The conventional caption ordering places which party first in a civil case, as seen in 'Messina v. Burden'?

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

In civil cases, the caption follows the rule that the party bringing the action is listed first, followed by “v.” (versus) and then the defendant. This convention helps identify who initiated the suit and who is defending it. So “Messina v. Burden” shows Messina as the plaintiff and Burden as the defendant, which is the standard format. The other options would place the defendant first, omit the proper “v.” structure, or misorder the names, which doesn’t match the conventional captioning practice.