Remember to put your References in alphabetical order, use hanging indentations, and double space them
Supreme Court Case with page number
Plantif v Defendant, Volume Source Page (Date) URL
Example 1:
Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973) https://www.oyez.org/cases/1971/70-18
Parenthetical citation (not using the name of the case in the text): (Roe v. Wade, 1973)
Narrative citation (using the name of the case in the text): Roe v. Wade (1973)
Note that the name of a court case will be in italics in the intext citation.
Example 2:
Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S.___ (2015) https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/576/14-556/
This case has not yet been published in the U.S. Repports so it has no page number. Use three underscores ___ instead of the page number.
Parenthetical citation: (Obergefell v. Hodges, 2015)
Narrative citation: Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)
Note that the name of a court case will be in italics in the intext citation.
Federal Statute
Name of Act, Title Source § Section Numebr (Year). URL
Example 1:
Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq. (1990). https://www.ada.gov/pubs/adastatute08.htm
Parenthetical citation: (Americans With Disabilities Act, 1990)
Narrative citation: Americans With Disabilities Act (1990)
Note the et seq. in the citation is a short hand way of saying that the act not only covers the initial section (42 U.S.C. § 12101) but also others that follow. So this will not be in all of your citations. The symbol § stands for section.
Note: If the Act is codified in more than one United States Code (U.S.C.) or if it is not codified in the U.S.C. then cite the Public Law Number.
Example 2:
Civil Rights Act of 1964, Pub. L. No. 88-352, 78 Stat. 241 (1964). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-78/pdf/STATUTE-78-Pg241.pdf
Parenthetical citation: (Civil Rights Act, 1964)
Narrative citation: Civil Rights Act (1964)
Unenacted federal bill or resolution
Template for a bill:
Title, H.R. or S. bill number, xxx Cong. (Year). URL
Note: The H.R. stands for House of Representatives, and the S. stands for Senate.
Example:
Improving Diagnosis in Medicine Act of 2019, H.R. 5014, 116th Cong. (2019). https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/5014
Parenthetical citation: (Improving Diagnosis in Medicine Act, 2019)
Narrative citation: Improving Diagnosis in Medicine Act (2019)
Template for a resolution:
Title, H.R. or S. Res. resolution number, xxx Cong. (Year). URL
Example:
A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate with respect to health care rights, S. Res. 273, 116th Cong. (2019). https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-resolution/273
Parenthetical citation: (S. Resolution 273, 2019)
Narrative citation: Senate Rsolution 273 (2019)
Note: In the parenthetical ciation use the S. as an abreviation for Senate. In the narrative citation spell out the word Senate.
Executive order
Exec. Order No. xxxxx, 3 C.F.R. Page (Year). URL
Note: Always include 3 C.F.R. as Executive Orders fall under section 3 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
Example:
Exec. Order No. 13,901, 3 C.F.R. 398 (2019). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2020-title3-vol1/pdf/CFR-2020-title3-vol1-eo13901.pdf
Parenthetical citation: (Exec. Order No. 13,901, 2019)
Narrative citation: Executive Order No. 13,901 (2019)
Note: Use the Exec. abbreviation for Executive in the parenthetical citation, in the narrative citation spell out Executive.
Federal regulation
Title or Number, Volume C.F.R. § xxx (Year). URL
Note: Always use C.F.R. in the citation, it stands for Code of Federal Regulations.
Example:
Equipment Authorization, 47 C.F.R. § 96.49 (2015). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2015-title47-vol5/pdf/CFR-2015-title47-vol5-sec.pdf
Parenthetical citation: (Equipment Authorization, 2015)
Narrative citation: Equipment Authorization (2015)
Article of the U.S. Constitution
U.S. Const. art. xxx, § x.
Example:
U.S. Const. art. 1, § 1.
Parenthetical citation: (U.S. Const. art. 1, § 1)
Narrative citation: Article 1, Section 3, of the U.S. Constitution
Note: You do not include a date when citing the U.S. Constitution.
Article of a state constitution
State Const. art. xxx, § x.
Example:
Cali. Const. art. 1, § 1.
Parenthetical citation: (Cali. Const. art. 1, § 1)
Narrative citation: Article 1, Section 1, of the California Constitution
Note: You do not include a date when citing a state Constitution.
Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
U.S. Const. amend. xxx.
Example:
U.S. Const. amend. XIII.
Parenthetical citation: (U.S. Const. amend. XIII)
Narrative citation: Amendment XIII to the U.S. Constitution
Note: You do not include a date for amendments to the Constitution unless they have been repealed.
Repealed amendment to the U.S. Constitution
U.S. Const. amend. xxx (repealed Year).
Note: The year that the amendment was repealed is included in the citation.
Example:
U.S. Const. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933).
Parenthetical citation: (U.S. Const. amend. XVIII, repealed 1933)
Narrative citation: Amendment XVIII to the U.S. Constitution was repealed in 1933
U.S. Bill of Rights
U.S. Const. amend. I-X.
Parenthetical citation: (U.S. Const. amend. I-X)
Narrative citation: Amendments I-X to the U.S. Constitution
Note: If you are citing only one of the ten amendments included in the Bill of Rights then cite it as an amendment (see above example).
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