Anaya Nolan
Citing a law correctly is an important part of legal and academic work. The standard legal citation style used for legal references across all disciplines is called Bluebook style, though other styles such as APA, MLA, and Chicago are also used. The citation style depends on the context and content of the work, and there are notable differences between the styles. For example, in APA style, the title of a case is written in standard type in the reference list and in italic type in the in-text citation. This guide will provide an overview of how to cite a law using different styles.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Style | APA, Bluebook, Chicago, MLA |
| Name of the law | Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, etc. |
| Title | Title # Source, Title of testimony |
| Section | Section Number, § Section # |
| Year | Year the law was published |
| URL | Optional, but can be included |
| Reporter | Federal Reporter, Federal Supplements |
| Volume | Volume # |
| Page Number | Page # |
| Court | U.S. Circuit Court, U.S. District Court, etc. |
| Case Name | Name v. Name |
| Patent | Inventor, patent number, issuing body |
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What You'll Learn
Citing federal laws
Citing to the United States Code (U.S.C.):
The United States Code (U.S.C.) is the official code for federal statutes. A citation to a statute in the U.S.C. typically includes the following elements:
- Name of Act (if required)
- Volume number of the U.S.C.
- Section symbol (§) followed by the section number
- Date or year of the code edition (optional)
For example: National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. § 4332 (1994).
Citing to Public Law:
If a federal law has just been passed and has not yet been incorporated into the U.S.C., or if the law spans multiple sections of the U.S.C., it may be cited using its Public Law number with a parallel citation to its location in the Statutes at Large.
For example: Energy Policy Act of 2005, Pub. L. No. 109-58, 119 Stat. 594 (2005).
Short Form Citations:
When citing to a statute multiple times in a legal memo or brief, it is common to use a short form citation after the first full citation. For example, if you cite to 18 U.S.C. § 1514A in full first, subsequent citations can be shortened to "Id."
The Bluebook:
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation is a widely used legal citation guide. It includes additional rules and requirements for citing federal laws, especially for court filings and law review articles. It is important to consult The Bluebook and specific court rules for any additional or differing citation requirements.
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Citing state laws
State codes may use article or chapter numbers instead of or in addition to section numbers, or they may not use titles at all. The Bluebook is a valuable resource for checking the specific formats for each state, as some states use chapter or article numbers instead of sections. Additionally, The Bluebook provides all the necessary abbreviations and symbols for citing state laws.
The basic structure for citing a state statute includes the name of the act, the title source, the section number, the year, and optionally, the URL. Here is an example of a state statute citation:
Equal Rights to Publicly-aided Housing, N.Y. Civil Rights Law, Sections (§§) 18-A - 19-B (Consol. 2021). https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/CVR/A2-A.
It's worth noting that APA Style calls for the title of the statute to precede the source information. Additionally, in-text citations for state laws follow the same patterns as court decisions, including the name of the act and the year. Years can be tricky because acts may be passed in one year and published in another, so always use the year the law was published in the compilation you referenced.
When citing a law that has not been codified, or published in the United States Code, use its public law number along with information about where it was published. For example, if an act is spread across different non-consecutive sections of the Code, cite it using the public law number and details of its location in the Statutes at Large.
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Citing laws in the US
In the US, laws are typically cited using the Bluebook style, which is the standard legal citation style. However, there are also specific guidelines for citing laws in APA style.
When citing federal laws in APA style, you should include the name of the law, the title, "U.S.C." (United States Code), the section, and the year. For example: "Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq. (1990)". Here, "42 U.S.C." refers to Title 42, which pertains to public health and welfare. The "et seq." indicates that the section number is the first in a series of sections that codify the act.
If a law is not included in the U.S.C. or is spread across various sections of the code, you should use the public law number along with information on the source accessed. For example: "Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, Pub. L. No. 111-2, 123 Stat. 5 (2009)".
For state statutes, the process differs slightly. These are published in state-specific publications, and the specific elements of a reference list entry may vary. However, the basic format remains similar to that of court decisions, including the name of the act, volume, and year. For example: "Name of Act, Title # Source § Section # (Year)".
When citing court decisions, the standard format includes the name of the case, volume, reporter, page number, court, and year. For example: "Name v. Name, Volume # F. Supp. Page # (Court Year)". The URL is optional but can be included to aid the reader in retrieving the source.
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Citing laws in Hong Kong
Federal laws in the US are divided into sections called titles, covering various topics. These are published in the United States Code (U.S.C.) and are usually cited by their location in the U.S.C. However, if a law is spread across various sections of the code or not featured in it at all, the public law number is included, along with information on the source accessed.
For example, a law that is not yet included in the U.S.C. should be cited using its public law number and information about where it was published. The citation should follow this format: Name of Act, Title # Source § Section # (Year).
State statutes are published in their own state-specific publications, and state court decisions are published by various reporters.
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Citing laws in MLA style
When citing a law or legal act in a list of references in MLA style, the following information should be included:
- Jurisdiction (country) of the law
- Institution that passed the law
- Title of the law
- Number of the law
- Date passed
- Container (website, newspaper, book, etc.) where the law was published
If the name of the institution includes the name of the country, the country should not be cited separately.
United States, Congress, House. Aviation and Transportation Security Act. Pub L. 107-71. 19 Nov. 2001. Stat. 115.597.
When citing a court case in MLA style, list the following information:
- Names of the first plaintiff and defendant
- Number of the case
- Name of the court that decided the case
- Date of the decision
United States, Supreme Court. Plessy v. Ferguson. 18 May 1896. Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/163/537.
It is important to note that the names of court cases should be italicized, while laws, acts, and political documents should be capitalized and set in roman font. Additionally, the date format in MLA style is "Day Month (shortened) Year", for example, "5 Sept. 2012".
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