The New York Supplement (N.Y.S.) is a West reporter that publishes decisions from all levels of the New York state court system. The series has progressed through three iterations: N.Y.S. (1888--1937), N.Y.S.2d (1937--2011), and N.Y.S.3d (2011--present). Unlike the regional reporters, the New York Supplement is state-specific and covers all New York courts.
New York has a uniquely confusing court hierarchy for the uninitiated. The highest court is the Court of Appeals, not the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is actually a trial-level court of general jurisdiction. The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court functions as the intermediate appellate court. This structure makes correct court abbreviations critically important in citations.
For the Court of Appeals (highest court), use "N.Y." in the parenthetical. For the Appellate Division, use "N.Y. App. Div." followed by the department (1st Dep't, 2d Dep't, 3d Dep't, or 4th Dep't). For the Supreme Court (trial level), use "N.Y. Sup. Ct." Note that Court of Appeals decisions should generally be cited to N.E.2d or N.E.3d for non-New York filings.
Appellate Division, 1st Dep't
Auerbach v. Bennett, 393 N.Y.S.2d 994 (N.Y. App. Div. 1st Dep't 1977)
Appellate Division, 2d Dep't
Matter of Smith v. Jones, 125 N.Y.S.3d 456 (N.Y. App. Div. 2d Dep't 2020)
Supreme Court (Trial Level)
Doe v. Roe, 93 N.Y.S.3d 200 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. 2019)
Appellate Term
People v. Garcia, 45 N.Y.S.3d 789 (N.Y. App. Term 1st Dep't 2017)
The New York Supplement (N.Y.S.) covers all New York state courts and is used primarily in New York practice. The North Eastern Reporter (N.E.) publishes Court of Appeals decisions alongside cases from other states. For academic citation and non-New York filings, the Bluebook generally prefers N.E.2d/N.E.3d for Court of Appeals decisions.
New York's court naming convention is historically unusual. The Supreme Court is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction, while the Court of Appeals is the state's highest court. The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court functions as the intermediate appellate court. Always use the correct court abbreviation to avoid confusion.
Use ordinal abbreviations with "Dep't": 1st Dep't, 2d Dep't, 3d Dep't, 4th Dep't. Note the Bluebook uses "2d" (not "2nd") and "3d" (not "3rd").
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Disclaimer: While this guide follows Bluebook 21st edition rules, always verify citations with official Bluebook resources or your institution's requirements. This content is for educational assistance only.