How to Cite a Court Case in Chicago (17th edition)
Learn how to cite a court case or legal decision in Chicago format (17th edition). This guide includes the reference list format, in-text citation examples, and key formatting rules.
Chicago Bibliography Format
Here is the standard Chicago format for citing a court case in your bibliography:
Case Name, Volume Reporter Page (Court Year).
Chicago Example for a Court Case
A complete Chicago reference for a court case, formatted by the official Chicago CSL style definition — the same engine that powers the generator on this site:
Harrington v. Board of Regents, 812 F.3d 455 (9th Cir. 2016).
Matching in-text citation: (Harrington v. Board of Regents 2016)
Chicago In-Text Citation
Use one of these formats when referencing this source within your paper:
Parenthetical
(Case Name Year)
Narrative
In Case Name (Year), the court ruled...
Key Chicago Formatting Rules
- Include court name, volume, reporter abbreviation, page, and year.
- Italicize case names in text but not in footnotes or bibliography.
Step-by-Step Guide
- Gather source information: Collect the author name, title, publication date, and URL or DOI for your court case.
- Format the reference: Arrange the elements following the Chicago (17th edition) template shown above.
- Create the in-text citation: Add a parenthetical or narrative citation in your paper where you reference this source.
- Add to your bibliography: Include the full formatted citation at the end of your paper.
- Double-check formatting: Verify italics, punctuation, capitalization, and hanging indents match Chicago requirements.
Evidence and review notes
Worked examples are generated by citeproc from the published CSL definition, not written by a language model. Editorial guidance and sources in this section were reviewed on 2026-08-14.
CSL style record: chicago.csl
Metadata to collect
- case name (the parties)
- volume number
- reporter abbreviation
- first page
- court
- decision year
Common metadata traps
- Use the official reporter citation rather than a database URL when one exists.
- Check whether your style italicizes the case name in the text but not in the reference entry.
Editorial sources
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I cite a court case in Chicago?
- To cite a court case in Chicago (17th edition), include the author, title, date, and source location. Use our free citation generator for automatic formatting.
- What is the Chicago format for a court case citation?
- The Chicago format for a court case is: Case Name, Volume Reporter Page (Court Year).
- What does the in-text citation look like for a court case in Chicago?
- In Chicago, the in-text citation for the example above is (Case Name Year)
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