Table of Authorities example and formatting guide.
A sample TOA for a federal motion, the formatting conventions behind each section, and how the table is generated automatically inside Microsoft Word.
A Table of Authorities for a motion to dismiss.
The example below follows a common federal district court structure. Entries are grouped by authority type, ordered within each group, and paired with every page on which they appear.
TABLE OF AUTHORITIES
Cases
Alphabetical by case name- Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662 (2009)3, 7, 12
- Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544 (2007)4, 9
- Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317 (1986)11
- Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharm., Inc., 509 U.S. 579 (1993)14
- Erie R.R. Co. v. Tompkins, 304 U.S. 64 (1938)6
Statutes
Numerical by title and section- 28 U.S.C. § 13312
- 28 U.S.C. § 1332(a)2, 5
- 42 U.S.C. § 198310
Rules
Numerical by rule number- Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2)4
- Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6)1, 5, 8
- Fed. R. Evid. 70214
Other Authorities
Alphabetical by author or title- 5B Charles Alan Wright & Arthur R. Miller, Federal Practice and Procedure § 1357 (3d ed.)8
- Restatement (Second) of Torts § 402A (1965)13
Illustrative sample. Always confirm structure and citation format against the applicable local rules and judge's standing orders.
Six rules that decide whether a TOA is filing-ready.
Group authorities by category
Most courts expect separate headings for Cases, Statutes, Rules, Regulations, and Other Authorities. Check the local rules — some jurisdictions add or merge categories.
Order entries consistently
Cases run alphabetically by name; statutes and rules run numerically. Do not order by page of first appearance.
Cite every page of appearance
Each entry lists every page where the authority appears, in ascending order. Use passim only where local rules permit it, typically for five or more scattered references.
Italicize case names
Case names are italicized in the TOA exactly as they appear in the brief, including short-form parties and procedural phrases.
Match the brief's citation format
The TOA reproduces the full citation as used in the brief — Bluebook, ALWD, or a court-specific format — so verify the brief first, then build the table.
Rebuild after every edit
Page numbers shift with every revision. A TOA generated before final formatting is almost always wrong at filing.
The same table, generated from the brief itself.
Instead of marking citations by hand, the Mensrea.ai plug-in detects authorities in the document, sorts them into categories, and builds the table with current page numbers — inside the drafting environment attorneys already use.
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
TABLE OF AUTHORITIES
- Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662 (2009)3, 7, 12
- Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544 (2007)4, 9
- Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317 (1986)11
- Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharm., Inc., 509 U.S. 579 (1993)14
- Erie R.R. Co. v. Tompkins, 304 U.S. 64 (1938)6
- 28 U.S.C. § 13312
- Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6)1, 5, 8
Stop rebuilding the table by hand.
See how Table of Authorities automation works inside Microsoft Word.