Gavin Howe
Legal abbreviations are commonly used in legal documents, court decisions, statutes, regulations, journal articles, and books. They are used to cite other publications by using standard abbreviations for the title of each source. Abbreviations are also used for common words or legal phrases. For example, v. is used in legal writing to indicate a separation between the plaintiff and defendant in a case, whereas vs. is used in most other forms of writing. This guide will provide an introduction to the world of legal abbreviations and how to use them when citing case law.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Case name abbreviation | First name is the plaintiff/appellant, second name is the defendant/appellee |
| Case citation abbreviation | Depends on the court and year of the decision, and the volume number of the reporter that contains the court's opinion |
| Publisher abbreviation | Publishers adopt different practices regarding how abbreviations are printed |
| Common word abbreviation | Abbreviations may be used for common words or legal phrases |
| Geographic abbreviation | States, countries, and other geographical units should be abbreviated following specific instructions |
Explore related products
![Reports of Law Cases Affecting Friendly Societies, Containing Most Important Decisions, with Copious Index of Practical Points, Table of Cases, Abbreviations and Explanations, 1897 [Leather Bound]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/617DLHXyzlL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
What You'll Learn
Citing federal cases
When citing federal cases, there are several important formatting rules to follow. Firstly, it is important to note that the citation structure may vary depending on the specific court and reporter involved. Here is a general guide to citing federal cases:
Name of the Case
The name of the case should be abbreviated according to the rules outlined in The Bluebook, a widely used legal citation guide. For example, the case name "Universal Pictures Co. v. Harold Lloyd Corp." is abbreviated as "Universal Pictures Co." The abbreviations used in case names are standardised, so it is important to refer to a reliable source, such as The Bluebook, to ensure accuracy.
Reporter and Volume
After the case name, the citation should include the reporter abbreviation and volume number. The reporter refers to the publication in which the case was published. For example, "F.2d" or "F. Supp." are commonly used reporter abbreviations. The volume number indicates the specific volume of the reporter where the case can be found. For instance, in the citation "Lawson v. FMR LLC, 670 F.3d 61 (1st Cir. 2012)", "670 F.3d" refers to volume 670 of the Federal Reporter, 2nd Series.
Court and Year
The citation should also include an indication of the court that decided the case and the year of the decision. This information is typically provided in a parenthetical following the volume number. For example, "(1st Cir. 2012)" indicates that the case was decided by the First Circuit Court of Appeals in 2012. The abbreviations for courts, such as "Cir." for Circuit Court, are standardised and can be found in legal citation guides.
Page Number and Pinpoint Citations
If you are citing a specific page of the case, include the page number after the volume number, separated by a comma. For example, in the citation "Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113, 115 (1973)", the page number cited is 115. When citing a page range, use a dash with no spaces between the page numbers, such as "83-84". If the page numbers have three or more digits, include only the last two digits, such as "1195-96".
Unpublished or Unreported Opinions
When citing unpublished or unreported federal court opinions, the citation structure may differ. According to Bluebook rules, the citation should include: the case name, case docket number, database identifier and electronic report number, star page number, and court and full date parenthetical. For example: "Lawson v. FMR LLC, No. 08-10466-DPW, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 76461, at *8 (D..."
It is important to consult The Bluebook or a similar legal citation guide for comprehensive and up-to-date instructions on citing federal cases, as the rules may be updated periodically.
Supreme Court Cases: Impact on Juvenile Justice Laws
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Case name abbreviation rules
When abbreviating case names, it's important to follow these general guidelines:
- Only widely known acronyms, such as CIA or FDA, and eight specific words (&, Ass'n, Bros., Co., Corp., Inc., Ltd., and No.), should be abbreviated.
- If the case is cited in text, the first word is typically not abbreviated unless it is a widely known acronym.
- When citing a case in a sentence, only abbreviate the case name if it is a widely known acronym or found in a reference table, such as Table 6.
- For individual persons, use only the last name, omitting job titles or descriptive terms. For example, Burns v. McMillen, not Burns v. McMillen, Administrator.
- For companies or organizations, use the full business name, abbreviating and/or omitting words where possible. For instance, Wis. Packing Co. v. Ind. Refrigerator Lines, Inc., not Wisconsin Packing Co., Inc. d/b/a Packing Co. v. Indiana Refrigerator Lines, Inc.
- When there are multiple parties, cite only the first party on each side and omit words indicating multiple parties.
- Procedural phrases like "In re" and "ex rel." are always italicized, regardless of their location in the citation.
- For geographical names, omit "State/Commonwealth/People of" unless the case involves a state court decision, in which case only "State/Commonwealth/People" should be retained. Prepositional phrases of location can be omitted unless they are part of a party's full name or their inclusion is necessary to avoid leaving only one word in the name.
- In legal writing, use "v." instead of "vs." when referring to a case.
These rules provide a framework for abbreviating case names, ensuring consistency and clarity in legal citations. However, it's important to note that specific style guides and publications may have their own variations and additional rules.
Herman Case: What Precedents Were Cited?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Court name abbreviations
Federal Courts
For federal courts in the United States, there are standard abbreviations used in legal citations. For instance, "S. Ct." stands for the Supreme Court of the United States, while "CA Fed." represents the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The United States Court of Appeals is abbreviated as "9th Cir." when citing a case from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
State Courts
State court abbreviations can vary depending on the state and the specific court. For example, "Cal. Code Reg." or "CCR" refers to the California Code of Regulations. The Supreme Court of Canada is abbreviated as "S.C.R." or "SCR."
Regional Reporters
When citing state cases, regional reporters are often used. Each state corresponds to a specific regional reporter, published by the West Group. For instance, the regional reporter for California is cited as "Cal. App." or "California Appellate Reports."
Unofficial Reporters
In certain instances, unofficial reporters may be used in citations. For example, before an official citation is available for a U.S. Supreme Court case, you may use the unofficial "S. Ct." or "Supreme Court Reporter" citation. The Lawyer's Edition is another unofficial reporter for Supreme Court cases.
Local Rules and Glossaries
Local courts may also have their own specific abbreviations outlined in local rules or glossaries. For example, the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara, uses abbreviations like "CLETS" for California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System in its local rules.
It is important to refer to the specific guidelines and standards, such as the Bluebook, for the correct abbreviations in legal citations. These sources provide comprehensive tables and explanations for various court abbreviations.
Key Elements to Look for in Securities Law Cases
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Abbreviating geographical terms
When abbreviating geographical terms in case law, there are a few guidelines to follow. Firstly, it is important to omit prepositional phrases indicating location that do not follow "City" or similar terms. For example, "Davis v. Board of Examiners" is used instead of "Davis v. Board of Examiners of the City of Evanston". However, if removing the location would result in only one word in the party's name or if the location is part of the complete name, it should be included. For example, "Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey" retains the geographical designation.
It is also important to omit geographical designations that follow a comma. For instance, "Mayor of Chicago v. Smith" instead of "Mayor of the City of Chicago, Ill. v. Smith". An exception to this rule is when the geographical designation is part of a complete name, such as "Jackson v. People's Republic of China" or "United States v. Bank of America".
Additionally, the words "State of", "Commonwealth of", and "People of" are usually omitted, unless when citing decisions of the courts of that particular state, in which case only "State", "Commonwealth", or "People" is retained. For example, "Illinois v. Wardlow, 528 U.S. 119 (2000)" and "Florida v. Royer, 460 U.S. 491 (1983)". However, if the expression begins a party name, it should be included, as in "McDonald v. City of Chicago".
Furthermore, "City of", "County of", "Village of", and "Township of" are typically omitted unless they begin a party name. For instance, "Mayor of Chicago v. Smith" instead of "Mayor of the City of Chicago v. Smith".
When abbreviating states, countries, and other geographical units in case law, it is important to follow the specific guidelines provided in resources such as Table 10 of The Bluebook, a widely used legal citation guide. These guidelines ensure consistency and clarity in legal citations.
Citing Polish Case Law: Can It Be Copyright Infringement?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Standard abbreviations for case reporters
Court opinions are published in chronological order in volumes known as case reporters, or simply reporters. Each reporter has a designated standard abbreviation. For instance, in the citation "Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954)", "U.S." is the abbreviation for United States Reports. Generally, a state reporter's abbreviation will include the state's abbreviation (e.g. "Va." for Virginia Reports, "Md. App." for Maryland Appellate Reports).
The basic format for a case citation is: the case name, the volume number, the abbreviation of the reporter in which the case was published, the initial page number of the case, and the year of the case. For example, in the citation "230 S.W.3d 88", "230" is the volume number, "S.W." stands for Southwestern, and "3d" is the series number. Sometimes, a citation includes an abbreviation for the court that decided the case and/or the state where the case was decided. For example, "Grey v. Campbell Soup Co., 650 F. Supp. 1166 (C.D. Cal. 1986)" is a citation to a federal District Court case published in the Federal Supplement. The "C.D. Cal." abbreviation refers to the Central District Court of California, which decided this case.
Landmark Court Cases: Shaping Special Education Laws
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
In legal writing, the abbreviation "v." is used for "versus", as opposed to "vs." which is used in most other fields.
Case law examples are cited in a similar way to books, with the case name followed by the publication details. For example, "Cabiri v. Gov't of Republic of Ghana, 165 F.3d 193 (2d Cir. 1999)". Here, "Cabiri v. Gov't of Republic of Ghana" are the names of the parties in the case, "165" is the volume number, "F.3d" is the abbreviation for the Federal Reporter, and "2d Cir. 1999" refers to the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals that decided the case.
There are many abbreviations used in case law, including:
- ad., ads., adsm. — ad sectam (Latin), at the suit of
- Pub.L. — Public Law
- U.S. — United States Reports
- S. Ct. — Supreme Court Reporter (Supreme Court of the United States)
- R.E. or R/E — Real Estate
Geographical terms should be abbreviated following the instructions in Table 10 of The Bluebook.
