F.3d
Law & Legal abbreviation · Legal Citation
| Stands for | Federal Reporter, Third Series |
|---|---|
| Categories | Law & Legal |
F.3d stands for Federal Reporter, Third Series, a legal citation abbreviation.
Third series of West's Federal Reporter, publishing precedential opinions of the US courts of appeals from 1993 until 2021, when it closed at volume 999. Countless current precedents on civil procedure, criminal law, employment and constitutional questions are cited to it.
Example: Zeran v. America Online, Inc., 129 F.3d 327 (4th Cir. 1997), gave Section 230 its broad early reading.
Usage notes
Only opinions designated for publication appear in it; most nonprecedential rulings went to the Federal Appendix (F. App'x) from 2001 to 2021. Because one reporter covers every circuit, the citation must name the circuit, as in "(9th Cir. 2010)". Write it closed up, with no space before "3d".
Related abbreviations
More legal citation abbreviations
- F. App'x – Federal Appendix
- F. Cas. – Federal Cases
- F. Supp. – Federal Supplement
- F. Supp. 2d – Federal Supplement, Second Series
- F. Supp. 3d – Federal Supplement, Third Series
- F.2d – Federal Reporter, Second Series
- F.4th – Federal Reporter, Fourth Series
- F.R.D. – Federal Rules Decisions
- Fed. Cl. – Federal Claims Reporter
- Fed. R. App. P. – Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure
- Fed. R. Civ. P. – Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
- Fed. R. Crim. P. – Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure
See all 87 legal citation abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not legal advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.