Which docket presentation is standard in a federal case caption?

• A. No. 12-345.
• B. 12-345 No.
• C. Docket 12-345.
• D. Case 12-345.

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that federal case captions label the docket number with the abbreviation No. before the digits. That means the standard form is No. 12-345, which Bluebook practice and court style guides consistently use to identify the docket. The dash in 12-345 reflects the year-and-number format common in docket identifiers, and the label No. is the recognized marker to denote the docket number.

Using any other label or placing the label after the number runs counter to how federal captions are read. Writing Docket 12-345 or Case 12-345 uses nonstandard terms, and putting the number first (12-345 No.) reverses the conventional order readers expect.