Show:
THE LAW
REPORTERS
CITATIONS
SIGNALS
POTPOURRI
100
Constitutions, statutory law, administrative regulations, and case law.
What are the four primary sources of law in the U.S.?
100
This is the official publication of the United States Supreme Court.
What is the United States Reports?
100
This is the citation to the same case in a different reporter.
What is the parallel cite?
100
A signal meaning "in the same place", which instructs the reader to return to the immediately preceding citation, no matter what it is.
What is Id. (note: must be either italicized or underscored)
100
The short numbered paragraphs, highlighting the points of law in an opinion, written by West editors and found at the beginning of cases in print in West reporters, and online in Westlaw.
What are Headnotes?
200
The U.S. government operates under this principle, which explains that two separate governments, federal and state, regulate citizens.
What is federalism?
200

This reporter contains judicial decisions from the federal district court.

What is the Federal Suplement?

200
This abbreviation references the 346th bill introduced into the House of Representatives.
What is "H.R. 346"?
200
This signal means "above", and is a signal used to send a reader to a preceding citation, but not an immediately preceding citation. Note that this cannot be used to refer to primary authorities such as cases, statutes, regs, constitutions, or to Restatements or many legislative materials.
What is supra? (note: must be either italicized or underscored)
200
This source restates the common law doctrines on a subject using the rules in a majority of jurisdictions
What are the Restatements?
300
This publication is a large set containing federal appellate decisions.
What is the Federal Reporter?
300

This reporter contains state decisions including the District of Columbia, Connecticut, Deleware, and Maryland.

What is the  Atlantic Reporter?

300
This abbreviation references the 278th public law enacted by the 102nd Congress.
What is "Public Law 102-278"?
300
This signal indicates that the citation clearly supports the proposition.
What is See (note: must be underlined or italicized)
300
The type of authority of a Michigan Supreme Court decision in the Illinois Supreme Court.
What is persuasive authority?
400
This publication of the U.S. Supreme Court includes "Headnotes", a short summary of the case, "Total Client-Service Library References", and "Annotation References".
What is the Lawyer's Edition?
400
Either one book, or a multi-volume series of books dealing with one legal topic.
What is a treatise?
400
This is the correct citation for the following reference: Title 18, section 4422 of the United States Code.
What is 18 U.S.C. §4422 ?
400
This signal indicates that the citation directly states the contrary of the proposition.
What is Contra (note: must be underlined or italicized)
400
Names of the citators for Westlaw and Lexis
What are KeyCite and Shepard's?
500
Once a court has interpreted a statute in one way, other courts must follow that interpretation because of this rule.
What is stare decisis?
500
This secondary source publishes important cases along with an article or annotation related to the case.
What is A.L.R.?
500
This is the correct citation of the following reference: Section 201 of the Restatement of Agency, Third
What is Restatement (Third) of Agency § 201 ?
500
Seen sometimes in briefs, this signal, meaning "below", will be used to send the reader to a later discussion in the document.
What is infra (note: must be italicized or underscored)?
500
This official set contains the text of federal statutes, as passed, in chronological order, by session of Congress.
What is the United States Statutes at Large?