In the legal field, precision and efficiency are paramount. Lawyer Abbreviations are frequently used in legal citations and documents to save space and time, making it crucial to understand these shorthand notations. These abbreviations are especially common when referencing legal resources, case reporters, and statutes. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of common lawyer abbreviations, ensuring clarity and accuracy in your legal research and writing.
Understanding lawyer abbreviations is essential for anyone working with legal texts. They appear in case citations, legal journals, and various legal documents. For instance, a case citation like “93 P.3d 480” uses abbreviations to quickly point to a specific case within the vast body of legal literature. Here, “P.3d” stands for Pacific Reporter, 3rd series. Without understanding this abbreviation, the citation would be meaningless.
To navigate the legal landscape effectively, familiarity with these abbreviations is key. Below is a table outlining some of the most frequently encountered lawyer abbreviations and their corresponding legal resources. This list is designed to be a helpful reference for legal professionals, law students, and anyone needing to decipher legal citations.
| Abbreviation | Full Legal Resource |
|---|---|
| Am. Jur., Am. Jur. 2d | American Jurisprudence |
| A.L.R. | American Law Reports |
| A.L.R. Fed | American Law Reports Annotated, Federal |
| A.L.R. 2d | American Law Reports, 2nd Series |
| A.L.R.3d | American Law Reports, 3rd Series |
| A.L.R.4th | American Law Reports, 4th Series |
| A.L.R. 5th | American Law Reports, 5th Series |
| A, A.2d | Atlantic Reporter |
| C.F.R | Code of Federal Regulations |
| C.J.S. | Corpus Juris Secundum |
| Fed. Reg., F.R. | Federal Register |
| F, F.2d, F.3d | Federal Reporter (US) |
| F.R.D | Federal Rules Decisions |
| F. Supp., F. Supp.2d | Federal Supplement |
| Idaho Admin. Code | Idaho Administrative Code |
| Idaho Admin. Bull. | Idaho Administrative Bulletin |
| I.C., Idaho Code | Idaho Code |
| Idaho Const. | Idaho Constitution |
| Id., Ida., Idaho | Idaho Reports |
| Idaho Session Laws | Idaho Session Laws |
| Idaho | Idaho Supreme Court Reports |
| N.Y.S., N.Y.S. 2d | New York Supplement |
| N.E., N.E.2d | North Eastern Reporter |
| N.W., N.W.2d | North Western Reporter |
| P, P.2d, P.3d | Pacific Reporter |
| S.E., S.E.2d | South Eastern Reporter |
| S; S.2d or So., So.2d | Southern Reporter |
| S.W., S.W.2d, S.W.3d | Southwestern Reporter |
| S. Ct. | Supreme Court Reporter |
| U.S.C. | United States Code |
| U.S.C. Supp. | United States Code Supplement |
| U.S.C.A. | United States Code Annotated |
| U.S.C.S. | United States Code Service |
| U.S.C.S. App. | United States Code Service Appendix |
| U.S.L.W. | United States Law Week |
| U.S. | United States Reports |
| L. Ed | United States Reports, Lawyers’ Edition |
| Stat | U.S. Statutes at Large |
| L. Ed., L.Ed.2d | U. S. Supreme Court Reports (Lawyers’ Edition) |
| A.2d | West’s Atlantic Reporter, 2nd Series |
| Fed.Appx. | West’s Federal Appendix |
| W.F.P.D.2d | West’s Federal Practice Digest, 2nd Series |
| F.2d | West’s Federal Reporter, 2nd Series |
| F.3d | West’s Federal Reporter, 3rd Series |
| F. Supp. | West’s Federal Supplement |
| F.Supp.2d | West’s Federal Supplement, 2nd Series |
| P.2d | West’s Pacific Reporter, 2nd Series |
| S.E. | West’s South Eastern Reporter |
| S.E.2d | West’s South Eastern Reporter, 2nd Series |
| So.2d | West’s Southern Reporter, 2nd Series |
| S.W. | West’s South Western Reporter |
| S.W.2d | West’s South Western Reporter, 2nd Series |
| S.W.3rd | West’s South Western Reporter, 3rd Series |
| Sup. Ct. Rep., Supr. Ct. Rep. | West’s Supreme Court Reports (1882- ) |
For those seeking a more exhaustive list of legal abbreviations, resources like Bieber’s Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations are invaluable. This dictionary and similar resources offer a deeper dive into the world of lawyer abbreviations, ensuring you can confidently navigate any legal citation you encounter. Mastering these abbreviations is a fundamental skill for anyone aiming for proficiency in law.
