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Decoding Legal Citations
Case Citations
Citation example for a United States Supreme Court case: 384 U.S. 436
Decoding the citation format:
|
384 |
U.S. |
436 |
|
Volume # |
Name of the set of court reporters
(Abbreviated) |
Page # |
Statutory Citations
Federal statute example: 28 U.S.C. § 1983
Decoding the citation format:
|
28 |
U.S.C. |
1983 |
|
Title # |
Name of the set of statutes
(Abbreviated) |
Section # |
Arizona statute example: A.R.S. § 13-604.01
Decoding the citation format:
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A.R.S. |
13-604.01 |
|
Name of the set of statutes
(abbreviated) |
Title-Section # |
Common Abbreviations
U.S. Supreme Court Reporters
|
ABBREVIATION |
NAME OF REPORTER |
LOCATION |
|
U.S. |
United States Reports |
1st Floor – Ranges 24-25 |
|
S. Ct. |
Supreme Court Reporter |
1st Floor – Ranges 23-24 |
|
L. Ed. & L. Ed. 2d |
United States Supreme Court Reports, Lawyer’s Edition |
1st Floor – Range 23 |
|
U.S.L.W. |
United States Law Week |
Current 2 years – Reserve Collection
Prior years – 2nd Floor Treatises
Range 14 |
Federal Court Reporters - Lower Federal Courts
|
ABBREVIATION |
NAME OF REPORTER |
LOCATION |
|
F., F.2d, or F.3d |
Federal Reporter |
1st Floor – Ranges 19-22 |
|
F. Supp. or F. Supp. 2d |
Federal Supplement |
1st Floor – Ranges 16-19 |
|
F.R.D. |
Federal Rules Decision |
1st Floor – Range 16 |
Regional Reporters: State Cases
|
ABBREVIATION |
NAME OF REPORTER |
LOCATION |
|
A., A.2d |
Atlantic Reporter |
1st Floor – Ranges 2-3 |
| Cal. Rptr., Cal. Rptr. 2d |
California Reporter |
1st Floor – Ranges 4-5 |
| N.Y.S, N.Y.S.2d |
New York Supplement |
1st Floor – Ranges 5-6 |
|
N.E., N.E.2d |
North Eastern Reporter |
1st Floor – Ranges 6-7 |
|
N.W., N.W.2d |
North Western Reporter |
1st Floor – Ranges 7-8 |
|
P., P.2d |
Pacific Reporter |
1st Floor – Ranges 8-10 |
|
S.E., S.E.2d |
South Eastern Reporter |
1st Floor – Ranges 10-11 |
|
S.W., S.W.2d |
South Western Reporter |
1st Floor – Ranges 11-12 |
|
So., So. 2d |
Southern Reporter |
1st Floor – Range 13-14 |
Arizona Court Reporters
|
ABBREVIATION |
NAME OF REPORTER |
LOCATION |
|
Ariz. |
Arizona Reports |
1st Floor – Range 28 |
|
Ariz. App. |
Arizona Appellate Reports |
1st Floor – Range 28 |
| |
Arizona Digest |
1st Floor – Range 28 |
|
Ariz. Adv. Rep. |
Arizona Advance Reports |
1st Floor – Reserve Collection |
Federal and Arizona Statutes and Regulations
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ABBREVIATION |
NAME OF COMPILATION |
LOCATION |
|
U.S.C. |
United States Code |
1st Floor – Range 27 |
|
U.S.C.A. |
United States Code Annotated |
1st Floor – Range 27 |
|
U.S.C.S. |
United States Code Service |
1st Floor – Range 27 |
| C.F.R. |
Code of Federal Regulations |
1st Floor – Index Table |
|
A.R.S. |
Arizona Revised Statutes, Annotated |
1st Floor – Range 28 and
Reserve Collection |
Cases and Annotations
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ABBREVIATION |
NAME OF REPORTER |
LOCATION |
|
A.L.R., A.L.R. 2d, 3d,
4th, 5th, 6th, or Fed. |
American Law Reports |
1st Floor – Ranges 29-30 |
Encyclopedias
|
ABBREVIATION |
NAME OF ENCYCLOPEDIA |
LOCATION |
|
Am. Jur., Am. Jur. 2d |
American Jurisprudence |
1st Floor – Range 31 |
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C.J.S. |
Corpus Juris Secundum |
1st Floor – Range 31 |
Restatements
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ABBREVIATION |
NAME OF ENCYCLOPEDIA |
LOCATION |
|
|
Restatements |
1st Floor – Range 31-32 |
Updated 1/08.
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