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Getting Started with Legal Research: Legal Abbreviations

Legal Abbreviations

Case reporters, statutory compilations, and law journal titles are often cited as abbreviations.  

Commonly used legal abbreviations to case reporters and legislative material are listed in the table below.    

B.R. Bankruptcy Reporter
C.F.R. Code of Federal Regulations
F.,  F.2d,  F.3d Federal Reporter, 2d & 3d Series
F. Supp.
F. Supp.2d		 Federal Supplement & 2d Series
Fed. Cl. Federal Claims Reporter
FR,  Fed. Reg. Federal Register
L. Ed.,  L. Ed. 2d U.S. Supreme Court Reports Lawyer's Edition & 2d Series
N.W.,  N.W.2d North Western Reporter / North Western Reporter 2d Series
P.L.,  Pub. L. No. Public Laws; found in United States Statutes at Large
S. Ct. Supreme Court Reporter
Stat. United States Statutes at Large
T.C. United States Tax Court Reports
T.C.M. Tax Court Memorandum Decisions
U.S. United States Reports
U.S.C. United States Code
U.S.C.A. United States Code Annotated
U.S.C.S. United States Code Service
U.S.T.C. U.S. Tax Cases
Wis.,  Wis.2d Wisconsin Reports / Wisconsin Reports 2d Series
Wis. Stat. Wisconsin Statutes

 

For abbreviations not included in the table above, please ask the reference librarian or consult these two resources:

Prince’s Bieber Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations, KF 246 .B5 (Reference and Reserve):

    • Includes meanings of abbreviations (forward dictionary) as well as a reverse dictionary

The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, KF 245 .U56 (Reference and Reserve): 

    • Table 1 includes abbreviations for federal and state judicial, legislative, and administrative materials
    • Table 13 lists abbreviations for legal periodicals and law journals

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