What is a citation in legal research?

• A. The color of the case book.
• B. A reference to a law or case, or a reference to a source of legal authority that allows a researcher to locate a cited source.
• C. An address for a courthouse.
• D. A short summary of a case.

Answer: (B)

A citation in legal research is a reference to a law, case, or other legal authority that lets you locate the exact source. In practice, it includes details like the case name, reporter or statute number, page or section, court, and year, sometimes with a pinpoint reference to a specific page. This makes the source verifiable and easy to retrieve, so you and others can read the authority you relied on. Citations can point to cases, statutes, regulations, or secondary authorities, serving as a map to the original text. The other options miss the essential function: the color of a case book doesn’t locate legal authorities, a courthouse address is just a location, and a short summary doesn’t lead you to the actual source.