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How to read legal citations in the United States

American citations point to a printed (or online) volume: the volume number comes first, then the name of the series, then the first page. The court and the year go in brackets at the end.

Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.

Style guide: The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation. Used by most American law reviews and many courts. Many states also have their own local rules, so check the court's own style first.

Real citations, decoded

Click or hover over any underlined piece to see what it means.

A US Supreme Court case Case

, ()

  1. Case name Brown v. Board of Education
    The two main parties, with v. between them. The case name is usually in italics or underlined.
  2. Volume 347
    The volume number of the reporter series. This case is in volume 347.
  3. Reporter U.S.
    The name of the series, abbreviated. U.S. means United States Reports, the official reports of the Supreme Court.
  4. First page 483
    The page where the case begins in that volume.
  5. Year 1954
    The year of the decision. For the Supreme Court, the court is not named in the brackets because the reporter already tells you it is the Supreme Court.
Full citation: Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954)

A state court case Case

, ()

  1. Case name Palsgraf v. Long Island Railroad Co.
    The parties. Company names are shortened following the Bluebook's rules.
  2. Volume 162
    Volume 162 of the series.
  3. Reporter N.E.
    North Eastern Reporter, a regional series that collects state-court decisions from several states in one set.
  4. First page 99
    The page where the case begins.
  5. Court and year N.Y. 1928
    For a state case, the brackets name the court (here the New York Court of Appeals, the state's highest court) and then the year.

This case also appears as 248 N.Y. 339, the state's own official report. When both exist, a court may ask you to give both, which is called a parallel citation.

Full citation: Palsgraf v. Long Island Railroad Co., 162 N.E. 99 (N.Y. 1928)

A federal statute Statute

  1. Title 42
    The United States Code is split into fifty numbered titles by subject. Title 42 is about public health and welfare, among other things.
  2. Code U.S.C.
    United States Code, the official collection of federal statutes arranged by subject.
  3. Section § 1983
    The section sign (§) and the section number. Section 1983 is the civil-rights action against state officials.
Full citation: 42 U.S.C. § 1983

A federal regulation Regulation

  1. Title 17
    Title 17 of the Code of Federal Regulations, which deals with securities.
  2. Code C.F.R.
    Code of Federal Regulations, the collection of rules made by federal agencies.
  3. Section § 240.10b-5
    The section number. This is the SEC's rule against securities fraud (Rule 10b-5).
Full citation: 17 C.F.R. § 240.10b-5

Things to remember

  • Read the citation from the front: parties, volume, series, page, then court and year.
  • 'U.S.' means the Supreme Court. 'F.2d' and 'F.3d' are federal courts of appeals. 'F. Supp.' are federal district courts.
  • A pinpoint citation adds the page you mean after the first page, for example 347 U.S. 483, 495.
  • 'Id.' means 'the same source as the one just cited'. 'Supra' points back to an earlier full citation.

Where to find the text, free

To understand how courts and law fit together in United States, read the United States profile in the Legal Families Atlas.

Other legal systems

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TheLawToKnow Tools’s citation guide is an educational overview of standard conventions. Courts and journals sometimes vary, so check the style guide before submitting or publishing. It is not legal advice. Report a mistake.