Citing Cases

Federal and State

Official v. Unofficial

Official—Government or under contract with government

Unofficial—everything else

Unofficial is still primary law, but must cite official to courts

Federal Case ReportersUnited States Supreme Court Cases

United States Reports (U.S.) Official Reporter

Supreme Court Reporter (S. Ct.)

Lawyers Edition (L. Ed.)

Miscellaneous sources

© 2000 by Prentice-Hall, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

Other Federal Reporters(All Unofficial) Federal Reporter (F.)

Appellate cases Older volumes may have trial court decisions

Federal Supplement (F. Supp.) Trial Court Decisions (not stare decisis)

Miscellaneous Reporters Fed Rules Decision Bankruptcy Reporter

© 2000 by Prentice-Hall, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

State Case Law Regional Reporters

California—Pacific Reporter

Official Reporters

Unofficial Reporters

© 2000 by Prentice-Hall, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

California Case Reporters Official:

California Reports (Cal.) California Supreme Court Cases

California Appellate Reports (Cal. App.) California Appellate Court Cases

Unofficial: California Reporter (Cal. Rptr.)

California supreme and appellate decision after 1959 Pacific Reporter (P.)

California Supreme Court cases California Appellate court cases before 1959

D.A.R.

Case Citation Blue book v. California Style Manual http://www.law.cornell.edu/citation/ http://www.sdap.org/

Official v. Parallel Citations Formula (California)

Case Name, Vol. Book Series Page, Date Smith v. Jones, 7 Cal. 4th 34 (2000)

Basic Bluebook Formula

Official: Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 U.S. 335

(1983)

Official + Parallel Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 U.S. 335,

83 S. Ct. 792, 9 L. Ed. 2d 799 (1963)

Basic Formula—California Style Manual

Official: Gideon v. Wainwright (1983) 372

U.S. 335

Official + Parallel Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) 372

U.S. 335, 83 S.Ct. 792, 9 L.Ed.2d 799

Basic Formula for California

Bluebook: Li v. Yellow Cab, 13 Cal. 3d 804, 532 P.2d

1226, 119 Cal. Rptr. 858 (1975)

California Li v. Yellow Cab (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804 [119 Cal.

Rptr. 858, 532 P.2d 1226]

Names

Individuals: last name only; italicize

John Jones and Tom Smith v. John Doe et al = Jones v. Doe

Organizations: Check table of abbreviations (Cornell site)

Spacing--Bluebook

F.2d F. Supp U.S. S. Ct. L. Ed Cal. 3d Cal. App. 4th

Spacing--California

F.2d F.Supp. Cal.App.4th

Cal.Rptr.3d Cal.3d

Parallel Cites

Bluebook—separate by comma

California—put parallel in brackets

Federal Cases—other requirements Federal Reporter—Must include

circuit Edmond v. Goldsmith, 183 F.3d

659 (7th Cir. 1999)

Federal Supplement—Must include District

(N.D. Cal. 1998)

Names Omit "the" when used as the first word

of a party name Omit all parties after the first one listed

on each side Omit terms like "trustee," "executor," or

"administrator" that described a named party

Omit "State of" or its equivalents Omit first and middle names or initials

of individuals

FEDERAL CITATIONS Examples Brown v. Helvering, 291 U.S. 193, 111 S.

Ct. 2123, 117 L. Ed. 2d 593 (1934).

Cong. Fin. v. Commercial Tech., Inc., 74 F.3d 1253 (11th Cir. 1995).

Glen Holly Entm't, Inc. v. Tektronix, Inc., 100 F. Supp. 2d 1073 (C.D. Cal. 1999).

CALIFORNIA CASE CITATIONS

Cal. Educ. Facilities Auth. v. Priest, 12 Cal. 3d 593, 526 P.2d 513, 116 Cal. Rptr. 361 (1974).*

Cal. Educ. Facilities Auth. v. Priest (1974) 12 Cal.3d 593 [116 Cal.Rptr. 361]

Sakotas v. Workers' Comp. Appeals Bd., 80 Cal. App. 4th 262, 95 Cal. Rptr. 2d 153 (2000).*

* Bluebook

Abbreviate:

EASTERN ASSOCIATED COAL CORP. v. UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA, DISTRICT 17, et al.

THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS et al. v. EDMOND et al.

LUJAN, LABOR COMMISSIONER OF CALIFORNIA, et al. v. G & G FIRE SPRINKLERS, INC.

Cite:SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED

STATES_________________

No. 01–7574_________________

DAVID ALLEN SATTAZAHN, PETITIONER v.PENNSYLVANIA

ON WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE SUPREME COURT OF

PENNSYLVANIA, EASTERN DISTRICT[January 14, 2003]

Cite:SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES

SyllabusHOWSAM, INDIVIDUALLY AND AS TRUSTEE FOR

THE E.RICHARD HOWSAM, JR., IRREVOCABLE LIFEINSURANCE TRUST DATED MAY 14, 1982

v. DEAN WITTER REYNOLDS, INC.CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF

APPEALS FORTHE TENTH CIRCUIT

No. 01–800. Argued October 9, 2002—Decided December 10, 2002