How to Cite a Legal Case in MLA 9th edition

A court’s decision in a case, such as a Supreme Court ruling.

Example in MLA 9th edition

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. U.S., vol. 347, 17 May 1954, p. 483.
In-text (Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka)

What MLA 9th edition includes

These are the details of the example above that the style prints, so they are the ones to collect for your own source.

  • Case Name
  • Reporter
  • Volume
  • Page
  • Date Decided

Use the official case citation from the court reporter. Note the court name, docket number, and decision date. Parallel citations may be required.

The formatting comes from the style's own file, so check the finer points against your guide. What to check by hand in MLA 9th edition.

A Legal Case in other styles

APA 7th edition Chicago 18th edition (notes and bibliography) IEEE Vancouver

Other sources in MLA 9th edition

Website Book Journal Article Newspaper Article Book Chapter Thesis/Dissertation Report Video Podcast/Broadcast Magazine Article Software Dataset Patent Legislation Bill Regulation Hearing Standard Treaty Conference Paper Manuscript Review Book Review Classic Work Reference Entry Dictionary Entry Encyclopedia Entry Periodical Collection Interview Speech Song Musical Score Graphic Figure Map Performance Event Pamphlet Preprint Document Post Blog Post Personal Communication Generative AI