Citations
The Real Thing

Of course in your actual job as paralegal, you are going to have actual cases in front of you, not the descriptions provided previously in this manual.  But one problem is that the citations at the top of many cases are not accurate, at least according to Bluebook form.  So we must take the information provided and rearrange it in the Bluebook form.

In the above case, we start with the title:

In re Sands,

We then look to see if a parallel cite is provided above the caption.  In this case, it is.  (Of course if this case didn't have the parallel cite above the caption, we would want to Shepardize the case to find any parallel cites.)

In re Sands, 135 Cal.Rptr. 777,

We now provide the unofficial cite, in this case the Pacific Reporter.  (At least West has provided us with that part of the citation!)

In re Sands, 135 Cal.Rptr. 777, 358 P.2d 863

Now all we have to do is provide the year in parenthesis, and we have a complete, accurate citation.

In re Sands, 135 Cal.Rptr. 777, 358 P.2d 863 (1977)