1. Legal Citations The basic form of a legal citation is: 438 U.S. 726 Where: 438 U.S. 726 volume source page Typically, you will also see the name of the case: F.C.C. v. Pacifica Foundation, 438 US 726

2. Legal Citations (cont.) The format will be the same no matter if it is a statute: 18 U.S.C.A. § 1464 (title 18, United States Code Annotated, section 1464) or journal article: 46 FCLJ 267 (volume 46, Federal Communications Law Journal, page 267)

3. Parallel Citations Parallel citations are multiple citations for the same case, each one pointing to a different source (called reporters). F.C.C. v. Pacifica Foundation 438 U.S. 726 98 S.Ct. 3026 57L.Ed.2d 1073 (United States Reports) (Supreme Court Reporter) (Lawyers Edition)

4. Parallel Citations (cont.) While each reporter will give the complete decision of the court, those published by private publishers provide additional/editorial materials (added value) in addition to the court decision. F.C.C. v. Pacifica Foundation 438 U.S. 726 98 S.Ct. 3026 57L.Ed.2d 1073 (Government Printing Office) (West Publishing) (Lawyers Cooperative) (Official Version) (Private Publisher) (Private Publisher)