How to cite a court filing / record

Bluebook (22d ed.) citation format, B17 / R10.8.3.

Bluebook (22d ed.) citation format for a court filing / record, governed by B17 / R10.8.3. Worked example, required elements, and the rules that apply.

Briefs, motions, transcripts and the record; titles abbreviate per BT1.

Example

Pet’r’s Br. 6.

Governing rules

B17 / R10.8.3

• B17.1 — Bluepages B17.1 — full citation of a court document filed in the same case.
• B17.1.2 — Bluepages B17.1.2 — pinpoint citations (no “p.”; page:line by colon).
• BT1 — BT1 — court-document words (source-derived from the Bluepages tables).

Required elements

• Document title — BT1 abbreviations; B17.1.1 abbreviates “Record” to “R.”

Optional elements

• Case name (a document from another case)
• Court
• Date
• Docket number
• Court-record document number — B17.1.2: the ECF/docket entry number, given as “Dkt. No. 15”.
• Pincite
• Precede the pincite with “at” — B3 drops “at” in practitioner mode; academic mode keeps it (R3.2).
• Keep articles and prepositions in the title — BT1 omits them “unless the result will confuse the reader”.
• Reporter citation of the case
• URL

Build this citation with the generator, or paste a list of citations to check them all at once.