Here is an example of a legal case citation broken down by its parts:
230 S.W.3d 88
230 = the volume number
S.W.3d = the name of the reporter (S.W., which stands for Southwestern) and its series number (3d)
88 = the page on which the case begins
| Abbreviation__ |
Full Title | Jurisdiction |
| U.S. | United States Reports (Official Edition) | U.S. Supreme Court |
| S. Ct. | Supreme Court Reporter (West Pub.) | U.S. Supreme Court |
| L. Ed., L. Ed. 2d | Supreme Court Reports Lawyer's Ed. (Lexis) | U.S. Supreme Court |
| F., F.2d, F.3d | Federal Reporter (West Pub.) | U.S. Court of Appeals |
| F. App'x | Federal Appendix (West Pub.) |
U.S. Court of Appeals - unpublished decisions |
| F. Supp., F. Supp. 2d | Federal Supplement (West Pub.) | U.S. District Courts |
| Fed. Cl. | Federal Claims Reporter (West Pub.) | U.S. Court of Federal Claims |
| B.R. | Bankruptcy Reporter (West Pub.) | U.S. Bankruptcy Courts |
| T.R. | Tax Reporter (West Pub.) | U.S. Tax Courts |
| M.J. | Military Justice Reporter (West Pub.) | U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces; Military Service Courts of Criminal Appeals |
| F.R.D. | Federal Rules Decisions (West Pub.) | U.S. District Courts - interpretations of federal procedural rules |
| Vet. App. | Veterans Appeals Reporter (West Pub.) | U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims |
| Abbreviation | Title | Jurisdiction |
| A., A.2d | Atlantic Reporter | Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, District of Columbia |
| Cal. Rptr., Cal. Rptr. 2d | California Reporter | California Courts |
| N.Y.S., N.Y.S.2d | New York Supplement | New York Courts |
| N.E., N.E.2d | North Eastern Reporter | Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio |
| N.W., N.W.2d | North Western Reporter | Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin |
| P., P.2d, P.3d | Pacific Reporter | Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming |
| S.E., S.E.2d | South Eastern Reporter | Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia |
| So., So.2d | Southern Reporter | Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi |
| S.W., S.W.2d, S.W. 3d | South Western Reporter | Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas |