33. A Consistent Citation Code House Style

The detailed Citation Code construction defaults appear in chapters 41–48, including typography, names, numbers, dates, and locators.

33.1 Choose a default and record exceptions

Use this house style when the receiving authority leaves a choice. Italicize case names and titles of standalone works. Keep source identifiers legible, use a precise locator, and identify the version when it matters. Place a citation close enough to its proposition that the reader can determine what it supports. A receiving rule overrides these presentation choices within its scope.

Avoid changing conventions halfway through a document. Maintain a short style sheet with decisions about short names, recurring organizations, dates, ranges, and source-version presentation. Record an exception when a particular court or publication requires another form; do not make the exception an unexplained global change.

33.2 Use signals to describe reasoning

Citation Code uses direct citation when the source expressly states the proposition; “see” for support requiring a modest inferential step; “compare ... with ...” for a comparison the writer explains; and “but see” to identify relevant contrary support. These are editorial choices, not a universal taxonomy. Follow any prescribed signal system and keep the actual relationship accurate.

A string of authorities should have an intelligible order and purpose. Begin with the authority most useful to establish the point under the receiving convention. Separate different propositions or different kinds of support. Do not use a long string to conceal that none of its sources supports the full sentence.

33.3 Write useful explanatory parentheticals

State the relevant action, reasoning, or factual distinction. “Discussing notice” tells the reader little; “treating an unsigned acknowledgment as insufficient proof of delivery” is more specific when the source supports it. Preserve procedural context and avoid overstating the holding. Parentheticals should add information rather than repeat the sentence mechanically.

33.4 Keep number and date choices readable

Use the source's assigned numerals and subdivisions. For editorial page ranges, Citation Code favors full terminal numbers where truncation would slow recognition or create ambiguity. A court's required range convention controls. Use an unambiguous written month where a numeric date could be read in more than one order. Preserve the source's exact date in the research record even when a shorter display is permitted.

33.5 Prefer purposeful abbreviations

Shorten words only when the result is familiar, required, or explained. Introduce recurring organizational abbreviations in the prose when useful. Do not create a dense abbreviation system merely to save space. A citation form succeeds when a reader can identify and retrieve the source without decoding an unnecessary private language.

The form atlas implements these choices with placeholders, fictional training records, and separately labeled real identity examples. It does not assign invented reporter citations to fictional cases.