How to Cite a Supreme Court Case

Legal cases are essential sources for political science, history, and any field touching law. Supreme Court cases have specific citation conventions—Bluebook for legal writing, adapted formats for other disciplines. Here's how to cite them correctly.

The Basic Components

A Supreme Court citation includes the case name (the parties, e.g., Brown v. Board of Education), the reporter (U.S. Reports for Supreme Court decisions), the volume number, the starting page number, specific page if citing a passage (optional), and the year decided.

Standard Legal Citation (Bluebook)

The Bluebook is the standard for legal writing:

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

Breaking it down:

Brown v. Board of Education — case name in italics
347 — volume number
U.S. — reporter abbreviation (U.S. Reports)
483 — starting page
(1954) — year decided

For a specific page (pinpoint citation):

Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483, 495 (1954).

Non-Legal Academic Styles

APA (7th Edition):

Reference entry:

Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954). https://www.supremecourt.gov/...

In-text: (Brown v. Board of Education, 1954)

APA follows Bluebook format for the case itself, adds URL for accessibility.

MLA (9th Edition):

Works Cited:

Brown v. Board of Education. 347 U.S. 483. Supreme Court of the United States. 1954. Legal Information Institute, www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/347/483.

In-text: (Brown v. Board)

Chicago (Notes-Bibliography):

Note:

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

Chicago typically follows Bluebook format for legal citations.

Finding Case Citations

Official source: U.S. Reports (abbreviated U.S.)

Free online sources:

Supreme Court website: supremecourt.gov
Cornell's Legal Information Institute: law.cornell.edu
Justia: supreme.justia.com
Google Scholar (legal opinions)

Subscription databases: Westlaw, LexisNexis

Use the U.S. Reports citation when available—it's the official reporter.

Citing Specific Opinions

Supreme Court decisions may include majority opinions, concurrences, and dissents. Specify which you're citing:

Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483, 495 (1954) (Warren, C.J., majority opinion).

Or:

In his dissent, Justice X argued... Case Name, 347 U.S. at 510 (X, J., dissenting).

Recent Cases Without U.S. Reports Citation

Very recent cases may not have U.S. Reports citations yet. Use alternative reporters:

Supreme Court Reporter (S. Ct.):

Biden v. Nebraska, 143 S. Ct. 2355 (2023).

Supreme Court slip opinions:

Case Name, No. 22-506 (U.S. June 30, 2023).

Historical Cases

Older cases cite the same way:

Marbury v. Madison, 5 U.S. (1 Cranch) 137 (1803).

Early volumes have special notation—"1 Cranch" indicates the original reporter name before U.S. Reports was established.

Lower Court Cases

For U.S. Courts of Appeals:

Case Name, Volume F.3d Page (Circuit Year).

Example:

Smith v. Jones, 500 F.3d 123 (2d Cir. 2020).

For U.S. District Courts:

Case Name, Volume F. Supp. 3d Page (District Year).

State Supreme Court Cases

State cases use state reporters:

Case Name, Volume State Reporter Abbreviation Page (Year).

Example:

Smith v. State, 200 Cal. 4th 500 (2023).

Check the appropriate reporter for your state.

In-Text References

How to refer to cases in your writing:

First mention: Brown v. Board of Education (1954) Subsequent mentions: Brown or the Brown decision

The case name can be shortened after first use—pick the most recognizable party.

Quotations From Cases

When quoting judicial language:

The Court held that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal." Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483, 495 (1954).

Include a pinpoint citation to the specific page.

The exact formatting for legal citations depends on your required citation style. Check the specific guide for your discipline below.

Wonders keeps legal sources organized alongside your literature, with traceable citations.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to use Bluebook format in a non-law paper?

For non-legal academic disciplines, you can use APA, MLA, or Chicago formats. Bluebook is required for law school and legal publications but not for most academic work.

Should I italicize the “v.” in case names?

Bluebook says no—only the party names are italicized: Brown v. Board of Education. But many non-legal styles italicize the entire case name including “v.”—follow your style guide.

What if the case has a really long name?

In-text, you can shorten after first mention. In citations, use the standard short form: Brown v. Board of Education (full) becomes Brown (short).

Where do I find the U.S. Reports citation?

Most legal databases (Cornell LII, Justia, Google Scholar) display the citation prominently. For recent cases, the Supreme Court website provides slip opinions.

How do I cite a case I learned about from a textbook?

Cite the case directly, not the textbook. Find the actual case citation using free legal databases. Only use secondary citation if you can't access the original.