Citing legal sources in academic writing requires precision, and understanding how to cite a court case in APA style is essential for students, researchers, and professionals in law, criminal justice, political science, and related fields. The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th edition) defers to The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation for the specific formatting of legal references, creating a hybrid system that blends APA’s author-date conventions with traditional legal citation standards. Mastering this format ensures your work maintains credibility, allows readers to locate the exact decision, and avoids unintentional plagiarism.
Understanding the Core Components of a Legal Reference
Before diving into specific templates, it is critical to identify the five core elements that comprise almost every court case citation in APA Style. Missing or misordering these elements is the most common error writers make Worth knowing..
- Name of the Case: Use the first plaintiff and first defendant only. Omit et al., v. (use v. in the reference list but v. in narrative citations), and procedural phrases like In re or Ex parte unless they are the actual party names. Italicize the case name in the reference list entry.
- Volume Number: The volume number of the reporter where the case is published.
- Reporter Abbreviation: The standard abbreviation for the reporter series (e.g., U.S. for United States Reports, F.3d for Federal Reporter 3d Series, S. Ct. for Supreme Court Reporter).
- Page Number: The first page of the case in that reporter.
- Court and Year: The specific court that decided the case and the year of the decision in parentheses.
Pro Tip: Always cite the official reporter first if the case appears in both an official and unofficial reporter (e.g., cite U.S. before S. Ct. or L. Ed. for Supreme Court cases).
Reference List Formats by Court Level
The structure of the reference entry changes slightly depending on the court hierarchy. Below are the standard templates for the most frequently cited courts.
United States Supreme Court
The Supreme Court has three major reporters. Ct.Also, ed. )*. But the official reporter is *United States Reports (U. Think about it: if the case has not yet been published in the official reporter, cite the Supreme Court Reporter (S. S.) or United States Supreme Court Reports, Lawyers’ Edition (L. ).
Template:
Name v. Name, Volume U.S. Page (Year) Simple, but easy to overlook. Worth knowing..
Example:
Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954).
Example (Slip Opinion/Not yet in U.S.):
Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, 597 U.S. ___ (2022). (Use three underscores for the page number if pagination is not yet final) And that's really what it comes down to. Surprisingly effective..
Federal Courts of Appeals (Circuit Courts)
These are published in the Federal Reporter series. Worth adding: 3d*), preceded by *F. The current series is the Third Series (F.2d and *F.
Template:
Name v. Name, Volume F.3d Page (Circuit Year) Small thing, real impact..
Example:
United States v. Windsor, 699 F.3d 169 (2d Cir. 2012).
Note: Always include the circuit abbreviation (e.g., 2d Cir., 9th Cir., D.C. Cir.) in the parenthetical date Small thing, real impact..
Federal District Courts
Decisions from federal trial courts appear in the Federal Supplement (current series: F. Supp. 3d).
Template:
Name v. Name, Volume F. Supp. 3d Page (District Court Year).
Example:
Doe v. Trump, 456 F. Supp. 3d 123 (S.D.N.Y. 2020).
Note: Include the specific district abbreviation (e.g., S.D.N.Y. for Southern District of New York, N.D. Cal. for Northern District of California).
State Supreme Courts and Appellate Courts
State cases are cited to the official state reporter and/or the regional reporter (e.3d*). So e. Now, 3d*, P. Also, 2d, *S. Because of that, , *N. W.g.APA recommends citing the regional reporter for broader accessibility, but check your specific institutional guidelines.
Template:
Name v. Name, Volume Regional Reporter Page (State Court Year).
Example:
People v. Anderson, 447 P.2d 942 (Cal. 1968) Most people skip this — try not to..
Example (Intermediate Appellate Court):
Smith v. Jones, 850 N.E.2d 45 (Ill. App. Ct. 2006).
Handling Special Citation Scenarios
Legal research often involves sources that do not fit the standard "decided case" mold. Here is how to handle the most common exceptions.
Unreported or Unpublished Opinions
Many modern decisions are "unpublished" or "unreported," meaning they are not printed in a physical reporter but exist in electronic databases (Westlaw, LexisNexis, Bloomberg Law). APA 7th edition requires you to cite the database identifier It's one of those things that adds up..
Template:
Name v. Name, Docket No., Year WL Database ID (Court Date).
Example:
Martinez v. City of Phoenix, No. CV-19-01234-PHX-DGC, 2020 WL 1234567 (D. Ariz. Mar. 15, 2020) That's the whole idea..
Key Elements:
- Use the docket number.
- "WL" stands for Westlaw (use "Lexis" for LexisNexis).
- Provide the exact date of the decision (Month Day, Year).
Slip Opinions
A slip opinion is the first printed version of a decision, released before pagination in the official reporter. Cite the docket number and the exact date That's the part that actually makes a difference. And it works..
Template:
Name v. Name, No. Docket Number, Slip Op. at *Page Number (Court Date).
Example:
Students for Fair Admissions v. President & Fellows of Harvard College, No. 20-1199, slip op. at *15 (U.S. June 29, 2023).
Cases with Multiple Parties or In Re Proceedings
- Multiple Parties: List only the first party on each side. (Smith v. Jones, not Smith, Brown, & White v. Jones, Davis, & Miller).
- In Re (In the matter of): Italicize In re in the reference list.
- Reference: In re Estate of Smith, 500 P.2d 100 (Colo. 1972).
- Ex rel. (On the relation of): Omit ex rel. and the relator’s name in the reference list, but include it in the text narrative if relevant for clarity.
- Reference: United States v. Microsoft Corp., 253 F.3d 34 (D.C. Cir. 2001).
Per Curiam and En Banc Decisions
- Per Curiam (By the Court): No special notation is needed in the reference list. Treat as a standard case.
- En Banc (Full Bench): Note this in the parenthetical court/date information. *
