6.5.7 Importance of Pinpoint Citations

A pinpoint citation is a citation to the specific page on which quoted or cited language appeared. Some legal writers use the phrases pin cite, pinpoint, or jump cite to mean the same thing.

Do not convince yourself that you are citing the case only “generally” and thus do not need to include a citation to the specific page. If you want your readers to be able to verify that the authorities you cite stand for the propositions you say they do, you must make it incredibly easy for them to find the law that is the source of your argument. Remember that the clerk of the judge who is writing the opinion will often be given the task of verifying the truth of the assertions in the briefs. If you do not give pinpoint citations, you may force the clerk to wade through 30- or 40-page opinions, trying to find the legal principle that you said was in there. If you cite a case for its main holding, find the page on which the court articulated that holding: That is the pinpoint page. Even if you are citing to the first page of the opinion (a rare event, since many reporters fill the first page with headnotes and other editorial information), you must still provide a pinpoint citation:

GOOD EXAMPLE McGuffin v. Lamb, 101 F.3d 115, 115 (6th Cir. 2015).

Think of the judges and their clerks whenever you are making a citation decision. Whenever you can make it easier for them to understand your argument by putting a little more information into the brief, you should do so.