Legal Research & Writing Guide

A legal citation contains essential information related to a case. It is important to understand the various components of the case citation and to know where the information can be found. 

Southern R. Co. v. Carnegie Steel Co., 176 U.S. 257, 20 S. Ct. 347, 44 L. Ed. 458, 1900 U.S. LEXIS 1737 (Supreme Court of the United States January 29, 1900, Decided )

<Parties names>,<Reporter(s) - Reporter vol. Report Abbreviation, first page of case>, <(Deciding court, date of decision)>

A Case citation will tell us the following things:

• The Parties' names (PLAINTIFF or First Party) v. (DEFENDANT or 2nd Party)
• The published volume where it can be found (e.g. 176 U.S. 257, which tells us, reporter volume (176), the reporter (U.S.), and the first page it begins on (257). 
• The court
• The year of the decision

Select Case Citation Tips:

• Case Names:
  • Use only the last name of the first party listed for both the plaintiffs and defendants. 
  • Do not include words indicating multiple parties such as "et al", nicknames or aliases. 
  • Replace procedural phrases such as "on the relation of", "on behalf of" , etc. with "ex rel.". 
  • Replace procedural phrases such as "in the matter of", "petition of", etc.  with "In re".
    • Exception - do not use "In re" or other procedural phrases besides "ex rel." when the case name contains the name of an adversary. 
  • You can find common abbreviations for the Uniform System of Citation on this table in the Indigo Book.

Short Form Citation Formats:

Short form citations are only used after a Full Citation is given the first time a case is mentioned. 

For subsequent references refer to one party's name then a short citation adhering to this format: <volume> <Name of Reporter> at <pincite>

Example: The Supreme Court in Carnegie Steel Co. affirmed the lower court's ruling with regards to preferential debts. 176 U.S. 257 at 296-297.

For unambiguous references and where the full case citation is easily accessible elsewhere the following format may be used: <The First Party of the Case Name>, <volume number> <Reporter> at <pincite>.

Example: Southern R. Col. 176 U.S. 257 at 296.

Federal Statutes:

When citing a Federal Statute the preferred sources are the U.S. Code Service (U.S.C.S.) and the U.S.C.S. Annotated. The U.S.C.S. is codified every six years, citations should cite the appropriate codifying year (most recent). Remember to consult the supplements for any amendments that may have been passed. The supplements are published every year between each U.S.C.S. codification. 

USCS Citation example:

Honeybee importation, 7 USCS § 281 (Current through Public Law 118-13, approved August 7, 2023.)

<Name of Statute [optional]>,<title> USCS § <section number><(year published)>

Federal statute citations include the following:

• The official name of the statute.
• The published source where it can be found. 
• The source publication date or the year the statute was passed. 

State Statutes & Codes:

State statutes should be cited to official codes. State Code compilations are ranked to an order of preference. A link to a table of this preference is included below. 

State Statute Citation Example:

ORC Ann. § 909.03 (2023-2024)

<Name of Code, abbreviated> § <section number> <(year published)>

State statute citations include the following:

• Name of State Code Collection
• Section Number
• Year published

Administrative Rules:

Use the administrative rules format when citing rules and regulations promulgated by administrative agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency. 

7 C.F.R. § 400.55 (2023)

<title number of CFR provision> C.F.R. § <section number> <(year published)>

or, use the following form if the regulation is referred to by name or if listing the issuing agency would improve clarity:

National Register of Historic Places, 36 C.F.R. § 60 (1966)

<Name of Regulation / Agency issuing regulation>, <title no. of CFR provision> C.F.R. § <section number> <(year published)>

Note:  There are not specific rules for State Agencies so cite them in the same form as federal rules. 

Secondary Sources: 

Secondary sources are available in a variety of formats. Below are a few select citation examples of commonly used formats. 

Books and Non-Periodicals

Adhere to the following:

• Volume number (if more than 1)
• Names of authors,
  • list in same order and use an "&".
  • If more than two, use et al. after first name. 
  • Using titles that follow a name but not those precede a name. 
• Italicize the title of the publication, capitalize as necessary. 
  • For law reviews, do not italicize, use small caps for both title and author. 
• Use exact page number unless the work is organized by sections or paragraphs and then use those. 
• In parentheses and if applicable, name of editor (followed by ed.) or translator (followed by trans.), edition, year of publication. 
  • Always cite the most recent edition unless there is a very good reason to cite an older edition. 

Examples:

• Deborah E. Bouchoux, A practical introduction to paralegal studies : strategies for success 164 (3rd ed. 2021)
• Therese A. Cannon, et al. Concise guide to paralegal ethics 17 (5th ed. 2019)

Journals, Magazines & Newspaper Articles

Adhere to the following:

• For consecutively paged journals: <Author’s Name(s)>, <Italicized Title of the Article>, <volume number, if applicable> <Name of Publication, abbreviated> <page number of first page of article cited>, <pincite, if citing to specific point> <(year published)>
  • a pincite is a pinpoint citation that points a reader to a cited materials specific location within a larger source. The pincite page location comes after the page number. 
• For journals and magazines with standard page numbers:  <Author’s Name(s)>, <Italicized Title of the Article>, <Name of Publication, abbreviated>, <full date of publication>, at <page number of first page of article cited><pincite, if citing to specific point> 
• For newspaper articles: <Author’s Name(s), if signed>, <Italicized Title of the Article>, <Name of Publication, abbreviated>, <full date of publication>, at <number of first page of article>

Examples:

• Consecutively Paged Journal: Carolina Arlota, International energy law and the Paris Agreement in the aftermath of the Covid-19 Pandemic: challenges and possibilities, ILSA J. Int’l & Comp. L. 275, 279 (Winter 2021)
  • *p. 279 is the pincite. 
• Standard Paged Periodical, Magazine, Newspaper: Anne Collier, Transform Performance Stress Into Retention Success, Law Practice: The Business of Practicing Law, Aug. 2023, at 10.

Internet Sources:

• Note: Cite authenticated, official, or exact copies of an online document the same way as you would cite their print equivalent (do not include the URL). 
  • Exact copy: unaltered online reproduction of the entirety of a printed source, including pagination.
  • Official copy: version of document designated “official” by a federal, state, or local government.
  • Authenticated copy: source that uses some authenticating tool, such as a digital signature. This is generally the preferred version.
• For sources that are available in a non-internet source, you may include a URL if it makes accessing the source significantly easier 
• Adhere to the following for a basic internet source: <Author Name>, <Title of Website Page>, <Main Website Title>, <pincite> <(Date & Time Accessed)>, <URL>.

Example:

• Cite Checker Resources, The Law School, University of Notre Dame The Law School, (last visited Sep 13, 2023), https://law.nd.edu/faculty-scholarship/kresge-law-library/library-resources/cite-checker-resources/ (last visited Sep 13, 2023)

Sources for information on this page:

• Sprigman et al., The Indigo Book: A Manual of Legal Citation, Public Resource (2016). https://law.resource.org/pub/us/code/blue/IndigoBook.html#R19
• Bluebook Sample Citations | The Law School | University of Notre Dame The Law School, https://law.nd.edu/faculty-scholarship/kresge-law-library/library-resources/blue-book-sample-citations/ (last visited Sep 13, 2023)