Bluebook Review 1 – Cases
Experiential Legal Writing I – Fall 2016
Case Citation - Format
• Rule B10.1 (pages 10 – 17)
• A full case citation includes
1. Case Name (Italicize or Underline) – B10.1.1
2. Location (volume, reporter, page) – B10.1.2
3. A pinpoint page number – B10.1.2
4. A parenthetical indicating Court and Year of Decision – B10.1.3
(may also include subsequent history and other parenthetical
information)
• Must use a full citation if you cite the case for the first time!!!
Case Citation – 1. Case Name
Steps for Case Name
1. Use only the first party listed for each side
2. For individuals, use only last names
3. Omit words indicating multiple parties and alternative names
• No “et al.”, “a.k.a”, “d/b/a”
4. Omit “The” when it is the first word in a party name.
5. Use T6 & T10 for abbreviation. Rule 10.2 provides more guidance
on abbreviation.
• Do not abbreviate “United States” when it is a named party
Case Citation – 1. Case Name
Example
• Travelers Insurance Company et al. v. Tom Jones and Tim Jones
• Step 1 – Use only the first party on each side
• Drop “Tim Jones”
• Step 2 – For individuals, use only last names
• Drop “Tom”
• Step 3 – Omit words indicating multiple parties and alternative names
• Drop “et al.”
Case Citation – 1. Case Name
Example
• Travelers Insurance Company et al. v. Tom Jones and Tim Jones
• Step 4 - Omit “The” when it is the first word in a party name.
• (not applicable to this example)
• Step 5 – Use T6 & T10 for abbreviation
• T6 says
• Insurance = Ins.
• Company = Co.
• Travelers Ins. Co. v. Jones
Case Citation – 2. Location
• Volume, Reporter abbreviation, First Page
• To determine which reporter to cite, find your jurisdiction and court
in BlueBook Table T1.
• Your electronic research platform (Westlaw, Lexis Advance, etc.) also
provides the case’s reporter citation
Case Citation – 3. Pinpoint Page Number
• If you are citing a specific page, you must include a pinpoint citation
(aka “pincite”)
• Place a comma after the page on which the case begins. Then place
your pinpoint citation (space btw the comma & your pincite)
• See Rule 3.2 if you pincite multiple pages
• Let’s say you want to cite page 840 of the Longhi case (screenshot
from the previous slide). Its reporter citation is 914 N.E.2d 834
• Thomas Longhi v. Loius Mazzoni and Lorraine Mazzoni
• Longhi v. Mazzoni, 914 N.E.2d 834, 840
Case Citation – 4. Court & Year
• Must provide the court and the year of decision in a parenthetical
• Use T1 to see how your court is abbreviated
• Indiana – page 263
• Longhi was decided in 2009 by the Court of Appeals of Indiana
• T1 says Court of Appeals of Indiana = Ind. Ct. App.
• Longhi v. Mazzoni, 914 N.E.2d 834, 840 (Ind. Ct. App. 2009)
Case Citation – Example
• Lydia Escobedo, et al., Appellants (Plaintiffs below),
Versus
• BHM Health Associates, Inc., AAA Home Care LLC/Rocky Mountain
Home Care, AAA Home Care LLC/Rocky Mountain Home Care, D/B/A
BHM Health Associates, Inc., Leona Bonczek, Donna Huddleston, And
Lee Huddleston, Appellees (Defendants Below)
• 818 N.E.2d 930. Cite to pages 933 - 935
• Supreme Court of Indiana / 2004
Case Citation – Example
1. Case Name
• Omit
• Everyone except the first person/entity on each side
• First names and middle names of individuals
• Multiple parties and alternative names
• “The” if it is the first word in a party’s name
• Abbreviate
• T6
• T10
Case Citation – Example
• Lydia Escobedo, et al., Appellants (Plaintiffs below),
Versus
• BHM Health Associates, Inc., AAA Home Care LLC/Rocky Mountain
Home Care, AAA Home Care LLC/Rocky Mountain Home Care, D/B/A
BHM Health Associates, Inc., Leona Bonczek, Donna Huddleston, And
Lee Huddleston, Appellees (Defendants Below)
• T6 says Associate = Assoc.
• T6 also tells us to add the letter “s” for plurals
• Assoc. + s = Assocs.
• Escobedo v. BMH Health Assocs.
Case Citation – Example
2. Location
• 818 N.E.2d 930
3. Pincite
• You would like to cite pages 933 – 935
• Rule 3.2(a) says use a dash or hyphen to cite materials spanning
multiple pages. Retain the last two digits.
• 818 N.E.2d 930, 933-35
• Escobedo v. BMH Health Assocs., 818 N.E.2d 930, 933-35
Case Citation – Example
• Escobedo v. BMH Health Assocs., 818 N.E.2d 930, 933-35
4. Court & Year
• T1 (page 263) says Indiana Supreme Court = Ind.
• Year = 2004
• (Ind. 2004)
• Escobedo v. BMH Health Assocs., 818 N.E.2d 930, 933-35 (Ind. 2004)
