How to Properly Cite Supreme Court Cases in APA Format

When it comes to referencing Supreme Court cases in academic writing, following the American Psychological Association (APA) style is essential. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of how to cite Supreme Court cases in APA format, ensuring your citations are clear, accurate, and adhere to the prescribed guidelines.

Understanding APA Style

The APA style is widely used in the social sciences for writing and citing sources. Its rules are detailed in the Publisher's Guide to the APA Style. Proper citation not only strengthens your academic work but also provides readers with the necessary information to locate the original sources.

General Format for Supreme Court Citations

In general, Supreme Court cases follow a specific format in APA style. The format includes the names of the parties involved in the case, the volume number, the case report series (U.S.), the page numbers, and the year of decision.

Basic Example of Citing a Supreme Court Case

Here's a basic example of how to cite a Supreme Court case in APA format:

United States v. Shekede, (1996) 121 S.Ct. 948

Step-by-Step Guide for Citing Supreme Court Cases

Identify the Parties. List the parties involved in the case as the first element of the citation. The party that brought the case to the Supreme Court is typically placed first, followed by the party that appealed the decision to the Supreme Court. Volume Number and Case Report Series. Provide the volume number of the U.S. Reports and the case report series (U.S.). The volume number comes first, followed by a period and the case report series in parentheses. Page Numbers. Include the page numbers where the case starts in the U.S. Reports. The page numbers should come after the case report series and be separated by a period. Year of Decision. If the case is not part of the U.S. Reports, provide the year of decision instead of the volume number. The year should come at the end of the citation, following a comma if it follows other elements.

Examples of Citing Supreme Court Cases

Case Found in the U.S. Reports

Example: United States v. Shekede, (1996) 121 S.Ct. 948

Explanation: In this example, "United States v. Shekede" are the two parties in the case. The volume of the U.S. Reports is "121," the case reporter series is "S.Ct.," and the page numbers are "948." The year of decision is "1996," which indicates when the case was first reported in the Supreme Court Reports.

Case Not Found in the U.S. Reports

Example: Miranda v. Arizona, (1966) 384 U.S. 436

Explanation: In this example, the case is not in the U.S. Reports, and the year "1966" is used to indicate the year of the decision. "384 U.S. 436" are the page numbers and volume of the case. Note that the year of the judgment and the volume are used instead of the U.S. Reports.

Rare Occasions: Citing Unreported Cases

Occasionally, you may encounter unreported cases where there was no official Supreme Court Report. In such cases, you should cite the case from the file in the clerk's office to which it has been reported. Here's the format:

Citation name v. Citation name, Citation (Citation year) p. Citation

For example:
Smith v. Jones, Clerk's file (2010) 123 p. 456

Explanation: This example provides the name of the case, the year it was filed, and the page numbers where it can be found in the clerk's office file.

Advanced APA Citation Aspects

In-Text Citations

When using a Supreme Court case in the body of your text, include the case name and the page number(s) of discussion in parentheses, preceded by "p." or "pp." for plural page numbers. For example:
"According to the U.S. Supreme Court in Shekede v. United States, the case involved an important legal issue (p. 950)."

References Section Citations

In the references section, each citation should be listed in alphabetical order by the first noun in the case name. For example:

Shekede v. United States, (1996) 121 S.Ct. 948 Miranda v. Arizona, (1966) 384 U.S. 436

Common Pitfalls and Mistakes

There are several common mistakes when citing Supreme Court cases, including incorrect formatting, missing parts of the citation, and using the wrong year or page numbers. To avoid these errors:

Double-check the volume, page numbers, and year of the case report series. Ensure that all citations are consistently formatted throughout the document. Verify that the case comes from the correct case report series and has the correct year and page numbers.

Conclusion

Properly citing Supreme Court cases in APA format is crucial for any academic or legal writing. By following the guidelines outlined in this article, you can ensure that your citations are accurate, clear, and consistent. Remember to always double-check your citations and verify the details with authoritative sources to maintain the rigor and integrity of your work.