How to:
READ LEGAL CITATIONS 

What is a citation?
A citation is a reference to legal material such as statutes, cases, administrative regulations.

Citations to legal material are arranged in a uniform format so that anyone can find the cases, statutes, and regulations to which they refer.

What is included in a citation?
Most citations contain the following:

1. the name of the case, statute, or regulation
2. where the material can be found, e.g. volume number, name of publication and page number
3. date

Examples:

Cases

United State Supreme Court

Lawrence v. Texas
539 U.S. 558 (2003)

Lower Federal Court

Brown v. Board of Education
98 F. Supp. 797 (D. Kan. 1951)

State Court

Goodridge v. Dept. of Public Health
798 N.E.2d 941 (2003)

Statutes

Federal Statute

No Child Left Behind
20 U.S.C.A. § 6311 (2005)

State Statute

Massachusetts Used Car Lemon Law
Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. ch. 90 § 7N1/4 (2005)

Regulations

Federal Regulation

Child Nutrition Labeling Program
7 C.F.R. § 226 (2004)

State Regulation

Testing of Newborn Children 
105 Mass. Code Regs. 270 (2005)