Court opinions
How to cite a D.C. Circuit opinion
Cite a D.C. Circuit opinion as case name, volume, reporter and first page, a pinpoint, and “(D.C. Cir. [year])”: the circuit and the year of decision.
The Federal Reporter prints the opinions of every circuit, so the parenthetical has to name the court.
The examples below use F.4th and F.3d.
5 real examples
Each citation is printed as the book prints it, from an authority the book checked against its source.
Loper Bright Enters. v. Raimondo, 45 F.4th 359 (D.C. Cir. 2022).
- Case name
- Loper Bright Enters. v. Raimondo
- Volume, reporter and first page
- 45 F.4th 359
- Court and date
- (D.C. Cir. 2022)
The authority
- Loper Bright Enters. v. Raimondo (D.C. Cir., Aug. 12, 2022)Source (supremecourt.gov)
Where the book teaches this
See Thaler v. Perlmutter, 130 F.4th 1039 (D.C. Cir. 2025), cert. denied, No. 25-449 (U.S. Mar. 2, 2026).
- Case name
- Thaler v. Perlmutter
- Volume, reporter and first page
- 130 F.4th 1039
- Court and date
- (D.C. Cir. 2025)
- Docket number
- No. 25-449
The authority
- Thaler v. Perlmutter (D.C. Cir., Mar. 18, 2025)Source (media.cadc.uscourts.gov)
Where the book teaches this
Thaler v. Perlmutter, 130 F.4th 1039 (D.C. Cir. 2025).
- Case name
- Thaler v. Perlmutter
- Volume, reporter and first page
- 130 F.4th 1039
- Court and date
- (D.C. Cir. 2025)
The authority
- Thaler v. Perlmutter (D.C. Cir., Mar. 18, 2025)Source (media.cadc.uscourts.gov)
Where the book teaches this
Del. Riverkeeper Network v. FERC, 753 F.3d 1304, 1320–21 (D.C. Cir. 2014) (Silberman, J., concurring).
- Case name
- Del. Riverkeeper Network v. FERC
- Volume, reporter and first page
- 753 F.3d 1304
- Pinpoint
- 1320–21
- Court and date
- (D.C. Cir. 2014)
The authority
- Del. Riverkeeper Network v. FERC (D.C. Cir., June 6, 2014)Copy (cite.case.law)Find it on CourtListener
Where the book teaches this
West Flagler Assocs., Ltd. v. Haaland, 71 F.4th 1059 (D.C. Cir. 2023).
- Case name
- West Flagler Assocs., Ltd. v. Haaland
- Volume, reporter and first page
- 71 F.4th 1059
- Court and date
- (D.C. Cir. 2023)
The authority
- West Flagler Assocs., Ltd. v. Haaland (D.C. Cir., June 30, 2023)Source (supremecourt.gov)
Where the book teaches this
Where the book teaches this
The full rule, its exceptions and the reasons for it are in these sections.