Keith Mack
The American Psychological Association (APA) style is a widely used format for writing and citing sources in the social sciences. While APA is commonly used in fields like psychology and education, it is not the standard for legal citations. Legal materials are typically cited using the Bluebook style, which is the standard for legal citation in all disciplines. However, APA does provide guidelines for citing legal sources, such as court decisions, statutes, and legislative materials. These guidelines include information on how to format in-text citations, reference lists, and specific details to include for different types of legal sources. While APA is not the most common citation style in law, it does offer a set of rules for citing legal information within the broader APA format.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| APA citation style | 7th edition |
| APA citation style | Combination with other citation styles, e.g. McGill Guide, Bluebook |
| APA citation style | Used for federal laws, state laws, court decisions, statutes, executive orders, testimonies, hearings, bills, and patents |
| APA citation style | Include name of law, title, "U.S.C.", section, year, and optionally URL |
| APA citation style | Adapt to state standards, e.g. include title for laws from the Virginia Code |
| APA citation style | Identify a law by its location in the United States Code (U.S.C.) |
| APA citation style | Include public law number for laws not in the U.S.C. or spread across non-consecutive parts of the code |
| APA citation style | Include patent number and issuing body for patents |
| APA citation style | Include volume, reporter, page number, court, year, and optionally URL for court decisions |
| APA citation style | Include case name in standard type in reference list entry and in italics in in-text citation |
| APA citation style | Include name, volume, source, page, court, and date for reference list |
| APA citation style | Follow constitution's numbering pattern for articles and amendments |
| APA citation style | Include Congress number, year, and name of testifier for testimonies |
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What You'll Learn
Citing federal laws
APA citation style is a commonly used style for citing sources in academic writing. While most legal materials are cited using Bluebook style, APA does provide guidelines for citing federal laws.
To cite a federal law in APA style, you should include the following elements:
- Name of the law
- "U.S.C." (United States Code)
- Title and section of the code where the law appears
- Year the law was published in the source consulted, not necessarily the year it was passed
- Optional: URL
For example, the citation for the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 would look like this:
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq. (1990). https://www.ada.gov/pubs/adastatute08.htm
Note that the year included in the citation is the year the law was published in the source you consulted, not necessarily the year it was passed.
If the law has not yet been included in the United States Code, you should cite it using its Public Law number and include 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). https://www.congress.gov/109/plaws/publ58/PLAW-109publ58.pdf
Additionally, if the law spans a range of sections, you can add "et seq." after the U.S.C. number to indicate "and what follows." For example:
Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010, 47 U.S.C. 609 et seq. (2009).
It's important to adapt your reference to the standards of the specific state when citing state laws. The general format is similar to federal law citations, but "U.S.C." is replaced with the abbreviation for the law code of that state.
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Citing state laws
APA is a commonly used citation style for academic writing, but when it comes to legal materials, Bluebook style is the standard citation format used in all disciplines. APA itself defers to Bluebook style for legal materials and uses those templates and patterns in bibliographies.
State laws, or state statutes, are laws that have been passed and added to the state code. They are published in their own state-specific publications. The Bluebook requires that these be cited to the official code, if possible. State codes are organised differently in every state, so it is important to adapt your reference to the standards of the state in question.
For example, in Virginia, a citation to a statute in the Code of Virginia 1950 Annotated has the following three elements: "Va.". This is the official/preferred statutory code, while the unofficial code is "West's Annotated Code of Virginia".
In California, the preferred format for citing state laws is:
> Name of law (if available), State Abbreviation Code Abbreviation § section number(s) (Year if available).
For example:
> Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act, Cal. Penal Code § 11164 et seq.
If a new law updates multiple code sections, the format is:
> Name of law, State Abbreviation Branch (Assemb. or S.) Bill number, Chapter number (Cal. Stat. Year).
For example:
> California Fostering Connections to Success Act, Cal. Assemb. B. 12 (2010-2011), Chapter 559 (Cal. Stat. 2010).
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Citing court decisions
APA is a commonly used style for citing sources in academic writing, but when it comes to the legal field, most legal materials are cited using the Bluebook style, which is the standard legal citation style. However, APA does provide guidelines for citing court decisions, which can vary depending on the specific court and publication. Here is a detailed guide on how to cite court decisions in APA style:
Citing U.S. Supreme Court Decisions
Decisions from the U.S. Supreme Court are published in the United States Reports, and it is recommended to cite these decisions as they appear in the Reports. If the decision has not yet been published in the Reports, cite it from the Supreme Court Reporter. The name of the case should be in standard type in the reference list entry and italicised in the in-text citation. The template for citing a U.S. Supreme Court decision is as follows:
Reference list: Name v. Name, Volume U.S. Page (Year). URL (optional)
Parenthetical citation: (Name v. Name, Year)
Narrative citation: Name v. Name (Year)
For example: Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954).
Citing U.S. Circuit Court Decisions
Decisions from the U.S. Circuit Court are published in the Federal Reporter. The template for citing a U.S. Circuit Court decision is:
Reference list: Name v. Name, Volume F. [or F.2d, F.3d] Page (Year). URL (optional)
Parenthetical citation: (Name v. Name, Year)
Narrative citation: Name v. Name (Year)
Citing U.S. District Court Decisions
Decisions from the U.S. District Court are published in the Federal Supplements. The template for citing a U.S. District Court decision is:
Reference list: Name v. Name, Volume F. Supp. Page (Year). URL (optional)
Parenthetical citation: (Name v. Name, Year)
Narrative citation: Name v. Name (Year)
Note that if a case has not yet been assigned a page number, include three underscores instead of the page number.
Citing State Court Decisions
State courts operate within specific states and the commonly cited types are supreme courts and appellate courts. The template for citing a state court decision is similar to that of the U.S. Supreme Court:
Reference list: Name v. Name, Volume State Reporter Page (Year). URL (optional)
Parenthetical citation: (Name v. Name, Year)
Narrative citation: Name v. Name (Year)
General Guidelines for Citing Court Decisions
In addition to the specific court templates outlined above, there are some general elements that are common to most court decision citations in APA style:
- Name or title of the case: The case name is usually structured as "Name v. Name" or "Name vs. Name".
- Volume: This refers to the volume number of the reporter or publication where the case decision is found.
- Reporter: The reporter is the publication that reports the case decision, such as the Federal Reporter or state-specific reporters.
- Page number: Indicate the page number where the case decision can be found within the reporter or publication.
- Court: Specify the court that made the decision, such as the U.S. Supreme Court or a state court.
- Year: Include the year the decision was made.
- URL: Providing the URL is optional but can be helpful for the reader to locate the source.
It is important to adapt your citation to the specific standards of the state or jurisdiction, as citation formats may vary. Additionally, always refer to the latest edition of the APA manual or style guides for the most up-to-date and comprehensive guidelines on citing court decisions.
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Citing executive orders
APA is a commonly used style for legal citations, especially in the US. However, it is essential to note that most legal materials are cited using the Bluebook style, which is the standard legal citation style. APA defers to Bluebook style for legal materials and uses those templates and patterns in bibliographies.
Executive orders are directives issued by the US president that have the force of law. They are a type of legal material that can be cited using APA style. When citing an executive order in APA format, it is important to follow the specific guidelines outlined in the APA Publication Manual. Here are some detailed instructions on how to cite executive orders in APA style:
- Reference Format: When citing an executive order, it is important to include the essential elements, such as the volume number and name of the code in which the order appears. Executive orders typically appear in Title 3 of the Code of Federal Regulations (3 C.F.R.).
- In-text Citation: In-text citations for executive orders follow the typical APA pattern: (first element of reference list entry, year). For example: "Exec. Order No. #####, 3 C.F.R. Page (Year)."
- Additional Elements: If the executive order has been codified in the United States Code (U.S.C.), you can add explanatory information at the end of the reference. This may include details such as whether the order was reprinted, amended, or appeared in an appendix to the code.
- Specific Edition Guidelines: Ensure that you are using the correct edition guidelines for APA style. The sixth edition of the APA Publication Manual, Section A7.07 (pp. 223–224), provides detailed instructions on citing executive orders. However, if you are using a different edition, refer to the specific guidelines for that edition.
- Online Sources: When citing an executive order from an online source, include the URL in your reference. The URL should direct readers to the official online publication of the executive order.
- Consistency and Accuracy: As with all legal citations, ensure that your citation is consistent and accurate. Double-check your formatting, punctuation, and capitalization to adhere to APA style guidelines.
By following these instructions, you can properly cite executive orders in APA style, ensuring that your legal references are clear and conform to the standard conventions.
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APA vs Bluebook style
APA (American Psychological Association) and Bluebook are two different citation styles. APA is a citation style used in the social sciences, while Bluebook is the standard citation style used in law.
APA Style
To cite a law in APA style, you should list the name of the law, the title, "U.S.C." (United States Code), the section, and the year. For example: "Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, Pub. L. No. 111-2, 123 Stat. 5 (2009)". You can also include the URL, but this is optional. For federal statutes, you can include the public law number in place of the "U.S.C." publication information.
When citing a court decision, include the name of the case, volume, reporter, page number, court, year, and optionally the URL. For example: "Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954)".
Patents are cited by listing the inventor, year of issue, patent title, patent number, issuing body, and URL.
Bluebook Style
Bluebook is the standard legal citation style and is used in all disciplines of law. It is a comprehensive system of citation that includes specific rules and abbreviations for different types of legal sources.
The Bluebook lists references as footnotes, whereas APA uses a reference list. Cases and court decisions in Bluebook style include the citation (volume and page number), jurisdiction of the court, and date of decision, all in parentheses. For example: "(US Supreme Court, 1954)".
Other legislative materials such as testimony, hearings, and bills can also be cited in Bluebook style, and may include a URL.
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Frequently asked questions
The APA style for citing federal laws is to list the name of the law, the title, "U.S.C.", the section, the year, and optionally the URL.
Generally, APA style dictates that laws are identified by their location in the United States Code (U.S.C.). However, if the law is spread across various sections of the code or is not featured in the code, include the public law number along with information on the source accessed.
Most legal materials are cited using Bluebook style, which is the standard legal citation style used across all disciplines. APA defers to Bluebook style for legal materials and uses those templates and patterns in bibliographies.
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