Legal Question in Constitutional Law in District of Columbia

Re: description

Case law in the US is catagorized by publication, volume and page. One must know the basic system in order to find something in the law.

In the federal system, for example, one might find a cite such as 39 F.2d 464. This means the case will be found in the Federal Reporter, Second Series, Volume 39 at Page 464.

An example of a citation to a state case might be 39 NM 464, meaning the case will be found in the New Mexico Reporter, Volume 39, Page 464. This case could also be found in the Pacific Reporter, and the cite might be something like 82 P.2d 291, meaning it will be found in the Pacific Reporter, Second Series, Volume 82, Page 291, and so forth.

Each state has its own reporting system.