The MLA rules for citing US Supreme Court cases are as follows:
U. S. Supreme Court Decisions
General rule: Name of the first plaintiff and the first defendant, the number of the case, the name of the court that decided the case, and the date it was decided. Names of cases and court names are frequently abbreviated. The following example refers to the William "Sky" King versus St. Vincent's Hospital case decided by the U. S. Supreme Court in December, 1991.
Standard MLA format:* King v. St. Vincent's Hospital. No. 90-889. Supreme Ct. of the US. 16 December 1991.
(Translation: Short case name, docket number, court, exact date of decision)
*Note: The MLA now suggests using Legal Bluebook format for citations.
Standard legal format: King v. St. Vincent's Hospital, 502 US 215 (1991)
The name of the Petitioner and Respondent, or case name, is italicized.
(Translation: Short case name, Volume number, abbreviation for U. S. Supreme Court Reports, decision starts on page indicated, year of decision.)
If referring to a specific page within the Opinion, place a comma after the starting page number, then insert the referenced page number:
King v. St. Vincent's Hospital, 502 US 215, 220 (1991)
Legal Bluebook format: King v. St. Vincent's Hospital, 502 U.S. 215, 219 (1991).
The name of the Petitioner and Respondent, or case name, is italicized.
(Translation: Short case name, Volume number, abbreviation for U. S. Supreme Court Reports, decision starts on page indicated, specific page being referenced, year of decision in parentheses, period.)
Subsequent citations: King, 502 U.S. at 219.
(Translation: Case name is typically shortened to indicate the petition; however, there are a few situations - such as when the petitioner is a state or the United States, that could result in confusion - where the Respondent's name is substituted. When in doubt, look it up or ask for assistance.)
For access to more information about citing U.S. Government documents, see Related Links, below.
To properly cite Supreme Court cases in academic writing, follow this format: Case name, volume number, reporter abbreviation, page number (year). For example, Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954).
If possible, you should cite Supreme Court cases directly from the Court's opinion (preferably in US Reports, but many people use online references), not from secondary sources.
To cite a Supreme Court case in APA format, include the case name, the volume number, the reporter abbreviation, the page number, and the year of the decision. For example: Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954).
Site other cases that came to similar conclusions
To cite a Supreme Court decision in a legal document, follow this format: Case name, volume number, reporter abbreviation, page number (year). For example, Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954).
To cite a Supreme Court opinion in a legal document, follow this format: Case name, volume number, reporter abbreviation, page number (year). For example, Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954).
When citing court cases in APA format within the text of your paper, include the name of the case and the year of the decision in parentheses. For example, (Roe v. Wade, 1973).
To cite a Supreme Court case properly in a legal document, follow this format: Case name, Volume number, Reporter abbreviation, Page number (Year). For example, Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954).
To cite a US Supreme Court case in a legal document, follow this format: Case name, volume number, reporter abbreviation, page number (year). For example, Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954).
To properly cite a Supreme Court opinion in a legal document, include the case name, volume number, reporter abbreviation, page number, and year of the decision. For example, "Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954)." This citation format helps readers locate the specific case and reference it accurately.
To MLA cite a court case in a research paper, follow this format: Last name of the plaintiff, First name. v. Last name of the defendant, First name. Case Name. Volume number Reporter Page (Year). Court. For example: Roe v. Wade. 410 U.S. 113 (1973). Supreme Court.
To MLA cite a Supreme Court case in a research paper, follow this format: Last name of the first-listed plaintiff/defendant v. Last name of the first-listed plaintiff/defendant. Volume number Reporter page number (Year). For example: Brown v. Board of Education. 347 U.S. 483 (1954).