A statute is a written law passed by a legislature on the state or federal level. Statutes set forth general propositions of law that courts apply to specific situations. A statute may forbid a certain act, direct a certain act, make a declaration, or set forth governmental mechanisms to aid society.
Statute Citations: Statutory citations are governed by ALWD Rule 14.
Federal and some state statute citations look like the first example below. For specific
states, consult ALWD Appendix 1 on how each state cites to its statutory compilations:
1 2 3 4 5
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
Communications Decency Act, 47 U.S.C. § 223 (2000).
A state statute citation may look like this:
1 3 2 4 5
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
Beer Franchise Act, Va. Code Ann. § 4.1-500 (1998).
(1) Statute name – Sometimes the name encompasses more than a single section (this is usually
indicated by the Latin phrase “et seq.” meaning “in sequence” after the section number).
(2) Major subject number – These may be called “titles,” “sections,” “volumes,” or “chapters,”
depending on the jurisdiction. In the federal example, the title is listed before the set
abbreviation, the United States Code, and functions as a volume number.
(3) Code abbreviation– This tells you the name of the set in which the statute can be found.
These names are almost always abbreviated. Consult ALWD Appendix 1 for a listing of federal
and state statutory codes.
(4) Section number and section symbol – This gives the section number of your statute. For the
most recent version of a statute you may have to look in the pocket part of the volume or a
paperbound supplement.
(5) Year – Dates should be provided since older statutes may have been amended or even
repealed.
Required SHORTCUT!! Use the short form of the legal citation once the authority has
been cited in full. Review the use of “id.” the abbreviation for “idem,” which means “the same.”
See ALWD Rule 11.3. For cases consult ALWD Rule 12.21 short citation format for cases and
ALWD Rule 14.6 for short citation format for federal and state statutes.
Proper legal citation helps demonstrate your competence as a legal writer. It is a rite of
passage for all law students and practitioners. It should be mastered early so that a reader does
not question your legal analysis if you do not correctly cite legal authority.