How citations work
Short-form citations: Id., supra and short cites
After the first full citation, later references use a short form: “Id.” for the authority cited immediately before, a shortened case name with the volume, reporter and “at” page for a case, and “supra” for most secondary sources.
A short form works only if the reader can find the full citation it points back to.
12 real examples
Each citation is printed as the book prints it, from an authority the book checked against its source.
Id. at 8.
The authority
- City of Hopewell v. Shree Arihant Motel, Inc. (Va., July 16, 2026)Source (vacourts.gov)
Where the book teaches this
Id. at 413.
The authority
- Loper Bright Enters. v. Raimondo (U.S., June 28, 2024)Source (supremecourt.gov)
Where the book teaches this
Id. ¶ 42.
The authority
- People v. Buffer (Ill., Apr. 18, 2019)Source (illinoiscourts.gov)
Where the book teaches this
Id. art. VI, cl. 2.
The authority
- U.S. Const. art. VI, cl. 2 (United States (constitution), June 21, 1788)Source (archives.gov)
Where the book teaches this
Respect for Marriage Act § 5, 136 Stat. at 2306.
The authority
- Respect for Marriage Act, Pub. L. No. 117-228 (Congress, Dec. 13, 2022)Source (govinfo.gov)
Where the book teaches this
Holmes, supra, at 461.
The authority
- The Path of the Law (Mar. 25, 1897)Source (jstor.org)
Where the book teaches this
Id. at 62.
The authority
- Factual Precedents (University of Pennsylvania Law Review, 2013)Source (scholarship.law.wm.edu)
Where the book teaches this
Id.
The authority
- U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 3 (United States (constitution), July 9, 1868)Source (archives.gov)
Where the book teaches this
Weiser, supra.
The authority
- Here’s What Happens When Your Lawyer Uses ChatGPT (The New York Times, May 27, 2023)Source (nytimes.com)
Where the book teaches this
GAO-24-106335, at 34.
The authority
- U.S. Gov’t Accountability Off., GAO-24-106335, Private Health Insurance: Roll Out of Independent Dispute Resolution Process for Out-of-Network Claims Has Been Challenging (Dec. 2023) (Dec. 12, 2023)Source (gao.gov)
Where the book teaches this
Id. ch. 1 § 2(a).
The authority
- Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Laws, title 1, chapter 1, section 2Source (law.mptn-nsn.gov)
Where the book teaches this
Id. ¶ 34.
The authority
- Prest v. Petrodel Res. Ltd. (Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, June 12, 2013)Source (caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk)
Where the book teaches this
Where the book teaches this
The full rule, its exceptions and the reasons for it are in these sections.