Paralegal Certification PrepLegal Research and WritingEasy
A paralegal is reviewing a draft legal brief and notices that a citation to a United States Supreme Court case is missing the volume number of the reporter. The citation currently reads 'Smith v. Jones, 543 U.S. ___ (2005)'. What is the primary purpose of including the volume number in a legal citation?
- ATo provide a unique identifier for electronic retrieval of the case.
- BTo identify the specific book in the reporter series where the case can be found.
- CTo indicate the specific court that issued the opinion.
- DTo denote the chronological order of the case within the year.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. To identify the specific book in the reporter series where the case can be found.
The volume number in a legal citation directs the reader to the specific physical (or digital) book within a reporter series where the full text of the case opinion is published.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. While useful for electronic retrieval, the primary purpose of the volume number in traditional citation is for print location.
- C. The reporter abbreviation (e.g., U.S. for United States Reports) and sometimes the court name in parentheticals indicate the court.
- D. The year of decision typically indicates the chronological order, not the volume number.
Volume Number in Citation
The number in a legal citation that identifies the specific book within a reporter series where a judicial opinion is published.
- Crucial for locating the physical or digital text of a case.
- Precedes the reporter abbreviation (e.g., 543 U.S.).
- Distinguishes different books within the same reporter series.
Memory trick: Citation's map: Volume is the book, Page is the place.