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Citation Station

Help and resources for citation styles

Legal Citations (APA and ASA Style)

Federal Statutes/Laws

You need to find the following information for your citations:

  • the law you're citing
  • the year the law was passed
  • where it's found in the United States Code
  • the year of the edition of the United States Code in which you found the law

In-Text Citation: (Name of Law, Year law was passed)

  • Should include the name of the law and the year it was signed into law
    • (Family and Medical Leave Act, 1993)

References List Citation: Name of Law of Year law was passed Title Number in United States Code U.S.C. § § Section Code-Section Code in United States Code (Year of the edition of the United States Code in which you found the law)

  • Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, 29 U.S.C. § §2601-2654 (2006). 

See the Writing References for Federal Statutes on the official APA Style Blog for more help and guidance

State Statutes/Laws

In-text Citation: (State Abbreviation Name of Law, Year)

  • Should include the state abbreviation, the name of the law, and the year it was signed into law
    • (NM Elections, 2017)
  • For unnamed laws, should include the state abbreviation, the number of the law and the year it was signed into law
    • (NM Stat § 40-4-9.1, 2006)

References List CitationState Abbreviation Code, Stat § Name of law (if available), Abbreviation § section number(s) (Year)

  • With law name: NM Stat § Elections 1-4-4. (2017)
  • Unnamed Law: NM Stat  § 40-4-9.1. (2006) 

Court Decisions 

You need to find the following information for citations about court decisions:

  • Name of the case: Name vs. Name
  • Source reporting the decision: Volume Source Page
  • Court and date of the decision: (Court Date)

In-Text Citation: (Name v. Name, Court Date)

  • (Lessard v. Schmidt, 1972)

References List Citation: Name v. Name, Volume Source Page (Court Date)

  • Lessard v. Schmidt, 349 F. Supp. 1078 (E.D. Wis. 1972)

See the Citing Court Decisions page on the official APA Style Blog for more help and guidance

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