Citing your sources of information california courts. Court of appeals abbreviations bluebook quick reference. Every statement of law in your brief must be supported by a citation to a case, statute, rule. A citation to a court of appeals case in the federal reporter includes the following six elements. This is the states highest court, and when possible you should use. The california courts of appeal are divided into six appellate districts, based on geography.
The bluebook establishes the most commonly used format for legal citations. Instate references to decisions appearing in california reports or california appellate. Double check with your professor, outside guides, and the bluebook rules themselves. Bluebooking cases bluebooking and legal citation libguides at. If a court of appeals case is published in the federal reporter, the bluebook dictates that you cite to it table 1, p. These are the intermediate level courts in california. Indicating the court allows you to see at a glance if a case is mandatory such as a case from the u. Below is a list of state supreme court and court of appeals abbreviations. The california style manual provides an alternative citation format. District court, you will most likely find it published in the reporter, federal supplement, produced by west publishing. The bluebook is a writing style most often used for legal citation. California cases how to read a legal citation lawguides at. Federal court citations follow the same general format. Federal courts bluebook guide guides at georgetown law.
If you prefer to search by state supreme court or court of appeals exclusively, click on the links in the left hand navigation bar for supreme court or court of appeals abbreviations. State court abbreviations bluebook quick reference. Citation rules usually specify which reporter you should cite to. California style manual for many years, the california style manual has served as the official guide for styling citations to legal materials in documents filed with state courts in california. Alaska, arizona, california, colorado, hawaii, idaho, kansas. Supreme court, ninth circuit court of appeal, california supreme court, or any california. United states supreme court cases can be found in three separate reporters. Name of the case underlined or italicized and abbreviated according to rule 10. Effective january 1, 2008, however, california rule of court, rule 1. Follow the bluebook for cases cited to the southern reporter. Bluebook case guide bluebook citation generator legalease. Judicial opinions basic legal citation cornell university. This practice is not only confusing to nonlawyers, but also ugly.
Supreme court, courts of appeal and district courts are listed. In a multivolume book, the volume number is placed to the left of the authors name. Supreme court, ninth circuit court of appeal, california supreme court, or any california court of appeal or persuasive such as a federal court of appeal case from another circuit or a trial court case. The bluebook is designed to provide information on legal citation, particularly to law students in their first year, law clerks, summer associates, lawyers, and others working in legal professions. Case citations and abbreviations guide to legal abbreviations. Understanding california case citation using the bluebook. Like most court systems, california courts are organized into three tiers. Florida district courts of appeal the court the district court the third district court. This is a citation to a california court of appeal case, published in volume 14 of the fourth series of california appellate reports as well as in. Bluebook format for citing secondary sources citation of books the bluebook has a really strange format for citing books that is a radical departure from scholarly practice in other fields. If you prefer to search by state supreme court or court of appeals. This list only includes abbreviations for states court of appeals. Some of the appellate districts are further divided into divisions. Cases how to cite statutes how to cite citation to internet.