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Legal Citation Checklist
Case Law Citations
Verify the case name is italicized or underlined
Check that the case citation includes the volume number, the reporter, and the first page of the case
Ensure the year of the decision is in parentheses following the page number
Confirm pinpoint citations are included where specific pages, paragraphs, or sections are referenced
Statutory Citations
Check that the title or chapter number is correct
Ensure the section number is accurate
Verify the year of the statute is included if necessary
Confirm that the source of the statute (e.g., U.S.C., state code) is correctly abbreviated and italicized
Secondary Sources Citations
Ensure the full title of the article or book is provided
Verify the author's name is presented as it appears in the work
Check that the publication year is included in parentheses for books, and in brackets for journal articles
Confirm that the volume number and page number (for journal articles) or publisher and publication city (for books) are correct
Internet and Electronic Citations
Verify the full URL or DOI is included
Check the date of the publication or the date when the site was last updated
Ensure the author or organization responsible for the content is identified
Confirm that access dates are included if the source material is likely to change over time
Citation to Record Material
Check that the document title is correct and complete
Verify the pinpoint reference, such as the page or paragraph number, is accurate
Ensure the date of the document is included
Confirm the source of the record material is correctly identified (e.g., trial transcript, docket number)
