Omar Bennett
Knowing how to cite specific clauses of constitutional amendments is an important skill for legal professionals and students alike. The style for legal citations can vary depending on the style guide being used, such as APA, MLA, or Chicago style. The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation is considered the standard for all legal citations and is worth referring to for specific guidance on citing constitutional amendments. This article will provide an overview of how to cite specific clauses of constitutional amendments, focusing on the conventions of the most common citation styles.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Start with | U.S. Const. |
| Article | art. (abbreviation) |
| Amendment | amend. (abbreviation) |
| Section | § (symbol) |
| Clause | cl. (abbreviation) |
| Article and amendment numbers | Roman numerals (I, II, III) |
| Section and clause numbers | Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3) |
| Date | Optional, only include if referring to a repealed or amended part of the Constitution |
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What You'll Learn
Citing specific clauses of constitutional amendments in APA style
To cite specific clauses of constitutional amendments in APA style, you should follow the Bluebook style, which is the standard legal citation style. The APA defers to Bluebook style for legal materials and uses those templates and patterns in bibliographies.
When citing the U.S. Constitution, begin with "U.S. Const.", followed by the article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers as relevant. The terms article, amendment, section, and clause are abbreviated to "art.", "amend.", "§", and "cl." respectively. Preamble is abbreviated to "pmbl.". Article and amendment numbers are given in Roman numerals (I, II, III), while section and clause numbers are given in Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3).
For example, a reference to the U.S. Constitution's Fourth Amendment would be cited as: "U.S. Const. amend. IV". If you are referring to a specific clause within an amendment, you would include the clause number, for example, "U.S. Const. amend. IV, § 2".
Additionally, if you are referring to a part of the Constitution that has been repealed or amended, include the year that the part in question was repealed or amended in parentheses. For example, "U.S. Const. amend. XVIII, repealed 1933".
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Citing specific clauses of constitutional amendments in MLA style
Article and amendment numbers are written using Roman numerals (I, II, III), while section and clause numbers are denoted by Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3). For example, "XIV" should be written as "14". The citation should also include the section of the United States Constitution being referenced, along with any relevant website details for online citations.
In-text citations require the inclusion of either the article or amendment, along with the section numbers. For instance, "Constitution (art. 1, sec. 4)". When mentioning the Constitution in the body of the text, it can simply be referred to as the Constitution without italics or quotation marks. However, the version cited should be specified in the parenthetical citation.
For print versions, page numbers are used, whereas online versions require specific information about the source, including the website details. It is important to consult style guides for specific rules and to ensure proper citation, giving credit to the original source and maintaining academic integrity.
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Using Roman and Arabic numerals in citations
When citing specific clauses of constitutional amendments, it is important to adhere to the standard conventions for legal citations. The Bluebook, specifically The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, is the authoritative reference for legal citation styles.
In legal documents, Roman numerals and Arabic numerals serve distinct purposes. Roman numerals are commonly used to represent a hierarchical structure and for elements such as sub-points, headings, and case citations. They offer an unambiguous representation, eliminating potential confusion with the use of zero or place values in Arabic numerals. This distinct characteristic of Roman numerals ensures a clear and distinct document structure, enhancing readability for legal professionals. Additionally, Roman numerals carry a sense of tradition and cultural significance within the legal field, tracing their roots back to ancient Rome and ancient Roman legal documents.
On the other hand, Arabic numerals are typically used for the main text or actual content of the document. They are employed for pagination, ensuring that each page has a unique and sequential identifier. This is particularly important for comprehensive legal documents, where consistent and logical numbering facilitates easy navigation.
When citing specific clauses of constitutional amendments, the following format is generally recommended:
> U.S. Const. amend. [Roman numeral amendment number] § [Arabic numeral section number] cl. [Arabic numeral clause number]
For example, if you are citing Clause 3 of Section 1 of Amendment XVII, the citation would appear as:
> U.S. Const. amend. XVII § 1 cl. 3
This format adheres to the standard legal citation style, providing clear and consistent references to specific clauses within constitutional amendments.
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Citing a provision that has been amended
When citing a provision that has been amended, the general rule is to add the date it was amended in parentheses. The specific format and style of the citation will depend on the citation style guide you are using, such as APA, MLA, or Chicago style. Here is an example of how to cite a provision that has been amended in each of these three styles:
APA Style
In APA style, the citation for a provision that has been amended would include "U.S. Const." followed by the relevant article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers. The terms "article" and "amendment" are abbreviated as "art." and "amend." and are written in Roman numerals (e.g., "art. I, amend. II"). The section and clause numbers are written in Arabic numerals (e.g., "§ 1, cl. 2"). The date of amendment is included in parentheses, and the year is the only necessary element of the date. For example:
> U.S. Const. amend. XVIII, § 1 (repealed 1933)
MLA Style
MLA style is similar to APA style in terms of structure and abbreviations. The main difference is in the placement of the date of amendment. In MLA style, the date is included in the in-text citation rather than in the reference entry. Here is an example:
> U.S. Const. art. I, amend. V, § 2, cl. 3 (amended 1791)
Chicago Style
Chicago style typically uses footnotes for citations, and the structure is similar to APA and MLA styles. The date of amendment is included in the footnote, along with the specific provision that has been amended. Here is an example:
> U.S. Const., art. II, amend. XII, § 1, cl. 2. As amended in 1804, this clause specifies... [Footnote: U.S. Const. amend. XII (1804).]
It is important to note that these examples may not cover all the nuances of each citation style, and it is always a good idea to consult the latest edition of the specific style guide you are using for detailed and up-to-date instructions on citing constitutional amendments. Additionally, the Bluebook is a comprehensive guide for legal citations and can provide further guidance on citing statutes and constitutional provisions.
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Citing the US Constitution in text
When citing the US Constitution in text, there are a few standard styles that are used. These include APA, Chicago, and Bluebook style.
APA Style
If you are making a passing reference to the US Constitution in an APA-style paper, you can simply mention it in the text without a reference list entry. However, if you are using a specific part of the Constitution as evidence to support a point, you should construct the citation using Bluebook Rule 11, which covers federal and state constitutions.
All citations of the US Constitution in APA style begin with "U.S. Const.", followed by the relevant article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers. The terms "article", "amendment", "section", and "clause" are abbreviated to "art.", "amend.", "§", and "cl.", respectively. The preamble is abbreviated to "pmbl.". Article and amendment numbers are given in Roman numerals (I, II, III), while section and clause numbers are given in Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3).
If you are referring to a part of the Constitution that has been repealed or amended, include the year in parentheses. For example: "U.S. Const. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933)".
Chicago Style
When using Chicago style, the recommendation is to limit legal citations to the text itself, using the narrative to include information that would typically go in the footnotes. However, if you are using several legal documents, supplement with footnotes. Chicago style requires only footnote citations for legal documents, and these documents do not need to be listed in the bibliography.
Bluebook Style
The Bluebook sets the standard for all legal citations and is the source for the style of legal citations in the Publication Manual. The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (18th ed., 2005) is available at www.legalbluebook.com.
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Frequently asked questions
The general format is as follows: [Jurisdiction abbreviation] Const. art. [Article number in Roman numerals], amend. [Amendment number in Roman numerals], § [Section number in Arabic numerals], cl. [Clause number in Arabic numerals].
For an amended constitutional amendment, you should include the date it was amended in parentheses after the clause number.
No, a date is not required when citing a current constitutional amendment. However, if you are referring to a repealed or amended part of the constitution, include the year of repeal or amendment in parentheses.
The standard abbreviations are as follows: "art." for article, "amend." for amendment, "§" for section, and "cl." for clause.
For state constitutional amendments, use the abbreviated name of the state followed by "Const." For example, "N.C. Const." or "Ariz. Const.".
