What essential information does a citation include?

A citation serves as a reference for legal documents and includes specific information that allows users to locate the relevant case, statute, or legal decision. The correct choice emphasizes the names of the parties involved in the lawsuit and their court status, which is fundamental for understanding the context of the case. This information identifies who is litigating and provides insight into the roles they play—whether they are plaintiffs or defendants—and the legal significance of their standing in the particular matter.

In legal citations, the names of the parties often form a crucial part of the reference, as they allow the reader to quickly grasp the central players in the case. Additionally, the court status indicates which court is involved and can reflect whether the case has been decided or is on appeal, further clarifying the legal situation surrounding the dispute.

While the other choices contain elements that could be part of a more comprehensive understanding of a case, they do not capture the core components that citations typically include. For example, the date and name of the judge might be relevant to a specific ruling but are not standard information found in a citation. Similarly, summarizing case outcomes is usually provided in case briefs or analyses rather than citations themselves. Lastly, just stating the name of the court provides incomplete information about the case