Selected Receiving-Rule Profiles
Original research draft · October 2026
Research baseline: October 8, 2026. Each profile summarizes an identified provision inspected for this manuscript. Its scope is limited to that provision. Consult the linked official text, amendments, local instructions, and case-specific orders before use. These summaries are original editorial explanations; they have not received independent attorney review.
A profile is different from a court gateway. The gateway atlas supplies starting points for further research, including jurisdictions whose rules have not been inspected here.
P01. United States Supreme Court
Provision: Rules 34.2 and 34.5. Version: Rules effective March 16, 2026.
Scope: Documents submitted to the Supreme Court within the rules' stated scope.
Instruction: Rule 34.2 requires contents and authority tables for documents other than joint appendices exceeding its applicable 1,500-word or five-page threshold. Its authority table uses actual citation pages instead of passim; ranges are appropriate when the authority occurs on every page in the range. Rule 34.5 ordinarily directs citations of codified federal provisions to the United States Code and unclassified provisions to the Statutes at Large.
Qualification: Read the document-preparation category and full rules. Additional or alternative statutory citations need a particular relevant reason; this summary does not cover all filing requirements.
Working action: Check the final word/page count, regenerate the authority table, and audit its page entries against the exported document.
P02. Federal appellate briefs
Provision: FRAP 28(a)(3), 28(a)(8), and 28(e). Version: National rules reproduced in Ninth Circuit compilation effective June 1, 2026.
Scope: Federal appellate briefing; local requirements and document-specific provisions also apply.
Instruction: Rule 28 addresses a table of authorities and citations supporting the argument. Rule 28(e) directs references to relevant appendix pages when the cited parts are in the appendix; it also addresses deferred appendices, original records, unreproduced materials, and evidence whose admissibility is contested.
Qualification: The required record coordinate depends on the record arrangement. Do not replace the rule's alternatives with one universal appendix format.
Working action: Identify the governing record system before building the brief and check citations against the final assembled record.
P03. Federal dispositions
Provision: FRAP 32.1(a)–(b). Version: Official Fourth Circuit rule page dated March 23, 2026.
Scope: The rule's federal opinions, orders, judgments and other written dispositions issued on or after January 1, 2007.
Instruction: The rule bars prohibiting or restricting citation of the covered dispositions on the basis of their unpublished or nonprecedential designation. If a cited federal disposition is unavailable in a publicly accessible electronic database, the rule requires filing and serving a copy with the brief or other paper.
Qualification: Citation permission does not supply precedential force. Earlier dispositions and the receiving court's other requirements require separate attention.
Working action: Record the issuing date, designation, public availability, and any copy requirement before finalizing the reference.
P04. Second Circuit
Provision: Local Rule 32.1.1. Version: Official page retrieved October 8, 2026; page modification label December 15, 2009.
Scope: Summary orders and documents filed in the Second Circuit as specified by the rule.
Instruction: Summary orders have no precedential effect. The rule permits citation of those issued on or after January 1, 2007. It restricts earlier summary orders subject to listed exceptions. A citation must use the Federal Appendix or an electronic database, with a summary-order notation for the latter; a citing party must serve a copy on an unrepresented party.
Qualification: Earlier-order exceptions include specified later stages or related cases, estoppel or res judicata, and appropriate subsequent-history use. Read the exact exception before relying on it.
Working action: Verify the issue date, citation route, status notation, and service obligation.
P05. Fourth Circuit
Provision: Local Rule 32.1. Version: Official rules page dated March 23, 2026.
Scope: Pre-2007 unpublished dispositions of the Fourth Circuit in the court and district courts within the circuit.
Instruction: Citation is disfavored except for the identified preclusion and law-of-the-case purposes. The rule also describes an avenue where counsel believes an earlier disposition has precedential value for a material issue and no published opinion would serve as well, subject to FRAP 32.1(b).
Qualification: This local rule is not the rule for every circuit or every unpublished decision. Its wording and conditions must be read in full.
Working action: State the purpose for citing the older disposition and record why the relevant condition is met.
P06. Ninth Circuit
Provision: Circuit Rule 36-3. Version: Compilation effective June 1, 2026.
Scope: Ninth Circuit unpublished dispositions and orders in the courts of that circuit.
Instruction: The rule distinguishes lack of precedential status from permission to cite post-2006 dispositions under FRAP 32.1. For earlier dispositions it lists limited uses, including specified preclusion or law-of-the-case purposes, factual purposes, and particular publication or rehearing requests.
Qualification: The exceptions name different receiving settings and purposes. Do not collapse them into general permission to cite all old unpublished decisions.
Working action: Record the date, purpose, and exact subsection permitting the proposed use.
P07. California
Provision: Rule 8.1115. Version: California Rules of Court 2026 page retrieved October 8, 2026.
Scope: Publication and citation treatment addressed by the California rule, including Court of Appeal and superior court appellate division opinions.
Instruction: Subdivision (a) generally bars citation or reliance on covered opinions not certified or ordered published in another action, subject to subdivision (b)'s exceptions. The rule separately addresses citation procedure, published opinions, and the treatment of published opinions after a grant of review.
Qualification: The exceptions and review-granted provisions matter. A proposal to amend a rule is not proof of an effective amendment. Check the operative rule and relevant Supreme Court orders.
Working action: Verify publication status and any review grant, then identify the applicable subdivision and purpose.
P08. California appellate briefs
Provision: Rule 8.204(a)(1). Version: Rule page identifies amendment effective January 1, 2024; retrieved in 2026 collection.
Scope: Briefs governed by rule 8.204.
Instruction: The rule requires contents and authority tables, separately organized points supported by argument and authority where possible, and record references identifying volume and page. Electronic record references must locate the matter with equivalent specificity.
Qualification: This profile summarizes citation-related content requirements only. Formatting, length, attachments, and other obligations remain in the full rule and applicable local directions.
Working action: Audit factual statements against the final record and use a precise electronic locator rather than a generic file link.
P09. Illinois
Provision: Supreme Court Rule 6. Version: Amendment effective July 1, 2011; official signed PDF retrieved October 8, 2026.
Scope: Citation forms governed by Illinois Supreme Court Rule 6.
Instruction: The rule distinguishes earlier Illinois cases published in the Official Reports from cases requiring assigned public-domain citations. For covered public-domain cases it calls for that identifier and appropriate paragraph pinpoints; additional reporter citations are optional. It also addresses cases from other jurisdictions, textbook editions and dates, and statutory citations.
Qualification: This is a form rule. Permission to cite a particular nonprecedential order requires separate analysis of applicable rules, including its designation and date.
Working action: Check the decision's assigned citation and paragraph numbering before using only a regional reporter form.
P10. Washington
Provision: GR 14.1. Version: Official PDF states amendment effective September 1, 2016; retrieved October 8, 2026.
Scope: Unpublished opinions addressed by Washington GR 14.1.
Instruction: Unpublished Washington Court of Appeals opinions lack precedential value. Those filed on or after March 1, 2013 may be cited as nonbinding authority if identified accordingly. For unpublished opinions from other jurisdictions, the rule ties permission to the issuing jurisdiction's law and requires filing and serving a copy as an appendix.
Qualification: The rule distinguishes Washington opinions from other jurisdictions. GR 14(d) separately incorporates the Reporter of Decisions format. Its clean Appendix 1 effective September 1, 2026 applies the specified manual baseline and local exceptions; use the separate Washington format profile rather than inferring citation form from GR 14.1.
Working action: Identify the issuing jurisdiction, filing date, status description, and required copy before citing.
P11. Pennsylvania
Provision: Pa.R.A.P. 126. Version: Official code page reports coverage through August 8, 2026.
Scope: Authority citations governed by Pennsylvania appellate rule 126.
Instruction: The rule calls for attention to the specific relied-on portion and an appendix copy for authority not readily available. It permits persuasive citation of its defined nonprecedential decisions, with court-specific date thresholds, and requires an explanatory parenthetical for uses under its specified subdivisions.
Qualification: The defined thresholds are Superior Court decisions filed after May 1, 2019 and Commonwealth Court opinions filed after January 15, 2008. Separate provisions address single-judge opinions and related-case doctrines. Read them before characterizing weight.
Working action: Check the court, filing date, designation, availability, and parenthetical explaining the basis of use.
P12. Ohio
Provision: Official writing-guidance scope. Version: Court's third-edition guidance effective June 17, 2024.
Scope: Official court description of its writing guidance; not a reproduced set of citation tables.
Instruction: The court describes its own use of the guidance and its recommended use by other Ohio courts and lawyers. Its page points to S.Ct.Prac.R. 3.01 concerning guidance for documents filed with the Supreme Court.
Qualification: A recommended practice and a binding filing command are not identical. Consult the receiving court's operative rules and official guidance for the specific document.
Working action: Identify the receiving court and required convention, then verify the source's own WebCite, paragraph, and reporter information.
P13. Federal civil summary judgment
Provision: Rule 56(c). Version: Official Civil Rules compilation retrieved October 8, 2026.
Scope: Support for factual positions and related procedures under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56.
Instruction: The rule addresses particular record citations or the specified alternative showing that cited materials do not establish the asserted factual position. It also addresses admissibility objections, uncited materials, and requirements for affidavits or declarations.
Qualification: The citation identifies support; it does not decide admissibility, personal knowledge, competence, or whether the asserted fact is established. Local statement-of-facts requirements also need review.
Working action: Pair each asserted fact with the particular record portion and separately assess the evidentiary and procedural questions.
P14. Federal civil filings
Provision: Rule 5.2. Version: Official Civil Rules compilation retrieved October 8, 2026.
Scope: Privacy protection in filings governed by Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 5.2.
Instruction: The rule identifies personal identifiers requiring limited presentation, subject to its exceptions and court orders. It also addresses remote access, sealed filings, protective orders, and other procedures.
Qualification: Read the full rule and applicable orders for the document. This summary is not a universal redaction list for all courts or records.
Working action: Review the delivered PDF, extracted text, filenames, bookmarks, links, and attachments for protected information.
P15. Texas
Provision: Tex. R. App. P. 47.7(a)-(b). Version: Official statewide rules index identifies February 6, 2026 as last amended.
Scope: Opinions and memorandum opinions of Texas courts of appeals addressed by Rule 47.7; civil and criminal treatment differ.
Instruction: Criminal opinions not designated for publication lack precedential value but may be cited with the rule's publication-status notation. For civil cases, the corresponding treatment applies to opinions designated do not publish before January 1, 2003; an erroneous designation on a civil opinion issued on or after that date does not alter its precedential value.
Qualification: Do not treat memorandum opinion as a universal synonym for nonprecedential decision. The criminal/civil distinction and issue date are essential. Selected provision inspected; not an exhaustive local-rule review. Source locator: Printed pages 66-67; PDF pages 80-81.
Working action: Branch the citation-permission check by civil/criminal case type, then verify the opinion's actual designation. Where required, include (not designated for publication).
P16. Texas appellate briefs
Provision: Tex. R. App. P. 38.1(b)-(d), (g), (i). Version: Official statewide rules index identifies February 6, 2026 as last amended.
Scope: Appellant's briefs under Rule 38.1.
Instruction: The brief needs a contents table and an alphabetical index of authorities with brief-page references. Civil contents must be bookmarked. The statement of facts requires record references; argument requires appropriate authority and record citations. The statement of the case also calls for supporting record references.
Qualification: This profile covers citation-related requirements, not the complete contents, length, or filing rules. Other document types have their own rules. Selected provision inspected; not an exhaustive local-rule review. Source locator: Printed pages 55-56; PDF pages 69-70.
Working action: Regenerate the authority index after PDF export and check each factual statement against the cited record.
P17. Texas civil appellate briefs
Provision: Tex. R. App. P. 38.1(k)(1). Version: Official statewide rules index identifies February 6, 2026 as last amended.
Scope: The appendix to a civil appellant's brief governed by Rule 38.1(k).
Instruction: The appendix must use bookmarks and, unless voluminous or impracticable, include the appealed judgment or order, specified findings or jury materials, the text of non-case law on which the argument rests, and contracts or other documents central to the argument.
Qualification: This brief appendix is a distinct object from an appendix elected in lieu of a clerk's record under Rule 34.5a. The latter provision was not fully reviewed in this subtask. Selected provision inspected; not an exhaustive local-rule review. Source locator: Printed page 56; PDF page 70.
Working action: Label the appendix type and reconcile required contents with the argument before assembling it.
P18. New York civil appellate briefs and appendices
Provision: CPLR 5529(e). Version: Official page labels most recent revision September 22, 2014; read October 8, 2026.
Scope: Decision citations within the statute's civil appellate setting.
Instruction: New York decisions use the Official Reports when available. For other decisions, the provision calls for official reports if available and also the National Reporter System when reported there. A decision absent from both is cited from the most available source.
Qualification: Do not export this civil appellate requirement as a universal rule for every New York document or tribunal. Local and document-specific rules remain relevant. Selected provision inspected; not an exhaustive local-rule review. Source locator: Subdivision (e).
Working action: Check for an official citation before accepting a database-only citation.
P19. New York civil appellate appendices
Provision: CPLR 5529(d). Version: Official page labels most recent revision September 22, 2014; read October 8, 2026.
Scope: Quoted excerpts and quoted record testimony addressed by CPLR 5529.
Instruction: Omissions in excerpts must be visibly marked, and the source must be identified. When an appendix excerpt quotes witness testimony from the record, the transition to each transcript page must be marked by a parenthetical transcript-page number.
Qualification: An appendix page number and an original transcript page number serve different purposes; preserving one does not necessarily satisfy the other requirement. Selected provision inspected; not an exhaustive local-rule review. Source locator: Subdivision (d).
Working action: Audit quotations after pagination so omitted material and transcript-page changes remain visible.
P20. New York Appellate Division
Provision: 22 NYCRR 1250.8(b)(2), (b)(4), (k). Version: Official First Department page read October 8, 2026; exact amendment date not established.
Scope: Briefs governed by the Practice Rules of the Appellate Division, with departmental rules and electronic-filing rules separately relevant.
Instruction: The authority table identifies the brief pages where authorities appear. The facts must cite the applicable reproduced record, appendix, original record, or agreed statement. Permitted addenda under subdivision (k) consist of the specified cited legal materials that were unpublished or otherwise not readily available.
Qualification: The receiving department and method of perfecting the appeal determine which record object is relevant. An addendum is not general permission to introduce new evidence. Selected provision inspected; not an exhaustive local-rule review. Source locator: Section 1250.8, Appellant's Brief and addenda provisions.
Working action: Select the record method before generating locators and keep evidentiary record material separate from legal-authority addenda.
P21. Florida
Provision: Fla. R. App. P. 9.800 introductory paragraph, (a)(3), (b)(2), (q). Version: October 1, 2026 compilation, linked by the Florida Bar rules index.
Scope: The uniform citation rule states that it applies to all legal documents, including court opinions.
Instruction: The rule distinguishes citations integrated into a sentence from standalone citations, with a case-reporter exception. For covered Florida appellate cases absent from Southern Reporter it provides a Florida Law Weekly route, then a slip-opinion route if necessary, allowing specified database additions. Case names are italicized or underscored in text and footnotes.
Qualification: Rule 9.210(h) requests use of the uniform system; the historical 1977 committee note says use of the forms was not made mandatory. Describe the actual commands and context without inventing a uniform sanction or claiming every example is mandatory. Selected provision inspected; not an exhaustive local-rule review. Source locator: Compilation pages 219-220 and 226.
Working action: Use the court-level source hierarchy in the current official rule and preserve a current source link.
P22. Florida
Provision: Fla. R. App. P. 9.800(p); see also 9.210(h). Version: October 1, 2026 compilation, linked by the Florida Bar rules index.
Scope: Citation forms not covered by Florida's uniform citation rule.
Instruction: Subdivision (p) expressly directs other citations to the latest edition of The Bluebook, followed by the latest Florida Style Manual for citations covered by neither. Citation Code's original authorship does not erase this receiving-rule instruction.
Qualification: Do not conceal the named external reference or claim an independently chosen Citation Code form necessarily satisfies it. The forms' broader request/committee-note context remains relevant. Selected provision inspected; not an exhaustive local-rule review. Source locator: Compilation page 226; related brief provision page 164.
Working action: Flag the external convention accurately and provide an original explanation with a link to the official provision.
P23. Florida appellate initial briefs
Provision: Fla. R. App. P. 9.210(b)(2), (4), (6). Version: October 1, 2026 compilation, linked by the Florida Bar rules index.
Scope: Initial briefs governed by Rule 9.210(b).
Instruction: The citation table lists authorities and each brief page where they appear. The case-and-facts statement refers to the appropriate record or transcript pages. Each issue's argument identifies suitable authority, the record location showing preservation, and the appellate standard of review.
Qualification: A citation showing the underlying event is not necessarily a citation showing preservation. Other brief types have their own directions. Selected provision inspected; not an exhaustive local-rule review. Source locator: Compilation pages 162-163.
Working action: Track factual support and preservation as separate fields in the issue worksheet.
P24. Indiana
Provision: Ind. App. R. 65(D). Version: Current official rule page states effective January 1, 2023.
Scope: The precedential and citation treatment specified by Indiana Appellate Rule 65.
Instruction: Unless later designated for official publication, a memorandum decision is not binding precedent. The rule allows identified preclusion and law-of-the-case uses, and permits any litigant to cite decisions issued on or after January 1, 2023 for persuasive value. The rule disclaims a duty to cite memorandum decisions except for its specified preclusion or law-of-the-case purposes.
Qualification: The date boundary is inclusive. A later publication order changes the relevant status and must be checked. Selected provision inspected; not an exhaustive local-rule review. Source locator: Subsection D, especially D(2).
Working action: Display citation permission separately from precedential weight and verify subsequent publication status.
P25. Indiana
Provision: Ind. App. R. 65(B)-(C). Version: Current official rule page states effective January 1, 2023.
Scope: Publication motions and the official reporter for Indiana Supreme Court and Court of Appeals decisions.
Instruction: The rule identifies West's Northeastern Reporter as the official reporter and provides a 15-day period after entry to move for publication of a qualifying memorandum decision.
Qualification: A commercial publisher can produce a court's official reporter. Public online access and official-reporter status are distinct. This summary does not calculate a filing deadline or cover other timing rules. Selected provision inspected; not an exhaustive local-rule review. Source locator: Subsections B and C.
Working action: Record the official source designation and check whether the decision was later reclassified.
P26. Colorado Court of Appeals
Provision: Policy Concerning Citation of Opinions Not Selected for Official Publication. Version: Official policy page retrieved October 8, 2026; publication-policy effective date not shown.
Scope: Proceedings before the Colorado Court of Appeals.
Instruction: The policy allows unpublished-opinion citation to explain the case history, identify the law of the case, or assert issue or claim preclusion. It does not permit other uses in proceedings before that court.
Qualification: The policy states a receiving-court scope; do not describe it as a statewide prohibition covering every tribunal. The policy page shows no distinct effective date. Selected provision inspected; not an exhaustive local-rule review. Source locator: Policy of that title on the official court page.
Working action: Ask where the citation will be submitted before applying this restriction.
P27. Colorado Court of Appeals
Provision: Policy on Citations, November 13, 2025. Version: Policy dated November 13, 2025; adopted pursuant to C.A.R. 28(e).
Scope: Legal authorities and records in Colorado Court of Appeals briefing; record directions apply to records transmitted under C.A.R. 10(c).
Instruction: The policy permits public-domain citations for covered Colorado cases issued from January 1, 2012. Record references identify the electronic folder and PDF page, with distinct treatment for transcripts, physical exhibits, sealed items, and supplemental records. Transcript references shorter than a page use line numbers. Deliberate spacing manipulation to reduce word count is prohibited.
Qualification: The policy encourages consulting The Bluebook for uncovered authorities and expressly makes the court policy controlling if they conflict. Its sample years reflect policy-adoption time, and its footnote directs use of current statute/instruction versions unless an older version is intentional. Selected provision inspected; not an exhaustive local-rule review. Source locator: Policy pages 1-4; record formats on pages 3-4.
Working action: Build a record-locator selector with separate sealed/supplemental flags and check citations in the actual transmitted PDF.
P28. Washington
Provision: GR 14(c)-(d); Appendix 1, General Principle 1 and exceptions 1, 3, 8, 9, 13. Version: GR 14 Appendix 1 effective September 1, 2026; clean official PDF and Order 25700-A-1697 inspected October 8, 2026.
Scope: Citation format for briefs, pleadings, motions, and other papers within Washington GR 14; GR 14(c) applies unless another court rule specifically indicates otherwise.
Instruction: GR 14(d) incorporates the Reporter of Decisions format. The current appendix names Bluebook twentieth edition as its baseline with local exceptions. Exception 9 selects Washington official reports when available, otherwise regional reports; for non-Washington cases it selects regional reports when available, otherwise official reports. Its current text replaces the former broad parallel-citation instruction. Case names are italicized; other specified naming and statutory-display exceptions require separate application.
Qualification: Selected provisions only, not the entire incorporated manual or all local filing rules. The clean appendix must be used instead of concatenated redline text. This format instruction is separate from GR 14.1 citation permission, precedential weight, and copy obligations. Do not label the baseline latest edition; the appendix specifies twentieth.
Working action: Select the clean effective appendix for the filing date, preserve its exceptions, and separately check GR 14.1 when citing an unpublished decision.