An in-text citation is found in the body of a research paper. It tells your reader where you found any information or ideas that are not your own. It is a shortened citation in parentheses and includes the author’s last name, publication year, and the page number (if quoting).
An in-text citation is required whenever you use someone else’s words or ideas:
*** Remember: Each source listed on the reference page must correspond to at least one in-text citation in the body of the paper; each in-text citation must correspond to a source listed on the reference page.
In Chapter 11, the APA Manual (7th edition) provides examples of citations to legal materials, including cases, statutes, legislative materials, and administrative and executive materials. For more information on writing legal citation, consult The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (20th edition).
The URL from which you retrieved the case, statute, or regulation information is optional, but may help researchers find the information.
Case (Court Decision). Reference form: Name v. Name, Volume Reporter First Page (year).
Statute. Reference form: Name of Act, Volume Code abbrev. § Section number (year).
Federal Regulation. Reference form: Title/Number, Volume C.F.R. §xxx (year).