WRITING MANUAL - Supreme Court - State of Ohio

SECTION SIX: MISCELLANEOUS CITATION RULES
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6.1. Short-form Citations.
A. Generally
Short-form citations are used when a source is cited more than once; the full cite
is given when the source is first cited and a short form thereafter. The short form
generally uses a few identifying words from the full caption. There are no strict
rules; how much of the caption to leave out is discretionary. The writer may
decide to use only the plaintiff’s name or the whole caption as a short form. If the
plaintiff’s name is lengthy (e.g., Cambridge Commons Phase II Ltd. Partnership),
a partial name could be used, such as Cambridge Commons. A defendant’s name
may also be used (e.g., Schiller as a short form for Mendoza-Hernandez Heating
& Cooling Co., Inc. v. Schiller). It is advisable to avoid common names such as
Smith or common parties such as a governor or prison warden in a short-form
citation.
B. Information within a short-form citation
Provide enough information in the short-form citation—or within two paragraphs
preceding it—for the reader to find the case in the official reports. If the volume
number of the case is not cited within a paragraph or two of the short citation
form, include it in the short-form citation. This saves the reader from having to
shuffle through pages looking for the volume number.
C. Short-form citations for cases that have no WebCite
When a citation includes the official volume number, do not repeat the official
volume number when citing the same case if fewer than two paragraphs separate
the first and second citation. If the official volume number is omitted, the parallel
citation should also be omitted. The year is generally not repeated.
Long form:
Short forms:
HOW TO USE SHORT-FORM CITATIONS WITH NO
WEBCITE
Van Fossen v. Babcock & Wilcox Co., 36 Ohio St.3d 100, 522
N.E.2d 489 (1988).
Van Fossen.
The Supreme Court of Ohio 59 Writing Manual