Gavin Howe
When writing a law case name in Microsoft Word, it is important to follow the correct formatting and citation rules. The specific format of a case citation will depend on several factors, including the jurisdiction, court, and type of case. However, there are some general guidelines that can be followed. Case names typically consist of the names of the opposing parties, separated by v or vs, an abbreviation of the Latin word versus, meaning against. In addition, there are specific rules regarding the use of acronyms, abbreviations, and geographical names. This paragraph aims to provide an introduction to the topic of formatting law case names and will be followed by more detailed explanations and examples in subsequent paragraphs.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Case name format | The names of the opposing parties are separated in the case title by the abbreviation 'v' (usually written as 'v' in Commonwealth countries and usually as 'v.' in the U.S.) |
| Case name format | In the UK, 'R' stands for Rex or Regina and represents the King or Queen. |
| Case name format | In textual sentences, only widely known acronyms should be abbreviated. |
| Case name format | In textual sentences, "State of", "Commonwealth of", and "People of" should be omitted. |
| Case name format | "City of", "County of", "Village of", and "Township of" should be omitted. |
| Case name format | "The" should be omitted as the first word of a party's name, except when it is part of the name of the object of an in rem action or when "The King" or "The Queen" is a party. |
| Case name format | For extremely long case names, omit unnecessary words for identification. |
| Case name format | Use the case name appearing at the beginning of the opinion or decision in the cited reporter. |
| Case name format | In court documents (briefs, motions) and legal memoranda, a full case name is usually italicized or underlined. |
| Case name format | In academic legal writing (i.e., a law review article), full case names are generally not underlined or italicized. |
| Case name format | In court documents and filings, parallel citations to the same case as it appears in multiple reporters are often required. |
| Case name format | Volume numbers should be cited using Arabic numerals (1,2,3) even if they appear as Roman numerals (XXV) in the original source. |
| Case name format | Page numbers may be cited as either Arabic or Roman numerals, depending on how they appear in the original source. |
| Case name format | If a decision has not been published in a reporter, more identifying information is needed, including the name of the court, the date of the decision, and the case number assigned by the court. |
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Case name format
The precise format of a case citation depends on several factors, including the jurisdiction, court, and type of case. The Bluebook, a uniform system of citation, provides the following rules and guidelines for formatting case names:
Rules for Formatting Case Names
- Use the first case name listed in a consolidated case. For example, use "Shelley v. Kraemer" instead of "Shelley v. Kraemer, McGhee v. Sipes".
- Omit "State/Commonwealth/People of" unless citing decisions from courts of that state. Only retain "State/Commonwealth/People" for state court decisions. For example, use "Blystone v. Pennsylvania" instead of "Blystone v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania".
- Omit prepositional phrases of location unless the phrase begins a party name, is part of the full name of a business, or if omitting it would leave only one word in the party's name. For example, use "Davis v. Board of Examiners" instead of "Davis v. Board of Examiners of the City of Evanston".
- Keep the first word in each party's name in full, including a relator, subject to exceptions provided in The Bluebook.
- For extremely long case names, omit unnecessary words for identification. The short identifier or "running head" printed at the top of each case page may serve as a guide.
- In court documents and filings, parallel citations to the same case as it appears in multiple reporters are often required. However, The Bluebook does not require parallel citations.
- If a case has not been published in a reporter, more identifying information is needed, including the name of the court, the date of the decision, and the case number assigned by the court.
- Use the case name appearing at the beginning of the opinion or decision in the cited reporter, following the specific directions and examples provided in The Bluebook.
- Omit "The" as the first word of a party's name, except when it is part of the name of the object of an in rem action or when "The King" or "The Queen" is a party. For example, use "The Queen v. Lydon" instead of "Queen v. Lydon".
- In textual sentences, abbreviate only widely known acronyms and the eight words listed in Rule 6.1(b) and Rule 10.2.1(c). For example, abbreviate "Securities and Exchange Commission v. Kern" to "S.E.C. v. Kern".
- Do not abbreviate "United States" when it is a named party. Write out "United States" instead of "U.S.".
- For state case citations, you do not need to indicate the deciding court if it is the highest court; just indicate the state. For example, "Seeco, Inc. v. Hales, 22 S.W.3d 157 (Ark. 2000)".
- Generally, omit "State of," "Commonwealth of," and "People of," unless citing decisions of the courts of that particular state. In such cases, retain only "State," "Commonwealth," or "People." For example, "People v. Haynes, 501 Mich. 863 (2017)".
- Omit prepositions such as "of America" after "United States," but keep geographical designations that are not introduced by a preposition. For example, "United States v. Bank of America".
The format of a case name and citation can vary depending on the context. Here are some guidelines for different contexts:
- Court Documents and Legal Memoranda: In court documents (briefs, motions), and legal memoranda, a full case name is usually italicized or underlined.
- Academic Legal Writing: In academic legal writing, such as a law review article, full case names are generally not underlined or italicized.
- Textual Sentences: In textual sentences, whether in the main text or footnote text, abbreviate only widely known acronyms and specific words as per The Bluebook rules.
- Database Searches: When searching for a case in a database, you can enter the case name or case citation. Cases are referenced using both the case name and citation.
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Abbreviations
When typing a law case name in Word, it is important to use the correct abbreviations. The basic format for a case citation includes the case name, the volume number, and the abbreviation of the reporter where the case was published, followed by the initial page number and the year.
Reporter Abbreviations
The reporter abbreviation refers to the publication where the case was originally published. The volume number is placed before this abbreviation, and the page number after it. For example, "650 F. Supp. 1166 (C.D. Cal. 1986)". Here, "F. Supp." is the abbreviation for the "Federal Supplement" reporter, indicating that the case was published in the Federal Supplement.
Court Abbreviations
Sometimes, a citation includes an abbreviation for the court that decided the case. For example, "9th Cir." refers to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. These abbreviations can indicate federal district courts, such as "C.D. Cal." for the Central District Court of California, or state courts, such as "Cal. App." for the California Court of Appeal.
Geographical Name Abbreviations
When citing decisions from courts of a specific state, retain "State/Commonwealth/People." Otherwise, omit these terms. For example, "Blystone v. Pennsylvania" is correct, not "Blystone v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania." However, for cases like "Commonwealth v. Ferrone", the full form should be used.
Procedural Phrase Abbreviations
It is common to abbreviate procedural phrases in citation sentences, such as "In re" and "ex rel."
Acronyms
Only widely known acronyms should be abbreviated in textual sentences, such as "NAACP" and "FCC." Case names should be written out in full, abbreviating only these well-known acronyms.
These guidelines will help ensure that your law case name abbreviations in Word are accurate and conform to the appropriate style conventions.
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Italicisation
In court documents such as briefs, motions, and legal memoranda, it is customary to italicise or underline the full case name. For example, in a citation, the full case name would typically be italicised or underlined. This is in accordance with Rule 10 (and Rule B10 in the Bluepages) of The Bluebook, which provides extensive guidelines on citing cases.
However, it is important to note that academic legal writing, such as a law review article, generally does not follow this formatting. In this context, full case names are typically neither underlined nor italicised.
Procedural phrases, such as "In re" and "ex rel.," are consistently italicised, regardless of whether the rest of the case name is italicised. Additionally, widely known acronyms, such as "NAACP" and "FCC," should be abbreviated in textual sentences, following Rule 6.1(b).
When citing state case names, there are specific guidelines to follow. For instance, when citing a decision from the highest court, simply indicating the state is sufficient, without specifying the deciding court. Additionally, if the reporter clearly indicates the issuing state, there is no need to include it in the citation.
In conclusion, italicisation plays a significant role in correctly formatting law case names. By adhering to the guidelines provided by The Bluebook and considering the context, such as court documents or academic writing, one can ensure the proper use of italicisation in legal citations.
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Geographical names
When typing law case names in Word, there are specific guidelines to follow for different elements of the case name. Here are some instructions for handling geographical names:
Omit "State/Commonwealth/People of"
Generally, you should omit phrases like "State of," Commonwealth of," and People of from case names. For example:
- Illinois v. Wardlow, 528 U.S. 119 (2000)
- Florida v. Royer, 460 U.S. 491 (1983)
Exception for Decisions from Specific State Courts
However, an exception exists when citing decisions from the courts of that particular state. In such cases, only "State," "Commonwealth," or "People" is retained. For example:
- People v. Haynes, 501 Mich. 863 (2017)
- People v. Haynes, 281 Mich. Ct. App. 27 (2008)
Omit "City of," "County of," "Village of," and Similar Phrases
Similarly, phrases like "City of," "County of," "Village of," and "Township of" should typically be omitted. For instance:
- Mayor of Chicago v. Smith (instead of Mayor of the City of Chicago, Ill. v. Smith)
- Brown v. Mayor of Waukegan (instead of Brown v. Mayor of Waukegan, Ill.)
Retain Geographical Designations Not Introduced by a Preposition
It is important to retain geographical designations that are not introduced by a preposition. For example:
- Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey
- Jackson v. People's Republic of China
- United States v. Bank of America
Abbreviate Geographical Units According to Tables
When abbreviating states, countries, and other geographical units, refer to the designated tables in the Bluebook, such as Table 10. For example, "Virginia" is abbreviated as "Va."
Do Not Abbreviate Geographical Units as the Entire Name of a Party
However, if a geographical unit is the entire name of a party, do not abbreviate it. For instance, "United States" should not be abbreviated when it is a named party.
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Court documents
Formatting court documents is an incredibly important part of the business for law firms, as any human error could result in the invalidation of the document. The exact formatting requirements differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, so it is important to check your court rules. However, here are some general guidelines for formatting court documents.
Firstly, the font choice is important, as it communicates the tone of the document and the image of the lawyer and firm. While some courts may specify which fonts are allowed, in the absence of such rules, common fonts for legal documents include Times New Roman and Courier. The font size should also be considered, as courts often specify a minimum font size. For example, the California Rules of Court state that lines may be either one-and-one-half spaced or double-spaced.
Secondly, margins and spacing are crucial to legal documents, as they improve readability. The top margin should ideally be two inches, and the bottom margin should be one inch. Most legal documents use 1.5 or double spacing. Margins can be set manually in Microsoft Word by clicking on the Layout dropdown, selecting Margins, and then selecting Custom Margins. Here, you can set the margins for the top, bottom, left, and right of the page.
Thirdly, the use of acronyms and abbreviations should be kept to a minimum. Only widely known acronyms should be abbreviated, such as NAACP and FCC. Additionally, the eight words listed in Rule 10.2.1(c) should be abbreviated, unless one of these words begins a party's name.
Finally, when writing a case name, there are several rules to follow. Firstly, use the first case name listed in a consolidated case. For example, use "Shelley v. Kraemer" instead of "Shelley v. Kraemer, McGhee v. Sipes". Secondly, omit "State/Commonwealth/People of" unless citing decisions from courts of that state. For example, use "Blystone v. Pennsylvania" instead of "Blystone v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania". Thirdly, omit prepositional phrases of location unless the phrase begins a party name, is part of the full name of a business, or if the omission would leave only one word in the party's name. For example, use "Davis v. Board of Examiners" instead of "Davis v. Board of Examiners of the City of Evanston".
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Frequently asked questions
The basic format of a case citation is as follows: In court documents (briefs, motions) and legal memoranda, a full case name is usually italicized or underlined. In academic legal writing (i.e., a law review article), full case names are generally not underlined or italicized.
There are a few rules for state case citations. Firstly, you don't need to indicate the deciding court if it is the highest court, just the state. Secondly, you don't need to indicate the state if the reporter cited unambiguously indicates which state issued it.
Omit "State/Commonwealth/People of" except when citing decisions from courts of that state. State court decisions should only retain "State/Commonwealth/People." Omit prepositional phrases of location unless the phrase begins a party name, is part of the full name of a business, or the omission would leave only one word in the party's name.
Abbreviate commonly known acronyms and the eight words listed in Rule 10.2.1(c). For example, Securities and Exchange Commission v. Kern becomes S.E.C. v. Kern. Do not abbreviate "United States" as "U.S." when it is a named party. Only abbreviate "United States" when it is the author of a book, treatise, or report.
The Bluebook is a uniform system of citation that provides rules and conventions for citing legal documents, including cases. It covers topics such as case names, citations, and abbreviations.
