New York has one of the most complex court systems and citation formats in the country. The highest court is the Court of Appeals (not the "Supreme Court," which in New York is a trial court). The intermediate appellate court is the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.
Under Bluebook Table T1, cite New York Court of Appeals cases to the North Eastern Reporter (N.E., N.E.2d, N.E.3d). Cite Appellate Division cases to the New York Supplement (N.Y.S., N.Y.S.2d, N.Y.S.3d). New York still publishes official reporters: New York Reports (N.Y., N.Y.2d, N.Y.3d) for the Court of Appeals, and Appellate Division Reports (A.D., A.D.2d, A.D.3d) for the Appellate Division.
The Appellate Division is divided into four departments (First through Fourth). You must include the department in the parenthetical: "N.Y. App. Div. 1st Dep't," "N.Y. App. Div. 2d Dep't," etc. For the Court of Appeals, use simply "N.Y." This is a frequent source of error because "N.Y." refers to the Court of Appeals, not the state in general.
| Court | Bluebook Abbreviation | Reporter |
|---|---|---|
| Court of Appeals (highest court) | N.Y. | N.E.3d (N.E.2d) |
| Appellate Division (1st-4th Dep't) | N.Y. App. Div. | N.Y.S.3d (N.Y.S.2d) |
| Supreme Court (trial court) | N.Y. Sup. Ct. | N.Y.S.3d |
Court of Appeals
Palsgraf v. Long Island R.R. Co., 162 N.E. 99 (N.Y. 1928)
Appellate Division
Goldstein v. Bd. of Educ., 993 N.Y.S.2d 552 (N.Y. App. Div. 2d Dep't 2014)
Court of Appeals (Modern)
Tenuto v. Lederle Labs., 687 N.E.2d 1300 (N.Y. 1997)
Cite to the North Eastern Reporter (N.E.3d for recent cases, N.E.2d for older ones). Do not cite to New York Reports under Bluebook rules.
In New York, the Court of Appeals is the highest court. The "Supreme Court" is actually a trial court. The Bluebook abbreviation "N.Y." refers to the Court of Appeals.
Use "N.Y. App. Div." followed by the department, e.g., "N.Y. App. Div. 1st Dep't" for the First Department. Include this in the parenthetical with the year.
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Explore Bluebook citation guides for other Northeast states.
Format Bluebook citations for Connecticut Supreme Court and Appellate Court decisions.
Format Bluebook citations for Maine Supreme Judicial Court decisions.
Master Bluebook citations for the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and Appeals Court using the North Eastern Reporter.
Format Bluebook citations for New Hampshire Supreme Court decisions.
Master Bluebook citations for New Jersey Supreme Court and Appellate Division decisions using the Atlantic Reporter.
Master Bluebook citations for Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Superior Court, and Commonwealth Court decisions using the Atlantic Reporter.
Format Bluebook citations for Rhode Island Supreme Court decisions.
Format Bluebook citations for Vermont Supreme Court decisions.
Disclaimer: While this guide follows Bluebook 21st edition rules, always verify citations with official Bluebook resources or your institution's requirements. This content is for educational assistance only.
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