LEGALLEGAL

CITATIONCITATIONPresented by Elisabeth McKechnieMabie Law Library

IN COMMON USE IN THE U.S.IN COMMON USE IN THE U.S.

BLUEBOOK A.k.a The BlueBook, A Uniform System of Citation

◦18th Edition is current.

CALIFORNIA STYLE MANUALCALIFORNIA STYLE MANUAL

WHEN DO I USE THEM?WHEN DO I USE THEM?

Bluebook◦Law Review Citation◦Federal Litigation◦Where Authorized by Local Rule

California Style Manual◦California Litigation

CALIFORNIACALIFORNIA

CALIFORNIA PLEADINGSCALIFORNIA PLEADINGS

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

EVEN IF ALLOWED, EVEN IF ALLOWED, SHOULD YOU USE BLUEBOOK IN SHOULD YOU USE BLUEBOOK IN CA SUPREME COURT?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)

USING BLUEBOOK IN USING BLUEBOOK IN CALIFORNIACALIFORNIA

CITATION BASICSCITATION BASICS

DON’T CITE ONLINE SOURCESDON’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.

CITING TO A PAPER CITING TO A PAPER SUPPLEMENTSUPPLEMENT

OFFICIAL AND UNOFFICIAL OFFICIAL AND UNOFFICIAL REPORTERSREPORTERS

◦ 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 ReporterSupreme Court Reports---Unofficial ReporterLawyers’ Edition-----------Unofficial Reporter

LIST OF FEDERAL REPORTERSLIST OF FEDERAL REPORTERS

FEDERAL “NOMINATIVE” FEDERAL “NOMINATIVE” REPORTERSREPORTERS

Pre-U.S. Reports, Supreme Court cases 1790-1834---OLD! Named for the Court Reporter who compiled the notes that

created them:

Vols. 1-4 Dallas (Dall.) 1790-1800 (U.S. Reports vols. 1-4) Vols. 1-9 Cranch (Cranch) 1801-1815 (U.S. Reports vols. 5-13) Vols. 1-12 Wheaton (Wheat.) 1816-1827 (U.S. Reports vols. 14-25) Vols. 1-16 Peters (Pet.) 1828-1842 (U.S. Reports vols. 26-41) Vols. 1-24 Howard (How.) 1843-1860 (U.S. Reports vols. 42-65) Vols. 1-2 Black (Black) 1862-1862 (U.S. Reports vols. 66-67) Vols. 1-23 Wallace (Wall.) 1863-1874 (U.S. Reports vols. 68-90)

Available at Westlaw in SCT-OLD; and HeinOnline’s U.S. Reports collection.

CALIFORNIA LEGAL REPORTERSCALIFORNIA 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 SeriesUnofficial Reporter: California ReporterRegional Reporter: Pacific Reporter (covers multi-

states;currently CA Supreme Court cases only).

PARALLEL CITATIONSPARALLEL CITATIONS

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…

HOW TO READ A HOW TO READ A CITATIONCITATION

SAMPLE FEDERAL CASE CITATION

INTERNATIONAL SHOE v STATE OF WASHINGTON(PLAINTIFF or First Party) (DEFENDANT or 2nd Party)

326 U.S. 310 (1945)Vol. # Reporter Starting Date of

Page# Opinion

FEDERAL APPELLATE CASESFEDERAL APPELLATE CASES

Another Example (Fed. Appellate):

United States v MacDonald, 531 F.2d 196, (4th Cir. 1976).

United States v MacDonald, 531 F.2d (Case Title) Vol# Reporter

196, (4th Cir. 1976).starting page deciding court, date of decision

Statutes-FederalStatutes-Federal

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

CITING TO THE U.S.CCITING 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…

Citation of Federal StatutesCitation of Federal Statutes

United States Code citation (Rule 12.3.1):

Title 42 U.S.C. 435 (2007) (title #) (Reporter name) (page #) (date of code editn)

Title 42 U.S.C.S. 435 (Lexis-Nexis 2008) (United States Code Service)

Title 42 U.S.C.A. 435 (West 2008) (United States Code Annotated)

Contain the same statute, but USC may not be updated.

WHAT TO DO IF WHAT TO DO IF YOU STILL CAN’T YOU STILL CAN’T

FIND IT?FIND IT?