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How to Cite Deposition Lines in a Brief

A deposition is when a person answers questions under oath in order to establish the facts of a court case before trial. Depositions usually occur outside the courtroom, and the depositions of witnesses are a large part of the evidence weighed when a court case is being argued. When you are preparing a legal brief for a case, it is likely that you will have to cite several depositions. The Bluebook offers simple guidelines for the proper citation of testimony given in a deposition.

Instructions

- 1
  Begin your citation with the last name of the witness. For example:
  
  Thompson
- 2
  Follow the last name of the witness with the type of resource you are citing. In Bluebook style, abbreviations should be used. The Bluebook abbreviation for deposition is "Dep."
- 3
  Conclude your citation with the page number you are referencing, followed by a period.
- 4
  Place parentheses around your citation. It should appear as follows:
  
  (Thompson Dep. 9.)
- 5
  Position your citation directly after the passage you are citing, not within the sentence. For example:
  
  Under sworn testimony, the witness alleges that there were "between 15 and 17" assailants, and that all carried weapons. (Thompson Dep. 9.)

The Difference Between a Deposition & a Sublimation

Critical Evaluation Techniques