The central function of a legal citation is to allow the reader to efficiently locate the cited source. Generally, that means bluebook format, but there are some exceptions for instance, citing rcw instead of wash. Set out below is a table of words and their abbreviations with links to. The following samples cover basic citation format for secondary sources. It provides a system of rules for legal citations so that readers can locate the sources cited. The bluebook is overwhelmingly the most popular legal citation style and is the main focus of this guide. It is used for all federal court documents and legal scholarship. Use ilcs as the abbreviation for all forms of the illinois compiled statutes, both semiofficial and unofficial. These tables give the various abbreviations for the u. Accepted abbreviations for legal materials may be found in various publications, such as. Citations and abbreviations for statutes and regulations. Related guides princes dictionary of legal abbreviations. Part of doing legal research is citing your authorities properly and tracking down items with unfamiliar citations.
Introduction to basic legal citation table of contents index help. State court abbreviations university of akron school of law. California has its own style manual for its state courts. When filing legal documents with a court, court rules of citation apply. The primary authority for legal citation, and abbreviations, in the united states is the bluebook. Official code of inforce california state agency rules and regulations. It is a composite of those contained in the bluebook and the alwd guide to legal citation. B58 18th ed 2005 both contain extensive listings of legal abbreviations for various legal sources. Interactive citation workstation available online at lexisnexis.
The style manual used by the new york state law reporting. Decisions of the comptroller general of the united states selected. Georgia state university college of law and the authors of the works. The following information regarding the bluebook citation format is an adapted version of the style and formatting guidelines found in the bluebook, 20th ed. Any information about state and court that is clear from the reporter name should be deleted from the parenthetica l. Depending on the source or style, you may or may not need to know the city, state, or country. Common abbreviations and legal citation examples llsdc. A section of the massachusetts general laws relating to the issuance of search warrants can be cited as mass. Common bluebook citations for federal courts welcome.
Case name abbreviations table 6 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z. The abbreviations for the court and state are not included in the parenthetical due to rule 10. Sanford levinson, wrestling with diversity 25 2003. Contains legal abbreviations for english language publications. The whitepages are the indepth rules of citation and style. Citing cases bluebook guide guides at georgetown law. This guide lists bluebook alternatives, but you should assume that bluebook format is preferred by academic law journals and law school writing programs. A volume that explains the organization of a state government and provides the names of state officials. One of the keys to citing statutes properly is knowing where to find the proper legal citation abbreviations. Abbreviate the listed words wherever they appear in a partys name that is part of a citation. In addition, abbreviate any state or smaller geographic unit included in a. Company, individual, or entity that helped get a work published or distributed. Cases bluebook legal citation tarlton law library at tarlton law.
The purpose of this guide is to introduce the bluebook and basic concepts of legal citation to new law students. The bluebook is a collaborative project by a handful of elite law schools. Bluebook rule 12 covers how statutes should be cited in legal. This will provide you with all of the information you need to cite the case but it will not be properly bluebooked. However, some courts require a different type of citation in documents submitted to them. The abbreviation for the wi supreme court is wi and for the wi court of appeals is wi app for more information on citation in wi. Sources and courts tend to have official abbreviations for this purpose, which are generally conspicuously provided for anyone needing to cite them. Words in case names basic legal citation cornell university. Bluebook citation for legal materials purdue writing lab. Bluebook editors compile the most useful answers to bluebook questions. Although it is intended to highlight the bluebook, and not substitute for it, we hope this guide provides a convenient, delawarespecific resource for the superior courts judicial officers, law clerks, interns, externs, and staff. Understanding connecticut legal citations case citations in the connecticut statutes c ct reports ca ct appellate reports cs ct supplement conn. Always consult the bluebook for additional information. Citing the law student legal services libguides at.
A publication that establishes the correct form of case citations or of references to a legal authority showing where information can be found. State courts bluebook guide guides at georgetown law library. However, the basic format of a case citation is as follows. Abbreviations for foreign countries materials are found in table 2. The following note is set out after the abbreviations. Washington courts general rule 14 requires that citations in court documents conform with the format prescribed by the reporter of decisions. Uniform maine citations university of maine school of law. State law citations tend to be unique to the state. Provides correct citation and abbreviation information for all united states jurisdictions, including federal. This page provides bluebook a uniform system of citation, 19th ed.
Below are standard abbreviations for the major federal and california statutory and regulatory sources. Bluebook rule 12 covers how statutes should be cited in legal documents. Common abbreviations legal citation research guides at. A citation to a case in a regional reporter has the following six elements. Bluebook rule 10 covers how cases should be cited in legal documents. State court abbreviations bluebook quick reference. Rules white pages in middle tables and abbreviations blue pages in back index white pages in back you must cite to supporting authority when. General case citation is covered in bluebook rule 10. A list of 1 reporters and reporter abbreviations, 2 courts and court abbreviations, and 3 preferred sources to cite for federal courts and each states. These include standard abbreviations united states code becomes. Consult the blue pages, rule b12, if you are writing a brief or memo. Name of the case underlined or italicized and abbreviated according to. Cite to the name of the sourcedictionary, page number if pinpoint citing, edition and year.
The bluebook is the main citation manual for law in the u. A reference guide for attorneys, legal secretaries, paralegals, and law students. Bt2 jurisdictionspecific citation rules and style guides. State courts bluebook guide guides at georgetown law. However, this guide also provides an overview of other citation styles that are important for california law students and lawyers to know, such as the california style manual. State statutes bluebook guide guides at georgetown law library. Names of the source and the court are also generally abbreviated. Legal citation aims to create uniform, understandable references to laws that make them easy for readers to look up. Bluebooking tips and resources georgia state university.
The bluebook style guide is used in the american legal profession for citation of all relevant sources. Essential bluebook rules law school writing center law. Citing cases bluebook guide guides at georgetown law library. If you prefer to search by state supreme court or court of appeals exclusively, click on the links in the left hand navigation bar for. State abbreviations bb alwd ib state abbreviations 1.
Washington practitioners bluebook 101 library guides. I must start by thanking the law reporting bureau of the state of new york for inviting me to write the foreword for the 2012 style manual. Lexisnexis law school publishing advisory board paul caron professor of law pepperdine university school of law. The fastest way to collect all of the citation information for a case is to highlight the specific text you would like to cite and use the databases copy with citation feature. All wisconsin cases issued after 1100 include a public domain citation. The precise format of a case citation depends on a number of factors, including the jurisdiction, court, and type of case. These regional reporters contain appellate case law. I am so pleased to recognize our outstanding state reporter, bill hooks, who succeeded to the position in june 2009.
For further information on state statutes, please click here consult the blue pages, rule b12, if you are writing a brief or memo. Set out below is a table of words and their abbreviations with links to examples. Lettersabbreviations at the end of a name that tells us more about an individual. A comma, must separate this starting page 677 from the pin cite 683. Therefore, california statutory code citations merely include an abbreviation for the specific code followed by the number of the section being cited to e. Below is a list of state supreme court and court of appeals abbreviations.
This research guide lists citation manuals and dictionaries of legal abbreviations to help you with these tasks. As noted above, the court is omitted if it is the highest court in the state. Bluebook resources penn state law university park, pa. Home legal citation guides and abbreviations research. The new rule brings kentucky practice more in line with the bluebook and alwd styles, although citation to the lower appellate court is slightly at variance. Many of the complicated variations on rules are not shown in these samples. All citations of kentucky statutes shall be made from the official. Blue book legal definition of blue book legal dictionary. State, supreme court abbreviations or court of last resort. Additionally, the chicago manual of style recommends its use for all citation of legal material. University of chicago manual of legal citation the maroon book sources for abbreviations. For further information on federal statutes, please click here.
Outlines the basic structure of legal citations, including cases law, statutes, and administrative rules and regulations. Ct circuit court reports cases general statutes of connecticut title number section number date of revision regulations of connecticut state agencies title number part number subpart. California specific legal encyclopedia that provides case citations and cross references to other resources. A book, report, treatise, or other nonperiodic material may be cited in shortform after it has been in full. Citing secondary sources sample bluebook citations. Basics of legal citations introduction to legal citation. Cases bluebook legal citation tarlton law library at.
Supreme court abbreviations bluebook quick reference. The bluepages provide easy and basic principles for common citations. This legal citations and abbreviations index provided by harvard university will walk you through several different types of searches. Legal abbreviations gonzaga university school of law. Name and original section number as it appears in the session laws. A uniform system of citation cabell reference kf245. Abbreviations to state court reporters including washington courts. The law library has many copies available at law reserve, reference, and at the reference desk, via call number kf 245.
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