Advanced Menu

Main Menu

Short Forms

Cases Statutes Books/Periodicals Id. Supra Infra

General rules of thumb

(1) Though there are limitations, short forms are used to prevent repititve citations to the same authority. Remember to always provide the FULL citation the first time you cite anything before using short forms.

(2) A short form may be used when the subsequent citation is in the same general area as the original full citation, and the reader can easily identify and locate the original citation. Remember, that if the original cite is too far away then do not use a short form. The key is to be as an unambiguous as possible.

(3) All short forms must include a pinpoint citation, usually with some form of "at."

(4) For periodicals (Rule 16.7, or Bluepage Table 2), you should use either an id. or a supra. In court documents and legal memoranda, simply insert the author or institutional name (and part of the title if there are more than one work by the same author), supra, and then a pinpoint cite. See the examples below.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cases [Rule 10.9]

Full Citation

Bamberg v. SG Cowen, 236 F. Supp. 2d 79 (D. Mass. 2002).

Acceptable Short Forms

Bamberg, 236 F. Supp. 2d at 80 OR 236 F. Supp. 2d at 80 OR Id. at 80.

Notes on Typeface

Underline the Party Name or any Ids.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Statutes [Rule 12.9]

Full Citation

Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA), 28 U.S.C. § 1350 (2006).

Acceptable Short Forms

§ 1350 OR 28 U.S.C. § 1350 OR Alien Tort Claims Act, § 1350 OR ATCA, § 1350

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Periodicals/Books [Rule 16.7, or B8.2]

Full Citation

Deana Pollard, Banning Corporal Punishment: A Constitutional Analysis, 52 Am. U.L. Rev. 447 (2002).

Acceptable Short Forms

Pollard, supra note 2, at 450-51 OR Id. at 450-51

Notes on Typeface

Underline supra (but not the comma) and any further identifications that are from the title. Underline the id. (including the period point).

========================================================

Id. [Rule 4.1]

(1) Students often ask about ids, and how and where they can be used. Just keep in mind that ids are used to save space, but should never get in the way of clear source citation. An id. can be used for any type of authority.

(2) The immediately previous citation must contain only one authority. When the subsequent citation refers to the same pinpoint cite, then merely use id. by itself. If there is a different pinpoint cite, but still the same sole authority, then use an "at." If there is a parallel citation, pinpoint both reporters.

(3) Unless beginning a cite, id. will always have a lower case "i."

For example,

1. Bamberg v. SG Cowen, 236 F. Supp. 2d 79 (D. Mass. 2002).

2. Id. at 80.

3. Arch v. Pollock, 23 Mass. 34, 456 N.E. 13 (2000).

4. Id. at 36, 456 N.E. at 15.

5. Id.

========================================================

Supra and Infra [Rules 3.5 & 4.2]

(1) Supra is used to refer back to material that has already appeared in the text (i.e. footnotes or endnotes). Infra refers to material that will appear later in the piece.

(2) Supra should not be used for cases, statutes, constitutions, legislative material, restatemens, model codes or regulations.

(3) Do not supra back to another supra, but only to the full citation of the authority (and the same for infras)..

(4) Supra should, first, refer to the last name of the author or institutional name or title of work, in that order, and then "supra," then the footnote or endnote number and the pinpoint cite. Italicize or underline supra depending on whether its a court document or law review article.

For example,

28. Hume, supra note 2, at 89.

(5) Infra is used to refer a reader forward to subsequent material. Thus, an infra will refer to page numbers, parts or footnotes.

For example,

23. See infra pp. 121-24.

24. See infra Parts IV-V.

25. See infra notes 2-3 and accompanying text.

=========================================================

Top - Advanced Menu

=========================================================