Court opinions are typically cited by which elements?

• A. Name of judge, docket number, and year
• B. The statute number and section
• C. The party's initials and case type
• D. Case name, volume number, the court's name, the page number, and the court term

Answer: (D)

Citing a court opinion is about identifying and locating the exact decision. The standard format includes the case name, the volume number, the reporter (which indicates the court), the page where the opinion begins, and the year of the decision. The case name tells you which parties are involved; the volume and page point you to the precise place in the official reporter; the reporter’s abbreviation signals the court and publication series; and the year distinguishes the decision in time. For example, Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954) shows all these elements: case name, volume, reporter, page, and year. Other details like judge names or docket numbers aren’t used to locate the opinion in standard legal citations.