This guide is designed to be a reference tool for commonly cited legal works in Florida and nationwide, including cases, statutes, rules of procedure, citations to the court record, and internet sources.
Loving, 388 U.S. at 2.
388 U.S. at 2.
Id. at 2.
Id. is a short citation for cases or other sources immediately preceding, up to 5 times in a row.
Affidavit:
(Weezer Aff. ¶ 17.)
Rule 9.800 of the Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure governs legal citation of all Florida legal documents (pleadings, memoranda of law, motions, and briefs), including court opinions. This rule applies beyond the appellate level to county and circuit court cases. Items not addressed in this rule should be cited according to the most current edition of The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation.
The most significant difference between the Florida citation rule and The Bluebook is that the Florida rule recommends italicizing case names in court documents.
Florida Supreme Court:
Allen v. Martinez, 573 So. 2d 35 (Fla. 1991).
Florida District Court of Appeal, Second District:
McCormick v. Miami Herald Publishing Co., 139 So. 2d 197 (Fla. 2d DCA 1962).
Florida County Court:
Vinner v. Mason, 44 Fla. Supp. 2d 142 (Fla. Pinellas Cty. Ct. 1990).
Slip Opinions:
Myers v. State, No. 90-1092 (Fla. 4th DCA June 5, 1991).
Use The Bluebook when citing and referencing cases in court documents and legal memoranda submitted in federal court and in state courts beyond Florida. The Bluebook requires underlining case names. Be sure to look in the blue section of The Bluebook and in the back inside reference pages.
U.S. Supreme Court:
Loving v. Virginia, 388 U.S. 1 (1967).
Parker v. U.S., 402 U.S. 634, 639 (Stevens, J. dissenting) (if using a pinpoint cite or explanation of the holding)
*Note: Cite to U.S. reporter; if unavailable, use the S. Ct. cite.
U.S. Court of Appeals:
Tally-Ho, Inc. v. Coast Cmty. Coll. Dist., 889 F.2d 1018 (11th Cir. 1989).
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit:
Or. Steel Mills, Inc. v. United States, 862 F.2d 1541 (Fed. Cir. 1988).
U.S. District Court:
Azalea Meats, Inc. v. Muscat, 246 F. Supp. 780 (S.D. Fla. 1965).
U.S. Bankruptcy Court:
Weiner v. Perry, Settles & Lawson, Inc., 208 B.R. 69 (B.A.P. 1st Cir. 1997).
U.S. Tax Court:
Allied Equip. Leasing II v. Comm'r, 97 T.C. 575 (1991).
Known author:
Eric Posner, More on Section 7 of the Torture Convention, The Volokh Conspiracy (Jan. 29, 2009, 10:04 AM), http://www.volokh.com/posts/1233241458.shtml.
No author:
Pavement Planning New Album Release, Glide Magazine (Nov. 06, 2009), http://www.glidemagazine.com/articles/55317/pavement-planning-new-album-release.html.
Institutional author:
The Butterfly Conservatory, Am. Museum of Natural History, http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/butterflies/?src=h_h (last visited Nov. 25, 2009).
No Institutional Author Necessary (obvious from domain name):
Dunkin’ Donuts, http://www.dunkindonuts.com (last visited Feb. 1, 2009).
Florida Constitution:
Art. V, §3(b)(3), Fla. Const.
U.S. Constitution:
U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 1.
Florida Statutes:
§ 90.803(3), Fla. Stat. (2012).
Federal Statutes:
42 U.S.C. § 405(a) (2006).
Florida Rules:
Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.010.
Fla. R. Crim. P. 3.81.
Fla. R. App. P. 9.800.
Federal Rules:
Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6).
Fed. R. Crim. P. 7(b).
Fed. R. App. P. 2.
Cite page and line number in parentheses after the period at the end of a sentence.
Deposition:
(Huxley Dep. 5:21, Oct. 16, 2009.)
Court Transcript:
(Tr. at 10:24-11:6.)