Lawsstatutes how to cite us government documents in apa. However, the basic format of a statutory citation is as follows. Oct 24, 2018 citation form for state statutes is similar to citing federal statutes. Like federal statutes, state statutes may be published in both an official code and an unofficial code, and the bluebook requires you to cite to the official code, if possible rule 12. Texas statutes and codes thurgood marshall school of law. Oct 11, 2019 state statutes are generally cited similarly to federal statutes, but different states have different requirements for their citations.
State statutes bluebook guide guides at georgetown law. Acts page number if citing to an act only found in baldwins kentucky revised. Citing legislative related materials statutes rule 12 1. Additionally, the chicago manual of style recommends its use for all citation of legal material. Apr 17, 2020 legal researchers will often come across citations to state statutes. Citing the print version example section 9104 of wests wyoming statutes annotated, published by west. Citations to state and federal statutes circuit riders. State statutes are generally cited similarly to federal statutes, but different states have different requirements for their citations. Jul 19, 2019 the precise format of a statutory citation depends on a number of factors. Code 1620 west, westlaw through 2012 portion of 20112012 reg.
In most cases, they are not the proper forms for citing sources in a legal document. Citing minnesota legal sources minnesota legislature. Citing a state statute follows the same format used to cite a federal statute. This page will give you a basic overview on citing statutes using bluebook format. Vernons annotated missouri statutes vams contains the text of the statutes plus references to case law, relevant secondary sources, and more.
Jul 19, 2019 like federal statutes, state statutes may be published in both an official code and an unofficial code, and the bluebook requires you to cite to the official code, if possible rule 12. In wi, sessions laws are published in the laws of wisconsin. Citing indiana statutes according to the bluebook, citing the indiana code is as. The proper citation format for louisiana cases, codes, statutes, and administrative materials can be found in the bluebook, table t. Table 1 provides a list of statutory codes for each state and indicates which is the officialpreferred code to cite as well as the abbreviations for each code. Jan 10, 2020 citation format for state statutes detailed citation formats for statutes and other legal and legislative materials can be found in the bluebook. All citations of kentucky statutes shall be made from the official edition of the kentucky revised statutes and may be abbreviated krs. However, state codes a code is a subject arrangement of the laws for that state differ. Statutes bluebook legal citation tarlton law library at. Citation examples use nonacademic citation format i.
In new mexico, you will see the following statutory citations. Additionally, when citing a statute it is very important to make sure you are citing the most current information. This is usually done when the statute is an appropriation, has been repealed, or has its contents scattered in different parts of the code. Documenting legal works in mla style the mla style center. Mar 18, 2020 citing multiple nonconsecutive sections. Cite to the current official code or its supplement or an unofficial code or its supplement. Jan 09, 2018 statutes are published in books called codes, which present laws for a particular jurisdiction arranged by subject. Bluebook citations federal legislative history libguides. Oct 24, 2018 state statutes state supreme court, appeals courts, trial courts, or state s statutory compilation.
Lexis provides the entire indiana code in its burns indiana statutes annotated. Gaining familiarity with the legalcitation practices used to document legal works may be impractical for student writers and sometimes even for scholars working in nonlegal fields. Statutes indiana legal research research guides at maurer. Citing a federal statutes must include the following elements. A uniform system of citation, a popular legal citation style, to cite legal materials. New editions of the bluebook are generally issued every five years. Halsburys statutes citator provides a comprehensive list of amendments to all statutes which have been considered in halsburys statutes since 1929. Both the bluebook and the alwd guide to legal citation call for identification of the publisher or brand of any commercial compilation used, not prepared under direct supervision of the statelexisnexis in the third example. The correct form for citation to state code varies, depending on the state. Bluebook citation for legal materials purdue writing lab. It is not intended to be a comprehensive discussion of citation rules. Cases how to cite bluebook rule 10 covers how cases should be cited in legal documents. This arrangement proved too difficult to accommodate growth in statutory law. Without prejudice to any other form of citation, a citation to any section of this act in the following form shall, except as provided in section 303 of this title relating to cross references between provisions of the consolidated statutes, be adequate for all purposes.
State statutes are also periodically updated via pocket parts and supplements. A public law is an individual statute as it is passed by congress. Cite title 21 of the united states code, section 331a from the official united states code in print. Always consult the bluebook for additional information on correct citation format cite to the name of the act if one exists or to the date of the act if a name is not apparent, the public law number, the section if citing to a. For more information about how these statutes are published, please refer to the library of congress how are laws are made site. The pennsylvania consolidated statutes may be cited by title and section number. Citing statutes bluebook guide guides at georgetown law. The date does not refer to the last time the statute was amended but, rather, to the most recent public law included in the database. The intext citation for a state statute gives the name of the act and the year. Citation style law and legal research libguides at.
Chicago manual of style 16th edition full note american psychological association 6th edition. Name and original section number as it appears in the session laws only if the statute is commonly cited that way title, chapter, or volume see t. Documenting legal works in mla style by angela gibson. Some states organize their statutes by title, some organize by section number and some use both. You can find rule 12 in the white pages on page 120. Bluebook citation hamline university school of law. Statutes bluebook citations libguides at william s. Statute citations have a volume, the name of the cited code, a section, and a date. In some instances, two citation formats are listed. The title, section, and text of the statute are almost always identical no matter which version you use but, to find the correct year, you will. Scan your paper for grammar mistakes and catch unintentional plagiarism. Consult cornell university law schools lii legal citation website for examples.
Statutes bluebook legal citation tarlton law library. Citing legislative related materials according to the bluebook, nineteenth edition statutes rule 12 1. Aug 09, 2019 a short primer on bluebook citation formats for federal and state cases and statutes, as well as books, journals, and other secondary sources. State statute citations are generally composed of three parts. Bluebooking california statutes bluebooking and legal. Both the bluebook and the alwd guide to legal citation call for identification of the publisher or brand of any commercial compilation used, not prepared under direct supervision of the statethe lexisnexis consolidated law service in the first example. Smallcaps rule 11 lays out the citation method for constitutional sections. According to the bluebook, citing the indiana code is as follows. Often, you will need to include a parenthetical to indicate the date and stage of the bill especially if there are multiple versions of it in the same congress. Include the legal service provider name and the currency of the database as provided by the legal service providers description. Citing the law student legal services libguides at. It also documents the many respects in which contemporary legal writing, very often following guidelines set out in court.
T1 says the format for wests wyoming statutes annotatedis wyo. However, each state has different rules for publishing statutes. Information and links to legal resources and documents from the state of indiana. Citation to other legislative documents is covered in bluebook rule. Amendments are noted to provision level, with any general notes relating to the act as a whole appearing as the first note. Though each state citation form will differ slightly, all citations will generally include. If possible, cite to the official code andor its supplement. But remember for citation purposes you will use the official state publication of the statutes. It contains extensive instructions on how to format statutory citations, and it also provides guidance on citing municipal ordinances, rules of evidence and procedure, and uniform and model laws. Citation format for state statutes detailed citation formats for statutes and other legal and legislative materials can be found in the bluebook. The bluepages keep the tradition of underscoring certain text. Aug 01, 2019 citations are to the 20th edition of the bluebook, a uniform system of citation rule 12 statutes p.
How do i cite a state statute or law in the apa style. The precise format of a statutory citation depends on a number of factors. Heres how it might look if you are citing to where it can be found in the united states code. Here the law was passed by the legislature in 20, it is published in bound books called laws of new mexico, and can be found in chapter 31, section 1. But remember for citation purposes you will use the official state publication of the. Session laws are statutes adopted during a single legislative session and published in chronological order. Aug 29, 2019 if you are using the bluebook for a citation guide then it is very likely that you will need to cite a statute. These will help you read, but not write, massachusetts citations. For a statute without a common name, list the source, ch. If no exception is provided, the rules of the bluebook will apply. State statutes state supreme court, appeals courts, trial courts, or state s statutory compilation. For california statutes, the bluebook allows citations to deerings california codes annotated available in print and on lexis or wests annotated california codes available in print and on westlaw.
Introduction texas is one of the few states that have retained a unified code, which uses a single alphanumeric system of numbering for all statutes. One code is published by lexisnexis and the other code is published by west. Legal researchers will often come across citations to state statutes. If you are using the bluebook for a citation guide then it is very likely that you will need to cite a statute. For instructions on how to cite a state statute generally, see rule b12. Statutes library guides at university of missouri libraries. Rule 12 and rule b12 in the bluepages governs how to cite statutes.
For full information on citing state legislation, see rule 12 and table 1. Some basics on bluebooking with a focus on maryland rules this is a quick guide to citing maryland cases and statutes, based on bluebook rules 10 and 12. It is therefore best practice to consult the bluebook when citing a statute from a new state. If you encounter a situation that is not covered in this guide, make sure to check the bluebook for more detail. The following examples are specific to the general statutes of connecticut. The information below is a quick and dirty guide to common massachusetts citation forms and what they mean. The publication manual of the apa does not specifically address citing state legislative documents. Below are some examples of minnesota legal citations. For material not specifically covered in the publication manual, the apa refers users to the bluebook. Statutes bluebook basics libguides at university of. Citing statutes bluebook guide guides at georgetown. Citing to a section of the code is the same with the only difference being the publisher identifier in the parenthetical.
A short primer on bluebook citation formats for federal and state cases and statutes, as well as books, journals, and other secondary sources. However, when states only publish their statutes online, the online source can be cited directly. The bluebook holds that if you cite a code in an electronic database, you should note the database and its currency in a parenthetical. Citations to massachusetts laws will typically look like 1 of the following. Table 1 provides a list of statutory codes for each state and indicates which is the officialpreferred code to cite as well as the abbreviations for each.
The bluepages are a guide for practitioners and law clerks to use when citing authority in non academic legal documents. The section symbol followed by a space and the section number containing the statute. Oct 16, 2019 the publication manual of the apa does not specifically address citing state legislative documents. As a result, the texas legislative council began work on a non. Statutes are published in books called codes, which present laws for a particular jurisdiction arranged by subject. Citations are to the 20th edition of the bluebook, a uniform system of citation. See page 220 of the publication manual 2010 for information on citing state statutes laws. Both the bluebook and the alwd guide to legal citation call for identification of the publisher or brand of any commercial compilation used, not prepared under direct supervision of the state lexisnexis in the third example. Alternatively, cite the statute in its original publication in the statutes at large, rather than in the code. State legislative documents how to cite us government. If you are citing more than one statute, you can use the same date for all statutes. Complicated variations are not shown in these samples.
Statutes indiana legal research research guides at. Else, cite to an unofficial code usually the annotated version, then lexis or westlaw, then looseleaf, internet or newspaper, in that order rule 12. The bluebook style guide is used in the american legal profession for citation of all relevant sources. Utah statutes are found in one of two commercially published codes. Apr 24, 2014 this video describes how to cite statutes using harvard bluebook style. You should cite to the united state federal constitution by u. Many codes are published in two editions the official edition and an annotated edition with notes about related cases and articles.