How to Cite a Legal Case in APA, MLA & Chicago Format (2026 Guide)

Citing legal cases in academic papers can feel intimidating—court cases have their own naming conventions, volume numbers, and reporter systems that differ from standard books or articles.

Whether you're writing a law school assignment, a political science research paper, or any essay that references landmark court decisions, knowing how to properly cite legal cases is essential.

In this guide, you'll learn exactly how to cite court cases in APA, MLA, and Chicago format, with clear examples for different types of cases.

Table of Contents

• Understanding Legal Citation Basics
• How to Cite a Legal Case in APA Format
• How to Cite a Legal Case in MLA Format
• How to Cite a Legal Case in Chicago Format
• Examples for Different Court Cases
• Common Legal Citation Mistakes
• FAQ

Understanding Legal Citation Basics

Before diving into specific formats, it helps to understand how legal cases are named and organized.

Parts of a Legal Case Citation

A typical legal case citation includes:

• Case name: The parties involved (e.g., Brown v. Board of Education)
• Volume number: The volume of the reporter where the case appears
• Reporter: The publication that records court decisions (e.g., U.S. Reports)
• Page number: Where the case begins in the reporter
• Court: Which court decided the case (if not obvious from the reporter)
• Year: When the decision was issued

What Is a Reporter?

A reporter is a series of books that publish court decisions. Different courts have different reporters:

| Court | Reporter | Abbreviation | |-------|----------|--------------| | U.S. Supreme Court | United States Reports | U.S. | | U.S. Courts of Appeals | Federal Reporter | F., F.2d, F.3d | | U.S. District Courts | Federal Supplement | F. Supp., F. Supp. 2d | | State Supreme Courts | Various state reporters | Varies by state |

The Bluebook System

The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation is the standard legal citation guide used in law schools and legal practice. While APA, MLA, and Chicago have their own rules, they often defer to Bluebook conventions for legal sources.

How to Cite a Legal Case in APA Format

APA 7th edition provides specific guidelines for legal citations, though it also recommends consulting the Bluebook for complex cases.

APA In-Text Citation

For in-text citations in APA, italicize the case name:

The court ruled that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal (Brown v. Board of Education, 1954).

Or as a narrative citation:

In Brown v. Board of Education (1954), the Supreme Court overturned the "separate but equal" doctrine.

APA Reference List Entry

Basic format:

Name v. Name, Volume Reporter Page (Court Year). URL

U.S. Supreme Court example:

Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954). https://www.oyez.org/cases/1940-1955/347us483

Federal Court of Appeals example:

Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966). https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/384/436/

Key APA Rules for Legal Cases

• Italicize the case name in both in-text citations and references
• Include the court in parentheses if it's not obvious from the reporter
• Add a URL if you accessed the case online
• Use standard Bluebook abbreviations for reporters

How to Cite a Legal Case in MLA Format

MLA 9th edition treats court cases as authored by the court, with the case name as the title.

MLA In-Text Citation

In MLA, cite the case name (often shortened after first use):

The Supreme Court declared segregated schools unconstitutional (Brown v. Board).

Or with the full case name:

Brown v. Board of Education established that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal" (347 U.S. 483).

MLA Works Cited Entry

Basic format:

Case Name. Volume Reporter Page. Court, Year. Database or URL.

U.S. Supreme Court example:

Brown v. Board of Education. 347 U.S. 483. Supreme Court of the United States, 1954. Justia, https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/347/483/.

Federal Court example:

Roe v. Wade. 410 U.S. 113. Supreme Court of the United States, 1973. Oyez, https://www.oyez.org/cases/1971/70-18.

Key MLA Rules for Legal Cases

• Italicize the case name
• Include the court name spelled out (not abbreviated)
• Add the database name before the URL
• Use a period after the URL

How to Cite a Legal Case in Chicago Format

Chicago style offers two systems—Notes-Bibliography (common in humanities) and Author-Date (common in sciences). For legal citations, Notes-Bibliography is more common.

Chicago Notes-Bibliography

Footnote/Endnote format:

1. Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954).

Bibliography entry:

Chicago style often recommends omitting well-known legal cases from the bibliography if they're fully cited in the notes. If you do include them:

Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954).

Chicago Author-Date

In-text citation:

The court's ruling (Brown v. Board of Education 1954) changed American education.

Reference list:

Brown v. Board of Education. 1954. 347 U.S. 483.

Key Chicago Rules for Legal Cases

• Italicize the case name in running text
• In footnotes and bibliography, case names can be italicized or in regular type (check your instructor's preference)
• For federal cases, the court is implied by the reporter
• Spell out the full case name on first use, then abbreviate

Examples for Different Court Cases

U.S. Supreme Court

| Format | Citation | |--------|----------| | APA | Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015). | | MLA | Obergefell v. Hodges. 576 U.S. 644. Supreme Court of the United States, 2015. | | Chicago | Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015). |

Federal Appeals Court

| Format | Citation | |--------|----------| | APA | Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co., 839 F.3d 1034 (Fed. Cir. 2016). | | MLA | Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co. 839 F.3d 1034. United States Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit, 2016. | | Chicago | Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co., 839 F.3d 1034 (Fed. Cir. 2016). |

State Court Case

| Format | Citation | |--------|----------| | APA | People v. Williams, 93 N.Y.2d 852 (N.Y. 1999). | | MLA | People v. Williams. 93 N.Y.2d 852. New York Court of Appeals, 1999. | | Chicago | People v. Williams, 93 N.Y.2d 852 (N.Y. 1999). |

Unpublished or Online-Only Case

For cases available only online (not in a print reporter):

APA:

Doe v. State University, No. 21-cv-1234 (D. Mass. Jan. 15, 2024). https://example.com/case

MLA:

Doe v. State University. No. 21-cv-1234. United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, 15 Jan. 2024. CourtListener, https://example.com/case.

Common Legal Citation Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors when citing legal cases:

1. Forgetting to Italicize Case Names

Wrong: Brown v. Board of Education changed everything.

Right: Brown v. Board of Education changed everything.

2. Using the Wrong Reporter Abbreviation

Wrong: Brown v. Board of Education, 347 United States 483 (1954).

Right: Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954).

3. Omitting the Court When Necessary

For lower courts, always include the court abbreviation:

Wrong: Smith v. Jones, 500 F.3d 100 (2020).

Right: Smith v. Jones, 500 F.3d 100 (5th Cir. 2020).

4. Confusing Case Name Order

Case names follow plaintiff v. defendant order at trial, but on appeal, the appealing party's name often comes first. Use the name as it appears in the reporter.

5. Missing Year of Decision

Always include the year in parentheses—it's essential for locating the case.

FAQ

Can I shorten case names after first use?

Yes. After introducing the full case name, you can use a shortened version:

The Supreme Court decided Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. The Brown decision...

Do I need to cite the full Bluebook citation in academic papers?

For law school papers, yes—follow Bluebook exactly. For other academic papers, APA, MLA, or Chicago formats are usually acceptable. Check your professor's requirements.

How do I cite a dissenting opinion?

Include the justice's name and note it's a dissent:

APA: Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954) (Warren, C.J., majority opinion).

For a dissent: Include "(Justice Name, dissenting)" after the citation.

Where can I find legal cases online?

Free resources for finding court cases:

• Google Scholar (Legal opinions section)
• Justia
• Oyez (Supreme Court cases with audio)
• CourtListener
• FindLaw

Should I use Bluebook or my citation style?

For law school assignments, always use Bluebook. For other academic papers (political science, history, sociology), use your required citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago) but follow Bluebook conventions for formatting the legal elements within that style.

Key Takeaways

• Case names are italicized in all major citation formats
• Include the reporter, volume, and page number where the case appears
• Add the court in parentheses for lower federal courts and state courts
• Include the year of the decision in parentheses
• Consult the Bluebook for complex legal citations

Citing legal cases correctly shows academic integrity and makes your sources easy to verify. With these formats, you can confidently cite any court case in your research paper.

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