The text of a case can be found in a reporter, a volume of reported court decisions.
There are three reporters for the United States Supreme Court:
Title | Abbreviation Key |
---|---|
United States Reports | U.S |
Supreme Court Reporter | S. Ct. |
United States Supreme Court Reports | L.E. and L.E. 2d |
You need a citation (the volume and page number of the reporter in which the case is published in order to find a case in a reporter (e.g. 309 U.S. 634). Legal Citations are almost always in the following format:
Volume | Reporter Abbreviation | Page Number |
---|---|---|
309 | U.S. | 634 |
84 | L. Ed. | 991 |
60 | S. Ct. | 724 |
When all you have is the name of a party to a Supreme Court case, whether plaintiff or defendant, and need to find the citation look in:
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