Bluebook Case Citation: Format, Rules & Examples
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0 sourcesBluebook Case Citation follows the pattern: case name, volume, reporter abbreviation, first page, pinpoint page, and the court and year in parentheses. Example: Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483, 495 (1954). Case names are italicized in court documents.
What is the basic Bluebook case citation format?
A full Bluebook case citation lists five elements in order: the italicized case name, the reporter volume number, the abbreviated reporter name, the first page of the case, and a parenthetical containing the court and the year of decision. A pinpoint page follows the first page when you quote or reference specific material.
| Element | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Case name | Italicize; use “v.” for versus | Gideon v. Wainwright |
| Volume | Reporter volume number | 372 |
| Reporter | Abbreviated per Bluebook Table T1 | U.S. |
| First page | Page the case begins | 335 |
| Pinpoint | Specific page cited | 342 |
| Court & year | In parentheses | (1963) |
FullGideon v. Wainwright, 372 U.S. 335, 342 (1963).
What are the parts of a Bluebook case citation?
The citation reads left to right as name, then locator (volume, reporter, page), then a court-and-year parenthetical. For U.S. Supreme Court cases in the U.S. Reports, the court is omitted from the parenthetical because the reporter itself identifies the Supreme Court.
- Case name — parties joined by “v.”, always italicized
- Volume — the reporter volume number (347)
- Reporter & first page — abbreviated reporter (U.S.) and starting page (483)
- Pinpoint — the exact page cited (495)
- Year — decision year; court added here for non-Supreme-Court cases
How do I cite different courts in Bluebook?
The parenthetical changes with the court. The Supreme Court needs only the year. Federal circuit courts require the circuit abbreviation, federal district courts require the district abbreviation, and state courts require the state (and court level when the reporter does not make it clear).
| Court | Reporter | Parenthetical |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Supreme Court | U.S. | (1966) |
| Federal Court of Appeals | F., F.2d, F.3d, F.4th | (9th Cir. 2021) |
| Federal District Court | F. Supp., F. Supp. 2d/3d | (S.D.N.Y. 2018) |
| State high court | Regional reporter (e.g., N.E.2d) | (Mass. 2005) |
| State intermediate court | Regional reporter | (Cal. Ct. App. 2010) |
Supreme CourtMiranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 444 (1966).
CircuitUnited States v. Hastings, 695 F.2d 1278, 1280 (11th Cir. 1983).
DistrictDoe v. Roe, 345 F. Supp. 2d 1145, 1150 (D. Colo. 2004).
StatePeople v. Anderson, 447 P.2d 942, 948 (Cal. 1968).
What are Bluebook short-form case citations?
After a full citation, use a short form for later references. The two common options are the Id. form and the shortened case-name form. Use Id. when the immediately preceding authority is the same case; otherwise use one distinctive party name plus “at” and the pinpoint page.
- Id. (same page): Id.
- Id. (new page): Id. at 490.
- Short name form: Brown, 347 U.S. at 495.
Choose the party name that best identifies the case and is not a geographic or governmental unit. For Brown v. Board of Education, use Brown, not Board of Education. Never abbreviate to a party that would confuse the reader with another cited case.
How do pinpoint pages and parallel citations work?
A pinpoint (jump) cite directs the reader to the exact page. Place it after the first page, separated by a comma. When quoting from the page the case begins on, repeat that page number so the reader knows the material is on the first page rather than the whole opinion.
Pinpoint on first pageRoe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113, 113 (1973).
Multiple pagesRoe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113, 153, 164 (1973).
Court documents sometimes require parallel citations, listing the official and unofficial reporters together. State rules vary, so check local court practice. A parallel-cited state case gives the official reporter first, then the regional reporter.
ParallelPeople v. Anderson, 6 Cal. 3d 628, 447 P.2d 880 (1968).
Bluebook case citation examples
These landmark decisions show the format across court levels. Each uses the practitioner (Bluepages) convention with italicized case names, which is standard for briefs, memos, and student legal writing.
ExampleMarbury v. Madison, 5 U.S. (1 Cranch) 137, 177 (1803).
ExampleObergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644, 675 (2015).
ExampleKatz v. United States, 389 U.S. 347, 351 (1967).
ExampleNew York Times Co. v. Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254, 279 (1964).
Note that very old Supreme Court cases include the nominative reporter in a second parenthetical, as with Marbury (1 Cranch). Modern cases need only the volume, U.S., and page.
How accurate is this guide, and what are its limits?
This guide reflects the 21st edition of The Bluebook and covers the most common case-citation scenarios. It uses the practitioner format from the Bluepages, which italicizes case names. The academic (law-review footnote) format differs: it uses large and small capitals for institutional authors and italicizes case names only in short forms and certain textual sentences.
Limits to keep in mind: reporter abbreviations for less common jurisdictions live in Bluebook Tables T1 and T6 and are too numerous to list here. Pending, unpublished, and electronic-database cases (Westlaw, LexisNexis) follow special rules under Rule 10.8. Local court rules can override Bluebook conventions on parallel citations. When in doubt, verify against the printed Bluebook or your court’s citation rules before filing.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Bluebook case citations, answered concisely.
Are case names italicized or underlined in Bluebook?
In court documents and legal memos, case names are italicized (or underlined if italics are unavailable). Underlining and italics are treated as equivalent typefaces under Bluebook Rule 2, so pick one and use it consistently.
Why do some Supreme Court citations omit the court?
Because the reporter identifies it. A citation to the U.S. Reports (“U.S.”) can only be a U.S. Supreme Court decision, so the court abbreviation is dropped and only the year appears in the parenthetical.
What is a pinpoint citation in Bluebook?
A pinpoint (or jump) cite is the exact page where the referenced material appears, placed after the first page and separated by a comma, as in 347 U.S. 483, 495.
When do I use Id. in Bluebook?
Use Id. when citing the same authority as the immediately preceding citation. Add “at” and a page number when the page differs, as in Id. at 490.
Do I need parallel citations for state cases?
Only when a court’s local rules require them. Many state courts mandate parallel citations to the official state reporter and the regional reporter; federal filings generally do not.