How to read legal citations in the United States

Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954)

1. Case name Brown v. Board of Education
   The two main parties, with v. between them. The case name is usually in italics or underlined.
2. Volume 347
   The volume number of the reporter series. This case is in volume 347.
3. Reporter U.S.
   The name of the series, abbreviated. U.S. means United States Reports, the official reports of the Supreme Court.
4. First page 483
   The page where the case begins in that volume.
5. Year 1954
   The year of the decision. For the Supreme Court, the court is not named in the brackets because the reporter already tells you it is the Supreme Court.

Palsgraf v. Long Island Railroad Co., 162 N.E. 99 (N.Y. 1928)

1. Case name Palsgraf v. Long Island Railroad Co.
   The parties. Company names are shortened following the Bluebook's rules.
2. Volume 162
   Volume 162 of the series.
3. Reporter N.E.
   North Eastern Reporter, a regional series that collects state-court decisions from several states in one set.
4. First page 99
   The page where the case begins.
5. Court and year N.Y. 1928
   For a state case, the brackets name the court (here the New York Court of Appeals, the state's highest court) and then the year.

42 U.S.C. § 1983

1. Title 42
   The United States Code is split into fifty numbered titles by subject. Title 42 is about public health and welfare, among other things.
2. Code U.S.C.
   United States Code, the official collection of federal statutes arranged by subject.
3. Section § 1983
   The section sign (§) and the section number. Section 1983 is the civil-rights action against state officials.

17 C.F.R. § 240.10b-5

1. Title 17
   Title 17 of the Code of Federal Regulations, which deals with securities.
2. Code C.F.R.
   Code of Federal Regulations, the collection of rules made by federal agencies.
3. Section § 240.10b-5
   The section number. This is the SEC's rule against securities fraud (Rule 10b-5).

U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 1

1. Instrument U.S. Const.
   The Constitution of the United States, abbreviated.
2. Amendment amend. XIV
   The amendment, written in Roman numerals. The Fourteenth Amendment (1868) is the source of equal protection and due process against the states.
3. Section § 1
   The section of the amendment. Section 1 holds the citizenship, due process and equal protection clauses.

United States v. Carroll Towing Co., 159 F.2d 169 (2d Cir. 1947)

1. Case name United States v. Carroll Towing Co.
   The parties. Learned Hand's famous negligence opinion.
2. Volume 159
   Volume 159.
3. Reporter F.2d
   Federal Reporter, Second Series. The courts of appeals' decisions are in the Federal Reporter, now in its Third Series (F.3d) and Fourth (F.4th).
4. First page 169
   The page where the case begins.
5. Court and year 2d Cir. 1947
   The Second Circuit Court of Appeals, covering New York, Connecticut and Vermont, and the year.

Cal. Civ. Code § 1714

1. State Cal.
   California, abbreviated.
2. Code Civ. Code
   The California Civil Code. Many states keep their statutes in named codes, others in numbered titles.
3. Section § 1714
   Section 1714 makes everyone responsible for injury caused to others by a lack of ordinary care.

Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6)

1. Rules Fed. R. Civ. P.
   The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which govern civil cases in the federal courts.
2. Rule and subdivisions 12(b)(6)
   Rule 12, subdivision (b), paragraph (6): a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim on which relief can be granted.

Restatement (Second) of Torts § 402A (Am. L. Inst. 1965)

1. Work Restatement (Second) of Torts
   A Restatement summarises the common law in a field. Courts treat it as persuasive, not binding. 'Second' is the series of the Restatement.
2. Section § 402A
   Section 402A sets out strict liability for defective products.
3. Publisher and year Am. L. Inst. 1965
   The American Law Institute, which writes the Restatements, and the year of publication.