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How to Reference the Law in APA Format

When it comes writing and formatting research papers, particularly in the social and behavioral sciences, American Psychological Association style has an answer for everything. Students and other researchers rely on APA format to cite often used sources such as books, journal articles and websites. When you need to cite law, however, such as court decisions and government statutes, APA provides guidance but ultimately relies on a higher authority.

Instructions

- 1
  Consult the "Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association," which bases its law-related citation guidance on standards set forth in "The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation." As Chelsea Lee explains at the APA Style blog, if the "Publication Manual" does not provide information specific to a source you need to cite, go to "The Bluebook."
- 2
  Cite Supreme Court cases, for example, in the text of your paper using the following format, adapted from Westfield State College's library website. Be sure to underline the name of the case, as per "Bluebook" style.
  
  The Supreme Court made XYZ the law of the land in United States v. Jones (2006).
- 3
  Create a reference list citation as follows. The "380" refers to the volume number of the case, while the "192" refers to the page number.
  
  United States v. Jones, 380 U.S. 192 (2006).

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