Citing court cases (decisions/opinions)
Include:
- title or name of the case
- volume and page number of the court reporter, e.g. U.S.= United States Reports is the official source (reporter) of U.S. Supreme Court Opinions
- Date of the decision
In text:
Cite the name of the case (italicized) and the year of the decision.
- (Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections, 1966)
Reference List:
- Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections. 383 U.S. 663. 1966. URL
Explanation:
Supreme Court decisions are published in United States Reports, abbreviated "U.S." 383 U.S. 663 refers to volume 383 of United States Reports, page 663.
For additional examples, and for names/abbreviations for lower courts, see Cornell Legal Information Institute, Basic Legal Citation, Reporters & Courts.