How to read a case citation.
Sep 24, 2024 · How to Read a Legal Citation Howard W.
How to read a case citation. If the case is appealed, as in this example, the name of the petitioner Case Law A common type of legal citation is a citation to a court case, or judicial opinion. Note: In a trial court case, the first name listed is the plaintiff, the party bringing the suit. Jun 4, 2015 · The cryptic bit is a citation to a court judgement. courts using primary and secondary sources of case law. Includes components of case citation and tips to break them to read and understand. Under the link, you'll find a set of helpful screencasts, as well as a complete citation guide. 945, 181 L. Hunter Law Library Legal Research Guide #1 How To Read A Legal Citation What is a Citation? A citation is a reference to a legal authority. You should review the rest of this section on citing cases (and the relevant rules in The Bluebook) before trying to format a case citation for the first time. as you can see these are guides to not just statute citation abbreviations but also include abbreviations to different courts and case reporters, secondary sources such as law reviews, legal encyclopedias, codes of regulations, etc. Apr 9, 2025 · U. This guide cites resources for locating and identifying judicial decisions from the U. Feb 24, 2023 · If your citation reads “42 Cal. The process of case law research is described in detail in Chapter 4 of this Guide. 400, 132 S. Most citations to court cases appear as illustrated below: Citations to court cases, or judicial opinions, generally begin with the name of the case. 4th 254, 260,” the specific quotation or reference you are looking for will begin on page 260, of a case that began on page 254 of volume 42 of the 4th Series of the California Reporter. Ed. A complete citation includes the names of the parties in the case, the volume number of the court reporter, the court reporter abbreviation, the page number of the reporter where the case begins, and the year the case was decided. Jun 3, 2024 · A citation (or cite) in legal terminology is a reference to a specific legal source, such as a constitution, a statute, a reported case, a treatise, or a law review article. . Ct. S. A good online resource on the form of citation for U. It is essential that citations to legal materials follow a standard format so that anyone using a law library may find the resources cited. The name following the "v" is the defendant. Sep 24, 2024 · How to Read a Legal Citation Howard W. Oct 16, 2023 · Learn how to read case citation to enchance your legal reseach skills. However, the basic format of a case citation is as follows: Note: In court documents (briefs, motions) and legal Jul 29, 2025 · Reading a Supreme Court Citation Often, a case is reported or printed in more than one set of books and then all of the cites to that opinion are given; these are known as parallel citations. legal materials is Basic Legal Citation, written and maintained by Professor Peter Martin and hosted by the Legal Information Institute at Cornell University. Supreme Court case citation : U nited States v. 2d 911 (2012) United States v. Jones = Names of the parties in the case. Mar 7, 2025 · Examples of Citation Guides Here are some snapshots of what those look like. Mar 10, 2025 · The precise format of a case citation depends on a number of factors, including the jurisdiction, court, and type of case. May 7, 2025 · Case law is law based on judicial decisions. Jones, 565 U. Apr 22, 2025 · A case citation tells where a full copy of the court’s legal opinion in a case may be located. Good freely available sources for Jul 31, 2025 · Reading Case Citations A case citation typically has five parts: Party names, name if the reporter in which the case is found, volume number of the reporter, page in the reporter where the case starts, and the year the case was decided. zgjtzcuirrgtapmftirdtstrwtbpdzzusseczdzyagcw