1. Presented by Elisabeth McKechnie Mabie Law Library
LEGAL CITATION
Presented by Elisabeth McKechnie
Mabie Law Library

2. IN COMMON USE IN THE U.S. BLUEBOOK
A.k.a The BlueBook, A Uniform System of Citation
18th Edition is current.
IN COMMON USE IN THE U.S.

3. CALIFORNIA STYLE MANUAL

4. WHEN DO I USE THEM? Bluebook California Style Manual
Law Review Citation
Federal Litigation
Where Authorized by Local Rule
California Style Manual
California Litigation
WHEN DO I USE THEM?

5. CALIFORNIA

6. Citations to cases and other authorities in all documents filed in the courts must be in the style established by either the California Style Manual or The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, at the option of the party filing the document. The same style must be used consistently throughout the document.
Cal. Rules of Court, Rule 1.200
CALIFORNIA PLEADINGS

7. EVEN IF ALLOWED, SHOULD YOU USE BLUEBOOK IN CA SUPREME COURT?
Cal. Rule of Court 8.204:
…Brief writers are encouraged to follow the citation form of the California Style Manual
(4th Ed., 2000)
EVEN IF ALLOWED, SHOULD YOU USE BLUEBOOK IN CA SUPREME COURT?

8. USING BLUEBOOK IN CALIFORNIA

9. CITATION BASICS

10. DON’T CITE ONLINE SOURCES
RULE 18:
“…The BLUEBOOK requires the use and citation of traditional printed sources unless
(1) the information cited is unavailable in a traditional printed source; or
(2) a copy of the source cannot be located because it is so obscure that it is practically unavailable.
Only in those two cases should citation be made to the electronic source alone.
DON’T CITE ONLINE SOURCES

11. CITING TO A PAPER SUPPLEMENT
What is a pocket part?
22 U.S.C. section 2567 (Supp. I 1983).
[Date is the SUPPLEMENT’S date]
RULE (e): “Cite material appearing in supplements (including pocket parts) according to Rule 3.1(c).”
CITING TO A PAPER SUPPLEMENT

12. OFFICIAL AND UNOFFICIAL REPORTERS
In the Federal system, the official reporter for the Supreme Court is the United States Reports (or U.S.C). Unofficial reporters are the Supreme Court Reports (or S.Ct. ) or United States Supreme Court Reports (Lawyer's Edition) (L.Ed.). Each is by a different publisher.
i.e.: International Shoe v State of Washingtion,
326 U.S. 310, 66 S.Ct. 154, 90 L.Ed. 95 (1945).
United States Reports----Offical Reporter
Supreme Court Reports---Unofficial Reporter
Lawyers’ Edition Unofficial Reporter
OFFICIAL AND UNOFFICIAL REPORTERS

13. LIST OF FEDERAL REPORTERS
Supreme Court United States Reports (official): U.S.
Supreme Court Reports: S.Ct.
United States Supreme Court Reports (Lawyers’ Edition): L.Ed.
Federal Appeals Court Federal Reporter:F.2d
Federal Appendix: F.App’x
(unpublished cases)
Federal District Court Federal Supplement: F.Supp
LIST OF FEDERAL REPORTERS

14. FEDERAL “NOMINATIVE” REPORTERS
Pre-U.S. Reports, Supreme Court cases
OLD!
Named for the Court Reporter who compiled the notes that created them:
Vols. 1-4 Dallas (Dall.) (U.S. Reports vols. 1-4)
Vols. 1-9 Cranch (Cranch) (U.S. Reports vols. 5-13)
Vols Wheaton (Wheat.) (U.S. Reports vols )
Vols Peters (Pet.) (U.S. Reports vols )
Vols Howard (How.) (U.S. Reports vols )
Vols. 1-2 Black (Black) (U.S. Reports vols )
Vols Wallace (Wall.) (U.S. Reports vols )
Available at Westlaw in SCT-OLD; and HeinOnline’s U.S. Reports collection.
FEDERAL “NOMINATIVE” REPORTERS

15. CALIFORNIA LEGAL REPORTERS
California Supreme Court Cases: Auto Equity Sales v. Superior Court, 57 Cal.2d 450, 20 Cal.Rptr.32, 369 P.2d. 937 (1962). Appellate Cases: Daniel v. Weigum, 190 Cal. App. 2d 620, 16 Cal. Rptr. 27 (1964) Official Reporter: California Appellate Reports, 2nd Series Unofficial Reporter: California Reporter Regional Reporter: Pacific Reporter (covers multi- states;currently CA Supreme Court cases only).
Official versus Unofficial reporters
Underlining case names versus Italics and why
CALIFORNIA LEGAL REPORTERS

16. Full Citation: International Shoe v. State of Washington, 326 U. S
Full Citation: International Shoe v. State of Washington, 326 U.S. 310, 66 S.Ct. 154, 90 L.Ed. 95 (1945). 66 S.Ct. 154, 90 L.Ed. 95 are Parallel Citations for the SAME CASE. May be required by local rules; Courtesy to other counsel and the Court…
PARALLEL CITATIONS

17. HOW TO READ A CITATION 326 U.S. 310 (1945)
SAMPLE FEDERAL CASE CITATION
INTERNATIONAL SHOE v STATE OF WASHINGTON
(PLAINTIFF or First Party) (DEFENDANT or 2nd Party)
326 U.S (1945)
Vol. # Reporter Starting Date of
Page# Opinion
HOW TO READ A CITATION

18. FEDERAL APPELLATE CASES
Another Example (Fed. Appellate):
United States v MacDonald, 531 F.2d 196, (4th Cir ).
United States v MacDonald, F.2d
(Case Title) Vol# Reporter
196, (4th Cir. 1976).
starting page deciding court, date of decision
FEDERAL APPELLATE CASES

19. In the Federal system, the official code is the United States Code (cited U.S.C.).
However, the U.S. code is published every 6 years. Two unofficial codes are more commonly used: United States Code Annotated (cited U.S.C.A.), published by West and the United States Code Service (cited U.S.C.S.) published by the Lawyers' Cooperative Publishing Company
Statutes-Federal

20. CITING TO THE U.S.C Bluebook Rule 12.2.1(a)
Cite statutes currently in force in the current official code or its supplement. Otherwise, cite a current unofficial code or its supplement, the official session laws, privately published session laws (U.S.C.C.A.N.), a widely used computer database, a looseleaf service, an Internet source or a newspaper— in that order of preference.
…federal laws enacted after the most recent USC, should be cited to an unofficial code…
CITING TO THE U.S.C

21. Citation of Federal Statutes
United States Code citation (Rule ):
Title 42 U.S.C (2007)
(title #) (Reporter name) (page #) (date of code editn)
Title 42 U.S.C.S (Lexis-Nexis 2008) (United States Code Service)
Title 42 U.S.C.A (West 2008) (United States Code Annotated)
Contain the same statute, but USC may not be updated.
Citation of Federal Statutes

22. WHAT TO DO IF YOU STILL CAN’T FIND IT?