Take a look at the list below to find which common words in case names are abbreviated according to the bluebook and how you should abbreviate them. In addition, abbreviate any state or smaller geographic unit included in a. Below is a basic list of very common abbreviations. Californiaspecific information can be found on pages 46 and 252253.
Any information about state and court that is clear from the reporter name should be deleted from the parenthetica l. The ways of legal citation for court documents in the d. A b c d e f gh i jk l m n o p qr s t u vwxyz show all. It is used in most united states law schools and court systems to properly cite and abbreviate court cases in parenthetical citation sentences of legal documents. Citations are to the 20th edition of the bluebook, a uniform system of citation. The title of court documents should be capitalized only if 1 the document was filed in the same matter as is the subject of your document and 2 the actual title or a shortened form is used. The bluebook style guide is used in the american legal profession for citation of all relevant sources. Abbreviations bluebooking tips and resources libguides at. A uniform system of citation, a style guide, prescribes the most widely used legal citation system in the united states. Court document abbreviations table 8 of 17th edition this table gives suggested abbreviations for citations of court documents and legal memoranda not in the other forms of legal writing for the words most commonly found in the titles of court documents. Set out below is a table of words and their abbreviations with links to examples.
A professional system of citation provide that case citations in documents submitted to state courts must conform with the local rules of that. Bluebook requires a citation to include the name of the document with bluebookapproved abbreviations, along with the page number, date if necessary, and the docket number. This table gives suggested abbreviations for citations of court documents and legal memoranda not in the other forms of legal writing for the words most. A uniform system of citation is a legal style guide. Legal abbreviations are commonly found in anything from a book to court documents. A full citation to a court or litigation documents includes the following elements rule 17. Although it is intended to highlight the bluebook, and not substitute for it, we hope this guide provides a convenient, delawarespecific resource for the superior courts judicial officers, law clerks, interns, externs, and staff. Further, the blue pages contain state and courtspecific information. In court documents briefs, motions and legal memoranda, a full case name. Common abbreviations and legal citation examples for. This relation can be supportive, comparative, or contradictory. The abbreviation for a bankruptcy court is the same as for the district court with bankr.
Unlike the remainder of the bluebook, which is designed in a style and at a level of complexity commensurate with the needs of the law journal publication process, the bluepages provide easytocomprehend guidance for the everyday citation needs of firstyear law. The bluebooks rules for court documents are particularly annoying because theyre clunky and do litigants no favors. The style manual used by the new york state law reporting. The bluepages section of the bluebook addresses nonacademic citation. The following chart sets out the key differences between the abbreviations for the most commonly used sources under the style sheet and the bluebook. The name of the document, abbreviated when appropriate. Bt2 jurisdictionspecific citation rules and style guides. Krueger established a convenient source of rules compiled from a variety of authorities, beginning with a collection of citation forms, frequently used rules from the bluebook, a. Signals are important because they indicate how a cited authority relates to the text. By rick mckinney on behalf of and with assistance from members of the legislative research special interest section, law librarians society of washington, d. Bluebook layout bluebook guide guides at georgetown. Introduction there is no one prevailing source for citation of legal authorities in documents filed in new york courts.
Bluebooking for court documents guide to legal writing. You will be surprised at how many very common abbreviations are actually legalbased. These tables give the various abbreviations for the u. This is the compilation of documents submitted throughout the duration of the case. Also, the back outside cover is a helpful table of contents. Such citations and abbreviations are found in court decisions, statutes, regulations, journal articles, books, and other documents. Table 10 covers abbreviations for geographical terms. Here you will find guidance and examples of citation formats that you will use when writing your memoranda, briefs, and other court documents. There is a bankruptcy court for every united states district court. Abbreviations bluebooking tips and resources libguides.
The back inside cover is a quick way to find examples of citation forms to be used in court documents. The bluebook recommends, for example, shortening any procedural phrases to abbreviations such as in re or ex parte, as well as using any commonlyunderstood abbreviations to shorten the names of the parties, e. State abbreviations bb alwd ib state abbreviations 1. Introductory signals appear at the beginning of citation sentences. Common abbreviations legal citation research guides at. Courts of appeals and courts of last resort alabama. Where the bluepages and local court rules are silent regarding the citation of a particular document, you may use the other rules in the bluebook, referred to as the whitepages, to supplement the bluepages. Having a common set of abbreviations is very important because it allows everyone reading a legal document to understand what is being presented in writing without having to spell out terms that are frequently utilized. Citing cases bluebook guide guides at georgetown law library.
List of all most popular abbreviated court terms defined. The usual progression of court documents to court record is a fairly standard path. Quick reference guide to court documents and legal memoranda, which is the format that you will be using in legal skills this year. Keep in mind the typeface differences between academic documents and non academic legal documents. For example, the abbreviation for the district of wyoming is. Court documents bluebook citations libguides at william s. Abbreviate the listed words wherever they appear in a partys name that is part of a citation. For standard legal documents, intext citations are rendered either as i a complete sentence that supports a claim in the immediately preceding sentence of text, or, ii when the citation relates to a particular part of a sentence, as a clause within the sentence, immediately following the claim it supports. If you are writing a brief or memo, look at the blue pages, rule b10 or apply the citation rules of the jurisdiction.
Thus, the abbreviation for the bankrupty court of the district of wyoming is. Bluebook rule 10 covers how cases should be cited in legal documents. It is a composite of those contained in the bluebook and the alwd guide to legal citation. In some cases, it indicates that a word should not be abbreviated. Basic layout bluebook 101 library guides at university. Abbreviations to regional reporters legal abbreviations. Bluebook citation for legal materials purdue writing lab. When appropriate, the citation should also include the electronic case filing number found on pacer. Because publishers adopt different practices regarding how abbreviations are printed, one may find abbreviations with or without periods for each letter. Abbreviations the second section of the style sheet sets out the abbreviations to be used for washington sources.
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