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Northern Illinois University
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David C. Shapiro Memorial Law Library

Sample Bluebook Citations

Citing Session Laws - Illinois

The following samples cover basic citation format for session law sources. Complicated variations are not shown in these samples. Always consult the Bluebook for additional information on correct citation format. Note: some dates in these examples have been fabricated for demonstration purposes.

Cite to the title of the Act (if one exists) or the date of the act if a title is not apparent, the public act number, the year (serves as a volume number for session law publications), the title of the session law publication, and the page number on which the Act begins (if pinpoint citing also include the page to which you are citing). See R. 12.4 (pp. 125-126), Table 1 (under the appropriate jurisdiction) (pp. 262-263), Table 12 (p. 510).


Name of Act is apparent and citing to entire act: Note: This format is used when the Public Act being cited is creating a new Act. Subsequent amendments to the Act will use the date format in sample 2 below.

Animal Control Act, Pub. Act 78-795, 1973 Ill. Laws 2408.

Name of Act unknown (or not being used) with a pinpoint cite:

Act of June 11, 1997, Pub. Act 90-9, 1997 Ill. Laws 2259, 2263.

Session laws prior to 1969: Illinois did not use the Public Act numbering system prior to 1969. The following citations are sample citations to pre-1969 session laws.

Criminal Code of 1961, 1961 Ill. Laws 1983.

Act of Apr. 7, 1965, 1965 Ill. Laws 362.
 

For session laws not yet published in Laws of Illinois: use the following formats for unofficial sources from legal publishers. See Table 1 (p. 262). Note the pamphlet number appended to the year in example 6. This is only used in the Lexis set. The West set only uses the year.

Illinois Religious Freedom and Civil Union Act, Pub. Act 96-1513, 2010 Ill. Legis. Serv. 4349 (West).

Illinois Religious Freedom and Civil Union Act, Pub. Act 96-1513, 2010-7 Ill. Comp. Stat. Ann. Adv. Legis. Serv. 440 (LexisNexis).

Citing Statutes & Session Laws - Federal

The following samples cover basic citation format for statutes & session law sources. Complicated variations are not shown in these samples. Always consult the Bluebook for additional information on correct citation format.

Cite to the name of the act (if one exists) or to the date of the act if a name is not apparent, the Public Law number, the section (if citing to a specific section within the act), the volume, the title of the session law publication, the page number on which the act begins (if pinpoint citing also include the page number to which you are citing), and the year of enactment (but omit the year if the same year is part of the name of the act). See R. 12.4 (pp. 125-126), B12.1.1 (p.18).  If a month is present in the date portion of the citation, abbreviate it according to Table 12 (p. 510). 


Name apparent, pinpoint citing to a specific section of the act:

National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, Pub. L. No. 91-190, § 205, 83 Stat. 852, 855 (1970).

Name unknown, citing to the act as a whole: (Since the year is the same year that is in the act's name, it is not necessary to repeat it at the end of the cite)

Act of July 19, 1985, Pub. L. No. 99-68, 99 Stat. 57.

For session laws not yet published in the United States Statutes at Large or if citing to an unofficial source: See the format for unofficial sources at R. 12.6 (pp. 127-128).

Act of July 9, 2004, Pub. L. No. 108-71, 2004 U.S.C.C.A.N. (117 Stat. 887) 183.

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