Introduction
Citation form is very important for attorneys and paralegals. It comes easier to some than others, but once it clicks, it will stay with you. The best advice is to try and try again. First work on your state citations, then federal.
State Citation Form:
The Uniform System of Citation
There is plenty of information provided in the Manual on state citation Bluebook form, but it may be helpful to approach it from a bit of a different angle. Every state citation will be either a long form citation or a short form citation.
STATE CITATIONS: Long Form
A long form citation is a cite that provides both an official and unofficial cite. For example:
Smith v. Jones, 132 Colo. 249, 535 P.2d 570 (1996)
The first cite is the official. In this case, the official publication is the Colorado Reports. But the abbreviation "Colo." also tells us that the case was decided in the highest court in Colorado, the Colorado Supreme Court. The second cite is the regional reporter by West, which is unofficial. Both cites will provide the exact same case, word for word, and are therefore called parallel cites. The only real difference is that the unofficial cite provides additional research tools, such as the Key Number System and headnotes.
Paralegal Perspectives . . .
CITATIONS
As a paralegal, there are a few standards that will enable an attorney to very quickly determine your level of ability. One of the most critical 'benchmarks' for a paralegal is citation form. If you create a citation that is nonsense, or incomplete, many attorneys will instantly pigeon-hole you as a less-than-brilliant paralegal. And it will take a lot to regain that attorney's confidence. This isn't to say you can never make a mistake, but citations are so critical to both writing and research that an attorney must have confidence in a paralegal's knowledge. So in this case, the snap judgment may be understandable!
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