How do you indicate a jurisdictional abbreviation for a federal court on a citation?

Study for the Bluebook Citation Test. Access comprehensive flashcards and multiple-choice questions with detailed explanations. Prepare effectively for your exam!

Multiple Choice

How do you indicate a jurisdictional abbreviation for a federal court on a citation?

The key idea is to show which court issued the decision by putting the court’s abbreviation in a parenthetical after the page number in a case citation. This parenthetical (for example, (9th Cir. 2000) or (D. Md. 2003)) identifies the jurisdiction and the year, providing essential context so readers know exactly which court’s ruling is being cited. The page number before it is the pinpoint reference to where the relevant statement appears in the reporter, and the court-year parenthetical is the standard way to specify the authority behind that pinpoint. Putting the court abbreviation after the reporter or before the page would disrupt the conventional order and reduce clarity. Omitting any jurisdiction would leave readers guessing which court issued the decision.

The key idea is to show which court issued the decision by putting the court’s abbreviation in a parenthetical after the page number in a case citation. This parenthetical (for example, (9th Cir. 2000) or (D. Md. 2003)) identifies the jurisdiction and the year, providing essential context so readers know exactly which court’s ruling is being cited.

The page number before it is the pinpoint reference to where the relevant statement appears in the reporter, and the court-year parenthetical is the standard way to specify the authority behind that pinpoint. Putting the court abbreviation after the reporter or before the page would disrupt the conventional order and reduce clarity. Omitting any jurisdiction would leave readers guessing which court issued the decision.

More practice questions