Citation Guides
How to Cite Unpublished Cases (Westlaw and LEXIS)
Decisions that never appear in a printed reporter are cited to the electronic database with the docket number, database identifier, and the full decision date. The database number replaces the volume/reporter/page trio.
The format
Name v. Name, No. [docket], [year] WL [number], at *[page] ([court] [full date])
Spindle Inc. v. Voigt, No. CV-14-02258, 2015 WL 12669896, at *3 (D. Ariz. June 2, 2015)
The pieces, in order
- Docket number. The court's case number, introduced with No.
- Database identifier. The year and the database serial: 2015 WL 12669896 for Westlaw, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12345 for LEXIS.
- Star page. Database pagination uses an asterisk: at *3. Pinpoints are expected just as with printed reporters.
- Court and full date. Unpublished cites give the exact decision date, not just the year: (D. Ariz. June 2, 2015).
Common mistakes
- Giving only the year instead of the full date. Unpublished citations require month, day, and year.
- Dropping the docket number.
- Citing an unpublished decision to a court whose rules restrict or forbid it; several circuits and states limit citation of nonprecedential opinions issued before a cutoff date. Check the court's local rules first.
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Formats follow standard Bluebook conventions. Individual courts may impose their own citation rules; always check the local rules of the court you are filing in. CiteLaw provides legal information, not legal advice.