AAERT Certified Electronic Reporter (CER) Practice Test

What is the standard citation format for a court case?

1. Case name, Year of decision, Volume number, Page number

2. Case name, Page number, Year filed, Court name

3. Case name, Volume number, Year of decision, Court's name

4. Case name, Volume number, Page number, Year filed

The correct answer is: Case name, Year of decision, Volume number, Page number

The standard citation format for a court case is indeed structured as follows: the case name, the year of the decision, the volume number, and the page number. This format allows for a clear and consistent way for legal professionals, scholars, and the public to reference and locate court opinions. The case name identifies the parties involved, the year of the decision indicates when the ruling was made, the volume number refers to the collection of reports where the case can be found, and the page number provides the specific location within that volume. This structured format not only aids in clarity but also ensures that citations are both uniform and recognizable across different jurisdictions and legal systems. Focusing on the other options, they either include irrelevant elements such as "Year filed" or "Court's name," or they misplace the proper structure by rearranging key components of the citation. The standard adopted helps maintain consistency in legal writing and research, particularly as a means to uphold the integrity of legal documentation.