Keith Mack
When writing in APA style, there are specific rules to follow when formatting case titles. APA style is commonly used for legal citations, such as court cases and laws, and differs from other APA formats. Case titles are written in standard type in the reference list and in italics in the in-text citation. For example, the case title Wue v. Yang would be in italics within the text but in standard type in the reference list. This style is also used for U.S. Circuit Court decisions.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Case Title | Name v. Name |
| Case Title Format | Italicized in in-text citations, standard type in reference list |
| Case Title Abbreviation | "v." for "versus" in case titles, "vs." outside legal citations |
| Reporter | Name of the reporter, abbreviated |
| Reporter Examples | U.S. Supreme Court: United States Reports (abbreviated to "U.S.") |
| Reporter Examples | U.S. Circuit Courts: Federal Reporter (F., F.2d, F.3d) |
| Reporter Examples | U.S. District Court: Federal Supplement (F. Supp.) |
| Page Number | Single page number for reference list, paragraph number preferred over page number for in-text citation |
| Court | Name of the court, in parentheses if clear from the reporter |
| Year | Year of decision |
| URL | Optional, include if useful for retrieving the source |
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What You'll Learn
Case name formatting
In-Text Citations
When citing a case name in the body of your text, it should be italicized. For example, if you're referring to the case of "Wue v. Yang," the correct in-text citation would be: *(Wue v. Yang)*. Note that the "v." stands for "versus" and is used in legal citations, while "vs." is recommended by APA outside of legal contexts.
In-text citations should also include other relevant information, such as the year and page or paragraph number if needed. For example: *(Little Sisters Book and Art Emporium v. Canada, 1996, p. 3)*. Here, "1996" refers to the year of the case, and "p. 3" indicates that the cited information can be found on page 3 of the decision.
Reference List Entries
In the reference list, the case name is written in standard type, not italics. For example: "Wue v. Yang." The reference list entry should also include the volume, reporter, page number, court, and year. For instance: "Little Sisters Book and Art Emporium v. Canada, 131 D.L.R. (4th) 486 (BCSC 1996)."
Note that the inclusion of a URL is optional in APA style for legal sources. However, providing a URL can be helpful for readers who want to retrieve the source.
Federal Court Cases
When dealing with federal court cases in the United States, there are specific considerations to keep in mind. Decisions from the U.S. Supreme Court are published in the United States Reports, abbreviated as "U.S." in the reference. You don't need to specify the court in parentheses if the name of the reporter makes it clear.
For U.S. Circuit Court decisions, the template is as follows: Name v. Name, Volume F. [or F.2d, F.3d] Page (Court Year). For example: "Name v. Name, F. 3d 123 (2nd Cir. 2022)."
U.S. District Court decisions are published in the Federal Supplements, abbreviated as "F. Supp." The template for these cases is: Name v. Name, Volume F. Supp. Page (Court Year).
State-Specific Variations
When citing laws or cases specific to a particular state, adapt your references to the standards of that state. For example, when citing a law from the Virginia Code, include the section number after the title, separated by a hyphen.
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Citing a court case
When citing a court case in APA style, there are some differences from standard APA citations. Legal citations do not usually list authors, and abbreviations are used to make them more concise.
Citations for court cases refer to reporters, or the publications in which cases are documented. To cite a court case or decision, list the following:
- Name of the case (in italics for in-text citations, but not in the reference list)
- Volume and abbreviated name of the reporter
- Page number
- Name of the court
- Year
- Optional: URL
Note that “v.” (for “versus”) is used between the names of the parties in a case title, though APA recommends “vs.” outside the context of legal citations.
For example, an in-text citation might look like:
> (Canada Post v. Lepine, 2009, para. 5)
And the reference list citation:
> Canada Post v. Lepine, 2009 SCC 16
If you are citing a federal court case, these take place at the national level in the U.S.—in the U.S. Supreme Court, a circuit court, or a district court. The Supreme Court is the highest federal court, and its decisions are reported in the United States Reports (abbreviated to “U.S..” in the reference). You do not need to specify the court in parentheses in this case, since the name of the reporter already makes this clear.
Decisions from the U.S. circuit courts are reported in the Federal Reporter, abbreviated as “F.”, “F.2d”, or “F.3d”. There are 13 circuit courts, so be sure to specify which one you’re citing.
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Citing a law
When citing a law, you should include the name of the law, the volume and abbreviated name of the reporter, the page number, the name of the court, and the year. You may also include the URL, though this is optional. The case name is italicized in the in-text citation but not in the reference list. In the reference, specify only a single page number—the page where the coverage of that case begins.
In-text citation:
Name of Law, Year)
Reference list entry:
Name of Law, Volume Source Page (Court Year).
It is important to note that the specific format may vary depending on the type of law or court case being cited. For example, federal court cases and statutes may have different formatting requirements than state-level cases.
Additionally, the APA Style Blog and the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association are useful resources for specific examples and further guidance on citing laws and court cases in APA Style.
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Reference list entries
When formatting a law case title in APA style, there are several key components to include in your reference list entry. Here is a step-by-step guide:
- Case Name: Start by providing the name of the case. In APA style, the case name is written in standard type in the reference list entry and in italics in the in-text citation. For example, "Wue v. Yang" would be written in italics within the text but in standard type in the reference list.
- Volume: Next, include the volume number of the publication in which the case is documented, known as the reporter. This information can usually be found on the first page of the case decision. The volume number is an essential piece of information for locating the case.
- Reporter: Provide the abbreviated name of the reporter or the publication where the case is documented. For example, "F. Supp." is the abbreviation for "Federal Supplement," which is the reporter for decisions from the U.S. District Court.
- Page Number: Specify the page number where the coverage of the case begins. It is important to note that you should only include a single page number, even if the case spans multiple pages.
- Court and Year: Include the name of the court that decided the case, followed by the year of the decision. For example, "BCSC 1996" indicates the British Columbia Supreme Court and the year 1996.
- URL (Optional): Including a URL is not required in APA style reference entries for legal sources. However, providing a URL can be helpful for readers who want to retrieve the source directly.
"Little Sisters Book and Art Emporium v. Canada (Justice), 131 D.L.R (4th) 486 (BCSC 1996)."
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In-text citations
The title or name of the case is written in italics, for example, *Wue v. Yang*. The case name is written in standard type in the reference list citation, while the in-text citation is in italics. Note that APA style does not italicize the title of a bill in the in-text citation. However, your instructor may ask you to modify this rule and italicize the title of legislative materials for in-text citations, following the McGill Guide example.
For in-text citations, the format is (Case Name, Year, Page or Paragraph Number if needed). For example: (*Little Sisters Book and Art Emporium v. Canada*, 1996, p. 3). Here, the example refers the reader to the third page of the decision. Paragraph numbers are preferred over page numbers.
When citing a direct quotation, include the paragraph number. For example: (*Canada Post v. Lepine*, 2009, para. 5). This example refers the reader to the fifth paragraph of the decision.
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Frequently asked questions
The key components are the title or name of the case, the citation, the jurisdiction of the court, the date of the decision, and the URL (optional).
The case name is italicized in the in-text citation but not in the reference list.
APA Style legal materials are cited in the standard legal citation style used for legal references across all disciplines. This legal style has notable differences from other APA Style formats. For instance, legal citations frequently use abbreviations.
