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How to Cite Legal Documents
Guidelines for Citing Constitutional, Statutory, and Case Law
©Sughrue
Parts of a Citation – Reference List
U.S. Constitutional Law
U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 2.
Abbrev of constitution
cited
No. of Amend
Section symbol and section number
Parts of a Citation – Reference List
State Constitutional Law
State Board of Elementary and Secondary
Education. La. Const. art. VIII, § 3.
Abbrev of constitution cited
No. of Article Section symbol and
section number
Name of Article
Parts of a Citation – Reference List
Federal Statutory Law
Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act, 42 U.S.C.
§§ 9601-9675 (2006). U.S.C. title number
Abbrev of code cited
Section symbols and span of sections
containing statute
Year of code edition cited (U.S. Code is updated once every 6 years)
Official name of act
Note indentation on second and third lines
Note indentation on second and third lines
Parts of a Citation – Reference List
State Statutory Law
Class size; maximum, La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 17:174 (2013).
Abbrev of code cited
Section symbol and section number
containing statute
Year of code edition cited
Name of act
Parts of a Citation – Reference List
U.S. Supreme Court Case Law
Tinker v. Des Moines Indep. Sch. Dist.,
89 S.Ct. 306 (1952).
First Party Second Party
Reporter Volume No.
Reporter Abbreviation
First page of case
Date of Decision
Parts of a Citation – Reference List
Federal Circuit Court of Appeals Case Law
Brown v. Gilmore, 258 F.3d 265 (4th Cir. 2001).
First Party
Second Party
Reporter Vol. No.
Reporter Abbreviation
First page of case
Year of Decision
Circuit No.
Parts of a Citation – Reference List
Federal District Court Case Law
Lassonde v. Pleasanton Unified School
District, 167 F.Supp.2d 1108 (N.D. Cal.
2001).
First Party Second Party
Reporter Vol. No.
Reporter Abbreviation
First page of case
Year of Decision
District Court Abbreviations
Parts of a Citation – Reference List
State Supreme Court Case Law
La. High Sch. Athletics Ass’n, Inc. v. State,
107 So.3d 583 (La. 2013).
First Party Second Party
Reporter Vol.
No.
Reporter Abbreviation
First page of case
State Supreme
CourtDate of
Decision
Parts of a Citation – Reference List
State Appellate Court Case Law
Spears v. Jefferson Parish Sch. Bd., 107 So.3d 583 (La. Ct. App. 2013).
First Party Second Party
Reporter Vol.
No.
Reporter AbbreviationFirst page
of caseState
Appellate Court
Date of Decision
Parts of a Citation – In Text
The Supreme Court rendered an important
decision in a 1985 Alabama case. The law in question
called for a mandatory daily time of silence, but the
designation of this time for meditation or prayer led to a
U.S. Supreme Court finding that the law violated the
Establishment Clause (Wallace v. Jaffree, 1985).
Note the case law reference in parentheses. It is in
italics, followed by the year of decision.
Parts of a Citation – In Text
A case heard by the Supreme Court a decade ago,
Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe (2000), is an
example of a challenge based on the separation of
church and state and on freedom of speech.
Note the name of the case is in italics, followed by year
of decision in parentheses.
Parts of a Citation – In Text
In its decision, the Court noted that introducing an
opportunity to pray is different that protecting a student’s right to religious expression. “The legislative intent to return prayer to the public schools is . . . quite different from merely protecting every student’s right to engage in voluntary prayer during an appropriate moment of silence during the school day” (Wallace, 1985, p. 45). Note that in subsequent uses of a case already cited earlier in your text, you use only the first party name. Citations for direct quotes require the page number from the reporter in which you obtained the information.
Parts of a Citation – In Text
When challenged in court, the school district argued the students had protected free speech and could engage in religious expression. The Santa Fe (2000) decision reminded school districts that the Courtwould not tolerate government sponsored religious speech.
Similarly, subsequent use of a case in text requires only the name of the first party. If there might be confusion for the reader, the year of the decision should also be included.
Parts of a Citation – In Text
In Review
First time, use full name:
(Wallace v. Jeffree, 1973)
Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe (2000)
Use the first party name for subsequent use in the text:
(Wallace, 1973)
Santa Fe (2000)
Parts of a Citation – In Text
In Review
Use full name, page number, then year when citing a
direct quote:
“ . . . “ (Wallace v. Jeffree, 1973, p. 45).Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe “ . . . “ (2000, p. 295).
Use shortened version in subsequent citations:
“. . .” (Wallace, 1973, p. 48).
Santa Fe “. . .” (2000, p. 234).
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