NFPA Paralegal Core Competency Exam (PCCE)Legal ResearchEasy
A paralegal is conducting research for a federal appellate court case. The attorney has requested that the paralegal locate the official reporter for decisions issued by the U.S. Courts of Appeals. Which of the following reporters should the paralegal consult?
- AUnited States Reports (U.S.)
- BSupreme Court Reporter (S. Ct.)
- CFederal Reporter (F., F.2d, F.3d)
- DFederal Supplement (F. Supp., F. Supp. 2d)
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Federal Reporter (F., F.2d, F.3d)
The Federal Reporter series (F., F.2d, F.3d) is the official reporter for decisions of the U.S. Courts of Appeals. This is a foundational piece of knowledge for legal research.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. United States Reports (U.S.) publishes decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court, not the Courts of Appeals.
- B. Supreme Court Reporter (S. Ct.) publishes decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court, not the Courts of Appeals.
- D. Federal Supplement (F. Supp., F. Supp. 2d) publishes decisions from U.S. District Courts, not Courts of Appeals.
Federal Reporter
The Federal Reporter series (F., F.2d, F.3d) is the official publication for decisions issued by the U.S. Courts of Appeals.
- Publishes opinions from U.S. Courts of Appeals.
- Part of the National Reporter System.
- Key source for federal appellate case law.
Memory trick: Federal courts have different 'feds' for their 'reports'.