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Deciphering Legal Citations: Constitutional, Legislative, and Administrative Sources

Constitutions

 

 

Federal

State

Publication

United State Constitution

Constitution of the State of Alaska

Citation styles

U.S. Const. art. III, § 2, cl. 2.U.S. Const. amend. XIII, § 2.

<book/source>< article or amendment> <section><clause>

Alaska Const. art. I, § 19

<book/source>< article or amendment><section>

Where to find online

Legislative acts, organized chronologically

 

Federal

State

Publication

United States Statutes at Large

U.S. Code Congressional and Administrative News

Session Laws of Alaska

Citation styles

Electronic Duck Stamp Act of 2005, P.L. 109–266, 120 Stat. 670 (2006)

<name of law><public law no.> <volume><book/source> <page> <year enacted>

Electronic Duck Stamp Act of 2005, P.L. 109-266, 2006 U.S.C.C.A.N. (120 Stat. 670)

<name of law><public law no.>< book/source><citation to statute at large>

Variations: Public Law 109-266; Pub. L. No. 109-266

An Act Extending the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, 4 SLA 2007

 <name of law><chapter><book/source> <year enacted>

 Variation: § 1, ch. 4 SLA 2007

Where to find online

  • GovInfo (1789+)
  • Westlaw and Hein Online at Court Law Library (Hein includes all Statute at Large volumes, 1789+)

Statutes organized by subject

 

Federal

State

Publications

United States Code

United States Code Annotated

United States Code Service

Alaska Statutes

Citation styles

(listed in order of publications above)

16 U.S.C. § 718a (2006)

16 U.S.C.A. § 718a (2006)

16 U.S.C.S. § 718a (2006)

<title><book/source><section><year compiled>

AS 44.66.010(a)(5) (2008)

< book/source><title, chapter, and section><year compiled>

Variation:  Alaska Stat. § 44.66.010(a)(5) (2008)

Where to find online

  • USC: GovInfo (1994+) 
  • USCA: Westlaw at Court Law Library (1990 +)
  • USC: Hein Online at Court Law Library (1925 +)

Notices issued by administrative agencies, including notices of proposed and final regulations

 

Federal

State

Publication

Federal Register 

Online Public Notice System

Citation styles

74 Fed. Reg. 14049 (Mar. 30, 2009)

 <Volume> <book/source> <page> <date of publication>

Variations:
      74 F.R. 14049
      Subsistence Management Regulations for Public
         Lands in Alaska—2009-10 and 2010-11 Subsistence
         Taking of Fish Regulations, 74 Fed. Reg. 14049
         (Mar. 30, 2009) (amending 36 C.F.R. pt. 242 and
         50 C.F.R. pt. 100)

Note: Alaska ceased publishing notices in print as of May 12, 2000.  Prior to May 12, 2000, notices were published in the Alaska Administrative Journal.

Where to find online

  • GovInfo  (1936+)
  • Westlaw and Hein Online at Court Law Library (Vol. 1,1936 +)

Final regulations organized by subject

 

Federal

State

Publication

Code of Federal Regulations

Alaska Administrative Code

Citation style

29 C.F.R. § 553.11 (2006)

<title><book/source><part.section><year compiled>

22 AAC 05.010 (2007)

<title><book/source> <chapter.section> <year compiled>

Variation: Alaska Admin. Code tit. 22, §05.10 (2005)

Note: You may see references to “Registers.”  For example, Register 169, issued on April 2004, contains Title 22 (regulations of the Department of Corrections).  Registers 170 through 181 dated April 2007 supplement Register 169.

Where to find online

  • GovInfo (1996+)
  • Westlaw (1984 +) and Hein Online (1938 +) at Court Law Library

Executive and administrative orders, proclamations

 

Federal

State

Some Publications

Federal Register (since 1936)

Code of Federal Regulations (each pub. of Title 3 contains orders & proclamations issued since last pub. of Title 3)

United States Statutes at Large (includes most proclamations, not orders, since 1791)

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents (1965 – Jan. 29, 2009)

Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents (Jan. 20, 2009 forward )

CIS Index  and Microfiche Set for Presidential Executive Orders and Proclamations (1789 – 1983)

Alaska Statutes, Volume 11 (for Executive Orders)

Note: Administrative Orders and Proclamations are not bound and published within a separate print publication.

Citation styles

Exec. Order No. 11,644, 72 Fed. Reg. 56165 (Oct. 2, 2007)

Exec. Order No. 11,644, 3 C.F.R., 2007 Comp., p 237 (2008)

<book/source><order no.><citation to publication in which order is published)

Variation: Exec. Order No. 11,644, 3 C.F.R. 237 (2008)

Executive Order No. 67, §1 (1987)

<book/source><order no.>< year issued>

 

Where to find online