Cite a court case in Harvard
Court cases are the source type where Harvard (Cite Them Right 12) diverges most from ordinary author-date patterns. Legal citations privilege the case name, reporter volume, reporter abbreviation, first page, court, and year. Some styles keep legal punctuation almost intact, while others adapt cases into reference-list entries, so every locator must be copied exactly.
Harvard rules for a court case
- Case name is italicized in APA and Harvard, but plain in MLA and Chicago author-date.
- Include the reporter volume number.
- Copy the reporter abbreviation exactly, such as U.S. or F. Supp.
- Include the first page of the reported decision.
- Add the court abbreviation when it is not clear from the reporter.
- End with the decision year and URL when citing an online copy.
- Italicize the case name and preserve neutral citations such as [Year] EWHC.
- Place reporter and court details before the access URL.
Worked example
Harvard · court caseA real court case formatted using the Harvard rules above.
Court, United States Supreme (1954) Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483. [Online] Legal Information Institute. Available at: https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/347/483 (accessed January 15, 2025).
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