Deciphering Legal Citations

February 19, 2011Katie Fearer, Alaska State Libraryhttp://www.library.state.ak.us/

Marinke Van Gelder of the Alaska State Court Law Library assisted with preparation of these slides

Deciphering Legal Citations1Why are we here?What does P.L. 109-266, 120 Stat. 670 mean?

Can you get me a copy of 1, ch. 4 SLA 2007

2ObjectivesLearn what legal citations areLearn how to read legal citationsDecipher citations to frequently used legal resourcesFind cited legal authority in online sourcesBecome familiar with online and print resources about citations3What is a citation?Reference to legal authorityCommon elements:Name of the legal authorityVolume or title numberAbbreviation for the name of the publication Page or section numberDate

4Structure of AK Govt & Major Sources of Law(similar to Fed. Govt)

Court decisionsFound in case reporters and filesLegislative actsFound in slip laws, session laws and codified statutesRegulations, executive ordersFound in registers/public notices and administrative code ConstitutionSource of structure diagram: State of Alaska Legislative Affairs Agency, Handbook on Alaska State Government, August 2004, available at w3.legis.state.ak.us/docs/pdf/handbook.pdf5Legislative SourcesLegislative actsP.L., Stat., SLA, U.S.C., U.S.C.A., AS

United States Statutes At Large Electronic Duck Stamp Act of 2005, P.L. 109-266, 120 Stat. 670 (2006)

P.L. = Public Law. 109 = 109th CongressStat. = United States Statutes at Large

U.S. legislative acts organized chronologicallyPublic Laws may also be abbreviated Public Law or Pub. L.May see only brief citation, such as 120 Stat. 670

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8Session Laws of AlaskaAn Act Extending the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, 4 SLA 2007

1, ch. 4 SLA 2007

SLA = Session Laws of Alaska

AK legislative acts organized chronologically

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10United States Code, United States Code Annotated16 U.S.C. 718a (2006)16 U.S.C.A. 718a (2006)

U.S.C.=United States CodeU.S.C.A.=United States Code Annotated

Legislative acts organized by topic

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12Alaska StatutesAS 44.66.010(5) (2008)

AS=Alaska Statutes

Legislative acts organized by topic

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14Stat. and U.S.C. Online

http://www.gpoaccess.gov; http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/ 15SLA and AS Online

http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/folio.asp 16Administrative SourcesRegulations, executive ordersFed. Reg., C.F.R., Alaska Online Public Notice System, AAC

Federal Register74 Fed. Reg. 14049 (Mar. 30, 2009)

Fed. Reg. = Federal Register

Proposed and final regulations, analysis, notices issued by administrative agencies, executive ordersCurrently, no comparable print publication in Alaska use Online Public Notice System

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19Code of Federal Regulations29 C.F.R. 553.11 (2006)

C.F.R. = Code of Federal Regulations

Regulations organized by issuing agencyAlso includes executive orders

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21Alaska Administrative Code22 AAC 05.010 (2007)

AAC = Alaska Administrative CodeRegulations organized by issuing agencyThe Alaska Administrative Code might also be cited in this way: Alaska Admin. Code tit. 22, 05.10 (2005)

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23Federal Executive OrdersExec. Order No. 11,644, 72 Fed. Reg. 56165 (Oct. 2, 2007)Exec. Order No. 11,644, 3 C.F.R., 2007 Comp., p 237 (2008)

Citation may exclude the publication (Exec. Order No. 11,644)Published chronologically in the Fed. Reg. since 1936Compiled annually in Title 3 of the C.F.R.

24Alaska Executive OrdersExecutive Order No. 67, 1 (1987)

Published in volume 11 of AS

25Fed. Reg., C.F.R., Exec. Orders Online

http://www.gpoaccess.gov; http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/

26AAC, Executive Orders Online; Online Public Notice System

http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/folio.asp

27Judicial SourcesCourt decisionsP., P.2nd, P.3rd, U.S.

28Alaska Court System (in general)District Court misdemeanors, city and borough ordinances, small civil claimsSuperior Court civil and criminal matters, appeals from District CourtCourt of Appeals appeals in criminal cases, cases in which a minor is accused of a crime Supreme Court appeals from Superior Court

Source: State of Alaska Legislative Affairs Agency, Handbook on Alaska State Government, August 2004, available at w3.legis.state.ak.us/docs/pdf/handbook.pdfAbout Court DecisionsDecisions from some courts are published in case reportersAlaska Court of AppealsAlaska Supreme CourtOnly important decisions are reported Unreported decisions may still show up in databasesObtain decisions from courts without reported opinions directly from the courtsAlaska District CourtAlaska Superior Court

31Alaska State Cases: Supreme Court & Court of AppealsWilliams v. Zobel, 619 P.2d 448 (Alaska 1980)Zimmerman v. State, 706 P.2d 343 (Alaska App 1985)

Parties = Appellant versus AppelleeLast name of first appellant and first appellee named in the caseP2d = Pacific Reporter, 2nd SeriesCurrently 3 series : P., P.2d, P.3dPage # = first page of the caseSometimes another specific page of the case is also noted Alaska = Alaska Supreme CourtAlaska App = Alaska Court of AppealsDate = year the case was decided

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33Alaska State Trial Courts (Superior or District Court)Decisions not published. Some information available online. Request case records from the court.Bean v. Grant, 1JU-96-01727CI

Case Number = Judicial District & Court Year Unique Number & Case TypeParties = Plaintiff versus Defendant

34Alaska Cases Online

http://government.westlaw.com/akcases/ 35

36U.S. Supreme Court CasesMiranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 16 L. Ed 2d 694, 86 S. Ct. 1602 (1966)U.S. = United States Reports (U.S.G.P.O.)L. Ed. or L. Ed. 2d = United States Supreme Court Reports, Lawyers Edition, 1st series or 2d series (Lexis)S.Ct. = Supreme Court Reporter (Thomson/West)

37Supreme Court Cases Online

http://www.findlaw.com/casecode/supreme.html 38Online Resources to Help YouAlaska Court System. Legal Research Alaska Links. http://www.state.ak.us/courts/aklegal.htmAlaska State Legislature. List of Common Abbreviations. (2 pages) http://w3.legis.state.ak.us/docs/pdf/abbracro.pdfAmerican Association of Law Libraries. How to Find Legal Material if you Already Have a Citation. August 14, 2006. http://www.aallnet.org/sis/lisp/cite.htm. Martin, Peter W. Introduction to Basic Legal Citation. Cornell Legal Information Institute. http://www.law.cornell.edu/citation/QuestionsThank YouKatie Fearer, Alaska State Librarykathleen.fearer@alaska.gov, 907-465-2988

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