1. Citation = Case Address
Chapter 10 Citation Form
Citation = Case Address

2. Basic State Citation Form
Long Form: Smith v. Jones, 342 Nev. 980, 456 P.2d 898 (1998)
State cases can have two addresses
Official Address (like a street address):
____ Official Publication ____
Volume State Page
Unofficial Address (like a post office box):
____ Unofficial Publication ____
Volume Region Page
Short Form: Smith v. Jones, 456 P.2d 898 (Nev. 1998)
Unofficial Address only:
____ Unofficial Address _____ (State Year)
Volume Region Page

3. State Long Form Citation
State Cases: Long Form
Title: Smith v. Jones or Smith v. Jones
Underline or italicize
Official Cite: (State) Reports
State abbreviations = old postal abbreviations
Supreme Court v. Appellate Court:
Appellate courts are specified (e.g., Tenn. Ct. App.)
State Supreme Court decisions = state abbr.
(e.g., Tex. = Texas Supreme Court decision)
Unofficial Cite: Regional Reporters
= parallel cite (e.g., 369 P.2d 419)
Year (case decided)
Smith v. Jones, 121 Kan. 288, 369 P.2d 413 (1979)

5. State Short Form Citation
State Cases: Short Form
Smith v. Jones, 369 P.2d 418 (Kan. 1979)
Title: Smith v. Jones
Publication: Regional Reporter
Court: Identify court in parenthesis with year
Consolidated Reports:
= Supreme Court and Appellate Court decisions
S.C.: Smith v. Jones, 283 N.M. 583, 628 P.2d 493 (1988)
App.: Smith v. Jones, 283 N.M. 583, 628 P.2d 493 (N.M. Ct. App. 1988)
Note: Omission of App. generally indicates state supreme court

6. Basic Federal Citation
U.S. Supreme Court
Title, ___ U.S. ___, ___ S.Ct. ___, ___ L.Ed. ___ (Year)
U.S. Court of Appeals
Title, ___ F.2d ___ (# Cir. Year)
U.S. District Court
Title, ___ F. Supp. ___ (District Year)

7. Federal Case Citation Federal Case Publications
U.S. District Court = F. Supp. (e.g., Nev., E.D.N.J.)
Akers v. Lewis, 462 F. Supp. 531 (D. N.M. 1976)
U.S. Circuit Court = F. 2d (# Cir.)
Lewis v. Akers, 663 F.2d 261 (10th Cir. 1977)
U.S. Supreme Court =
Akers v. Lewis, 516 U.S. 331, 694 S. Ct. 265, 112 L.Ed 2d 871 (1978)
U.S. Reports (U.S.)
Supreme Court Reporter (S.Ct.)
U.S. Supreme Court Reports, Lawyer’s Edition (L.Ed.)
Short Form: Akers v. Lewis, 516 U.S. 331 (1978)

9. Other Federal Case Citations
Bankruptcy Reporter:
Smith v. Jones, 287 B.R. 423 (D. Colo. 1983)
Federal Rules Decisions:
Smith v. Jones, 341 F.R.D. 938 (D. Neb. 1983)
Military Justice Reporter:
Smith v. Jones, 125 M.J.R. 637 (D. Idaho 1983)
Federal Appendix:
Smith v. Jones, 21 Fed. App. 583 (D. Colo. 1983)

10. Federal Statutory Citation
Federal Statutes
28 U.S.C. §1204 (1984)
U.S.C. United States Code (official)
U.S.C.A. United States Code Annotated
U.S.C.S. United States Code Service
Unofficial: U.S.C.A. & U.S.C.S.
Provides research helps (case annotations, etc.)
Practice Tip: Don’t cite!!!

11. State Statutory Citations
State Statutes
Statutes are arranged TOPICALLY
(Transportation, Evidence, Crimes)
Statutory Citation:
C.R.S. § (1)(a) (1999)
Title/Chapter Section Number (year)

12. Citation Rules of Thumb
Cite all parallel cites
Smith v. Jones, 240 Nev. 156, 130 P.2d 890 (1989)
Cite the official publication first
Italicize (or underline) title
Smith v. Jones OR Smith v. Jones
Indicate court in parenthesis, if necessary
Jacks v. Morns, 526 P.2d 694 (Colo. App. 1981)
Cite the case in full the first time it is cited

13. Citation Rules of Thumb cont’d
Indicate pinpoint citations (quote)
Smith v. Jones, 240 Nev. 156, 160, 130 P.2d 890, 893 (1989)
Supra = above
Smith, supra at 160
Id. = case cited immediately above
Id. At 160
Ibid. = Case immediately above at same page
Infra = below
Smith, infra at 160

14. Citation Examples U.S. Supreme Court Cases:
short form: Smith v. Jones, 119 U.S. 476 (1972)
Long form: Smith v. Jones, 119 U.S. 476, 355 S.Ct. 932, 412 L.Ed. 2d 828 (1972)
U.S. Court of Appeals Cases:
Jones v. Smith, 365 F.2d 138 (4th Cir. 1971)
U.S. District Court Cases:
Smith v. Jones, 289 F.Supp. 726 (D.Nev. 1970)
Federal Statutes (cite official):
26 U.S.C. §1278 (1976)
State Cases:
short form: Smith v. Jones, 526 P.2d 694 (Colo. Ct. App. 1981)
long form: Smith v. Jones, 245 Colo. App. 598, 526 P.2d 694 (1981)
State Statutes:
Colo. Rev. Stat. § (1984)

15. In Class Citation Exercises
State Cases:
1. You have found a case decided by the Texas Supreme Court in 1988, page 578 and volume 798 of the official cite. The case is found on page 890 of volume 657 of the unofficial cite, second series. The case title is Dean v. Stetson.
2. The case you wish to cite is Pickard v. Bartschi, decided in It is from the Montana Supreme Court, on page 878 of volume 113 of the official cite; it is found on page 122 in volume 345 of the unofficial publication, third series.
Federal Cases:
1. Your case was decided by a U.S. District Court judge in Nevada. The case is titled Rian v. Hayden, decided in 1999, and found on page 567, volume 410.
2. The title of the case is Scott v. Keith. It was decided in 2003 by the U.S. Court of Appeals in the 9th Circuit. It is found in volume 345 on page 879, third series.
3. The U.S. Supreme Court decided a case entitled Ring v. Stokes in The official cite is volume 567, page 345; The Lawyer’s Co-op cite is page 48, volume 443, second series; the West publication is volume 890, page The court accepted the case by Writ of Certiorari from Maine.