Case Citations

The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest authority for questions of federal law.

When citing to a judicial opinion from the Supreme Court of the United States you cite to copy of the opinions in the official reporter, the United States Reports. If the judicial opinion is not available yet in the official reporter, then you may cite to an unofficial reporter list here in the Bluebook’s order of preference: 1) Supreme Court Reporter; 2) United States Supreme Court Reports, Lawyers’ Edition, or 3) the United States Law Week.

Unofficial Reporters may report judicial opinions more quickly than an official, government reporter. You may have to cite to an unofficial reporter when citing to a judicial opinion from the last 5 years. For example, as of 2019 the most recent volume of the United States Reports does not include any judicial opinions from after 2013.

Supreme Court Reporter

• Auffmordt et al. v. Hedden, Collector, 11 S. Ct. 103 (1890).
  • Pinpoint citation: Auffmordt et al. v. Hedden, Collector, 11 S. Ct. 103, 104 (1890).
    • Here the first page number is the first page of the judicial opinion, and the second page number is the page on which the material that is quoted appears.
  • Short form citation: Auffmordt, 11 S. Ct. at 104.

The Supreme Court Reporter reports judicial opinions from 1893 to the present. The Supreme Court Reporter is abbreviated as “S. Ct.” for the citation.

United States Supreme Court Reports, Lawyers’ Edition

• Auffmordt et al. v. Hedden, Collector, 34 L. Ed. 674 (1890).
  • Pinpoint citation: Auffmordt et al. v. Hedden, Collector, 34 L. Ed. 674, 675 (1890).
    • Here the first page number is the first page of the judicial opinion, and the second page number is the page on which the material that is quoted appears.
  • Short form citation: Auffmordt, 34 L. Ed. at 675.
• Downum v. United States, 10 L. Ed. 2d 100 (1963).

The Lawyers’ Edition reports judicial opinions from 1790 to the present. L. Ed. is the first series, and L. Ed. 2d is the second series.

United States Law Week

• Already v. Nike, Inc., 81 U.S.L.W. 4033 (2013).
  • Short form citation: Already, 81 U.S.L.W. at 4033.

United States Law Week reports judicial opinions from 1933 to the present.

The United States Courts of Appeals are the inferior appellate court for federal law. They were previously the Circuit Courts of Appeals (e.g. 2d Cir.) and Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia (D.C. Cir.). The Federal Reporter is the official reporter for the United States Courts of Appeals.

The inferior appellate courts were organized into districts rather than circuits the Federal Reporter began. The first series of the Federal Reporter (F.) reported United States Courts of Appeals judicial opinions of these previous district courts.

Bluebook Rule B10.1.3 requires both the reporter citation (F., F.2d, F.3d) and the deciding court. This does not apply when citing the United States Supreme Court (above) or the highest court of any individual state.

Federal Reporter (F., F.2d., F.3d.)

• Bates v. United States, 10 F. 92 (N.D. Ill. 1881).
  • Pinpoint citation: Bates v. United States, 10 F. 92, 94 (N.D. Ill. 1881).
    • Here the first page number is the first page of the judicial opinion, and the second page number is the page on which the material that is quoted appears.
  • Short form citation: Bates, 10 F. at 94.
• San Jose Canning v. Oneal, 10 F.2d 100 (9th Cir. 1926).
• United States v. DeRewal, Appellant, 10 F.3d 100 (3rd Cir. 1993).

Federal Appendix

The Federal Appendix reports unpublished opinions of the United States Courts of Appeals. These judicial opinions are not significant enough to warrant publication according to the criteria the courts uses, but they are still reported here.

• Dettlaff v. Holiday Inns, Inc., 10 F. App'x 100 (4th Cir. 2001).
  • Pinpoint citation: Dettlaff v. Holiday Inns, Inc., 10 Fed.Appex. 100, 101 (4th Cir. 2001).
    • Here the first page number is the first page of the judicial opinion, and the second page number is the page on which the material that is quoted appears.
  • Short form citation: Dettlaff, 10 F. App'x at 101.

The United States District Courts are the courts of original jurisdiction for most federal law. When citing judicial opinions from the United States District Courts, provide the district of the deciding court but not the division in the closing parenthetical before the year. For example, if the case were in the Southern District of California, the citation would include: (S.D. Cal. 2019). For cases after 1932, cite to F. Supp., F. Supp.2d, F. Supp. 3d.

Federal Supplement (F., F.2d, F.3d)

• In re Wilkinson, 10 F. Supp. 100 (E.D.N.Y. 1998).
  • Pinpoint citation: In re Wilkinson, 10 F. Supp. 100, 102 (E.D.N.Y. 1998).
    • Here the first page number is the first page of the judicial opinion, and the second page number is the page on which the material that is quoted appears.
  • Short form citation: Wilkinson, 10 F. Supp. at 102.
• Grady v. The Paul Revere Life Insurance Company, 10 F. Supp.2d 100 (D.R.I. 1998).
• Awan v. United States Dep’t of Justice, 10 F. Supp.3d 100 (D.D.C. 2014).