutrition Policy and PromotionCNPP
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension ServiceCSREES
Economic Research ServiceERS
Farm Service AgencyFSA
Food and Nutrition ServiceFNS
Food Safety and Inspection ServiceFSIS
Foreign Agricultural ServiceFAS
Forest ServiceFS
Grain Inspection, Packers, and Stockyards AdministrationGIPSA
National Agricultural LibraryNAL
National Agricultural Statistics ServiceNASS
National Institute of Food and AgricultureNIFA
National Resources Conservation ServiceNRCS
Risk Management AgencyRMA
Rural DevelopmentRD
Rural Housing ServiceRHS
Rural Utilities ServiceRUS
Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
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.
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.
Decisions of the Administrator for Appeals (NOAA App.) should so specify.
Department of Commerce, Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
Decisions: For decisions of the Commissioner of Patents, cite to Decisions of the Commissioner of Patents (Dec. Comm’r Pat.) following Rule 14.3, except that if the party name includes a procedural phrase, it should be included.
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>).
For decisions of the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (T.TA.B.), cite as: <case name>, <citation to secondary source> (T.T.A.B. <year>).
Patents:
If relevant, cite the patent number and the date the patent was filed.
U.S. Patent No. 8,112,504 B2 (filed Mar. 4, 2009)
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)
For citations to a specific field of the title page, include the field code in brackets:
U.S. Patent No. 8,112,504 B2, at [75] (filed Mar. 4, 2009)
For citations to a specific portion of patent text, a patent figure, or an item within a figure::
U.S. Patent No. 8,112,504 B2, fig. 1, item 141 (filed Mar. 4, 2009)
Short form patent ctiations include an apostrophe followed by the last three digits of the patent number:
’504 Patent.
Trademarks:
For registered trademarks, cite as <TRADEMARK NAME>, Registration No. <registration number>.
THE BLUEBOOK A UNIFORM SYSTEM OF CITATION, Registration No. 3,886,986.
For trademarks that have been filed, but not approved, cite as U.S. Trademark Application Serial No. <Serial Number> (filed <date>).
U.S. Trademark Application Serial No. 86,680,743 (filed Jul. 1, 2015).
Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office (1872–1971)Off. Gaz. Pat. Office
Official Gazette of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (1975–2002)Off. Gaz. Pat. & Trademark Office
Trademark Manual of Examining ProcedureTMEP (5th ed. Sept. 2007)
Manual of Patent Examining ProcedureMPEP (8th ed. Rev. 7, Sept. 2008)
Department of Education
Reports: Cite Institution of Education Sciences reports as Institution of Education Sciences, <title> <page> (<date>)
Reports: Cite federal student aid proceedings as <case name>, U.S. Dep’t of Educ., No. <docket number> (<date>)
Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Customs and Border Protection
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).
Department of Justice
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.).
Authority of Sec’y of Treasury to Compromise Final Judgments, 36 U.S. Op. Att’ Gen. 40 (1929)
Department of Labor
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.
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.
Decisions by the Benefits Review Board: Cite to a service.
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 AppealsIBLA
Interior Board of Indian AppealsDBIA
Interior Board of Contract AppealsIBCA
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>).
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.
For unamended regulations, cite the year:
Treas. Reg. § 1.41-2 (1989).
Indicate if the regulation is a temnporary regulation by beginning hte citation with Temp:
Temp. Treas. Reg. § 5e.274-8 (1982).
For specific questions and answers, cite as:
Treas. Reg. § 1.72-16(a), Q&A (3)(a) (1963).
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.
Treas. Reg. § 1.41-2 (as amended in 2001).
Indicate when the source of the amendment is relevant.
Treas. Reg. § 1.41-2 (as amended by T.D. 8930, 65 FR 287).
For proposed Treasury regulations to the Federal Register, cite in the following manner:
Prop. Treas. Reg. § 1.704-1, 48 Fed. Reg. 9871, 9872 (Mar. 9, 1983).
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.

The numbering of the Cumulative Bulletin is as follows:

  1. By volume number from 1919 to 1921.
  2. By volume number and part number from 1921 to 1936.
  3. By year and part number from 1937 to date.

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)
Treasury Directives (Treas. Dir.)
Notices, Announcements, and News Releases

Otherwise cite by number and date issued.

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.
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.
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 14.3.
For EEOC Federal Sector decisions that have party names, cite in accordance with Rule 11.2.
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.

If the material is not in the C.F.R., cite to the Federal Register.
A parallel citation to the Statutes at Large may also be given.
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.
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. Part 13, Section 13.16 and subpart G, cite per Rule 12.4.2 as slip opinions.
For Decisions of the Administrator or his delegate, cite using an order number, not a docket number.
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.
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.
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
Cite decisions to the Federal Energy Guidelines: FERC Reports (FERC).
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>).
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.).

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.

Insert “et al.” after the docket number where a decision resolves multiple bid protests, each having its own docket number.
International Trade Commission (USITC)

Trade Remedy Investigations: Cite as: <investigation name>, Inv. No. <number>, USITC Pub. <number> (<date>) (<status>).

Indicate where a single decision contains multiple investigation numbers.

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>).
At the end of a citation, indicate parenthetically when an administrative law judge issued the decision, rather than the commission.
The abbreviations OSHRC uses for services reporting its decisions vary from those in Table T8 as follows:
Occupational Safety & Health Cases (BNA)OSHC
Occupational Safety & Health DecisionsOSHD
A decision that is not cited in any service or database may be cited as a slip opinion using Rule 12.4.2(b).
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Interpretive Letters, No-Action Letters, and Exemptive Letters: Cite a service or an electronic database (Rule 12.4.1). In the citation, include the correspondent’s full name and the date that the letter became publicly available.
Releases: Cite the Federal Register, SEC Docket, or a service (Rule 19). 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.
If the release is an adjudication, abbreviate the parties’ names according to Rule 11(a).
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:
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 15.1(d)), 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.
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.
Small Business Administration (SBA)
Decisions: Cite decisions as: <party name>, SBA No. <docket number> (<date>).
The docket number indicates the type of decision:
Small disadvantaged businessSDBA
Size determinationSIZ
Service disabled veteran owned businessVET
Business development programBDP
North American Industry Classification SystemNAICS
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.

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.

T2. U.S. States and Other Jurisdictions

CategoryDatesAbbreviation
Alabama
Supreme Court (Ala.): Cite to So., So. 2d, or So. 3d.
Southern Reporter1886–dateSo., So. 2d, So. 3d
Alabama Reports1840–1976Ala.
Porter1834–1839Port.
Stewart and Porter1831–1834Stew. & P.
Stewart1827–1831Stew.
Minor1820–1826Minor
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 Reporter1911–dateSo., So. 2d, So. 3d
Alabama Appellate Courts Reports1911–1974Ala. 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 CodeAla. 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 Reporter1960–dateP.2d, P.3d
Court of Appeals (Alaska Ct. App.): Cite to P.2d or P.3d.
Pacific Reporter1980–dateP.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 Supplement1946–1959F. Supp.
Federal Reporter1886–1932F., F.2d
Alaska Reports1887–1958Alaska
Alaska Federal Reports1869–1937Alaska 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 Reporter1880–1884F.
Federal Cases1867–1880F. Cas.
Alaska Federal Reports1869–1937Alaska Fed.
Statutory compilations: Cite to Alaska Stat.
Alaska Statutes (LexisNexis)Alaska Stat. § x.x.x (<year>)
West’s Alaska Statutes AnnotatedAlaska 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 Reporter1883–dateP., P.2d, P.3d
Arizona Reports1866–dateAriz.
Court of Appeals (Ariz. Ct. App.): Cite to P.2d or P.3d.
Pacific Reporter1965–dateP.2d, P.3d
Arizona Reports1976–dateAriz.
Arizona Appeals Reports1965–1977Ariz. App.
Tax Court (Ariz. Tax Ct.): Cite to P.2d or P.3d.
Pacific Reporter1988–dateP.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

Public domain citation format: Arkansas has adopted a public domain citation format for cases after February 13, 2009. For additional instruction, consult Arkansas Supreme Court Rule 5-2. The format is:

  • Smith v. Hickman, 2009 Ark. 12, at 1, 273 S.W.3d 340, 343.
  • Doe v. State, 2009 Ark. App. 318, at 7, 2009 WL 240613, at *8.
Supreme Court (Ark.): Cite to S.W., S.W.2d, or S.W.3d.
South Western Reporter1886–dateS.W., S.W.2d, or S.W.3d
Arkansas Reports1837–2009Ark.
Court of Appeals (Ark. Ct. App.): Cite to S.W.2d or S.W.3d.
South Western Reporter1979–dateS.W.2d, S.W.3d
Arkansas Appellate Reports1981–2009Ark. App.
Arkansas Reports1979–1981Ark.
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 AnnotatedArk. 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>)
California
Supreme Court (Cal.): Cite to P., P.2d, or P.3d.
Pacific Reporter1883–dateP., P.2d, P.3d
California Reports1850–dateCal., Cal. 2d, Cal. 3d, Cal. 4th
West’s California Reporter1959–dateCal. Rptr., Cal. Rptr. 2d, Cal. Rptr. 3d
California Unreported Cases1855–1910Cal. 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 Reporter1959–dateCal. Rptr., Cal. Rptr. 2d, Cal. Rptr. 3d
Pacific Reporter1905–1959P., P.2d
California Appellate Reports1905–dateCal. 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 Reporter1959–dateCal. Rptr., Cal. Rptr. 2d, Cal. Rptr. 3d
Pacific Reporter1929–1959P., P.2d
California Appellate Reports Supplement (bound with Cal. App.)1929–dateCal. 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 CodesCal. <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 ProfessionsBus. & Prof.
CivilCiv.
Civil ProcedureCiv. Proc.
CommercialCom.
CorporationsCorp.
EducationEduc.
ElectionsElec.
EvidenceEvid.
FamilyFam.
FinancialFin.
Fish and GameFish & Game
Food and Agricultural (formerly “Agricultural”)Food & Agric.
GovernmentGov’t
Harbors and NavigationHarb. & Nav.
Health and SafetyHealth & Safety
InsuranceIns.
LaborLab.
Military and VeteransMil. & Vet.
PenalPenal
ProbateProb.
Public ContractPub. Cont.
Public ResourcesPub. Res.
Public UtilitiesPub. Util.
Revenue and TaxationRev. & Tax.
Streets and HighwaysSts. & High.
Unemployment InsuranceUnemp. Ins.
VehicleVeh.
WaterWater
Welfare and InstitutionsWelf. & 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

Public domain citation format: 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. The format is:

  • Smith v. Jones, 2012 CO 22.
  • Smith v. Jones, 2012 CO 22, ¶¶ 13–14.
  • Jones v. Smith, 2012 COA 35.
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 Reporter1883–dateP., P.2d, P.3d
Colorado Reports1864–1980Colo.
Colorado Lawyer1972–dateColo. Law.
Brief Times Reporter1977–1996Brief Times Rptr.
Colorado Journal1996–2002Colo. J.
Law Week Colorado2002–dateL. 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 Reporter1970–dateP.2d, P.3d
1912–1915P.
1891–1905P.
Colorado Court of Appeals Reports1891–1905Colo. App.
1912–1915Colo. App.
1970–1980Colo. App.
Colorado Lawyer1972–dateColo. Law.
Brief Times Reporter1977–1996Brief Times Rptr.
Colorado Journal1996–2002Colo. J.
Law Week Colorado2002–dateL. Week Colo.
Statutory compilations: Cite to Colo. Rev. Stat..
Colorado Revised Statutes (LexisNexis) Colo. Rev. Stat. § x-x-x (<year>)
West’s Colorado Revised Statutes Annotated 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>)
Connecticut
Supreme Court (Conn.), previously Supreme Court of Errors (Conn.): Cite to A., A.2d, or A.3d.
Atlantic Reporter1885–dateA., A.2d, A.3d
Connecticut Reports1814–dateConn.
Day1802–1813Day
Root1789–1798Root
Kirby1785–1789Kirby
Appellate Court (Conn. App. Ct.): Cite to A.2d or A.3d.
Atlantic Reporter1983–dateA.2d, A.3d
Connecticut Appellate Reports1983–dateConn. 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 Reporter1954–dateA.2d, A.3d
Connecticut Supplement1935–dateConn. Supp.
Connecticut Law Reporter1990–dateConn. L. Rptr.
Connecticut Superior Court Reports1986–1994Conn. Super. Ct.
Circuit Court (Conn. Cir. Ct.): Cite to A.2d or A.3d.
Atlantic Reporter1961–1974A.2d, A.3d
Connecticut Circuit Court Reports1961–1974Conn. 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 Acts1972–date<year> Conn. Acts <page no.> ([Reg. or Spec.] Sess.)
Connecticut Public Acts1650–1971<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>)
Delaware
Supreme Court (Del.), previously Court of Errors and Appeals (Del.): Cite to A., A.2d, or A.3d.
Atlantic Reporter1886–dateA., A.2d, A.3d
Delaware Reports
31 Del. to 59 Del.1919–1966Del.
Boyce1909–1920e.g., 24 Del. (1 Boyce)
Pennewill1897–1909e.g., 17 Del. (1 Penne.)
Marvel1893–1897e.g., 15 Del. (1 Marv.)
Houston1855–1893e.g., 6 Del. (1 Houst.)
Harrington1832–1855e.g., 1 Del. (1 Harr.)
Delaware Cases1792–1830Del. Cas.
Court of Chancery (Del. Ch.): Cite to A., A.2d, or A.3d.
Atlantic Reporter1886–dateA., A.2d, A.3d
Delaware Chancery Reports1814–1968Del. Ch.
Delaware Cases1792–1830Del. 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 Reporter1951–dateA.2d, A.3d
Family Court (Del. Fam. Ct.): Cite to A.2d or A.3d.
Atlantic Reporter1977–dateA.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 AnnotatedDel. 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 Codex-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>)
District of Columbia
Court of Appeals (D.C.), previously Municipal Court of Appeals (D.C.): Cite to A.2d or A.3d.
Atlantic Reporter1943–dateA.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 Reporter1919–dateF., F.2d, F.3d
United States Court of Appeals Reports1941–dateU.S. App. D.C.
Appeal Cases, District of Columbia1893–1941App. D.C.
District of Columbia Reports
Tucker and Clephane1892–189321 D.C. (Tuck. & Cl.)
Mackey1880–1892<12–20> D.C. (Mackey <1–9>)
MacArthur and Mackey1879–188011 D.C. (MacArth. & M.)
MacArthur1873–1879<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 Court1801–1840<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 Reporter1971–dateDaily 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 RegulationsD.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>)
Florida
Supreme Court (Fla.): Cite to So., So. 2d, or So. 3d.
Southern Reporter1886–dateSo., So. 2d, So. 3d
Florida Reports1846–1948Fla.
Florida Law Weekly1978–dateFla. L. Weekly
District Court of Appeal (Fla. Dist. Ct. App.): Cite to So. 2d or So. 3d.
Southern Reporter1957–dateSo. 2d, So. 3d
Florida Law Weekly1978–dateFla. L. Weekly
Circuit Court (Fla. Cir. Ct.), County Court (e.g., Fla. Orange County Ct.), Public Service Commission (Fla. P.S.C.), and other lower courts of record: Cite to Fla. Supp. or Fla. Supp. 2d.
Florida Supplement1950–1991Fla. Supp., Fla. Supp. 2d
Florida Law Weekly Supplement1992–dateFla. L. Weekly Supp.
Statutory compilations: Cite to Fla. Stat..
Florida StatutesFla. Stat. § x.x (<year>)
West’s Florida Statutes AnnotatedFla. Stat. Ann. § x.x (West <year>)
LexisNexis Florida Statutes AnnotatedFla. 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 Register2012–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>)
Georgia
Supreme Court (Ga.): Cite to S.E. or S.E.2d.
South Eastern Reporter1887–dateS.E., S.E.2d
Georgia Reports1846–dateGa.
Court of Appeals (Ga. Ct. App.): Cite to S.E. or S.E.2d.
South Eastern Reporter1907–dateS.E., S.E.2d
Georgia Appeals Reports1907–dateGa. 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>)
Hawaii
Supreme Court (Haw.): Cite to P.2d or P.3d.
Pacific Reporter1959–dateP.2d, P.3d
West’s Hawaii Reports (begins with vol. 76)1994–dateHaw.
Hawaii Reports (ends with vol. 75)1847–1994Haw.
Intermediate Court of Appeals (Haw. Ct. App.): Cite to P.2d or P.3d.
Pacific Reporter1980–dateP.2d, P.3d
West’s Hawaii Reports1994–dateHaw.
Hawaii Appellate Reports1980–1994Haw. App.
Statutory compilations: Cite to Haw. Rev. Stat..
Hawaii Revised StatutesHaw. 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 AnnotatedHaw. 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>)
Idaho
Supreme Court (Idaho): Cite to P., P.2d, or P.3d.
Pacific Reporter1883–dateP., P.2d, P.3d
Idaho Reports1866–dateIdaho
Court of Appeals (Idaho Ct. App.): Cite to P.2d or P.3d.
Pacific Reporter1982–dateP.2d, P.3d
Idaho Reports1982–dateIdaho
Statutory compilations: Cite to Idaho Code (published by LexisNexis).
Idaho Code (LexisNexis)Idaho Code § x-x (<year>)
West’s Idaho Code AnnotatedIdaho 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>)
Illinois

Public domain format: Illinois has adopted a public domain citation format for cases effective July 1, 2011. See Illinois Supreme Court Rule 6. The format is:

  • People v. Doe, 2011 IL 102345
  • People v. Doe, 2011 IL App (1st) 101234
Supreme Court (Ill.): Cite to N.E., N.E.2d, or N.E.3d.
North Eastern Reporter1884–dateN.E., N.E.2d, N.E.3d
Illinois Official Reports2011–date<year> IL <docket no.>
Illinois Reports
11 Ill. to date1849–2011Ill., Ill. 2d
Gilman1844–1849e.g., 6 Ill. (1 Gilm.)
Scammon1832–1843e.g., 2 Ill. (1 Scam.)
Breese1819–18311 Ill. (Breese)
West's Illinois Decisions1976–dateIll. Dec.
Appellate Court (Ill. App. Ct.): Cite to N.E.2d, N.E.3d.
North Eastern Reporter1936–dateN.E.2d, N.E.3d
Illinois Official Reports2011–date<year> IL App. (<court no.>)
lllinois Appellate Court Reports1877–2011Ill. App., Ill. App. 2d, Ill. App. 3d
West’s Illinois Decisions1976–dateIll. Dec.
Illinois Circuit Court (Ill. Cir. Ct.), previously Court of Claims (Ill. Ct. Cl.): Cite to Ill. Ct. Cl..
Illinois Court of Claims Reports1889–dateIll. 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>)
Indiana
Supreme Court (Ind.): Cite to N.E., N.E.2d, N.E.3d.
North Eastern Reporter1885–dateN.E., N.E.2d, N.E.3d
Indiana Reports1848–1981Ind.
Blackford1817–1847Blackf.
Court of Appeals (Ind. Ct. App.), previously Appellate Court (Ind. App.): Cite to N.E., N.E.2d, or N.E.3d.
North Eastern Reporter1891–dateN.E., N.E.2d, N.E.3d
Indiana Court of Appeals Reports (prior to 1972, Indiana Appellate Court Reports)1890–1979Ind. App.
Tax Court (Ind. T.C.): Cite to N.E.2d or N.E.3d.
North Eastern Reporter1986–dateN.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 <rule no.> (<year>)
West’s Indiana Administrative Code<tit. no.> Ind. Admin. Code <rule no.> (West <year>)
Administrative register
Indiana Register<vol. no.> Ind. Reg. <page no.> (<month day, year>)
Iowa
Supreme Court (Iowa): Cite to N.W. or N.W.2d.
North Western Reporter1879–dateN.W., N.W.2d
Iowa Reports (Cite to edition published by Clarke for vols. 1–8.)1855–1968Iowa
Greene1847–1854Greene
Morris1839–1846Morris
Bradford1838–1841Bradf.
Court of Appeals (Iowa Ct. App.): Cite to N.W.2d.
North Western Reporter1977–dateN.W.2d
Statutory compilations: Cite to Iowa Code.
Code of IowaIowa Code § x.x (<year>)
West’s Iowa Code AnnotatedIowa 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 Reporter1883–dateP., P.2d, P.3d
Kansas Reports1862–dateKan.
McCahon1858–1868McCahon
Court of Appeals (Kan. Ct. App.): Cite to P., P.2d, or P.3d.
Pacific Reporter1895–1901 P.
1977–dateP.2d, P.3d
Kansas Court of Appeals Reports1895–1901Kan. App.
1977–dateKan. App. 2d
Statutory compilations: Cite to Kan. Stat. Ann..
Kansas Statutes AnnotatedKan. Stat. Ann. § x-x (<year>)
West’s Kansas Statutes AnnotatedKan. 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>)
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 Reporter1886–dateS.W., S.W.2d, S.W.3d
Kentucky Reports
78 Ky. to 314 Ky. 1879–1951Ky.
Bush1866–1879e.g., 66 Ky. (3 Bush)
Duvall1863–1866e.g., 62 Ky. (1 Duv.)
Metcalf1858–1863e.g., 58 Ky. (1 Met.)
Monroe, Ben1840–1857e.g., 53 Ky. (14 B. Mon.)
Dana1833–1840e.g., 35 Ky. (5 Dana)
Marshall, J.J.1829–1832e.g., 27 Ky. (4 J.J. Marsh.)
Monroe, T.B.1824–1828e.g., 19 Ky. (3 T.B. Mon.)
Littell1822–1824e.g., 13 Ky. (3 Litt.)
Littell’s Selected Cases1795–1821e.g., 16 Ky. (1 Litt. Sel. Cas.)
Marshall, A.K.1817–1821e.g., 10 Ky. (3 A.K. Marsh.)
Bibb1808–1817e.g., 6 Ky. (3 Bibb)
Hardin1805–18083 Ky. (Hard.)
Sneed1801–18052 Ky. (Sneed)
Hughes1785–18011 Ky. (Hughes)
Kentucky Opinions1864–1886Ky. Op.
Kentucky Law Reporter1880–1908Ky. L. Rptr.
Kentucky Appellate Reporter1994–2000Ky. App.
Kentucky Attorneys Memo2001–2007Ky. Att’y Memo
Kentucky Law Summary1966–dateKy. 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 Reporter1976–dateS.W.2d, S.W.3d
Kentucky Appellate Reporter1994–2000Ky. App.
Kentucky Attorneys Memo2001–2007Ky. Att’y Memo
Kentucky Law Summary1966–dateKy. 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>)
Louisiana

Public domain citation format: 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:

  • 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
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 Reporter1886–dateSo., So. 2d, So. 3d
Louisiana Reports1901–1972La.
Louisiana Annual Reports1846–1900La. Ann.
Robinson1841–1846Rob.
Louisiana Reports1830–1841La.
Martin (Louisiana Term Reports)1809–1830Mart. (o.s.), Mart. (n.s.)
Court of Appeal (La. Ct. App.): Cite to So., So. 2d, or So. 3d.
Southern Reporter1928–dateSo., So. 2d, So. 3d
Louisiana Court of Appeals Reports1924–1932La. App.
Peltier’s Decisions, Parish at Orleans1917–1924Pelt.
Teissier, Orleans Court of Appeals1903–1917Teiss.
Gunby’s Reports1885Gunby
McGloin1881–1884McGl.
Statutory compilations: Cite to one of the following codes.
West’s Louisiana Statutes AnnotatedLa. Stat. Ann. § x:x (<year>)
West’s Louisiana Children’s Code AnnotatedLa. Child. Code Ann. art. x (<year>)
West’s Louisiana Civil Code AnnotatedLa. Civ. Code Ann. art. x (<year>)
West’s Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure AnnotatedLa. Code Civ. Proc. Ann. art. x (<year>)
West’s Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure AnnotatedLa. Code Crim. Proc. Ann. art. x (<year>)
West’s Louisiana Code of Evidence AnnotatedLa. Code Evid. Ann. art. x (<year>)
West's Louisiana Constitution AnnotatedLa. 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>)
Maine

Public domain citation format: 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). The format is:

  • 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
Supreme Judicial Court (Me.): Cite to A., A.2d or A.3d.
Atlantic Reporter1885–dateA., A.2d, A.3d
Maine Reports1820–1965Me.
Statutory compilations: Cite to Me. Stat..
West’s Maine StatutesMe. 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>)
Maryland
Court of Appeals (Md.): Cite to A., A.2d or A.3d.
Atlantic Reporter1885–dateA., A.2d, A.3d
Maryland Reports1851–dateMd.
Gill1843–1851Gill
Gill and Johnson1829–1842G. & J.
Harris and Gill1826–1829H. & G.
Harris and Johnson1800–1826H. & J.
Harris and McHenry1770–1774
1780–1799
H. & McH.
Court of Special Appeals (Md. Ct. Spec. App.): Cite to A.2d or A.3d.
Atlantic Reporter1967–dateA.2d, A.3d
Maryland Appellate Reports1967–dateMd. 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 MarylandMd. Code Ann., <subject> § x-x (West <year>)
AgricultureAgric.
Business Occupations and ProfessionsBus. Occ. & Prof.
Business RegulationBus. Reg.
Commercial LawCom. Law
ConstitutionsConst.
Corporations and AssociationsCorps. & Ass’ns
Correctional ServicesCorr. Servs.
Courts and Judicial ProceedingsCts. & Jud. Proc.
Criminal LawCrim. Law
Criminal ProcedureCrim. Proc.
Economic DevelopmentEcon. Dev.
EducationEduc.
Election LawElec. Law
EnvironmentEnvir.
Estates and TrustsEst. & Trusts
Family LawFam. Law
Financial InstitutionsFin. Inst.
Health–GeneralHealth–Gen.
Health OccupationsHealth Occ.
Housing and Community DevelopmentHous. & Cmty. Dev.
Human ServicesHum. Servs.
InsuranceIns.
Labor and EmploymentLab. & Empl.
Land UseLand Use
Local GovernmentLocal Gov't
Natural ResourcesNat. Res.
Public SafetyPub. Safety
Public UtilityPub. Util.
Real PropertyReal Prop.
State Finance and ProcurementState Fin. & Proc.
State GovernmentState Gov’t
State Personnel and PensionsState Pers. & Pens.
Tax–GeneralTax–Gen.
Tax–PropertyTax–Prop.
TransportationTransp.
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 RegulationsMd. Code Regs. <reg. no.> (<year>)
Administrative register
Maryland Register<vol. no.> Md. Reg. <page no.> (<month day, year>)
Massachusetts
Supreme Judicial Court (Mass.): Cite to N.E., or N.E.2d, N.E.3d..
North Eastern Reporter1885–dateN.E., N.E.2d, N.E.3d
Massachusetts Reports
97 Mass. to date1867–dateMass.
Allen1861–1867e.g., 83 Mass. (1 Allen)
Gray1854–1860e.g., 67 Mass. (1 Gray)
Cushing1848–1853e.g., 55 Mass. (1 Cush.)
Metcalf1840–1847e.g., 42 Mass. (1 Met.)
Pickering1822–1839e.g., 18 Mass. (1 Pick.)
Tyng1805–1822e.g., 2 Mass. (1 Tyng)
Williams1804–18051 Mass. (1 Will.)
Appeals Court (Mass. App. Ct.): Cite to N.E.2d, N.E.3d.
North Eastern Reporter1972–dateN.E.2d, N.E.3d
Massachusetts Appeals Court Reports1972–dateMass. 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 Division1980–date
Massachusetts Reports Supplement1980–1983Mass. Supp.
Massachusetts Appellate Decisions1941–1977Mass. App. Dec.
Appellate Division Advance Sheets1975–1979<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. x, § x (<year>)
Massachusetts General Laws Annotated (West) Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. ch. x, § x (West <year>)
Annotated Laws of Massachusetts (LexisNexis) 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>)
Michigan
Supreme Court (Mich.): Cite to N.W. or N.W.2d.
North Western Reporter1879–dateN.W., N.W.2d
Michigan Reports1847–dateMich.
Douglass1843–1847Doug.
Blume, Unreported Opinions1836–1843Blume Unrep. Op.
Blume, Supreme Court Transactions1836–1843Blume Sup. Ct. Trans.
Court of Appeals (Mich. Ct. App.): Cite to N.W.2d.
North Western Reporter1965–dateN.W.2d
Michigan Appeals Reports1965–dateMich. App.
Court of Claims (Mich. Ct. Cl.): Cite to Mich. Ct. Cl.
Michigan Court of Claims Reports1939–1942Mich. 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 CodeMich. Admin. Code r. x.x (<year>)
Administrative register
Michigan Register<iss. no.> Mich. Reg. <page no.> (<month day, year>)
Minnesota
Supreme Court (Minn.): Cite to N.W. or N.W.2d.
North Western Reporter1879–dateN.W., N.W.2d
Minnesota Reports1851–1977Minn.
Court of Appeals (Minn. Ct. App.): Cite to N.W.2d.
North Western Reporter1983–dateN.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

Public domain citation format: Mississippi has adopted a public domain citation format for cases after July 1, 1997. See Mississippi Rules of Appellate Procedure, Rule 28(f). The format is:

  • Smith v. Jones, 95-KA-01234-SCT (Miss. 1997)
  • Smith v. Jones, 95-KA-01234-SCT (¶1) (Miss. 1997)
Supreme Court (Miss.): Cite to So., So. 2d, or So. 3d.
Southern Reporter1886–dateSo., So. 2d, So. 3d
Mississippi Reports
23 Miss. to 254 Miss.1851–1966Miss.
Smedes and Marshall1843–1850e.g., 9 Miss. (1 S. & M.)
Howard1834–1843e.g., 2 Miss. (1 Howard)
Walker1818–18321 Miss. (1 Walker)
Mississippi Decisions1820–1885Miss. Dec.
Court of Appeals (Miss. Ct. App.): Cite to So. 2d or So. 3d.
Southern Reporter1995–dateSo. 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>)
Missouri
Supreme Court (Mo.): Cite to S.W., S.W.2d, or S.W.3d.
South Western Reporter1886–dateS.W., S.W.2d, S.W.3d
Missouri Reports1821–1956Mo.
Court of Appeals (Mo. Ct. App.): Cite to S.W., S.W.2d, or S.W.3d.
South Western Reporter1902–dateS.W., S.W.2d, S.W.3d
Missouri Appeals Reports1876–1954Mo. App.
Statutory compilations: Cite to Mo. Rev. Stat..
Missouri Revised StatutesMo. 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 AnnotatedMo. Code Regs. Ann. tit. x, § x-x.x (<year>)
Administrative register
Missouri Register<vol. no.> Mo. Reg. <page no.> (<month day, year>)
Montana

Public domain citation format: Montana has adopted a public domain citation format for cases after December 31, 1997. See:

  • AF 06-0632 (02-25-10) Order In re: Opinion Forms and Citation Standards of the Supreme Court of Montana
  • Adoption of Public Domain and Neutral-Format Citation (Dec. 16, 1997)
  • AF 07-0064 (01-22-09) Order in the Matter of Amending Citations Standards for the Montana Supreme Court

The format is:

  • Doe v. Roe, 1998 MT 12, ¶¶ 44-45, 286 Mont. 175, 989 P.2d 1312
Supreme Court (Mont.): Cite to P., P.2d, or P.3d.
Pacific Reporter1883–dateP., P.2d, P.3d
Montana Reports1868–dateMont.
State Reporter1945–dateState Rptr.
Statutory compilations: Cite to Mont. Code Ann..
Montana Code AnnotatedMont. Code Ann. § x-x-x (<year>)
West's Montana Code AnnotatedMont. Code Ann. § x-x-x (West <year>)
Session laws
Laws of Montana<year> Mont. Laws <page no.>
Administrative compilation
Administrative Rules of MontanaMont. Admin. R. <rule no.> (<year>)
Administrative register
Montana Administrative Register<iss. no.> Mont. Admin. Reg. <page no.> (<month day, year>)
Nebraska
Supreme Court (Neb.): Cite to N.W. or N.W.2d.
North Western Reporter1879–dateN.W., N.W.2d
Nebraska Reports1860–dateNeb.
Court of Appeals (Neb. Ct. App.): Cite to N.W.2d.
North Western Reporter1992–dateN.W.2d
Nebraska Appellate Reports1992–dateNeb. 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 AnnotatedNeb. 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 Reporter1883–dateP., P.2d, P.3d
Nevada Reports1865–dateNev.
Statutory compilations: Cite to Nev. Rev. Stat..
Nevada Revised StatutesNev. 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 AnnotatedNev. 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 CodeNev. 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 Reporter1885–dateA., A.2d, A.3d
New Hampshire Reports1816–dateN.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 AnnotatedN.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 Reporter1885–dateA., A.2d, A.3d
New Jersey Reports1948–dateN.J.
New Jersey Law Reports1790–1948N.J.L.
New Jersey Equity Reports1845–1948N.J. Eq.
New Jersey Miscellaneous Reports1923–1948N.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 Reporter1885–dateA., A.2d, A.3d
New Jersey Superior Court Reports1948–dateN.J. Super.
New Jersey Law Reports1790–1948N.J.L.
New Jersey Equity Reports1830–1948N.J. Eq.
New Jersey Miscellaneous Reports1923–1948N.J. Misc.
County Court (e.g., Essex County Ct.) and other lower courts: Cite to A.2d.
Tax Court (N.J. Tax Ct.): Cite to N.J. Tax.
New Jersey Tax Court Reports1979–dateN.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–dateN.J. Admin., N.J. Admin. 2d
New Mexico

Public domain citation format: New Mexico has adopted a public domain citation format for cases effective July 1, 2013. See New Mexico Supreme Court Rule 23-112 (effective June 4, 2004). The format is:

  • Bianco v. Horror One Prods., 2009-NMSC-006, ¶ 10, 145 N.M. 551.
  • Bianco v. Horror One Prods., 2009-NMSC-006, ¶ 10, 145 N.M. 551, 202 P.3d 810.
  • State v. Dickert, 2012-NMCA-004, ¶ 28.
  • State v. Dickert, 2012-NMCA-004, ¶ 28, 268 P.3d 515.
Supreme Court (N.M.): Cite to P., P.2d, or P.3d.
Pacific Reporter1883–dateP., P.2d, P.3d
New Mexico Reports1852–2012N.M.
Court of Appeals (N.M. Ct. App.): Cite to P.2d or P.3d.
Pacific Reporter1967–dateP.2d, P.3d
New Mexico Reports1967–2012N.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 AnnotatedN.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>)
New York
Court of Appeals (N.Y.) after 1847: Cite to N.E., N.E.2d, or N.E.3d.
North Eastern Reporter1885–dateN.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–dateN.Y.S.2d
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 Cases1799–1847Lock. Rev. Cas.
Denio’s Reports1845–1848Denio
Hill and Denio Supplement (Lalor)1842–1844Hill & Den.
Hill’s Reports1841–1844Hill
Edmond’s Select Cases1834–1853Edm. Sel. Cas.
Yates’ Select Cases1809Yates Sel. Cas.
Anthon’s Nisi Prius Cases1807–1851Ant. N.P. Cas.
Wendell’s Reports1828–1841Wend.
Cowen’s Reports1823–1829Cow.
Johnson’s Reports1806–1823Johns.
Caines’ Reports1803–1805Cai.
Caines’ Cases1796–1805Cai. Cas.
Coleman & Caines’ Cases1794–1805Cole. & Cai. Cas.
Johnson’s Cases1799–1803Johns. Cas.
Coleman’s Cases1791–1800Cole. Cas.
Court of Chancery (N.Y. Ch.) (highest state court of equity before 1848): Cite to one of the following reporters.
Edwards’ Chancery Reports1831–1850Edw. Ch.
Barbour’s Chancery Reports1845–1848Barb. Ch.
Sandford’s Chancery Reports1843–1847Sand. Ch.
Saratoga Chancery Sentinel1841–1847Sarat. Ch. Sent.
Paige’s Chancery Reports1828–1845Paige Ch.
Clarke’s Chancery Reports1839–1841Cl. Ch.
Hoffman’s Chancery Reports1839–1840Hoff. Ch.
Hopkins’ Chancery Reports1823–1826Hopk. Ch.
Lansing’s Chancery Reports1824–1826Lans. Ch.
Johnson’s Chancery Reports1814–1823Johns. Ch.
New York Chancery Reports Annotated1814–1847N.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. or N.Y.S.2d.
West’s New York Supplement1888–dateN.Y.S., N.Y.S.2d
Appellate Division Reports1896–dateA.D., A.D.2d, A.D.3d
Supreme Court Reports1874–1896N.Y. Sup. Ct.
Lansing’s Reports1869–1873Lans.
Barbour’s Supreme Court Reports1847–1877Barb.
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. or N.Y.S.2d.
West’s New York Supplement1888–dateN.Y.S., N.Y.S.2d
New York Miscellaneous Reports1892–dateMisc., Misc. 2d
Other lower courts before 1888: Cite to one of the following reporters.
Abbott’s New Cases1876–1894Abb. N. Cas.
Abbott’s Practice Reports1854–1875Abb. Pr., Abb. Pr. (n.s.)
Howard’s Practice Reports1844–1886How. 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 PropertyAband. Prop.
Agricultural ConservationAgric. Conserv.
Agriculture and MarketsAgric. & Mkts.
Alcoholic Beverage ControlAlco. Bev. Cont.
Alternative County GovernmentAlt. County Gov’t
Arts and Cultural AffairsArts & Cult. Aff.
BankingBanking
Benevolent OrdersBen. Ord.
Business CorporationBus. Corp.
CanalCanal
Civil Practice Law and RulesN.Y. C.P.L.R. <rule no.> (McKinney <year>)
or:
N.Y. C.P.L.R. <rule no.> (Consol. <year>)
Civil RightsCiv. Rights
Civil ServiceCiv. Serv.
CommerceCom.
Cooperative CorporationsCoop. Corp.
CorrectionCorrect.
CountyCounty
Criminal ProcedureCrim. Proc.
Debtor and CreditorDebt. & Cred.
Domestic RelationsDom. Rel.
Economic DevelopmentEcon. Dev.
EducationEduc.
ElderElder
ElectionElec.
Eminent Domain ProcedureEm. Dom. Proc.
Employers’ LiabilityEmpl’rs Liab.
EnergyEnergy
Environmental ConservationEnvtl. Conserv.
Estates, Powers and TrustsEst. Powers & Trusts
ExecutiveExec.
Financial ServicesFin. Serv.
General AssociationsGen. Ass’ns
General BusinessGen. Bus.
General CityGen. City
General ConstructionGen. Constr.
General MunicipalGen. Mun.
General ObligationsGen. Oblig.
HighwayHigh.
IndianIndian
InsuranceIns.
JudiciaryJud.
Judiciary Court ActsJud. Ct. Acts
LaborLab.
LegislativeLegis.
LienLien
Limited Liability CompanyLtd. Liab. Co.
Local FinanceLocal Fin.
Mental HygieneMental Hyg.
MilitaryMil.
Multiple DwellingMult. Dwell.
Multiple ResidenceMult. Resid.
Municipal Home Rule and Statute of Local GovernmentsMun. Home Rule
NavigationNav.
Not-for-Profit CorporationNot-for-Profit Corp.
Optional County GovernmentOpt. Cty. Gov’t
Parks, Recreation and Historic PreservationParks Rec. & Hist. Preserv.
PartnershipP’ship
PenalPenal
Personal PropertyPers. Prop.
Private Housing FinancePriv. Hous. Fin.
Public AuthoritiesPub. Auth.
Public BuildingsPub. Bldgs.
Public HealthPub. Health
Public HousingPub. Hous.
Public LandsPub. Lands
Public OfficersPub. Off.
Public ServicePub. Serv.
Racing, Pari-Mutuel Wagering and BreedingRac. Pari-Mut. Wag. & Breed.
RailroadR.R.
Rapid TransitRapid Trans.
Real PropertyReal Prop.
Real Property Actions and ProceedingsReal Prop. Acts.
Real Property TaxReal Prop. Tax
Religious CorporationsRelig. Corp.
Retirement and Social SecurityRetire. & Soc. Sec.
Rural Electric CooperativeRural Elec. Coop.
Second Class CitiesSecond Class Cities
Social ServicesSoc. Serv.
Soil and Water Conservation DistrictsSoil & Water Conserv. Dist.
StateState
State Administrative Procedure ActA.P.A.
State FinanceState Fin.
State Printing and Public DocumentsState Print. & Pub. Docs.
State TechnologyState Tech.
StatutesStat.
Surrogate’s Court Procedure ActSurr. Ct. Proc. Act
TaxTax
TownTown
TransportationTransp.
Transportation CorporationsTransp. Corp.
UnconsolidatedUnconsol.
Uniform Commercial CodeU.C.C.
Vehicle and TrafficVeh. & Traf.
VillageVillage
Volunteer Ambulance Workers’ BenefitVol. Ambul. Workers’ Ben.
Volunteer Firefighters’ BenefitVol. Fire. Ben.
Workers’ CompensationWorkers’ 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 LawsN.Y. <law> § x (McKinney <year>)
Consolidated Laws ServiceN.Y. <law> § x (Consol. <year>)
LexisNexis New York Consolidated Laws UnannotatedN.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>)
North Carolina
Supreme Court (N.C.): Cite to S.E. or S.E.2d.
South Eastern Reporter1887–dateS.E., S.E.2d
North Carolina Reports
63 N.C. to date1868–dateN.C.
Phillips’ Equity1866–186862 N.C. (Phil. Eq.)
Phillips’ Law1866–186861 N.C. (Phil.)
Winston1863–186460 N.C. (Win.)
Jones’ Equity (54–59)1853–1863e.g., 54 N.C. (1 Jones Eq.)
Jones’ Law (46–53)1853–1862e.g., 46 N.C. (1 Jones)
Busbee’s Equity1852–185345 N.C. (Busb. Eq.)
Busbee’s Law1852–185344 N.C. (Busb.)
Iredell’s Equity (36–43)1840–1852e.g., 36 N.C. (1 Ired. Eq.)
Iredell’s Law (23–35)1840–1852e.g., 23 N.C. (1 Ired.)
Devereux & Battle’s Equity (21–22)1834–1839e.g., 21 N.C. (1 Dev. & Bat. Eq.)
Devereux & Battle’s Law (18–20)1834–1839e.g., 20 N.C. (3 & 4 Dev. & Bat.)
Devereux’s Equity (16–17)1826–1834e.g., 16 N.C. (1 Dev. Eq.)
Devereux’s Law (12–15)1826–1834e.g., 12 N.C. (1 Dev.)
Hawks (8–11)1820–1826e.g., 8 N.C. (1 Hawks)
Murphey (5–7)1804–1813
1818–1819
e.g., 5 N.C. (1 Mur.)
Taylor’s North Carolina Term Reports1816–18184 N.C. (Taylor)
Carolina Law Repository1813–1816 4 N.C. (Car. L. Rep.)
Haywood (2–3)1789–1806e.g., 2 N.C. (1 Hayw.)
Conference by Cameron & Norwood1800–18041 N.C. (Cam. & Nor.)
Taylor1798–18021 N.C. (Tay.)
Martin1778–17971 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 AnnotatedN.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>)
North Dakota

Public Domain Citation Format: North Dakota has adopted a public domain citation format for cases after December 31, 1996. See North Dakota Rules of Court, Rule 11.6. The format is:

  • 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
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 AnnotatedN.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>)
Ohio

Public Domain Citation Format: Ohio has adopted a public domain citation format for cases decided after April 30, 2002. See Supreme Court of Ohio Writing Manual (2d ed. 2013). The format is:

  • 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.)
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–dateOhio App., Ohio App. 2d, Ohio App. 3d
Ohio Circuit Court Reports1914–1917Ohio C.C.
Ohio Courts of Appeals Reports 1916–1922Ohio 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 Reporter1926–dateN.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 1885–1923Ohio 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 Bulletin1876–1921Ohio L. Bull.
Ohio Circuit Court Reports, New Series1903–1917 Ohio C.C. (n.s.)
Ohio Law Reporter 1903–1934 Ohio L.R.
Tappen’s Reports1816–1819Tapp. Rep.
Anderson’s Unreported Ohio Appellate Cases1990 Ohio App. Unrep.
Statutory compilations: Cite to one of the following codes.
Page’s Ohio Revised Code Annotated (LexisNexis)Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § x.x (LexisNexis <year>)
Baldwin’s Ohio Revised Code Annotated (West)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>)
Administrative and executive registers: Cite to one of the following registers.
Baldwin's Ohio Monthly Record1977–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>)
Oklahoma

Public domain citation format: Oklahoma has adopted a public domain citation format for cases after May 1, 1997. See Oklahoma Supreme Court Rule 1.200(f) and Oklahoma Criminal Appeals Rule 3.5(c). The format is:

  • Skinner v. Braum’s Ice Cream Store, 1995 OK 11, 890 P.2d 922
  • Skinner v. Braum’s Ice Cream Store, 1995 OK 11, ¶9, 890 P.2d 922
  • Hunter v. State, 1953 OK CR 155, 97 Okl.Cr. 402, 264 P.2d 997
  • Robinson v. State, 1997 OK CR 24, ¶ 3, 68 OBJ 1379, 1381
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>)
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>)
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:

  • 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 Reports1970–1994 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>)
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 Reporter1887–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)1850–1868e.g., 37 S.C.L. (3 Rich.)
Strobhart (32–36)1846–1850e.g., 32 S.C.L. (1 Strob.)
Richardson (30–31)1844–1846e.g., 30 S.C.L. (1 Rich.)
Speers (28–29)1842–1844e.g., 28 S.C.L. (1 Speers)
McMullan (26–27)1840–1842e.g., 26 S.C.L. (1 McMul.)
Cheves1839–184025 S.C.L. (Chev.)
Rice1838–183924 S.C.L. (Rice)
Dudley1837–183823 S.C.L. (Dud.)
Riley1836–183722 S.C.L. (Ril.)
Hill (19–21)1833–1837e.g., 19 S.C.L. (1 Hill)
Bailey (17–18)1828–1832e.g., 17 S.C.L. (1 Bail.)
Harper1823–182416 S.C.L. (Harp.)
McCord (12–15)1821–1828e.g., 12 S.C.L. (1 McCord)
Nott and McCord (10–11)1817–1820e.g., 10 S.C.L. (1 Nott & McC.)
Mill (Constitutional) (8–9)1817–1818e.g., 8 S.C.L. (1 Mill)
Treadway (6–7)1812–1816e.g., 6 S.C.L. (1 Tread.)
Brevard (3–5)1793–1816e.g., 3 S.C.L. (1 Brev.)
Bay (1–2)1783–1804e.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)1850–1868e.g., 24 S.C. Eq. (3 Rich. Eq.)
Strobhart’s Equity (20–23)1846–1850e.g., 20 S.C. Eq. (1 Strob. Eq.)
Richardson’s Equity (18–19)1844–1846e.g., 18 S.C. Eq. (1 Rich. Eq.)
Speers’ Equity1842–184417 S.C. Eq. (Speers Eq.)
McMullan’s Equity1840–184216 S.C. Eq. (McMul. Eq.)
Cheves’ Equity1839–184015 S.C. Eq. (Chev. Eq.)
Rice’s Equity1838–183914 S.C. Eq. (Rice Eq.)
Dudley’s Equity1837–183813 S.C. Eq. (Dud. Eq.)
Riley’s Chancery1836–183712 S.C. Eq. (Ril. Eq.)
Hill’s Chancery (10–11)1833–1837e.g., 10 S.C. Eq. (1 Hill Eq.)
Richardson’s Cases1831–18329 S.C. Eq. (Rich. Cas.)
Bailey’s Equity1830–18318 S.C. Eq. (Bail. Eq.)
McCord’s Chancery (6–7)1825–1827e.g., 6 S.C. Eq. (1 McCord Eq.)
Harper’s Equity18245 S.C. Eq. (Harp. Eq.)
Desaussure’s Equity (1–4)1784–1817e.g., 1 S.C. Eq. (1 Des. Eq.)
Statutory compilation
Code of Laws of South Carolina 1976 AnnotatedS.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

Public domain citation format: South Dakota has adopted a public domain citation format for cases after December 31, 1996. See South Dakota Rules of Civil Procedure § 15-26A-69.1 and Supreme Court Rule 10-05. The format is:

  • Smith v. Jones, 1996 S.D. 15, 600 N.W. 2d 900
  • Smith v. Jones, 1996 S.D. 15, ¶ 21, 500 N.W.2d 900, 901
Supreme Court (S.D.): Cite to N.W. or N.W.2d.
North Western Reporter1890–dateN.W., N.W.2d
South Dakota Reports1890–1976S.D.
Supreme Court of Dakota (Dakota): Cite to N.W..
North Western Reporter1879–1889N.W.
Dakota Reports1867–1889Dakota
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 DakotaS.D. Admin. R. <rule no.> (<year>)
Administrative register
South Dakota Register<vol. no.> S.D. Reg. <page no.> (<month day, year>)
Tennessee
Supreme Court (Tenn.): Cite to S.W., S.W.2d, or S.W.3d.
South Western Reporter1886–dateS.W., S.W.2d, S.W.3d
Tennessee Reports
60 Tenn. to 225 Tenn.1872–1972Tenn.
Heiskell1870–1874e.g., 48 Tenn. (1 Heisk.)
Coldwell1860–1870e.g., 41 Tenn. (1 Cold.)
Head1858–1860e.g., 38 Tenn. (1 Head)
Sneed1853–1858e.g., 33 Tenn. (1 Sneed)
Swan1851–1853e.g., 31 Tenn. (1 Swan)
Humphreys1839–1851e.g., 20 Tenn. (1 Hum.)
Meigs1838–183919 Tenn. (Meigs)
Yerger1818–1837e.g., 9 Tenn. (1 Yer.)
Martin & Yerger1825–18288 Tenn. (Mart. & Yer.)
Peck1821–18247 Tenn. (Peck)
Haywood1816–1818e.g., 4 Tenn. (1 Hayw.)
Cooke1811–18143 Tenn. (Cooke)
Overton1791–1815e.g., 1 Tenn. (1 Overt.)
Court of Appeals (Tenn. Ct. App.): Cite to S.W.2d or S.W.3d.
South Western Reporter1932–dateS.W.2d, S.W.3d
Tennessee Appeals Reports1925–1971Tenn. App.
Court of Criminal Appeals (Tenn. Crim. App.): Cite to S.W.2d or S.W.3d.
South Western Reporter1967–dateS.W.2d, S.W.3d
Tennessee Criminal Appeals Reports1967–1971Tenn. 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 AnnotatedTenn. 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 TennesseeTenn. 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 Reporter1886–dateS.W., S.W.2d, S.W.3d
Texas Reports1846–1962Tex.
Synopses of the Decisions of the Supreme Court of Texas Arising from Restraints by Conscript and Other Military Authorities (Robards)1862–1865Robards (no vol. number)
Texas Law Review (containing previously unpublished cases from the 1845 term)1845–184665 Tex. L. Rev.
Digest of the Laws of Texas (Dallam’s Opinions)1840–1844Dallam (no vol. number)
Texas Supreme Court Journal1957–dateTex. 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 Reporter1892–dateS.W., S.W.2d, S.W.3d
Texas Criminal Reports1892–1962Tex. Crim.
Texas Court of Appeals Reports1876–1892Tex. Ct. App.
Condensed Reports of Decisions in Civil Causes in the Court of Appeals (White & Willson vol. 1) (Willson vols. 2–4)1876–1883
1883–1892
White & W. Willson
Commission of Appeals (Tex. Comm’n App.): Cite to S.W. or S.W.2d.
South Western Reporter1886–1892S.W.
1918–1945S.W.2d
Texas Reports1879–1892
1918–1945
Tex.
Texas Unreported Cases (Posey)1879–1884Posey
Condensed Reports of Decisions in Civil Causes in the Court of Appeals (White & Willson)1879–1883White & W.
Officially published opinions of the Commission of Appeals from 1879 to 1892 were adopted by the Supreme Court and should be cited as opinions of the Supreme Court. Opinions of the Commission of Appeals from 1918 to 1945 have a notation from the Supreme Court that usually appears in the final paragraph of the opinion, e.g., “opinion adopted,” “holding approved,” or “judgment adopted.” Commission opinions that were adopted by the Supreme Court should be cited as opinions of the Supreme Court. “Holding approved” and “judgment adopted” opinions are cited by using “holding approved” or “judgm’t adopted.”
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 Reporter1892–dateS.W., S.W.2d, S.W.3d
Texas Civil Appeals Reports1892–1911Tex. Civ. App.
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 (12th ed. 2010); 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 are not part of the new subject-matter 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)Tex. Prob. Code Ann. § x (West <year>)
AgricultureAgric.
Alcoholic BeverageAlco. Bev.
Business and CommerceBus. & Com.
Business Organizations (effective Jan. 1, 2006)Bus. Orgs.
Civil Practice and RemediesCiv. Prac. & Rem.
EducationEduc.
ElectionElec.
EstatesEst.
FamilyFam.
FinanceFin.
GovernmentGov’t
Health and SafetyHealth & Safety
Human ResourcesHum. Res.
InsuranceIns.
LaborLab.
Local GovernmentLoc. Gov’t
Natural ResourcesNat. Res.
OccupationsOcc.
Parks and WildlifeParks & Wild.
PenalPenal
PropertyProp.
Special District Local LawsSpec. Dists.
TaxTax
TransportationTransp.
UtilitiesUtil.
WaterWater
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>)
Utah

Public domain citation format: Utah has adopted a public domain citation format for cases after December 31, 1998. See Utah Supreme Court Standing Order No. 4 (effective Jan. 18, 2000). The format is:

  • Smith v. Jones, 1999 UT 16. (Before publication in Utah Advanced Reports)
  • Smith v. Jones, 1999 UT App 16.
  • Smith v. Jones, 1999 UT 16, 380 Utah Adv. Rep. 24. (Before publication in Pacific Reporter but after publication in Utah Advance Reports)
  • Smith v. Jones, 1999 UT App 16, 380 Utah Adv. Rep. 24.
  • Smith v. Jones, 1999 UT 16, 998 P.2d 250.(After publication in Pacific Reporter)
  • Smith v. Jones, 1999 UT App 16, 998 P.2d 250.
Supreme Court (Utah): Cite to P., P.2d, or P.3d.
Pacific Reporter1881–dateP., P.2d, P.3d
Utah Reports1873–1974Utah, Utah 2d
Court of Appeals (Utah Ct. App.): Cite to P.2d or P.3d.
Pacific Reporter1987–dateP.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 AnnotatedUtah 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 CodeUtah Admin. Code r. x-x-x (<year>)
Administrative register
Utah State Bulletin<iss. no.> Utah Bull. <page no.> (<month day, year>)
Vermont

Public domain citation format: Vermont has adopted a public domain citation format for cases after December 31, 2002. See Vt. R. App. P. 28.2. The format is:

  • Smith v. Jones, 2001 VT 1, ¶ 12, 169 Vt. 203, 850 A.2d 421
Supreme Court (Vt.): Cite to A., A.2d or A.3d.
Atlantic Reporter1885–dateA., A.2d, A.3d
Vermont Reports1826–dateVt.
Aikens1825–1828Aik.
Chipman, D.1789–1824D. Chip.
Brayton1815–1819Brayt.
Tyler1800–1803Tyl.
Chipman, N.1789–1791N. 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>)
Virginia
Supreme Court (Va.), previously Supreme Court of Appeals (Va.): Cite to S.E. or S.E.2d.
South Eastern Reporter1887–dateS.E., S.E.2d
Virginia Reports
75 Va. to date1880–dateVa.
Grattan1844–1880e.g., 42 Va. (1 Gratt.)
Robinson1842–1844e.g., 40 Va. (1 Rob.)
Leigh1829–1842e.g., 28 Va. (1 Leigh)
Randolph1821–1828e.g., 22 Va. (1 Rand.)
Gilmer1820–182121 Va. (Gilmer)
Munford1810–1820e.g., 15 Va. (1 Munf.)
Hening & Munford1806–1810e.g., 11 Va. (1 Hen. & M.)
Call1779–1825e.g., 5 Va. (1 Call)
Virginia Cases, Criminal1789–1826e.g., 3 Va. (1 Va. Cas.)
Washington1790–1796e.g., 1 Va. (1 Wash.)
Court of Appeals (Va. Ct. App.): Cite to S.E.2d.
South Eastern Reporter1985–dateS.E.2d
Virginia Court of Appeals Reports1985–dateVa. App.
Circuit Court (Va. Cir. Ct.): Cite to Va. Cir.
Virginia Circuit Court Opinions1957–dateVa. 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 Reporter1880–dateP., P.2d, P.3d
Washington Reports1889–dateWash., Wash. 2d
Washington Territory Reports1854–1888Wash. Terr.
Court of Appeals (Wash. Ct. App.): Cite to P.2d or P.3d.
Pacific Reporter1969–dateP.2d, P.3d
Washington Appellate Reports1969–dateWash. 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>)
West Virginia
Supreme Court of Appeals (W. Va.): Cite to S.E. or S.E.2d.
South Eastern Reporter1886–dateS.E., S.E.2d
West Virginia Reports1864–dateW. Va.
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>)
Wisconsin

Public domain citation format: Wisconsin has adopted a public domain citation format for cases decided after December 31, 1999. See Wisconsin Supreme Court Rule 80. The format is:

  • 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
Supreme Court (Wis.): Cite to N.W. or N.W.2d.
North Western Reporter1879–dateN.W., N.W.2d
Wisconsin Reports1853–dateWis., Wis. 2d
Pinney1839–1852Pin.
Chandler1849–1852Chand.
Burnett1842–1843Bur.
Burnett (bound with session laws for Dec. 1841)1841Bur.
Court of Appeals (Wis. Ct. App.): Cite to N.W.2d.
North Western Reporter1978–dateN.W.2d
Wisconsin Reports1978–dateWis. 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>)
Wyoming

Public domain citation format: Wyoming has adopted a public domain citation format for cases decided after December 31, 2003. See Order Amending Citation Format (Aug. 19, 2005). The format is:

  • Doe v. Roe, 2001 WY 12
  • Doe v. Roe, 2001 WY 12, 989 P.2d 1312 (Wyo. 2001)
Supreme Court (Wyo.): Cite to P., P.2d, or P.3d.
Pacific Reporter1883–dateP., P.2d, P.3d
Wyoming Reports1870–1959Wyo.
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 AnnotatedWyo. 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>)
American Samoa
High Court of American Samoa (Am. Samoa): Cite to Am. Samoa, Am. Samoa 2d, or Am. Samoa 3d.
American Samoa Reports1900–dateAm. 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 Supplement1982–1983F. 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 Supplement1946–1982F. Supp.
Statutory compilation
Panama Canal Code C.Z. Code tit. x, § x (<year>)
Guam

Supreme Court of Guam (Guam): See Sandra E. Cruze, How To Cite Guam Law, Third Edition, September 2002. For example:

  • Santos v. Carney et. al., 1997 Guam 4; 1997 WL 460435 (Sup. Ct. Guam 1997)
District Court of Guam (D. Guam): Cite to F. Supp., F. Supp. 2d, or F. Supp. 3d.
Federal Supplement1951–dateF. Supp., F. Supp. 2d, F. Supp. 3d
Guam Reports1955–1980Guam
Statutory compilation
Guam Code Annotated<tit. no.> Guam Code Ann. § x (<year>)
Session laws
Guam Session LawsGuam 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 Reporter1969–dateNavajo Rptr.
District Court (Navajo D. Ct.): Cite to Navajo Rptr.
Navajo Reporter1969–dateNavajo Rptr.
Statutory compilation
Navajo Nation Code Annotated (West) Navajo Nation Code Ann. tit. x, § x (<year>)
Northern Mariana Islands

Public domain citation format: The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands has adopted a public domain citation format. See General Order 01-100 (March 13, 2001). The format is:

  • ABC Company vs. XYZ Company, 2001 MP 1 ¶10
Supreme Court (N. Mar. I.): Cite to N. Mar. I.
Northern Mariana Islands Reporter1989–dateN. 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 Supplement1979–dateF. Supp., F. Supp. 2d, F. Supp. 3d
Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Reporter1979–dateN. 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 Reports1979–dateOkla. Trib.
Puerto Rico

Public domain citation format: Puerto Rico has adopted a public domain citation format for cases decided after December 31, 1997. The format is:

  • 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 Reports1899–1978P.R.
Official Translations of the Opinions of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico1978–dateP.R. Offic. Trans.
Decisiones de Puerto Rico1899–dateP.R. Dec.
Sentencias del Tribunal Supremo de Puerto Rico1899–1902P.R. Sent.
Circuit Court of Appeals (P.R. Cir.): Cite to T.C.A
Decisiones del Tribunal de Circuito de Apelaciones de Puerto Rico1995–dateT.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 Reports1917–dateV.I.
Statutory compilation
Virgin Islands Code Annotated (LexisNexis)1962–dateV.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>)

T3. Required Abbreviations for Court Names

Court NameAbbreviation
Administrative CourtAdmin. Ct.
Admiralty [Court, Division]Adm.
Aldermen’s CourtAlder. Ct.
Appeals CourtApp. Ct.
Appellate CourtApp. Ct.
Appellate DepartmentApp. Dep’t
Appellate DivisionApp. Div.
Armed Services Board of Contract AppealsASBCA
Bankruptcy Appellate PanelB.A.P.
Bankruptcy [Court, Judge]Bankr.
Board of Contract AppealsB.C.A.
Board of Immigration AppealsB.I.A.
Board of Patent Appeals and InterferencesB.P.A.I.
Board of Tax AppealsB.T.A.
Borough Court<Name> Bor. Ct.
Central DistrictC.D.
Chancery [Court, Division]Ch.
Children’s CourtChild. 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 AppealsCiv. App.
Civil Court of RecordCiv. Ct. Rec.
Civil District CourtCiv. Dist. Ct.
Claims CourtCl. Ct.
Commerce CourtComm. Ct.
CommissionComm’n
Common PleasC.P. <when appropriate, name county or similar subdivision>
Commonwealth CourtCommw. Ct.
Conciliation CourtConcil. Ct.
County Court<Name> Cty. Ct.
County Judge’s CourtCty. J. Ct.
CourtCt.
Court of Appeal (English)C.A.
Court of Appeals (federal)Cir.
Court of Appeal[s] (state)Ct. App.
Court of Appeals for the Armed ForcesC.A.A.F.
Court of Civil AppealsCiv. App.
Court of ClaimsCt. Cl.
Court of Common PleasCt. Com. Pl.
Court of Criminal AppealsCrim. App.
Court of Customs and Patent AppealsC.C.P.A.
Court of Customs AppealsCt. Cust. App.
Court of ErrorsCt. Err.
Court of Errors and AppealsCt. Err. & App.
Court of Federal ClaimsFed. Cl.
Court of [General, Special] SessionsCt. <Gen. or Spec.> Sess.
Court of International TradeCt. Int’l Trade
Court of Military AppealsC.M.A.
Court of Military ReviewC.M.R.
Court of Special AppealsCt. Spec. App.
Court of Veterans AppealsCt. Vet. App.
Criminal AppealsCrim. App.
Criminal District CourtCrim. Dist. Ct.
Customs CourtCust. Ct.
District Court (federal)D.
District Court (state)Dist. Ct.
District Court of Appeal[s]Dist. Ct. App.
DivisionDiv.
Domestic Relations CourtDom. Rel. Ct.
Eastern DistrictE.D.
Emergency Court of AppealsEmer. Ct. App.
Equity [Court, Division]Eq.
Family CourtFam. Ct.
High CourtHigh Ct.
Judicial DistrictJud. Dist.
Judicial DivisionJud. Div.
Judicial Panel on Multidistrict LitigationJ.P.M.L.
Justice of the Peace’s CourtJ.P. Ct.
Juvenile CourtJuv. Ct.
Land CourtLand Ct.
Law CourtLaw Ct.
Law DivisionLaw Div.
Magistrate DivisionMagis. Div.
Magistrate’s CourtMagis. Ct.
Middle DistrictM.D.
Municipal Court<Name> Mun. Ct.
Northern DistrictN.D.
Orphans’ CourtOrphans’ Ct.
Parish Court<Name> Parish Ct.
Police Justice’s CourtPolice J. Ct.
Prerogative CourtPrerog. Ct.
Probate CourtProb. Ct.
Public Utilities CommissionP.U.C.
Real Estate CommissionReal Est. Comm’n
Recorder’s CourtRec’s Ct.
Southern DistrictS.D.
Special Court Regional Rail Reorganization ActReg’l Rail Reorg. Ct.
Superior CourtSuper. Ct.
Supreme Court (federal)U.S.
Supreme Court (other)Sup. Ct.
Supreme Court, Appellate DivisionApp. Div.
Supreme Court, Appellate TermApp. Term
Supreme Court of ErrorsSup. Ct. Err.
Supreme Judicial CourtSup. Jud. Ct.
Surrogate’s CourtSur. Ct.
Tax Appeal CourtTax App. Ct.
Tax CourtT.C.
Teen CourtTeen Ct.
Temporary Emergency Court of AppealsTemp. Emer. Ct. App.
Territor[ial, y]Terr.
Trademark Trial and Appeal BoardT.T.A.B.
Traffic CourtTraffic Ct.
Tribal Court<Name> Tribal Ct.
TribunalTrib.
Water CourtWater Ct.
Western DistrictW.D.
Workmen’s Compensation DivisionWorkmen’s Comp. Div.
Youth CourtYouth Ct.

T4. Required Abbreviations for Legislative Documents

Words not on this list that are more than six letters should not abbreviated if the abbreviation would be ambiguous. All articles and prepositions should be removed from the abbreviated title if the document can be unambiguously identified without the articles and prepositions.

Legislative DocumentAbbreviation
AnnalsAnnals
AnnualAnn.
Assembly[man, woman, member]Assemb.
BillB.
CommitteeComm.
ConcurrentCon.
ConferenceConf.
Congress[ional]Cong.
DebateDeb.
DelegateDel.
Document[s]Doc.
ExecutiveExec.
FederalFed.
HouseH.
House of DelegatesH.D.
House of RepresentativesH.R.
JointJ.
Legislat[ion, ive]Legis.
LegislatureLeg.
MiscellaneousMisc.
NumberNo.
OrderOrder
RecordRec.
RegisterReg.
RegularReg.
ReportRep.
RepresentativeRep.
ResolutionRes.
SenateS.
SenatorSen.
ServiceServ.
SessionSess.
SpecialSpec.
SubcommitteeSubcomm.

T5. Required Abbreviations for Arbitral Reporters

Court NameAbbreviation
Arbitration MaterialsArb. Mat' l
Hague Court Reports, First SeriesHague Ct. Rep. (Scott)
Hague Court Reports, Second SeriesHague Ct. Rep. 2d (Scott)
International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) ReportsICSID Rep.
International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) ReviewICSID Rev.
International Chamber of Commerce ArbitrationInt' l Comm. Arb.
International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea Reports of Judgments, Advisory Opinions and OrdersITLOS Rep.
Investment Treaty Arbitration Investment Treaty CasesITA Inv. Treaty Cases
Permanent Court of Arbitration Case RepositoryPCA Case Repository
United Nations Reports of International Arbitral AwardsR.I.A.A.
World Arbitration ReporterWorld Arb. Rep. (<issue number>)

T6. Required Abbreviations for Case Names In Citations

Court NameAbbreviation
Academ[ic, y]Acad.
Administrat[ive, ion]Admin.
Administrat[or, rix]Adm’ [r, x]
AdvertisingAdvert. or Adver.
Agricultur[e, al]Agric.
AllianceAll.
AlternativeAlt.
America[n]Am.
and&
AssociateAssoc.
AssociationAss’n
AtlanticAtl.
AuthorityAuth.
Automo[bile, tive]Auto.
AvenueAve.
BankruptcyBankr.
BoardBd.
Broadcast[er, ing]Broad.
BrotherhoodBhd.
BrothersBros.
BuildingBldg.
BusinessBus.
CasualtyCas.
Cent[er, re]Ctr.
CentralCent.
ChemicalChem.
CoalitionCoal.
CollegeColl.
CommissionComm’n
CommissionerComm’r
CommitteeComm.
CommunicationCommc’n
CommunityCmty.
CompanyCo.
CompensationComp.
ComputerComput.
CondominiumCondo.
Congress[ional]Cong.
ConsolidatedConsol.
ConstructionConstr.
ContinentalCont’l
CooperativeCoop.
Corporat[e, ion]Corp.
Correction[s, al]Corr.
CountyCty. or Cnty.
Defen[der, se]Def.
DepartmentDep’t
DetentionDet.
DevelopmentDev.
DigitalDig.
DirectorDir.
DiscountDisc.
Distribut[or, ing]Distrib.
DistrictDist.
DivisionDiv.
East[ern]E.
Econom[ic, ical, ics, y]Econ.
Education[al]Educ.
Electr[ic, ical, icity, onic]Elec.
EmployeeEmp.
Employ[er, ment]Emp’[r, t]
EnforcementEnf’t
EngineerEng’r
EngineeringEng’g
EnterpriseEnter.
EntertainmentEntm’t
EnvironmentEnv’t
EnvironmentalEnvtl.
EqualityEqual.
EquipmentEquip.
ExaminerExam’r
ExchangeExch.
ExecutiveExec.
Execut[or, rix]Ex’[r, x]
Explorat[ion, ory]Expl.
Export[er, ation]Exp.
FederalFed.
FederationFed’n
FidelityFid.
Financ[e, ial, ing]Fin.
FoundationFound.
GeneralGen.
GlobalGlob.
GovernmentGov’t
GroupGrp.
GuarantyGuar.
Hospital[ity]Hosp.
HousingHous.
Import[er, ation]Imp.
IncorporatedInc.
IndemnityIndem.
Independen[ce, t]Indep.
Industr[y, ies, ial]Indus.
InformationInfo.
Institut[e, ion]Inst.
InsuranceIns.
InternationalInt’l
InvestmentInv.
InvestorInv’r
LaboratoryLab.
LiabilityLiab.
LimitedLtd.
LitigationLitig.
Machine[ry]Mach.
MaintenanceMaint.
ManagementMgmt.
ManufacturerMfr.
ManufacturingMfg.
MaritimeMar.
MarketMkt.
MarketingMktg.
Mechanic[al]Mech.
Medic[al, ine]Med.
MemorialMem’l
Merchan[t, dise, dising]Merch.
MetropolitanMetro.
MortgageMortg.
MunicipalMun.
MutualMut.
NationalNat’l
NaturalNat.
North[ern]N.
Northeast[ern]Ne.
Northwest[ern]Nw.
NumberNo.
OpinionOp.
Organiz[ation, ing]Org.
PacificPac.
ParishPar.
PartnershipP’ship
Person[al, nel]Pers.
Pharmaceutic[s, al, als]Pharm.
Preserv[e, ation]Pres.
Probat[e, ion]Prob.
Product[ion]Prod.
ProfessionalProf’l
PropertyProp.
ProtectionProt.
PublicPub.
PublicationPubl’n
PublishingPubl’g
RailroadR.R.
RailwayRy.
RefiningRef.
RegionalReg’l
Rehabilitat[ion, ive]Rehab.
Reproduct[ion, ive]Reprod.
Resource[s]Res.
RestaurantRest.
RetirementRet.
RoadRd.
SavingsSav.
School[s]Sch.
Scien[ce, tific]Sci.
SecretarySec’y
Securit[y, ies]Sec.
ServiceServ.
ShareholderS’holder
SocialSoc.
SocietySoc’y
SolutionSol.
South[ern]S.
Southeast[ern]Se.
Southwest[ern]Sw.
Steamship[s]S.S.
StreetSt.
SubcommitteeSubcomm.
SuretySur.
System[s]Sys.
Techn[ical, ological, ology]Tech.
TelecommunicationTelecomm.
Tele[phone, graph]Tel.
TemporaryTemp.
TownshipTwp.
TranscontinentalTranscon.
Transport[ation]Transp.
Trust[ee]Tr.
TurnpikeTpk.
UniformUnif.
UniversityUniv.
UtilityUtil.
VillageVill.
West[ern]W.

T7. Required Abbreviations for Intergovernmental Organizations

T7.1. United Nations and League of Nations

CategoryDatesAbbreviation
United Nations Documents
United Nations DocumentsU.N. Docs.
United Nations Principal Organs
General AssemblyGAOR
Security CouncilSCOR
Economic and Social CouncilESCOR
Trusteeship CouncilTCOR
International Court of Justice (I.C.J.)
Judgments, Advisory Opinions, and Orders1946–date<year> I.C.J. xx
Pleadings, Oral Arguments, and Documents1946–date<year> I.C.J. Pleadings xx
Acts and Documents1946–date<year> I.C.J. Acts & Docs xx
Treaties and international agreements
United Nations Treaty Series1946–date<year> U.N.T.S. xxx
League of Nations
Permanent Court of International Justice1920–1945<year> P.C.I.J. xxx
League of Nations Treaty Series1920–1945<year> L.N.T.S. xxx

T7.2. Europe

CategoryDatesAbbreviation
European Union
Courts: Cite cases before the Court of Justice of the European Union (E.C.J.) and the General Court (Ct. of First Instance) to E.C.R.. If not, cite to C.M.L.R., Common Mkt. Rep. (CCH), or CEC (CCH), if found there, in that order. If not, cite to official online sources.
Reports of cases before the Court of Justice1973–date<year> E.C.R. xxx
Common Market Law Reports1962–date<year> C.M.L.R. xxx
Common Market Reports1962–1988<year> Common Mkt. Rep. (CCH) xxx
European Community Cases1989–2007<year> CEC (CCH) xxx
Legislative acts: Cite acts of the European Council and the European Commission to O.J. (the Official Journal of the European Union, formerly the Official Journal of the European Communities). If not, cite to O.J. Spec. Ed.. If not, cite to J.O.. For issues of J.O. before 1967, indicate the issue number. For issues of O.J. and J.O. dating from 1967 and later, indicate the series and issue number.>
Official Journal of the European Union1973–date<year> O.J. (L <act number>) xxx
Official Journal of the European Community, Special Edition 1952–1972<year> O.J. Spec. Ed. xxx
Journal Officiel des Communautés Européennes1958–date<year> J.O. (L <act number>) xxx
Parliamentary documents
European Parliamentary DebatesEur. Parl. Deb. (<debate number>) x
European Parliament Working Session or Session DocumentsEur. Parl. Doc. (COM <document number>) x
Parlement Européen Documents de SéanceParl. Eur. Doc. (SEC <document number>) x
European Commission of Human Rights: Cite to Eur. Comm’n H.R. Dec. & Rep., Y.B. Eur. Conv. on H.R., or Eur. H.R. Rep., in that order.>
European Commission of Human Rights Collections of Decisions<volume> Eur. Comm’n H.R. Dec. & Rep. xxx
European Human Rights Reports<volume> Eur. H.R. Rep. xxx
Yearbook of the European Convention on Human RightsY.B. Eur. Conv. on H.R.
European Court of Human Rights: >
European Court of Human Rights Reports of Judgments and Decisionsxx Eur. Ct. H.R. (<year>)
Yearbook of the European Convention on Human RightsY.B. Eur. Conv. on H.R.

T7.3. Inter-American and International Tribunal

CategoryAbbreviation
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Annual ReportsInter-Am. Comm’n H.R.
Inter-American Court of Human Rights: Cite to Series, to Rep. Inter-Am. Ct. H.R., or to official online sources.>
A - Judgments and OpinionsInter-Am. Ct. H.R. (ser. A) No. xx
B - Pleadings, Oral Arguments and Documents (Relative to Series A)Inter-Am. Ct. H.R. (ser. B) No. xx, xxx
C - Decisions and JudgmentsInter-Am. Ct. H.R. (ser. C) No. xx
D - Pleadings, Oral Arguments and Documents (Relative to Series C)Inter-Am. Ct. H.R. (ser. D) No. xx, xxx
E - Provisional MeasuresInter-Am. Ct. H.R. (ser. E) No. xx, xxx
F - Procedural DecisionsInter-Am. Ct. H.R. (ser. F) No. xx, xxx
Annual Reports of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights:>
Complete Opinions: 1970-dateRep. Inter-Am. Ct. H.R. xxx
International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea
International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea Reports of Judgments, Advisory Opinions and Orders: 1956–dateITLOS Rep.

T7.4. Other Intergovernmental Organizations

CategoryAbbreviation
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty OrganizationCTBTO
Food and Agriculture OrganizationFAO
Global Environment FacilityGEF
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate ChangeIPCC
International Atomic Energy AgencyIAEA
International Bank for Reconstruction and DevelopmentIBRD
International Centre for Settlement of Investment DisputesICSID
International Civil Aviation OrganizationICAO
International Criminal Police OrganizationINTERPOL
International Development AssociationIDA
International Finance CorporationIFC
International Fund for Agricultural DevelopmentIFAD
International Labour OrganizationILO
International Maritime OrganizationIMO
International Monetary FundIMF
International Refugee OrganizationIRO
International Telecommunication UnionITU
International Union for Conservation of NatureIUCN
Multilateral Investment Guarantee AgencyMIGA
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and DevelopmentOECD
Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical WeaponsOPCW
United NationsU.N.
United Nations Children's FundUNICEF
United Nations Development ProgrammeUNDP
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural OrganizationUNESCO
United Nations Environment ProgrammeUNEP
United Nations Industrial Development OrganizationUNIDO
Universal Postal UnionUPU
World Bank GroupWBG
World Customs OrganizationWCO
World Health OrganizationWHO
World Intellectual Property OrganizationWIPO
World Meteorological OrganizationWMO
World Tourism OrganizationUNWTO
World Trade OrganizationWTO

T8. Required Abbreviations for Services

T8.1. Service Publisher Names

Service Publisher NameAbbreviation
Bureau of National AffairsBNA
Commerce Clearing HouseCCH
Matthew BenderMB
Pike & FischerP & F
Research Institute of AmericaRIA

T8.2. Service Abbreviations

For each looseleaf service title, the appropriate abbreviation is followed by the name of the publisher.

Service NameAbbreviation
Administrative Law Third SeriesAdmin. L.3d (BNA)
Affirmative Action Compliance Manual for Federal ContractorsAff. Action Compl. Man. (BNA)
AIDS Law & Litigation ReporterAIDS L. & Litig. Rep. (Univ. Pub. Group)
All States Tax GuideAll St. Tax Guide (RIA)
American Federal Tax Reports, Second SeriesA.F.T.R.2d (RIA)
American Stock Exchange GuideAm. Stock Ex. Guide (CCH)
Antitrust & Trade Regulation ReportAntitrust & Trade Reg. Rep. (BNA)
Aviation Law ReporterAv. L. Rep. (CCH)
  ⇒ bound as Aviation CasesAv. Cas. (CCH)
BNA’s Banking ReportBanking Rep. (BNA)
Bankruptcy Court DecisionsBankr. Ct. Dec. (LRP)
Bankruptcy Law ReportsBankr. L. Rep. (CCH)
Benefits Review Board ServiceBen. Rev. Bd. Serv. (MB)
BioLawBioLaw (LexisNexis)
Blue Sky Law ReporterBlue Sky L. Rep. (CCH)
Board of Contract Appeals Decisions—see Contract Appeals Decisions
Business Franchise GuideBus. Franchise Guide (CCH)
Canadian Commercial Law GuideCan. Com. L. Guide (CCH)
Canadian Tax ReporterCan. Tax Rep. (CCH)
Chemical Regulation ReporterChem. Reg. Rep. (BNA)
Chicago Board Options Exchange GuideChicago Bd. Options Ex. Guide (CCH)
Collective Bargaining Negotiations & ContractsCollective Bargaining Negot. & Cont. (BNA)
Collier Bankruptcy Cases, Second SeriesCollier Bankr. Cas. 2d (MB)
Commodity Futures Law ReporterComm. Fut. L. Rep. (CCH)
Communications RegulationCommc’ns Reg. (BNA)
Congressional IndexCong. Index (CCH)
Consumer Credit GuideConsumer Cred. Guide (CCH)
Consumer Product Safety GuideConsumer Prod. Safety Guide (CCH)
Contract Appeals DecisionsCont. App. Dec. (CCH)
  ⇒ bound as Board of Contract Appeals DecisionsB.C.A. (CCH)
Contracts Cases, Federal—see Government Contracts Reporter
Copyright Law DecisionsCopyright L. Dec. (CCH)
Copyright Law ReporterCopyright L. Rep. (CCH)
Cost Accounting Standards GuideCost Accounting Stand. Guide (CCH)
The Criminal Law ReporterCrim. L. Rep. (BNA)
Daily Labor ReportDaily Lab. Rep. (BNA)
Dominion Tax CasesDominion Tax Cas. (CCH)
EEOC Compliance ManualEEOC Compl. Man. (BNA)
EEOC Compliance ManualEEOC Compl. Man. (CCH)
Employee Benefits CasesEmpl. Benefits Cas. (BNA)
Employee Benefits Compliance CoordinatorEmpl. Coordinator (RIA)
Employment Practices Guide
  ⇒ bound as Employment Practices Decisions
  ⇒ bound assee also Labor Law Reporter
Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH)
Employment Safety and Health GuideEmpl. Safety & Health Guide (CCH)
  ⇒ bound as Occupational Safety and Health DecisionsO.S.H. Dec. (CCH)
Employment Testing: Law & Policy ReporterEmpl. Testing (Univ. Pub. Am.)
Energy Management & Federal Energy GuidelinesEnergy Mgmt. (CCH)
Environment ReporterEnv’t Rep. (BNA)
  ⇒ bound as Environment Reporter CasesEnv’t Rep. Cas. (BNA)
Environmental Law ReporterEnvtl. L. Rep. (Envtl. Law Inst.)
Exempt Organizations ReportsExempt Org. Rep. (CCH)
Fair Employment Practice Cases—see Labor Relations Reporter
The Family Law ReporterFam. L. Rep. (BNA)
Family Law Tax GuideFam. L. Tax Guide (CCH)
Federal Audit GuidesFed. Audit Guide (CCH)
Federal Banking Law ReporterFed. Banking L. Rep. (CCH)
Federal Carriers ReportsFed. Carr. Rep. (CCH)
  ⇒ bound as Federal Carriers CasesFed. Carr. Cas. (CCH)
Federal Contracts ReportFed. Cont. Rep. (BNA)
Federal Election Campaign Financing GuideFed. Election Camp. Fin. Guide (CCH)
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ReporterFed. Energy Reg. Comm’n Rep. (CCH)
Federal Estate and Gift Tax ReporterFed. Est. & Gift Tax Rep. (CCH)
  ⇒ bound as Standard Federal Tax ReporterStand. Fed. Tax Rep. (CCH)
Federal Excise Tax ReporterFed. Ex. Tax Rep. (CCH)
Federal Income, Gift and Estate TaxationFed. Inc. Gift & Est. Tax’n (MB)
Federal Rules Service, Second SeriesFed. R. Serv. 2d (West)
Federal Securities Law ReporterFed. Sec. L. Rep. (CCH)
Federal Tax Coordinator SecondFed. Tax Coordinator 2d (RIA)
Federal Tax Guide ReportsFed. Tax Guide Rep. (CCH)
Fire & Casualty Cases—see Insurance Law Reports
Food Drug Cosmetic Law ReporterFood Drug Cosm. L. Rep. (CCH)
Government Contracts ReporterGov’t Cont. Rep. (CCH)
  ⇒ bound as Contracts Cases, FederalCont. Cas. Fed. (CCH)
Government Employee Relations ReportGov’t Empl. Rel. Rep. (BNA)
Housing & Development ReporterHous. & Dev. Rep. (RIA)
Human Resources Management OSHA Compliance GuideOSHA Comp. Guide (CCH)
Immigration Law ServiceImmigr. L. Serv. (West)
Insurance Law ReportsIns. L. Rep. (CCH)
  ⇒ bound as Personal and Commercial LiabilityPersonal and Comm. Liab. (CCH)
  ⇒ bound as Life, Health & Accident Insurance Cases 2dLife Health & Accid. Ins. Cas. 2d (CCH)
International Environment ReporterInt’l Env’t Rep. (BNA)
International Trade ReporterInt’l Trade Rep. (BNA)
IRS PositionsIRS Pos. (CCH)
Labor Arbitration AwardsLab. Arb. Awards (CCH)
Labor Law ReporterLab. L. Rep. (CCH)
  ⇒ bound as Labor CasesLab. Cas. (CCH)
  ⇒ bound as NLRB DecisionsNLRB Dec. (CCH)
  see also Employment Practices Guid
Labor Relations Reporter:Lab. Rel. Rep. (BNA)
  ⇒ bound as Fair Employment Practice CasesFair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA)
  ⇒ bound as Labor Arbitration ReportsLab. Arb. Rep. (BNA)
  ⇒ bound as Labor Relations Reference ManualL.R.R.M. (BNA)
  ⇒ bound as Wage and Hour CasesWage & Hour Cas. (BNA)
ABA/BNA Lawyers’ Manual on Professional ConductLaws. Man. on Prof. Conduct (ABA/BNA)
Life, Health & Accident Insurance Cases—see Insurance Law Reports
Liquor Control Law ReporterLiquor Cont. L. Rep. (CCH)
Media Law ReporterMedia L. Rep. (BNA)
Medical Devices ReporterMed. Devices Rep. (CCH)
Medicare and Medicaid GuideMedicare & Medicaid Guide (CCH)
Mutual Funds GuideMut. Funds Guide (CCH)
National Reporter on Legal Ethics & Professional ResponsibilityNat’l Rep. Legal Ethics (Univ. Pub. Am.)
New York Stock Exchange GuideN.Y.S.E. Guide (CCH)
NLRB Decisions—see Labor Law Reporter
Nuclear Regulation ReporterNuclear Reg. Rep. (CCH)
Occupational Safety & Health ReporterO.S.H. Rep. (BNA)
  ⇒ bound as Occupational Safety & Health CasesO.S.H. Cas. (BNA)
OFCCP Federal Contract Compliance ManualOFCCP Fed. Cont. Compl. Man. (CCH)
Patent, Trademark & Copyright JournalPat. Trademark & Copyright J. (BNA)
Pension & Benefits ReporterPens. & Ben. Rep. (BNA)
Pension Plan GuidePens. Plan Guide (CCH)
Pension & Profit Sharing SecondPens. & Profit Sharing 2d (RIA)
Product Safety & Liability ReporterProd. Safety & Liab. Rep. (BNA)
Products Liability ReporterProd. Liab. Rep. (CCH)
Public Utilities ReportsPub. Util. Rep. (PUR)
School Law ReporterSchool L. Rep. (Educ. Law Ass’n.)
Search & Seizure BulletinSearch & Seizure Bull. (Quinlan)
SEC Accounting RulesSEC Accounting R. (CCH)
Secured Transactions GuideSecured Transactions Guide (CCH)
Securities and Federal Corporate Law ReportSec. & Fed. Corp. L. Rep. (West)
Securities Regulation & Law ReportSec. Reg. & L. Rep. (BNA)
Shipping RegulationShipping Reg. (BNA)
Social Security ReporterSoc. Sec. Rep. (CCH)
Standard Federal Tax ReporterStand. Fed. Tax Rep. (CCH)
  ⇒ bound as U.S. Tax CasesU.S. Tax Cas. (CCH)
State and Local Tax ServiceSt. & Loc. Tax Serv. (RIA)
State and Local Taxes—see All States Tax Guide
State Inheritance, Estate, and Gift Tax ReporterSt. Inher., Est. & Gift Tax Rep. (CCH)
State Tax GuideSt. Tax Guide (CCH)
State Tax ReporterSt. Tax Rep. (CCH)
Tax Court Memorandum DecisionsT.C.M. (RIA)
  ⇒ bound as Tax Court ReporterT.C.M. (CCH) [or (RIA)]
Tax Court Reported DecisionsTax Ct. Rep. Dec. (RIA)
Tax Court ReportsTax Ct. Rep. (CCH)
Trade Regulation ReporterTrade Reg. Rep. (CCH)
  ⇒ bound as Trade CasesTrade Cas. (CCH)
Unemployment Insurance ReporterUnempl. Ins. Rep. (CCH)
Uniform Commercial Code Reporting Service SecondUCC Rep. Serv. (West)
Union Labor Report NewsletterUnion Lab. Rep. Newsl. (BNA)
The United States Law WeekU.S.L.W. (BNA—publisher need not be indicated)
The United States Patents Quarterly bound in same nameU.S.P.Q. (BNA)
U.S. Tax Cases—see Federal Estate and Gift Tax Reporter and Standard Federal Tax Reporter
U.S. Tax ReporterU.S. Tax Rep. (RIA)
U.S. Tax Treaties ReporterU.S. Tax Treaties Rep. (CCH)
Utilities Law ReportsUtil. L. Rep. (CCH)
Wage and Hour Cases—see Labor Relations Reporter

T9. Required Abbreviations for Treaty Sources

The dates to the year of the treaties contained in the source, not the years in which the source was published.

Court NameDateAbbreviation
Official U.S. Sources
United States Treaties and Other International Agreements1950–date<volume> U.S.T. xxx
Statutes at Large (indexed at 64 Stat. B1107)1778–1949<volume> Stat. xxx
Treaties and Other International Acts Series1945–dateT.I.A.S. No. x
Treaty Series1778–1945T.S. No. x
Executive Agreement Series1922–1945E.A.S. No. x
Senate Treaty Document 1981–dateS. Treaty Doc. No. x
Senate Executive Documents1778–1980S. Exec. Doc. No. x
Intergovernmental Treaty sources
United Nations Treaty Series1946–date<volume> U.N.T.S. xxx
League of Nations Treaty Series1920–1945<volume> L.N.T.S. xxx
Pan-American Treaty Series1949–date<volume> Pan-Am. T.S. xxx
European Treaty Series1948–2003E.T.S. No. xxx
Organization of American States Treaty Series1970–dateO.A.S.T.S. No. xxx
Council of Europe Treaty Series2004–dateC.E.T.S. No. xxx
Unofficial Treaty Sources
U.S. Treaties on LEXIS1776–dateLEXIS xxx
International Legal Materials1962–date<volume> I.L.M. xxx
Parry’s Consolidated Treaty Series 1648–1919<volume> Consol. T.S. xxx
Hein’s United States Treaties and Other International Agreements1984–dateHein’s No. KAV xxxx
Bevans1776–1949<volume> Bevans xxx

T10. Required Abbreviations for Geographical Terms

T10.1. U.S. States, Cities and Territories

PlaceAbbreviation
States
AlabamaAla.
AlaskaAlaska
ArizonaAriz.
ArkansasArk.
CaliforniaCal.
ColoradoColo.
ConnecticutConn.
DelawareDel.
FloridaFla.
GeorgiaGa.
HawaiiHaw.
IdahoIdaho
IllinoisIll.
IndianaInd.
IowaIowa
KansasKan.
KentuckyKy.
LouisianaLa.
MaineMe.
MarylandMd.
MassachusettsMass.
MichiganMich.
MinnesotaMinn.
MississippiMiss.
MissouriMo.
MontanaMont.
NebraskaNeb.
NevadaNev.
New HampshireN.H.
New JerseyN.J.
New MexicoN.M.
New YorkN.Y.
North CarolinaN.C.
North DakotaN.D.
OhioOhio
OklahomaOkla.
OregonOr.
PennsylvaniaPa.
Rhode IslandR.I.
South CarolinaS.C.
South DakotaS.D.
TennesseeTenn.
TexasTex.
UtahUtah
VermontVt.
VirginiaVa.
WashingtonWash.
West VirginiaW. Va.
WisconsinWis.
WyomingWyo.
Cities1
BaltimoreBalt.
BostonBos.
ChicagoChi.
DallasDall.
District of ColumbiaD.C.
HoustonHous.
Los AngelesL.A.
New YorkN.Y.C.
PhiladelphiaPhila.
PhoenixPhx.
San FranciscoS.F.
Territories
American SamoaAm. Sam.
GuamGuam
Northern Mariana IslandsN. Mar. I.
Puerto RicoP.R.
Virgin IslandsV.I.

Note

  1. Abbreviations for city names may also be composed from state name abbreviations above. For example, “Kansas City” should be shortened to “Kan. City.”

T10.2 Australian States and Canadian Provinces and Territories

PlaceAbbreviation
Australia
Australian Capital TerritoryAustl. Cap. Terr.
New South WalesN.S.W.
Northern TerritoryN. Terr.
QueenslandQueensl.
South AustraliaS. Austl.
TasmaniaTas.
VictoriaVict.
Western AustraliaW. Austl.
Canada
AlbertaAlta.
British ColumbiaB.C.
ManitobaMan.
New BrunswickN.B.
Newfoundland & LabradorNfld.
Northwest TerritoriesN.W.T.
Nova ScotiaN.S.
NunavutNun.
OntarioOnt.
Prince Edward IslandP.E.I.
QuebecQue.
SaskatchewanSask.
YukonYukon

T10.3 Countries and Regions

PlaceAbbreviation
AfghanistanAfg.
AfricaAfr.
AlbaniaAlb.
AlgeriaAlg.
AndorraAndorra
AngolaAngl.
AnguillaAnguilla
AntarcticaAntarctica
Antigua & BarbudaAnt. & Barb.
ArgentinaArg.
ArmeniaArm.
AsiaAsia
AustraliaAustl.
AustriaAustria
AzerbaijanAzer.
BahamasBah.
BahrainBahr.
BangladeshBangl.
BarbadosBarb.
BelarusBelr.
BelgiumBelg.
BelizeBelize
BeninBenin
BermudaBerm.
BhutanBhutan
BoliviaBol.
Bosnia & HerzegovinaBosn. & Herz.
BotswanaBots.
BrazilBraz.
BruneiBrunei
BulgariaBulg.
Burkina FasoBurk. Faso
BurundiBurundi
CambodiaCambodia
CameroonCameroon
CanadaCan.
Cape VerdeCape Verde
Cayman IslandsCayman Is.
Central African RepublicCent. Afr. Rep.
ChadChad
ChileChile
China, People's Republic ofChina
ColombiaColom.
ComorosComoros
Congo, Democratic Republic of theDem. Rep. Congo
Congo, Republic of theCongo
Costa RicaCosta Rica
Côte d'IvoireCôte d'Ivoire
CroatiaCroat.
CubaCuba
CyprusCyprus
Czech RepublicCzech
DenmarkDen.
DjiboutiDjib.
DominicaDominica
Dominican RepublicDom. Rep.
EcuadorEcuador
EgyptEgypt
El SalvadorEl Sal.
EnglandEng.
Equatorial GuineaEq. Guinea
EritreaEri.
EstoniaEst.
EthiopiaEth.
EuropeEur.
Falkland IslandsFalkland Is.
FijiFiji
FinlandFin.
FranceFr.
GabonGabon
GambiaGam.
GeorgiaGeor.
GermanyGer.
GhanaGhana
GibraltarGib.
Great BritainGr. Brit.
GreeceGreece
GreenlandGreen.
GrenadaGren.
GuadeloupeGuad.
GuatemalaGuat.
GuineaGuinea
Guinea-BissauGuinea-Bissau
GuyanaGuy.
HaitiHaiti
HondurasHond.
Hong KongH.K.
HungaryHung.
IcelandIce.
IndiaIndia
IndonesiaIndon.
IranIran
IraqIraq
IrelandIr.
IsraelIsr.
ItalyIt.
JamaicaJam.
JapanJapan
JordanJordan
KazakhstanKaz.
KenyaKenya
KiribatiKiribati
Korea, NorthN. Kor.
Korea, SouthS. Kor.
KosovoKos.
KuwaitKuwait
KyrgyzstanKyrg.
LaosLaos
LatviaLat.
LebanonLeb.
LesothoLesotho
LiberiaLiber.
LibyaLibya
LiechtensteinLiech.
LithuaniaLith.
LuxembourgLux.
MacauMac.
MacedoniaMaced.
MadagascarMadag.
MalawiMalawi
MalaysiaMalay.
MaldivesMaldives
MaliMali
MaltaMalta
Marshall IslandsMarsh. Is.
MartiniqueMart.
MauritaniaMauritania
MauritiusMauritius
MexicoMex.
MicronesiaMicr.
MoldovaMold.
MonacoMonaco
MongoliaMong.
MontenegroMontenegro
MontserratMontserrat
MoroccoMorocco
MozambiqueMozam.
MyanmarMyan.
NamibiaNamib.
NauruNauru
NepalNepal
NetherlandsNeth.
New ZealandN.Z.
NicaraguaNicar.
NigerNiger
NigeriaNigeria
North AmericaN. Am.
Northern IrelandN. Ir.
NorwayNor.
OmanOman
PakistanPak.
PalauPalau
PanamaPan.
Papua New GuineaPapua N.G.
ParaguayPara.
PeruPeru
PhilippinesPhil.
Pitcairn IslandPitcairn Is.
PolandPol.
PortugalPort.
QatarQatar
RéunionRéunion
RomaniaRom.
RussiaRuss.
RwandaRwanda
Saint HelenaSt. Helena
Saint Kitts & NevisSt. Kitts & Nevis
Saint LuciaSt. Lucia
Saint Vincent & the GrenadinesSt. Vincent
SamoaSamoa
San MarinoSan Marino
São Tomé & PríncipeSão Tomé & Príncipe
Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia
ScotlandScot.
SenegalSen.
SerbiaSerb.
SeychellesSey.
Sierra LeoneSierra Leone
SingaporeSing.
SlovakiaSlovk.
SloveniaSlovn.
Solomon IslandsSolom. Is.
SomaliaSom.
South AfricaS. Afr.
South AmericaS. Am.
SpainSpain
Sri LankaSri Lanka
SudanSudan
SurinameSurin.
SwazilandSwaz.
SwedenSwed.
SwitzerlandSwitz.
SyriaSyria
TaiwanTaiwan
TajikistanTaj.
TanzaniaTanz.
ThailandThai.
Timor-Leste (East Timor)Timor-Leste
TogoTogo
TongaTonga
Trinidad & TobagoTrin. & Tobago
TunisiaTunis.
TurkeyTurk.
TurkmenistanTurkm.
Turks & Caicos IslandsTurks & Caicos Is.
TuvaluTuvalu
UgandaUganda
UkraineUkr.
United Arab EmiratesU.A.E.
United KingdomU.K.
United States of AmericaU.S.
UruguayUru.
UzbekistanUzb.
VanuatuVanuatu
Vatican CityVatican
VenezuelaVenez.
VietnamViet.
Virgin Islands, BritishVirgin Is.
WalesWales
YemenYemen
ZambiaZam.
ZimbabweZim.

T11. Required Abbreviations for Titles of Judges and Officials

TitleAbbreviation
Administrative Law JudgeA.L.J.
ArbitratorArb.
Assembly[man, woman, member]Assemb.
Attorney GeneralAtt’y Gen.
BaronB.
ChancellorC.
Chief BaronC.B.
Chief Judge, Chief JusticeC.J.
CommissionerComm’r
DelegateDel.
HonorableHon.
Judge, JusticeJ.
Judges, JusticesJJ.
Lord JusticeL.J.
MagistrateMag.
Master of the RollsM.R.
MediatorMed.
RefereeRef.
RepresentativeRep.
SenatorSen.
Vice ChancellorV.C.

T12. Required Abbreviations for Month Names

Month NameAbbreviation
JanuaryJan.
FebruaryFeb.
MarchMar.
AprilApr.
MayMay
JuneJune
JulyJuly
AugustAug.
SeptemberSept.
OctoberOct.
NovemberNov.
DecemberDec.

T13. Required Abbreviations for Periodical Names

The following guidelines are used for abbreviating periodical names:

  1. Use the title of the periodical on the issue you are citing, even if the name of the periodical has changed.
  2. Use the abbreviations for common institutional names as listed in Table T13.1 if the name is listed.
  3. If the institutional name is not listed in Table T13.1, use abbreviations as listed in Table T13.2 and Table T10.
  4. If the word is not found in Table T13.2 or Table T10, do not abbreviate the word in the abbreviated title.
  5. Do not use the words “a,” “at,” “in,” “of,” and “the” in the abbreviated title, but do use the word “on.”
  6. If the title consists of “a,” “at,” “in,” “of,” or “the” followed by a single word, do not abbreviate the remaining word.
  7. If the periodical title has an abbreviation in it, use the abbreviation.
  8. Omit all commas in abbreviated titles, but retain other punctuation.
  9. If a periodical title has a colon followed by words, omit all that from the abbreviated title.
  10. If a periodical has been renumbered into a new series, indicate that by prefacing the series number with “(n.s.)”.
  11. If there is an online supplement to a print publication, use the proper abbreviation for the print publication, followed by the name of the online supplement.

T13.1. Required Abbreviations for Institutions

Institution NameAbbreviation
AdelaideAdel.
Air ForceA.F.
AlbanyAlb.
American Bar Association (ABA)A.B.A.
American Intellectual Property Law AssociationAIPLA
American Law InstituteA.L.I.
[Journal of the] American Medical Association[J]AMA
American Society of Composers, Authors, & PublishersASCAP
American UniversityAm. U.
Boston CollegeB.C.
Boston UniversityB.U.
Brigham Young UniversityBYU
BrooklynBrook.
BuffaloBuff.
California (California Law Review only)Calif.
CapitalCap.
ChapmanChap.
Chartered Life UnderwritersC.L.U.
CincinnatiCin.
City University of New YorkCUNY
ClevelandClev.
ColumbiaColum.
CumberlandCumb.
DenverDenv.
DetroitDet.
DickinsonDick.
DuquesneDuq.
East[ern]E.
Foreign Broadcast Information ServiceF.B.I.S.
George MasonGeo. Mason
George WashingtonGeo. Wash.
GeorgetownGeo.
GonzagaGonz.
HarvardHarv.
HowardHow.
John MarshallJ. Marshall
Judge Advocate General['s]JAG
Las VegasL.V.
Lawyer's Reports AnnotatedL.R.A.
LoyolaLoy.
MarquetteMarq.
MelbourneMelb.
MemphisMem.
New EnglandNew Eng.
New York University [School of Law]N.Y.U.
North[ern]N.
Northeast[ern]Ne.
Northwest[ern]Nw.
PepperdinePepp.
PittsburghPitt.
RichmondRich.
Rocky Mountain Mineral Law InstituteRocky Mtn. Min. L. Inst.
Saint LouisSt. Louis
San Fernando ValleySan Fern. V.
Southeast[ern]Se.
South[ern]S.
Southern Methodist UniversitySMU
Southwest[ern]Sw.
StanfordStan.
TempleTemp.
Thomas JeffersonT. Jefferson
Thomas M. CooleyT.M. Cooley
Thurgood MarshallT. Marshall
ToledoTol.
TulaneTul.
Universidad de Puerto RicoU. P.R.
University of CaliforniaU.C.
University of California - Los AngelesUCLA
University of Missouri Kansas CityUMKC
University of the District of Columbia, David A. Clarke School of LawUDC/DCSL
University of West Los AngelesUWLA
ValparaisoVal.
VanderbiltVand.
VillanovaVill.
Washington & LeeWash. & Lee
West[ern]W.
William & MaryWm. & Mary
William MitchellWm. Mitchell

T13.2. Required Abbreviations for Common Words Used In Periodical Names

Institution NameAbbreviation
Academ[ic, y]Acad.
Account[ant, ants, ing, ancy]Acct.
Administrat[ive, or, ion]Admin.
AdvertisingAdvert.
Advoca[te, cy]Advoc.
AffairsAff.
Africa[n]Afr.
Agricultur[e, al]Agric.
AmendmentAmend.
America[n, s]Am.
AncestryAnc.
and&
AnnualAnn.
AppellateApp.
Arbitrat[ion, or, ors]Arb.
AssociationAss’n
AttorneyAtt’y
BankruptcyBankr.
BarB.
Behavior[al]Behav.
BritishBrit.
BulletinBull.
BusinessBus.
CapitalCap.
CatholicCath.
Cent[er, re]Ctr.
CentralCent.
Children[’s]Child.
ChronicleChron.
CircuitCir.
CivilCiv.
Civil Libert[y, ies]C.L.
Civil RightsC.R.
CollegeC.
CommentaryComment.
Commerc[e, ial]Com.
Communication[s]Comm.
ComparativeComp.
ConferenceConf.
CongressionalCong.
Constitution[al]Const.
ContemporaryContemp.
Contract[s]Cont.
ConveyancerConv.
Corporat[e, ion]Corp.
CosmeticCosm.
Counsel[or, ors, or’s]Couns.
CourtCt.
CourtsCts.
CriminalCrim.
DefenseDef.
DelinquencyDelinq.
DepartmentDep’t
DerechoDer.
Development[s]Dev.
DigestDig.
DiplomacyDipl.
DisputeDisp.
DoctorDr.
East[ern]E.
Econom[ic, ics, ical, y]Econ.
Education[al]Educ.
Employ[ee, ment]Emp.
EnglishEng.
EntertainmentEnt.
EnvironmentEnv’t
EnvironmentalEnvtl.
Estate[s]Est.
Europe[an]Eur.
FacultyFac.
FamilyFam.
FederalFed.
FederationFed’n
Financ[e, ial]Fin.
FortnightlyFort.
ForumF.
Foundation[s]Found.
GeneralGen.
GovernmentGov’t
HispanicHisp.
Histor[ical, y]Hist.
HospitalHosp.
HumanHum.
Humanit[y, ies]Human.
ImmigrationImmigr.
IndependentIndep.
IndustrialIndus.
InequalityIneq.
InformationInfo.
InjuryInj.
InstituteInst.
InsuranceIns.
IntellectualIntell.
InterdisciplinaryInterdisc.
InterestInt.
InternationalInt’l
Invest[ments, ors]Inv.
JournalJ.
JudicialJud.
JuridicalJurid.
JurisprudenceJuris.
JusticeJust.
JuvenileJuv.
LaborLab.
LawL.
Law (first word)Law
Lawyer[s, s’, ’s]Law.
Legislat[ion, ive]Legis.
Librar[y, ian, ies]Libr.
LitigationLitig.
LocalLoc.
MagazineMag.
ManagementMgmt.
MaritimeMar.
MarketMkt.
MatrimonialMatrim.
Medic[al, ine]Med.
MilitaryMil.
MineralMin.
ModernMod.
MunicipalMun.
NationalNat’l
NationalityNat’lity
NaturalNat.
NegligenceNegl.
NegotiationNegot.
New Seriesn.s.
NewsletterNewsl.
OfficeOff.
OrderOrd.
OrganizationOrg.
PacificPac.
PatentPat.
PersonalPers.
Perpsective[s]Persp.
Philosoph[ical, y]Phil.
PlanningPlan.
PolicyPol’y
Politic[al, s]Pol.
Practi[cal, ce, tioner(s)]Prac.
PrivatePriv.
Probat[e, ion]Prob.
ProblemsProbs.
Proce[edings, dure]Proc.
Products LiabilityProd. Liab.
Profession[al]Prof.
PropertyProp.
Psycholog[ical, y]Psychol.
PublicPub.
PublishingPub.
PuertorriqueñoP.R.
QuarterlyQ.
RecordRec.
Referee[s]Ref.
RegisterReg.
Regulat[ion, ory]Reg.
RelationsRel.
Report[s, er]Rep.
Reproduct[ion, ive]Reprod.
ResearchRes.
ReserveRes.
ResolutionResol.
ResponsibilityResp.
ReviewRev.
RevistaRev.
RightsRts.
SchoolSch.
Scien[ce, ces, tific]Sci.
ScottishScot.
SectionSec.
SecuritiesSec.
SentencingSent’g
ServiceServ.
SocialSoc.
SocietySoc’y
Sociolog[ical, y]Soc.
Solicitor[s, s’, ’s]Solic.
StateSt.
Statistic[s, al]Stat.
StudiesStud.
Supreme CourtSup. Ct.
SurveySurv.
SymposiumSymp.
SystemSys.
TaxationTax’n
TeacherTchr.
Techn[ique, ology]Tech.
Telecommunication[s]Telecomm.
TransnationalTransnat’l
TransportationTransp.
TribuneTrib.
Trust[ee, s]Tr.
Uniform Commercial CodeUCC
United StatesU.S.
Universit[ies, y]U.
UrbanUrb.
Utilit[ies, y]Util.
WeekWk.
WeeklyWkly.
Yearbook (or Year Book)Y.B.

T14. Required Abbreviations for Publishing Terms

Publishing TermAbbreviation
abridge[d, ment]abr.
annotatedann.
anonymousanon.
circac.
compil[ation, ed]comp.
copyrightcopy.
draftdrft.
edit[ion, or]ed.
manuscriptms.
mimeographmimeo.
new seriesn.s.
no daten.d.
no placen.p.
no publishern. pub.
offprintoffprt.
old serieso.s.
permanentperm.
photoduplicated reprintphoto. reprint
printingprtg.
replacementrepl.
reprintreprt.
revis[ed, ion]rev.
specialspec.
temporarytemp.
tentativetent.
translat[ion, or]trans.
unabridgedunabr.
volumevol.

T15. Required Abbreviations for Explanatory Phrases

If a phrase is followed a case name as the direct object, 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,

T16. Required Abbreviations for Document Subdivisions

Document SubdivisionAbbreviation
addendumadd.
amendmentamend.
annotationannot.
appendi[x, ces]app., apps.
articleart.
bibliographybibliog.
bookbk.
chapterch.
clausecl.
columncol.
comment[ary]cmt.
decisiondec.
departmentdept.
divisiondiv.
exampleex.
figure1fig.
foliofol.
footnote[s] in cross-referencesnote, notes
footnote[s] in other references2n., nn.
historical note[s]3hist. n., hist. nn.
hypotheticalhypo.
illustration[s]illus.
introductionintro.
line[s]l., ll.
numberno.
page[s] in cross-referencesp., pp.
page[s] in other references[at]
paragraph[s] ¶, ¶¶
paragraph[s] if symbol appears in source para., paras.
partpt.
preamblepmbl.
principleprinc.
publicationpub.
ruler.
schedulesched.
section[s] in amending act sec., secs.
section[s] in all other contexts§, §§
series, serialser.
subdivisionsubdiv.
subsectionsubsec.
supplementsupp.
table4tbl.
titletit.
volumevol.

Notes for Table T16:

  1. For figures, do not add a space between the abbreviation and the number of letter. For example, “fig.4”
  2. For footnotes, do not add a space between the abbreviation and the number of letter. For example, “n.4”
  3. For historical notes, do not add a space between the abbreviation and the number or letter. For example, “hist. n.4”
  4. For tables, do not add a space between the abbreviation and the number of letter. For example, “tbl.4”

T17. Table of Citation Guides

The 20th edition of the Bluebook is 560 pages. Pages 307–490 are devoted to Table 2, which is named “Foreign Jurisdictions.” While the Bluebook does an admirable, although some might argue overly specific, job of discussing the citation of U.S. legal materials, Table 2 breezes through 43 foreign jurisdictions at a breathtakingly rapid pace. The authoritativeness and care found in the rest of the Bluebook is perhaps not possible when attempting to summarize, for example, the legal system of France in 5 pages. As such, we attempt in this table to direct the reader to a series of other citation guides that are readily available for further guidance.

T17.1. General Legal Citation Guides

  1. New York University School of Law, Guide to Foreign and International Legal Citations, First Edition (2006). (Superseded by Second Edition)
  2. Cardiff University, Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations, (2011).
  3. University of Chicago Law Review, The Maroonbook: The University of Chicago Manual of Legal Citation, (2016).
  4. Peter W. Martin, Introduction to Basic Legal Citation, (2015).
  5. University of Washington School of Law, Acronyms & Abbreviations, (2015).
  6. Washington University in St. Louis Global Studies Law Review, International Citation Manual.
  7. American Association of Law Libraries, AALL Universal Citation Guide, Edition 2.1, (2008) (Superseded by Edition 3.0)

T17.2. Country-Specific Citation Guides

  1. New Zealand Law Foundation, New Zealand Law Style Guide, 2nd Edition, (2011).
  2. Faulty of Law, University of Oxford, Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities, (2006).
  3. SILC, Standard Indian Legal Citation, (2014).

T17.3. State and Jursisdiction-Specific Legal Citation Guides

  1. Arkansas Reporter of Decisions, House Style Guide, (2010).
  2. Edward W. Jessen, California Style Manual, 4th Edition, (2000).
  3. Office of the Reporter of Judicial Decisions, The Manual of Style for the Connecticut Courts (Third Edition), (2013).
  4. Superior Court of Delaware, Guide to the Delaware Rules of Legal Citation (Second Edition), (2004).
  5. Massachusetts Reports, Style Manual Prepared by the Office of the Reporter of Decisions, 2015–2016.
  6. Supreme Court of New Jersey, New Jersey Manual on Style for Judicial Opinions, (2004).
  7. Law Reporting Bureau of the State of New York, New York Official Reports Style Manual, (2015).
  8. U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals, Citation Guide, Seventh Edition, (2012).
  9. District of Columbia Court of Appeals, Citation and Style Guide, (2009).
  10. Department of Justice, United States Department of Justice, Office of the Solicitor General Citation Manual, (2014).

K. CODACIL

Baby Blue’s 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 or .

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.

L. PRE-RELEASE REVIEW [CONCLUDED]

Preparation of this manuscript has been conducted by Carl Malamud of Public.Resource.Org based on a submission by Professor Christopher Jon Sprigman of the New York University School of Law. During the preparation process, the manuscript was transformed from a Microsoft Word document into HTML, tables were added to the core document, and the file was extensively reformatted.

In preparation for a possible release, I am making the file available to a few people on an invitation-only basis for a reality check. During the pre-release review I am looking for feedback on aspects of the file such as:

What I am not interested in during the pre-release review are major alterations to the scope and focus of the present document. For example, if you think there are too many rules in the Uniform System of Citation, that is out of scope for the present document, which attempts to faithfully explain the existing rules.

In addition to Professor Sprigman, I have invited several other reviewers who are experts in legal citation, HTML/CSS, and the law in general to participate in this pre-release review. Upon close of the pre-release review, I will evaluate and incorporate suggestions received, and then make a determination if this document is ready to move into a public beta period.

A condition of participating in the pre-release review is that you must agree not to redistribute this document. The document is not public and it will change. Participants must agree not to disseminate this draft.

The timing of the pre-release review is as follows:

Extensive comments were received from Professor Frank Bennett, Dr. Rintze Zelle, Professor Christopher Jon Sprigman, Professor Pamela Samuelson, Professor Peter W. Martin, Point.B Studio, and the anonymous students of Professor Sprigman. I would like to thank these individuals for participating in the pre-release review and for their many helpful suggestions. Any errors that remain are, of course, the responsibility of the publisher.

Carl Malamud
Sebastopol, CA

M. Request for Comments

Public Resource has posted this manuscript for a public Request for Comments period. During the public Request for Comments period, we hope librarians, law students, and any other interested parties submit:

During the public Request for Comments period, we also hope that a number of conversations take place:

The manuscript currently resides at https://law.resource.org/pub/us/code/blue/. The manuscript is created from an HTML source file. Transformations of this source file are available in PDF and Word formats. You may submit point edits by editing the html source (from which we will create a diff) or using Word with track changes enabled. You may also provide comments on the PDF or Word documents, or as free-form text. Comments may be submitted before March 15, 2016 to:

Carl Malamud
Public.Resource.Org, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein Highway North
Sebastopol, CA 95472 USA
carl@media.org