However, the basic format of a case citation is as follows. 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 supreme court. The bluebook method of citation gained its name from a manual aptly named the. Follow the bluebook for cases cited to the southern reporter. State courts bluebook guide guides at georgetown law. The abbreviation for the court is in the parenthetical after the name of the court. Bluebook citation for legal materials purdue writing lab. If you are citing a state case, but not to a state court in that same state, dont worry about a parallel citation. The citations for a case are listed at the top of that case in lexisnexis, for example. Court name abbreviations table 7 in a nutshell normally, the abbreviation for state intermediate appellate courts is x ct. Case citations always use the case name parties, volume, reporter, page, and year. How to cite judicial opinions basic legal citation cornell. To obtain a court file, contact the clerk of the relevant court. Citation conventions for cases from all levels of courts for all u.
Citing case law sample bluebook citations libguides at. Bluebooking cases bluebooking and legal citation libguides at. The ongoing project to eliminate variances between this style manual and the bluebook, where prudent to do so, continues. The bluebook style is exclusively used for legal papers, and so it can be somewhat complicated due to its focus on easy citations of various court documents. The bluebook is the guide to citing legal documents in the united states. Double check with your professor, outside guides, and the bluebook. Citing cases bluebook guide guides at georgetown law. This is also a good source to check when you are doing a criminal background check. Bt2 jurisdictionspecific citation rules and style guides. Bluebook rule 10 covers how cases should be cited in legal documents. A professional system of citation provide that case citations in documents submitted to state courts must conform with the local rules of that state.
This uniform system of citation allows the reader of a legal document to identify quickly the source in which the case is reported, where the case is located within the source, and the precedential value of the case. Common bluebook citations for federal courts welcome. The citation of kentucky cases is in line with the bluebook style and case names may be italized or underlined. Bluebook case guide bluebook citation generator legalease.
Finally, a bluebook case citation include the year that the court decided the case. Supreme courts own unique citation style is based off of the bluebook method. This may be followed by subsequent history of the case, e. A short form citation may be used to identify a case that has previously been cited in full.
Citing cases bluebook guide guides at georgetown law library. As of july 1, 2012 the case database at ohio supreme court website was designated as the official reports for decisions of the state s courts of appeals and court of claims. However, when citing decisions of the united states supreme court or the highest court of any individual state, do not include the name of the deciding court. The following citation rules are primarily adapted from the bluebook. This means no court parenthetical is necessary for the u.
State court abbreviations bluebook quick reference. In court documents briefs, motions and legal memoranda, a full case name is. The name of the case is abbreviated to include the important words in each partys name, but is not italicized. State case citations usually indicate the deciding court and year in a. Listed below are some guidelines to help you choose the proper abbreviation. Citation services new york state unified court system. 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. Supreme court cases, however, the bluebook dictates that you generally cite to a case in the unofficial regional reporter, if therein.
While many state courts have their own citation rules, they typically are modifications or customizations of the bluebook method as well. Kentucky citation for documents submitted to the kentucky courts, you should follow the citation rules found in the kentucky rules of civil procedure. The case was decided in the united states court of appeals for the ninth circuit in 1992. Supreme court when citing a united states supreme court opinion, the bluebook says that you must cite from the united states reporter abbreviated as u. You can look cases up by attorney, defendant, case number or citation number. Some of the most obscure bluebook rules or how to really. Case law bluebook basics libguides at university of. Similarly, if the state case is more helpful and perhaps even more recent than a federal case that addresses the same point, you can list the. California style manual for many years, the california style manual has served as the official guide for styling citations to legal materials in documents filed with state courts in california. State case citations usually indicate the deciding court and year in a parenthetical following the reporter citation. For an overview of citing legal documents according to the bluebook, consult the georgetown university law library guide. Effective january 1, 2008, however, california rule of court, rule 1. State courts bluebook guide guides at georgetown law library. For lower courts, we also add the name of the court.
In academic writing, the case name is in normal type in footnotes and italicized in text. If you are citing a state case that is from a state court in the same state, you will need a parallel citation. The citation is usually contained in parentheses at the end of the sentence. If the source is westlaw or lexis, and access to both is available, cite both services. The citation may be followed by other parenthetical information, such as a brief explanation of the cases relevance or a quotation from that case. However, the shortened name must be unambiguous and readily identify the case being referred to. List the state reporter before the regional reporter. Additionally, the chicago manual of style recommends its use for all citation of legal material. Reporters include all court opinions in chronological order. For many years, the california style manual was the official citation guide for materials filed in the california state courts. Supreme court cases, however, the bluebook dictates that you generally cite to a case in the unofficial regional reporter, if therein, rather than the official state reporter rule 10.
In court documents, the case name is underlined or italicized. Table t1 in the bluebook has the reporter names abbreviations, first for. Include name of court and its geographical jurisdiction, unless citing to the united states supreme court or the highest court of any state. As with cases from the supreme court of california, the bluebook refers to the yellow book in regards to rules for parallel citations to unofficial reporters. Instate citations to contemporary courts of appeals decisions commonly include the district, county, and docket number in the format shown.
Attorneys submitting briefs outside of this state or to the federal courts should ensure they are following that jurisdictions rules, specifically the rule on parallel citations. Below is a list of state supreme court and court of appeals abbreviations. Go to kentucky rules of civil procedure title lx appeals. The precise format of a case citation depends on a number of factors, including the jurisdiction, court, and type of case. Citation to a case contained in an electronic service e.
Office of reporter of decisions style sheet effective july 03, 2018, and subject to revision. Provide the case name, citation, court, decision date and docket or index number. If you are writing a brief or memo, look at the blue pages, rule b10 or apply the citation rules of the jurisdiction. For example, below is a quote from the case petition of kinsman transit co. Westlaw or lexis is permissible only when the case is not published in book form. The new york official reports citator provides the approved citeas case name, official book citation, slip opinion citation, decision date, court, judge and docket number for each decision. Note that you may need to cite to an official state reporter as well if required by court rules rule 10. When state cases are cited to a court in the same state, most state rules require that. 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.
Do not capitalize court, unless referring to a specific one. Provide a court parenthetical only if the court is not indicated by the reporter. For example, under the entries for arizona you have. If you are referring to specific material within a case, include both the page on which the case begins and a pincite r3. The bluebook style guide is used in the american legal profession for citation of all relevant sources. In the context of legal citation, judicial opinions are commonly referred to as cases and organized. Cases bluebook legal citation tarlton law library at. Citations to reported cases from state and federal jurisdictions in the united states follow a set pattern. More specific citation problems, or unanswered problems, should be solved based upon the bluebook. In general, case citations should indicate parenthetically the deciding court followed by the year of decision immediately following the page reference, separated by one space. The form is a blend between intext and footnotebased formats, as its citations are located in the text but appear more similar to footnotebased ones. Adapted from georgetown law library guide to citing cases when citing a supreme court case, you should cite the.
Typically, the court and date are omitted and a pinpoint citation is given. This is the states highest court, and when possible you should use. Citing court cases bluebook legal citations research guides at. Citations below are based on the twentieth 20 th edition of the bluebook.
Any information about state and court that is clear from the reporter name should be deleted from the parenthetica l. Each third series record is hyperlinked to the full text of the decision on the law. Judicial opinions basic legal citation cornell university. For example, table t1 tells you to cite california state court cases to. Here is an example of citation to a supreme court of nebraska case in the north western reporter 2d. Below depicts how to cite a case using the bluebook from the supreme court. Citations to cases decided by the highest court of any state need not indicate the court. When a case citation includes cites to the same case published in multiple reporters, that is known as a parallel citation. Generally speaking, the citation includes the case name, followed by the reporter volume, the reporter abbreviation, the first page of the case, the specific page for the cited material, and the court abbreviation and date in parentheses unless the court name is obvious from the reporter abbreviation. The style manual used by the new york state law reporting. All of the information you need to properly abbreviate state courts and state court reporters is in table t.
Kentucky courts kentucky legal research guide research. In addition, a listing of each third series decision that cites to your retrieved decision will also be displayed. Citations to state and federal cases circuit riders libguides at. If it is a federal reporter, and not the us reports, include the abbreviation for the deciding court if it is a regional reporter, properly cite the deciding court.
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