A citation (or cite) in legal terminology is a reference to a specific legal source, such as a constitution, a statute, a reported case, a treatise, or a law review article. A standard citation includes first the volume number, then the title of the source (usually abbreviated) and lastly, a page or section number.
Here's an example of a case citation:
685 N.E.2d 120
This is the citation to Irvine v. Rare Feline Breeding Center, Inc. found in volume 685 of the North Eastern Reporter, 2d, page 120.
Here are some case reporter abbreviations you will need to know:
| Federal Case Law | |
| U.S. | United States Reports |
| S.Ct. | Supreme Court Reports |
| L. Ed., L. Ed.2d | United States Supreme Court Reports, Lawyer's Edition |
| F., F.2d, F.3d | Federal Reports |
| F. Supp, F.Supp.2d | Federal Supplement |
| State Case Law - Regional Reporters | |
| N.E., N.E.2d | North Eastern Reporter (covers cases from IL, IN, MA, NY, OH) |
| State Case Law - Illinois | |
| Ill., Ill.2d | Illinois Reports |
| Ill.App., Ill.App 2d, 3d | Illinois Appellate Reports |
Find the following case and enter the case name (ex.: Roe v. Wade) on your worksheet:
752 N.E. 2d 410