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A legal citation is a reference to a specific legal resource such as a statute, legal case, or law review article. A citation typically includes the volume number, name of resource, and a page number. See examples below.
Legal Citation (Case):
Near v. Minnesota, 283 U.S. 697 (1931)
Translation:
Near v. Minnesota found in volume 283 of the United States Reports, starting on page 697, decided 1931.
Common Legal Abbreviations:
Federal Reporter (F.) -- Contains decisions of the U.S. District Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals.
Federal Supplement (F.Supp.) -- Contains decisions of the U.S. District Court from 1932 to the present.
United States Reports (U.S.) -- Official reports of the United States Supreme Court.
Southern Reporter (So.) -- Unofficial record of appellate courts of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
Supreme Court Reporter (S.Ct.) -- Unofficial record of the Supreme Court