• Follow General Abbreviations (ALWD Appendix 3) when listing countries, states, cities, districts, dates, etc.
• Case names are italicized (Tex. v. Johnson) or underlined (Tex. v. Johnson). (ALWD 1.1)
• Do not italicize or underline the comma after the case name. (ALWD 1.4)
• Abbreviate versus to "v."
• Place a period after every citation. All citations are complete sentences.

Case name, Official reporter volume Official reporter abbreviation Initial page, Unofficial reporter volume Unofficial reporter abbreviation Initial page (Date).

Tex. v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397, 109 S. Ct. 2533, 105 L. Ed. 2d 342 (1989).

• List official reporter (U.S.) first, followed by the unofficial reporters (S Ct. and L.Ed 2d) in the order set forth in this example.

Tip: The Bluebook citation is Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397 (1989). There are significant differences between these citations. Follow the format favored by your boss and/or by the judge for whom you are preparing documents.

Case name, Reporter volume Reporter abbreviation Initial page (Circuit Court abbreviation Date).

Knology, Inc. v. Insight Commun. Co., 393 F.3d 656 (6th Cir. 2004).

• "F.3d" is the Federal Reporter Third Series (ALWD Chart 12.1)
• "6th Cir." indicates the case was heard by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Case name, Reporter volume Reporter abbreviation Initial page (District Court abbreviation Date).

Stratton v. Marsh, 71 F. Supp. 2d 475 (E.D. Pa. 1999).

• "F. Supp." is the Federal Supplement reporter. (ALWD Chart 12.1)
• "E.D. Pa." means the case was heard in the Eastern District of PA.

Case name, Publication volume Publication abbreviation Initial page (Court abbreviation Date).

Akkard v. Jones, 201 WL 173891 (8th Cir. Jan. 20, 2010).

• "WL" means Westlaw.
• Information in the parentheses means the case was decided by the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals on Jan. 20, 2010.

Tip: Slip opinions are unreported and only available in separately paginated format.

Title number Code § Section number (Year of publication).

19 U.S.C. § 2411 (2000).

• Correct format for United States Code (official code, published every six years).

19 U.S.C.S. § 2411 (Lexis 2000).

• This is the United States Code Service, published by Lexis.
• It is unofficial and annotated.

19 U.S.C.A. § 2411 (West 2000).

• This is the United States Code Annotated, published by West.
• It is unofficial and annotated.