Guide
Table of Authorities Format: Layout, Dot Leaders and a Checklist
On this page5 sections
The short answer
A table of authorities (TOA) is formatted as a centered heading, a right-aligned “Page(s)” label, then category headings (Cases first) with one entry per authority. Each entry is the full citation, in the same font and size as the brief, with a hanging indent if it wraps, followed by a dot leader that runs to right-aligned page numbers. Cases are alphabetical; statutes run by title and section. Case names are italicized or underlined to match the brief. Signals, pin cites, short forms and Id. are not listed as entries. The TOA sits in the front matter, numbered in lowercase roman numerals.
The dots are not typed: they come from a right-aligned tab stop with a dot leader. Word (Windows and Mac) and Pages can set one; Google Docs cannot. This page gives the full visual spec, the exact menu steps for each app, and a checklist. It is formatting guidance, not legal advice; your court's rules control.
Last verified: 2026-09-24.
The anatomy of a formatted TOA
| Element | Standard format | Source or convention |
|---|---|---|
| Heading | “TABLE OF AUTHORITIES” centered, bold or all caps, at the top of a new page | Convention; the Supreme Court calls it a “table of cited authorities” |
| “Page(s)” label | Right-aligned above the page-number column, often underlined | Convention |
| Category headings | Bold or small caps, flush left: Cases, Constitutional Provisions, Statutes, Rules, Other Authorities | FRAP 28(a)(3); S. Ct. R. 34.2; Cal. rule 8.204(a)(1)(A) |
| Order inside a category | Cases alphabetical; statutes by title, then section; federal before state | FRAP 28(a)(3) (cases); convention (the rest) |
| Entry text | Full citation as first cited: name, volume, reporter, first page, court if needed, year; no pin cite | Convention |
| Case names | Italic or underlined, the same way as in the body | Cal. rule 8.204(b); FRAP 32(a)(6) allows italics |
| Hanging indent | Wrapped lines indented about 0.5" so the first word of each entry stands out | Convention |
| Right indent | Entry text stops about 0.75" short of the margin so wrapped lines never run into the page column | Convention |
| Dot leader | Right tab stop at the right margin with a dotted leader; never typed periods | Convention |
| Page numbers | Right-aligned; ascending; commas between pages; ranges only for consecutive pages | S. Ct. R. 34.2 |
| Passim | Only where the court allows it; banned in the Supreme Court and three circuits | S. Ct. R. 34.2; see below |
| Font and size | Same face and size as the brief's text | FRAP 32(a)(5); S. Ct. R. 33.1(b); Cal. rule 8.204(b) |
| Spacing | Single-spaced entries with a blank line or 6–12 pt between entries | Convention; check local rules |
| Page numbering | TOA pages carry lowercase roman numerals (ii, iii…); the brief body starts at 1 | Convention |
What does not go in the table
- Signals. See, see also, cf. and but see belong in the body. The entry is the authority itself: “Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317 (1986),” not “See Celotex…”.
- Pin cites. The entry gives the first page of the case (477 U.S. 317), not the page you quoted (477 U.S. at 322).
- *Short forms, Id.* and supra.** They are never separate entries; their brief pages are added to the full citation's entry. See Id. and supra in a table of authorities.
- Record citations. Cites to the transcript, excerpts of record or appendix are not authorities.
- The TOA's own pages and the table of contents are not indexed.
Passim and page ranges
Where your court allows it, many offices switch to passim at five or more page references — that threshold comes from Microsoft Word's built-in "Use passim" option. The U.S. Supreme Court's Rule 34.2 says a table of authorities should not use passim (added in the 2023 rules and kept in the rules effective March 16, 2026), and the D.C., Tenth and Eleventh Circuits bar it too (D.C. Cir. R. 28(a)(2); 10th Cir. R. 28.3(C); 11th Cir. R. 28-1(d)). Follow your court's rule.
Ranges follow the same logic as the Supreme Court's rule even where passim is allowed: write “6-8” only when the authority is cited on pages 6, 7 and 8. Otherwise list each page: “6, 8, 12.” See passim in a table of authorities.
How to set a dot-leader tab stop
Set the tab once, on the first entry, then copy that entry for the rest so every paragraph carries the same stop. On Letter paper with 1" margins, the text column is 6.5" wide, so the stop goes at 6.5". Type the citation, press Tab once, type the pages.
| App | Where the setting is | Steps |
|---|---|---|
| Word for Windows | Home › Paragraph dialog launcher › Tabs | Tab stop position 6.5", Alignment: Right, Leader: 2 (dots), click Set, then OK. Double-clicking a tab marker on the ruler opens the same dialog. |
| Word for Mac | Format › Tabs | Type 6.5" under Tab stops, choose Right alignment, pick the dotted leader, then click OK. |
| Pages (Mac) | Format sidebar › Layout › Tabs | View › Show Ruler; select the entries; in the Format sidebar click Layout, open Tabs, add a stop, set it to Right, then choose dots in the Leader column. Click Update next to the paragraph style to save it. |
| Google Docs | Ruler only (left, center, right stops) | No leader option on tab stops. Docs' built-in table of contents has a dotted style, but it indexes headings, not authorities. Use a right tab without dots, or build the TOA page in Word or Pages. |
| Word for the web | Limited | Microsoft says tables of authorities “aren't supported in Word for Mac or Word for the web.” Set leader tabs in desktop Word, or keep them from a template like ours. |
A formatted example
Table of Authorities
Real authorities; page numbers from a hypothetical brief
| Authority | Page(s) |
|---|---|
| Cases | |
| Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242 (1986) | 4, 9 |
| Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317 (1986) | 6-8, 12 |
| Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard College, 600 U.S. 181 (2023) | 3, 10 |
| Constitutional Provisions | |
| U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 1 | 2, 11 |
| Statutes | |
| 28 U.S.C. § 1291 | 1 |
| 42 U.S.C. § 1983 | 2, 5 |
| Rules | |
| Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a) | 6, 7 |
| Other Authorities | |
| 10A Charles Alan Wright & Arthur R. Miller, Federal Practice and Procedure § 2727 (4th ed.) | 12 |
The long Students for Fair Admissions entry is where the hanging and right indents earn their keep: the second line starts indented and stops short of the page column. More annotated samples are on table of authorities examples, and a ready-made file with these settings is the free .docx template.
| Check | Pass when |
|---|---|
| Heading | Centered “TABLE OF AUTHORITIES” on a new page; “Page(s)” label right-aligned |
| Categories | In the order your court's rule names; no empty categories |
| Alphabetical cases | Sorted by the case name as cited; one convention for “In re” and “United States v.” |
| Statute order | By title, then section; federal before state |
| One entry per authority | No separate entries for short forms, Id., supra or signals |
| Case names | Italic or underlined, matching the body exactly |
| Indents | Hanging indent on wrapped entries; text clears the page column |
| Leaders | Right tab with dot leader; page numbers flush right on every line |
| Page numbers | Printed brief pages from the final version; ranges only for consecutive pages |
| Passim | Used only if your court allows it, with one threshold applied to every authority |
| Typeface | Same font and size as the brief (14 pt FRAP; 12 pt Century S. Ct. booklet; 13 pt+ California) |
| Front matter | Lowercase roman page numbers; TOA pages not indexed |
Frequently asked
How do you format a table of authorities?
Center the heading, right-align a “Page(s)” label, and group entries under category headings with Cases first. Each entry is the full citation with a hanging indent, then a dot leader to right-aligned page numbers. Use the brief's own font and size, and follow your court's category order.
How do I make the dots in a table of authorities?
Use a right-aligned tab stop at the right margin with a dot leader, then press Tab once between the citation and the page numbers. In Word for Windows it is Home › Paragraph dialog launcher › Tabs; in Word for Mac, Format › Tabs; in Pages, Format sidebar › Layout › Tabs.
Can Google Docs do dot leaders?
Not on tab stops. Google Docs lets you set left, center and right tab stops on the ruler but has no leader setting. Its table of contents has a dotted style, but that indexes headings, not citations. Build the TOA page in Word or Pages if you need dots.
Are case names italicized in a table of authorities?
Yes, or underlined, to match how they appear in the body of the brief. California rule 8.204(b) says case names must be italicized or underscored. Do not mix the two styles.
Do signals like “see” go in the table of authorities?
No. The entry is the authority's full citation without signals or pin cites. The page where “See Celotex” appears is simply added to the Celotex entry.
What font should a table of authorities use?
The same font and size as the brief. Federal appellate briefs need 14-point or larger proportional type (FRAP 32(a)(5)); Supreme Court booklet briefs use 12-point Century (Rule 33.1(b)); California requires at least 13-point (rule 8.204(b)).
What page numbers does the table of authorities itself get?
By convention, front matter such as the table of contents and TOA uses lowercase roman numerals, and the brief body starts at page 1. The TOA does not index its own pages.
Sources
- Cornell LII — Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, Rule 28. Briefslaw.cornell.edu
- Cornell LII — Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, Rule 32. Form of Briefslaw.cornell.edu
- Supreme Court of the United States — Rules of the Court (effective March 16, 2026, PDF)supremecourt.gov
- California Rules of Court, rule 8.204courts.ca.gov
- Microsoft Support — Insert or add tab stopssupport.microsoft.com
- Microsoft Support — Show dots or leaders between tabssupport.microsoft.com
- Microsoft Support — Create a table of authoritiessupport.microsoft.com
- Apple Pages User Guide for Mac — Set tab stopssupport.apple.com
- Google Docs Editors Community — How do I put dots into a tab stopsupport.google.com
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