1. How to Cite Legal Documents
Guidelines for Citing Constitutional, Statutory, and Case Law
©Sughrue

2. Parts of a Citation – Reference List
U.S. Constitutional Law
U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 2.
Abbrev of constitution cited
Section symbol and section number
No. of Amend

3. Parts of a Citation – Reference List
State Constitutional Law
State Board of Elementary and Secondary
Education. La. Const. art. VIII, § 3.
Name of Article
No. of Article
Abbrev of constitution cited
Section symbol and section number

4. Parts of a Citation – Reference List
Federal Statutory Law
Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act, 42 U.S.C.
§§ (2006).
Note indentation on second and third lines
Official name of act
U.S.C. title number
Section symbols and span of sections containing statute
Year of code edition cited (U.S. Code is updated once every 6 years)
Abbrev of code cited

5. Parts of a Citation – Reference List
State Statutory Law
Class size; maximum, La. Rev. Stat. Ann § 17:174 (2013).
Abbrev of code cited
Name of act
Section symbol and section number containing statute
Year of code edition cited

6. 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.
First page of case
Date of Decision
Reporter Abbreviation

7. Parts of a Citation – Reference List
Federal Circuit Court of Appeals Case Law
Brown v. Gilmore, 258 F.3d 265 (4th Cir. 2001).
Reporter Vol. No.
Circuit No.
First Party
First page of case
Second Party
Year of Decision
Reporter Abbreviation

8. 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
District Court Abbreviations
Reporter Abbreviation
Year of Decision
Reporter Vol. No.
First page of case

9. 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).
Second Party
First Party
State Supreme Court
First page of case
Reporter Vol.
No.
Date of Decision
Reporter Abbreviation

10. 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).
Reporter Vol.
No.
First Party
Second Party
Reporter Abbreviation
First page of case
State Appellate Court
Date of Decision

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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 Court
would 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.

15. 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)

16. 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).