The APA style of citing legal materials is based on The Bluebook.

The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation.  16th ed.  Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard Law Review Association, 1996.
(REF KF 245 B58 1996)

• Note, however, that the APA style incorporates various changes into the Bluebook style.
• The Bluebook style is not used to cite legal periodical articles or books.  Use the regular APA style.
• To cite legal materials from states other than Massachusetts, follow the forms given below for Massachusetts, but substitute the abbreviations found on pages 170-228 of the Bluebook.
• Some Web-based databases do not include the data required to cite according to these rules.  Lexis-Nexis or Westlaw are the best sources.

Citing US Supreme Court Decisions

REFERENCE LIST ENTRY

Basic Form:

Name v. Name.  Vol. number U.S. Page number.  (Year).

Note: The volume and page numbers refer to U.S. Reports.  All reporting services include this information.  Ignore the “Cite as” at the head of the page in Supreme Court Reporter, because this form of the citation is not used in APA style.

Example:

United States v. Lane, 474 U.S. 438 (1986).

TEXT CITATION

Basic Form:

Name v. Name (Year)
(Name v. Name, Year)

Examples:

The Supreme Court has held in United States v. Lane (1986) that misjoinder under Rule 8(b) is subject to harmless-error analysis.

The Supreme Court has held that misjoinder under Rule 8(b) is subject to harmless-error analysis (United States v. Lane, 1986).

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REFERENCE LIST ENTRY

Basic Form:

Name v. Name, Volume number  Reporter abbreviation  Page number (Court Name).

Reporter Abbreviations: F., F.2d or F.3d for Federal Reporter (circuit courts); F. Supp. or F.Supp.2d for Federal Supplement (District Courts).

Examples:

Flibotte v. Pennsylvania Truck Lines, Inc., 131 F. 3d 21 (1st Cir. 1997).

SBC Communications, Inc. v. Federal Communications Commission, 981 F. Supp. 996 (N.D. Texas 1997).

TEXT CITATION

Basic Form:

Name v. Name (year ) or (Name v. Name, year)

Examples:

In Flibotte v. Pennsylvania Truck Lines, Inc. (1997), the Court of Appeals for the First Circuit held that it is appropriate for a judge to refuse to direct the verdict.

The Court of Appeals for the First Circuit has held that it is appropriate for a judge to refuse to direct the verdict (Flibotte v. Pennsylvania Truck Lines, Inc., 1997).

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REFERENCE LIST ENTRY

Basic Form:

Name v. Name, Volume number  Reporter abbreviation  Page number (Court abbreviation  Year).

Reporter Abbreviation refers to Northeastern Reporter: N.E. or N.E. 2d.  The citation appears after “Cite as” on the top of the page of Massachusetts Decisions and in a gray box at the head of the case in WESTLAW.

Note: Cases in the Massachusetts Social Law Library (http://www.socialaw.com/) do not include references to North Eastern Reporter.  To cite such a case, find it in Lexis-Nexis or Westlaw (ask a reference librarian for assistance if necessary).

Example:

Silverleib v. Hebshie, 596 N.E. 2d 401 (Mass. App. Ct. 1992).

TEXT CITATION

Basic Form:

Name v. Name (Year) or (Name v. Name, Year)

Examples:

In Silverleib v. Hebshie (1992), the Massachusetts Court of Appeals held that an order for the removal of a sewer line is in the nature of an equitable order.

The Massachusetts Court of Appeals held that an order for the removal of a sewer line is in the nature of an equitable order (Silverleib v. Hebshie 1992).

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REFERENCE LIST ENTRY

Cite a statute in its location in the U.S. Code.  Alternatively, cite the statute in its original publication in the Statutes at Large, rather than in the code.  This is usually done when the statute is an appropriation, has been repealed, or has its contents scattered in different parts of the Code.

Basic form:

Name of Act § Section number, Volume number U.S.C. § Section number (Year).
Name of Act, Pub. L. No.  Number , § Section number, Volume number Stat.  Page number.

Examples:

National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 § 102, 42 U.S.C. § 4332 (1994).
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Pub. L. No. 101-336, §2, 104 Stat. 328 (1991).

TEXT CITATION

Basic form:

Name of Act (Year)
Name of Act of Year

Examples:

The National Environmental Policy Act (1969) established the Council on Environmental Quality.
The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 established the Council on Environmental Quality.

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REFERENCE LIST ENTRY

Basic form:

Cite the statute as found in the Massachusetts General Laws, or if not there, in the Massachusetts Acts.

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. Chapter number, § Section number.
Name of Act.  Volume number  Mass. Acts  Page number.  Date.

Examples:

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 71, § 1A.
An Act Designating Certain Bridges in the Town of Middleborough.  1967 Mass. Acts 116.  8 October 1997.

TEXT CITATION

Basic form: from Massachusetts General Laws:

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. Chapter number, § Section number (Year)
(Mass. Gen. Laws ch. Chapter number, § Section number, Year)

Examples:

In Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. ch. 71, § 1A (1966), the Legislature provided for a period of silence at the beginning of the school day.

The Legislature provided for a period of silence at the beginning of the school day (Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. ch. 71, § 1A, 1966).

Basic form (fromMassachusetts Acts):

Name of Act (Year)

Examples:

 In An Act Designating Certain Bridges in the Town of Middleborough (1967), the Legislature made the bridges’ names official.

 The Legislature made the bridges’ names official (An Act Designating Certain Bridges in the Town of Middleborough, 1967).
 

REFERENCE LIST ENTRY

Basic form:

Abbreviated name of Constitution  pt.  Part number (if any), art.  Article number in Roman numerals. § Section number.

Abbreviated name of Constitution  pt.  Part number (if any), amend.  Amendment number in Roman numerals, § Section number.

Examples:

Mass. Const. pt. 1, art. XV.
U.S. Const., amend. XIV, § 1.

TEXT CITATION

Basic form:

Identical to reference list entry, using parentheses as needed.

Examples:

Freedom of assembly is guaranteed by Mass. Const. pt. 1, art. XV.
Equal protection of the law is a constitutional right (U.S. Const. art. XIV, §1).

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REFERENCE LIST ENTRY

Basic form:

Title of Hearing.  Number of Congress Cong., Number of Session Sess., Page number (Year) (testimony of Name of witness).

Example:

Ru 486: The import ban and its effect on medical research: Hearings before the Subcommittee on Regulation, Business Opportunities, and Energy, of the House Committee on Small Business, 101st Cong., 2d Sess. 35 (1990) (testimony of Ronald Chesemore).

TEXT CITATION

Basic form:

Title (Year).

Example:

Chesemore's testimony is found in RU486: The Import Ban (1990).
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REFERENCE LIST ENTRY

Basic Form:

Title, Bill or Resolution Number, Number of Congress  Cong., Number of Session  Sess. (Year).

Example:

Equitable Health Care for Severe Mental Illnesses Act of 1993, S. 671, 103d Cong., 1st Sess. (1993).

TEXT CITATION

Basic Form:

House Bill or Senate Bill  number (Year)

Examples:

Senate Bill 671 (1993) provided for treatment of severe mental illnesses.
A proposed law (S. 671, 1993) provided for treatment of severe mental illnesses.

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REFERENCE LIST ENTRY

Basic form:

Series abbreviation  No.  Number, Number of Congress  Cong., Number of session  Sess. Page number if any (Year).

Abbreviations:

Senate Report.: S. Rep.
Senate Document: S. Doc.
House Report: H.R. Rep.
House Document:

Example:

S. Rep. No. 300, 106th Cong., 1st Sess. 7 (1999).

TEXT CITATION

Basic Forms:

Series name  No.  number  (Year)
(Series abbreviation   number   year)

Examples:

In House Report No. 300 (1999), the House Agriculture Committee approved amendments to the Federal Crop Insurance Act.

The House Agriculture Committee approved amendments to the Federal Crop Insurance Act. (H.R. Rep. No. 300, 1991).

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