Anaya Nolan
The American Psychological Association (APA) style is a writing format commonly used to cite sources in social sciences. While APA style is used across various disciplines, legal materials are usually cited using the Bluebook style, the standard legal citation style. However, there are certain considerations when citing case law in APA format. This includes the use of italics for case names in in-text citations but not in reference lists, and the inclusion of specific elements such as the case name, volume, reporter, page number, court, year, and URL (optional). It is important to note that legal conventions may differ outside the US, and specific institutions may have their own preferred citation styles.
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Case name formatting
Case names are written in standard type in the reference list entry and in italic type in the in-text citation. For example, the in-text citation for the case name "Wue v. Yang" would be written as "*Wue v. Yang*" with italics.
The case name is followed by the volume, reporter, page number, court, and year. For example, the reference list entry for the case name "Little Sisters Book and Art Emporium v. Canada" would be written as Little Sisters Book and Art Emporium v. Canada, 131 D.L.R (4th) 486 (BCSC 1996)".
The case name is usually abbreviated, with "v." (for "versus") used between the names of the parties in a case title, although APA recommends using "vs." outside the context of legal citations. For example, a court decision from the Texas Courts of Appeals would be abbreviated as "(Tex. App.)".
It is important to note that legal citations frequently use abbreviations. The name of the reporter will also be abbreviated. For example, "F. Supp." is used for "Federal Supplement" (decisions from the U.S. District Court are published in the Federal Supplements).
Additionally, when citing a case reported in a print case law reporter, include the page or paragraph number if needed. For example, the in-text citation for the case name "Little Sisters Book and Art Emporium v. Canada" would include the page number as follows: "Little Sisters Book and Art Emporium v. Canada, 1996, p. 3".
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In-text citations
The in-text citation format for case law citations in APA style is similar to the format for a work with no author. The case name or style of cause should be written in italics, followed by the date and page or paragraph number when needed. For example:
> (Wue *v.* Yang, 2022, p. 3)
If you are directly quoting a specific paragraph, include the paragraph number in your citation instead of the page number:
> (Canada Post *v.* Lepine, 2009, para. 5)
Note that the case name is written in standard type in the reference list entry, unlike in the in-text citation.
When citing a case published in a reporter, your in-text citation should include the case name, year, and page or paragraph number if needed. For example:
> (*Little Sisters Book and Art Emporium v. Canada*, 1996, p. 3)
If the reporter abbreviation clearly identifies a specific court, you can generally leave out the court abbreviation. However, if an issuing court abbreviation is needed, use the state abbreviation and court name for state courts.
In all cases, ensure that you include the year.
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Reference lists
The reference list entry for a case citation in APA style typically includes the following elements:
- Name of the case: The case name is written in standard type, not italics, in the reference list. For example, "Brown v. Board of Education".
- Volume: Indicate the volume number of the reporter or publication in which the case can be found.
- Reporter: Provide the abbreviated name of the reporter, such as "F. Supp." for Federal Supplement or "U.S." for United States Reports.
- Page number: Specify the first page where the case begins, rather than a full page range.
- Court: Include the name of the court, such as "U.S. Supreme Court" or "Illinois Court of Appeals".
- Year: State the year the decision was made.
Brown v. Board of Education, Volume U.S. Page (U.S. Supreme Court, 1954).
Note that the case name "Brown v. Board of Education" is in standard type, not italics, in the reference list. The volume and page number provide the location of the case within the specified reporter, in this case, "Volume U.S. Page". The court and year identify the jurisdiction and date of the decision.
It is important to consult the specific guidelines provided by APA, such as the APA Publication Manual, for detailed instructions on formatting legal citations. Additionally, the Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation is a standard reference for legal citation styles and can provide further guidance on preparing legal references.
While including a URL in the reference list entry for a legal source is optional in APA style, it can be helpful to include it to assist readers in retrieving the source. The URL can be included at the end of the reference list entry.
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Court decisions
The Bluebook style is the standard legal citation style used in all disciplines. APA defers to Bluebook style for legal materials and uses those templates and patterns in bibliographies. Decisions from the U.S. Supreme Court are published in the United States Reports (other reporters may also publish Supreme Court decisions). Cite Supreme Court decisions as published in the United States Reports whenever possible; cite the Supreme Court Reporter for cases that have not yet been published in the United States Reports.
Federal court cases are those that 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 don’t 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. This reporter has appeared in three series; the first is abbreviated as "F.", the second as "F.2d", and the third and current series as "F.3d".
The template for U.S. District Court decisions is as follows: Reference list: Name v. Name, Volume F. Supp. Page (Court Year). URL. Parenthetical citation: (Name v. Name, Year). Narrative citation: Name v. Name (Year).
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Case reporters
Official case reporters are government-approved publications that reproduce reported cases within a given jurisdiction. Many states publish their own official reporters, and these are the reporters that should be cited when submitting documents to courts within that jurisdiction. Federal court cases, on the other hand, are published in different reporters depending on the court level. For example, decisions from the U.S. Supreme Court are published in the United States Reports, while opinions from the U.S. Circuit Courts are published in the Federal Reporter.
Unofficial case reporters are published by commercial publishers and may include editorial enhancements such as headnotes, which are brief summaries of the case. While the text of the cases within unofficial reporters is still considered primary sources, the editorial additions are not.
When citing a court case or decision in APA style, you would typically include the name of the case, volume, abbreviated name of the reporter, page number, court, year, and optionally the URL. The case name is italicized in the in-text citation but not in the reference list.
In-text citation: (Canada Post v. Lepine, 2009, para. 5)
Reference list entry: Canada Post v. Lepine, 2009 SCC 16
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Frequently asked questions
The general format for case law citations in APA style is as follows:
- Reference list: Name v. Name, Volume Source Page (Court Date).
- Parenthetical citation: (Name v. Name, Year)
- Narrative citation: Name v. Name (Year)
Note that the case name or style of cause is italicized in the parenthetical citation but not in the reference list.
Including a URL is optional in APA style reference entries for legal sources. While it is not required, including a URL can be useful for aiding the reader in retrieving the source.
If the case has not yet been assigned a page number, include three underscores instead of the page number in the reference list entry.
