How to Cite Legal Documents

Cite Legal Documents

When preparing legal briefs and memorandum, it is very important to properly cite legal sources. Here is how to properly cite cases of law in legal writing using The Bluebook.

Things You'll Need
A case to cite An updated copy of The Bluebook


Instructions

• Find rule 10 in The Bluebook, page 79 in the Eighteenth Edition. Rule 10 explains the rules for citing cases.

• Cite the case name. For example, in Smith v. Jones, Smith is the first party, v. is for versus, and Jones is the second party. The case name is underlined and followed with a comma.

• Find the volume number of the reporter in which the case is found. For example, if Smith v. Jones is found in volume 27 of the Federal Supplements, you would write Smith v. Jones, 27

• Write the abbreviation of the reporter after the volume number. For example, the Smith v. Jones case would be Smith v. Jones, 27 F.Supp. If you do not know what the proper abbreviation is, it can be found in the beginning of the book in which the case is found.

• Include the page number that the case starts on after the reporter. For example, if Smith v. Jones was on pages 64-97, you would write Smith v. Jones, 27 F.Supp. 64. If you are referring to a specific page, add it after the first page number separated by a comma.

• Write the year the case was decided last in parenthesis. For example, is Smith v. Jones was decided in 1975, your complete citation would look like this Smith v. Jones, 27 F.Supp. 64, 89 (1975).

Tips & Warnings
A citation is a sentence and should begin with a capital letter and end with a period. Refer to The Bluebook rules for abbreviating case names.

Source : Jessica Leigh