Introduction to Basic Legal Citation - access-to-law home

electronic compilations are in general more up-to-date and therefore more widely used than
print ones, that in most jurisdictions no single version is universally relied upon, and that upto-date
print compilations from other jurisdictions are maintained in very few law libraries.
§ 2-320-1(a) Example
– 42 U.S.C. § 405(c)(2)(C) (2006 & Supp. 2010).
Principle 1: The core of a citation to a codified federal statutory provision consists of three
elements:
Element (a) -The title number followed by a space and "U.S.C." (for "United States Code")
§ 2-320-1(b) Example
– 42 U.S.C. § 405(c)(2)(C) (2006 & Supp. 2010).
Element (b) - The section number preceded by the section symbol and space
§ 2-320-1(c) Examples
– 42 U.S.C. § 405(c)(2)(C) (2006 & Supp. 2010).
– 42 U.S.C.A. § 405(c)(2)(C) (West 2011).
– 42 U.S.C.S. § 405(c)(2)(C) (LexisNexis 1998 & Supp. 2011).
– 42 U.S.C. § 405(c)(2)(C) (2012 through Jan. 3).
– 42 U.S.C. § 405(c)(2)(C) (Bloomberg Law 2012)
– 42 U.S.C. § 405(c)(2)(C) (Fastcase 2011)
– 42 U.S.C.S. § 405(c)(2)(C) (LexisNexis 2012 through Pub. L. No. 112-195).
– 42 U.S.C.A. § 405(c)(2)(C) (Westlaw 2012 effective Dec. 18, 2010).
Element (c) - An indication of the currency of the compilation relied upon, in parentheses.
(With print compilations, this has traditionally been simply the year the volume or base
volume and updating supplement relied upon were published. With electronic compilations,
updated at least annually, this can be the year of the compilation relied upon. If the cited
statutory provisions have been or may be volatile, an even more precise current "through"
date is desirable whether print or electronic media are used. The precise form this takes will
be governed by the form in which the compilation relied upon presents currency
information. For example, Westlaw furnishes the effective date of the most recent
amendment to the cited provision included in its compiled version rather than a “through”
date.)
No punctuation separates these elements. Nothing is italicized or underlined.
¡But see § 2-335!
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