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Bluebook Quick Reference: Abbreviations and How-tos

Unique Legal Citations Used in Practice

  • These formats are for items frequently cited in practice, some of which the Bluebook does not completely address. These citations were compiled by Akron Law student Kari Simms, and are based on the Bluebook, as well as common practices by attorneys, and suggestions from academics.
  • The citations include dockets, court filings, transcripts, police reports, and case narratives.
  • See generally Bluebook Rule 10.8.3 for citing to court filings that are NOT documents from the same case for which you are writing the brief.
  • See blue pages rule B17 and blue pages table BT1 for court documents filed as part of the same case. However, note that if a case was transferred from municipal court to common pleas court and you want to refer to a document or docket from the municipal court case, you will want to use something closer to Rule 10.8.3, because the docket number must be included.
  • Bluebook Rule 15.1(c) - Nonperiodicals by an individual author on behalf of an institution, is one of the closer rules for Police Reports.

Court Docket

Format:   Ct. Docket, Plaintiff Name v. Defendant Name, Case Number, (Court Name date case filed).

Ie.: Ct. Docket, State v. Doe, No. 123CR4567, (Franklin Mun. Ct. 2/2/2023 ).

Case Narrative

Format:  Narrative, Author, Plaintiff Name v. Defendant Name, Case Number, (Court Name date case filed).

Ie.: Initial Narrative, Officer J. Roe, State v. Doe, No.  123CR4567, (Franklin Mun. Ct 2/2/2023).

Complaint

Format:   Compl., Plaintiff Name v. Defendant Name, Case Number, (Court Name date complaint filed).

Ie. Compl. ¶ 7, State v. Doe, No. 123CR4567, (Franklin Mun. Ct. 2/2/2023).
 

If the complaint is in the same case with the same trial court docket number, you may use the format set out in Bluebook Rule B17:

Ie. Compl. 7.

Police Reports

Format:   Officer Name, Department Name, Report Number, (Date).

Ie.: ​​Officer J. Doe, Franklin Police Department, Incident Report 12-345, at 5 (January 1, 2024).

Deposition Transcript

Format:   Name Dep., Page Number:Line Number, Date of Deposition.

Ie.: Doe Dep. 13:5, January 15, 2024.


If the citation includes multiple lines from the transcript:

Ie.: Doe Dep. 13:5-10, January 15, 2024.

Bluebook R. B17 says that the date is optionsl unless it is relevant to the discussion, or it is needed to avoid confusion.
 

Court Hearing Transcript

Format: Trial Tr. Vol. No. (if more than one vol.), Page Number:Line Number, Date of Trial.

Ie. Trial Tr. 13:5, January 15, 2024.
Ie. Trial Tr. Vol. 2  13:5, January 15, 2024.

  • If the citation includes multiple lines from the transcript:
    • Trail Tr. 13:5-10, January 15, 2024.