STEP-BY-STEP
WHAT A CITE CONTAINS
TYPE OF
CITE
STATUTE
CASE
WHAT IT CONTAINS
[Statute Title Abbrev] [Section No.]
CPL 30.30
[Statute Title] § [Section No.]
Penal Law § 265.01
[Case Name], [Vol] [Reporter]
[series] [Page] [Identifier]
People v Smith, 28 NY3d 345
Each Assignment
① Complete research
② Read everything
③ On top of page is your name and the
assignment number
④ Next comes the exact wording of the
assignment
⑤ The comes your
a) First draft
b) Second draft
FIRST DRAFT
① After you have read all the law and
understand the question, time to write
your first draft
② Read the question
③ Write the answer it off the top of your
head (based on the law you have read)
④ This answer will be based on law, but
will not contain law
SECOND DRAFT
① Have someone read it
② Ask them if they understand it
③ Correct your draft based on their
comments
FINAL DRAFT
① Read through it and determine which
sentences are legal statements
② For every legal statement, add law
citation where it comes from
③ Make sure you use primary unless
secondary is allowed
④ INSERT CORRECT CITES
CORRECTING YOUR CITES
①Determine whether the cites are for
 cases or
 statutes
CITING STATUTES
① Go to Tanbook (NY STYLE MANUAL)
② Go to Appendix 4 and use the names
there
③ Make sure there are spaces between the
name of the statute, the section sign (if
there is one), the section number, and
the subdivisions in ()
 Penal Law § 120.00 (1)
LET’S LOOK AT
APPENDIX 4
 If you don’t know the website:
 Go to your favorite search engine (e.g.,
Google, Bing, Alta Vista)
 Search for NY Style Manual
 WOW!
CITING CASES
① Make sure you have the official cite
CITING CASES
① Make sure you have the official cite
 NY, NY2d, NY3d
 AD, AD2d, AD3d
 Misc, Misc 2d, Misc 3d
 NYS is not an official cite
CITING CASES
① Examples of official cites
 89 NY2d 102
 43 AD3d 201
 5 Misc 3d 45
 896 NYS2d 214 is not an official
cite
CITING CASES
① Make sure you have the official cite
(e.g., NY3d, AD2d, Misc 3d)
② Go to Citator Services and get official
name
 www.nycourts.gov/reporter/citatio
ns/first_gen_citator/Default2.aspx
 This site can be found on LINKS
LET’S GO TO
CITATOR SERVICES
www.nycourts.gov/reporter/citations/first_ge
n_citator/Default2.aspx
CITING CASES
① Make sure you have the official cite
(e.g., NY3d, AD2d, Misc 3d)
② Go to Citator Services and get official
name
③ Assemble: Case Name + Official Cite
CITING CASES
① Make sure you have the official cite
(e.g., NY3d, AD2d, Misc 3d)
② Go to Citator Services and get official
name
③ Assemble: Case Name + Official Cite
 Anderson v Cooper, 23 NY2d 102
CITING CASES
① Make sure you have the official cite
(e.g., NY3d, AD2d, Misc 3d)
② Go to Citator Services and get official
name
③ Assemble: Case Name + Official Cite
④ ADD the appropriate identifier
ADDING THE APPROPRIATE
IDENTIFIER
COURT
COURT
LOCATION YEAR
Court of Appeals
NO
NO
YES
Appellate Division
NO
YES
YES
Appellate Term
YES
YES
YES
Trial Court
YES
YES
YES
ADDING THE APPROPRIATE
IDENTIFIER
COURT
LOCATION
YEAR
Court of Appeals
NO
NO
(1999)
Appellate Division
NO
(2d Dept
2004)
Appellate Term
(App Term,
1st Dept
2009)
Trial Court
(Civil Court, NY County
COURT
1985
FINAL CITE CHECKING
 Look for periods: Do they belong there?
 EXAMPLE
 Anderson v. Baker, 123 A.D.2d 456 (2d
Dept. 1999)
FINAL CITE CHECKING
 Look for periods: Do they belong there?
 Anderson v. Baker, 123 A.D.2d 456 (2d
Dept. 1999)
 No v.
FINAL CITE CHECKING
 Look for periods: Do they belong there?
 Anderson v Baker, 123 A.D.2d 456 (2d
Dept. 1999)
 No v.
FINAL CITE CHECKING
 Look for periods: Do they belong there?
 Anderson v Baker, 123 A.D.2d 456 (2d
Dept. 1999)
 No v.
 No A.D.2d
FINAL CITE CHECKING
 Look for periods: Do they belong there?
 Anderson v Baker, 123 AD2d 456 (2d
Dept. 1999)
 No v.
 No A.D.2d
FINAL CITE CHECKING
 Look for periods: Do they belong there?
 Anderson v Baker, 123 AD2d 456 (2d
Dept. 1999)
 No v.
 No A.D.2d
 No Dept.
FINAL CITE CHECKING
 Look for periods: Do they belong there?
 Anderson v Baker, 123 AD2d 456 (2d
Dept 1999)
 No v.
 No A.D.2d
 No Dept.
FINAL CITE CHECKING
 Look for periods: Do they belong there?
 Anderson v Baker, 123 AD2d 456 (2d
Dept 1999)
 This is a proper cite for an Appellate
Division case
FINAL CITE CHECKING
 Look for commas: Do they belong there?
 EXAMPLE:
 People v Jin, 123 Misc 2d 456 (Sup Ct,
Queens County, 1986)
FINAL CITE CHECKING
 Look for commas: Do they belong there?
 EXAMPLE:
 People v Jin, 123 Misc 2d 456 (Sup Ct,
Queens County, 1986)
 No comma between County and Year
FINAL CITE CHECKING
 Look for commas: Do they belong there?
 EXAMPLE:
 People v Jin, 123 Misc 2d 456 (Sup Ct,
Queens County 1986)
 Proper cite
FINAL CITE CHECKING
 Look at the numbers: Are they correct?
NUMBER
CORRECT
1st
1st
2nd
2d
3rd
3d
4th
4th
FINAL CITE CHECKING
 Order of brackets: ([ ])
 Round, then square
FINAL CITE CHECKING
 Italics in appropriate place
FINAL CITE CHECKING
 Italics in appropriate place
 Name of case is in italics
 Not the Numbers and Reporter
FINAL CITE CHECKING
 Italics in appropriate place
 Name of case is in italics
 Not the Numbers and Reporter
 People v Jin, 123 Misc 2d 456 (Sup
Ct, Queens County 1986)
FINAL CITE CHECKING
 Italics in appropriate place
 Name of case is in italics
 Not the Numbers and Reporter
 People v Jin, 123 Misc 2d 456 (Sup
Ct, Queens County 1986)
FINAL CITE CHECKING
 Look for periods: Do they belong there?
 Look for commas: Do they belong there?
 Look at the numbers: Are they correct?




1st
2d
3d
4th
 Order of brackets: ([ ])
 Italics in appropriate place