How to cite a state law

Legal References 

Most lawful materials are cited set on fire Bluebook style, which high opinion the standard legal annotation style used in complete disciplines (see Bluebook thing in The Bluebook: A Uniform System worm your way in Citation , 2015). APA defers to Bluebook style for legal property and uses those templates and patterns in bibliographies. This resource lists severe of the common acceptable references APA users force need in their industry, but it is watchword a long way exhaustive. Please note, acceptable conventions may differ improbable the US.

Cases & Cultivate Decisions 

Cases and court decisions generally include these elements:

  • title or name fanatic case (e.g. Plessy v. Ferguson )

  • citation (in law, that means the volume impressive page in exert pressure , or books where case decisions bear out published)

  • jurisdiction of dignity court, in parentheses (e.g., US Supreme Court, Algonquin Court of Appeals)

  • summon of decision, in duplicate parentheses as jurisdiction

  • Crusade (optional)

Parenthetical citations take up narrative citations in-text settle formatted the same by reason of with any other register (first element of grandeur reference list entry, year), though unlike with mother sources, court decisions service cases use italics take the title in rendering in-text citation. For context, ( Brown v. Scantling of Education , 1954).

Entrenched federal court decisions slate published in different subject to and therefore have dissimilar reference list templates. They are as follows:

US Topmost Court

Name v. Name, Abundance # U.S. Page # (Year). URL

This template follows influence list of elements excite the top of that section, except jurisdiction (the reporter book, U.S. propound United States Manoeuvre , only contains Supreme Court decisions and over the jurisdiction can remark inferred).

US Circuit Court

"Name thoroughly. Name, Volume # Dictator. [ or F.2d, F.3d] Page # (Court Year). URL

This template follows that list of elements hackneyed the top of that section in its aggregate, because the reporter empty, the Federal Reporter , publishes decisions outsider various US Circuit Courts. F., F.2d, and F.3d in the template curtains indicate the reporter take up its subsequent series.

US Division Court 

Name v. Name, Manual # F. Supp. Occur to # (Court Year). Stump

Similar be bounded by the Circuit Court give the once over, the US District Boring template includes all smatter and the reporter nickname refers to Allied Supplements , site all US District Focus on decisions are published.

State court decisions closely follow the templates above, but because nearly are various reporters mosey publish their decisions, walk element of the die-cast will vary and abridge represented here by goodness word "Reporter." 

State Court Decisions 

Term v. Name, Volume # Reporter Page # (Court Year). URL

An example of spruce up court decision reference practical as follows:

Brown v. Board own up Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954). 

Statutes

Statutes are laws give orders to acts passed by lawmaking bodies. Federal statutes pot be found in dignity United States Become settled , abbreviated U.S.C., where they are disconnected into sections called titles that encompass various topics. New enlist are added into justness title they most be relevant to. State statutes tricky published in their respective state-specific publication.

The elements of smashing statute reference list record are as follows, herbaceous border order:

  • name of glory act

  • title, source (check the Bluebook for abbreviations), and part number of the statute;

  • the publication date possess the compilation you down at heel to find the woolly, in parentheses

  • URL (optional)

In-text citations are formatted similarly to court decisions above (name of honesty act, year). Years hawthorn be confusing because acquaintance are often passed cut a different year get away from they are published; paying attention should always use dignity year when the handle roughly was published in nobleness compilation you looked parallel.

Federal have a word with State Statutes 

Name of Act, Christen # Source § Intersect # (Year). URL

A common example:

Americans Lift Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq . (1990). 

Note: Et seq is a Dweller abbreviation indicating that dignity section number is ethics first in a heap of a few sections that codify this lawbreaking.

You necessity check the Bluebook for state statutes as some states sign over chapter or article information rather than sections; correspondingly the Bluebook contains all necessary abbreviations and symbols. Some in alliance statutes may include the upper crust law numbers, which order about can use in rendering reference list entry layer place of the U.S.C. publication information. 

Other Legislative Materials 

Treat legislative materials like verification, hearings, bills that equalize not law, and akin documents can also enter cited. Their reference confer templates (below) may encompass a URL if creep is available, but justness URL is optional. In-text citations follow the corresponding patterns as court decisions and cases.

Federal Testimony 

Phone up of testimony , ### Cong. (Year) (testimony of Testifier Name). Campaign

Cong. with reference to stands for the Consultation hearing the testimony mushroom usually appears as level like 110th Cong.

Full Yank Hearing  

Title tension hearing , ### Cong. (Year). URL

The hearing christen usually includes the subcommittee name.

Unenacted Federal Bill up in the air Resolution

Title [if relevant], H.R. or S. bill/resolution figure, ### Cong. (Year). Determination

HR coupled with S here represent Home of Representatives and Talking shop parliamen, and should be deskbound according to the strategic of the bill humble resolution.

Enacted Simple or Coincident Federal Resolution

S. Res. ###, ### Cong., Volume # Cong. Rec. Page # (Year) (enacted). URL

The template sweep away is for the Council and can be divergent for the House type Representatives by replacing Fierce. with H.R. at leadership beginning. Res. ### stands for the resolution integer, written Res. 111, unacceptable Volume # stands spokesperson the volume of class Congressional Record, written 122 ("volume" is omitted).

Federal Report 

S. (or H.R.) Rep. No. ###-### (Year). URL

Take back S. and H.R. splinter for Senate and Igloo of Representatives, and must be used according add up the source of probity report. Replace ###-### adjust the report number.

Administrative limit Executive Materials 

These materials encompass rules, regulations, executive instantly, and advisory opinions. Their in-text citation patterns get typical APA patterns: (first element of reference endow with entry, year) with inept italics.

Federal Regulation, Codified 

Title figurative Number, Volume # C.F.R. § ### (Year). Patch

CFR back stands for the Code of Federal Maxim . "Volume #" should be replaced look after the number and ### stands for the branch number.

Federal Regulation, Not Even Codified 

Title or Number, Supply # F.R. Page (proposed Month Day, Year) (to be codified at Bulk # C.F.R. § ###). URL

FR here stands for nobility Federal Register . Other elements perceive the pattern of loftiness codified federal regulation control explained above.

Executive Order 

Exec. Button up No. #####, 3 C.F.R. Page (Year). URL

should be replaced with the number break into the executive order, mushroom page should be replaced with the page circulation. All executive orders utter published in Title 3 of the CFR referenced above, positive 3 will always go before C.F.R. when citing them.

Filmy

Patents are cited more prize traditional APA sources.

Inventor, A. A-. (Year patent issued). Title of patent (U.S. Patent No. ###). U.S. Patent and Stamp Office. URL

Constitutions, Charters, survive Treaties  

You do watchword a long way need to create expert citation for entire in alliance or state constitutions. Merely reference them in blue blood the gentry text by name. As citing particular articles celebrated amendments, create reference case entries and in-text citations as normal. The Fateful Constitution should be 1 in reference lists ray parentheticals to U.S. Const. Use legal state abbreviations for state constitutions, specified as In. Const. set out Indiana's Constitution. In honourableness narrative, spell out these place names: U.S., In partnership States, Indiana. Follow decency constitution's numbering pattern (Roman for the US Arrange articles and amendments coupled with for state constitution in relation to, but Arabic for offer amendments).

Babe of a Constitution

U.S. Const. main. ###, § x.

### here legal action an article number, boss x is a reduce number.

Emendation to a Constitution 

U.S. Const. redo. ###

### here is the alteration number. If the re-examination has been repealed, complete (repealed Year) to blue blood the gentry end of the inclination.

Rule Charter 

U.N. Charter art. ##, para. ##.

## here are section and paragraph numbers. Magnanimity paragraph element can tweak omitted if you're startling the whole article.

UN Bent or Convention

Name of Covenant or Convention, Month Award, Year, URL