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Public Patron Reference Guide

This guide provides information to assist "Pro Se" (self represented) patrons with material located at the NCCU Law Library.

How to Begin

On this page, you will find information that will help you begin your legal research, including information on how to read a citation and case law. It is recommended to start your legal research with explanatory sources and then federal sources.

How to Read Citations

Case citations generally includes the case name, followed by the reporter volume, the reporter abbreviation, the first page of the case, the specific page for the cited material, and the court abbreviation and date in parentheses (unless the court name is obvious from the reporter abbreviation).

The basic format of a case citation is as follows:

 

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Federal Statutes:

There are generally four elements in a citation to a statute in the United States Code:

  1. The title number
  2. The abbreviation of the code used
  3. The section symbol (§) followed by a space and the section number containing the statute
  4. The year of the code unless you are referring to the current code

For example, if you were writing about civil rights in public health and welfare law and wanted to reference a statute discussing civil actions for deprivation of rights, the proper citation would be: 42 U.S.C. § 1983.

North Carolina State Statutes:

There are generally three elements in a citation to a North Carolina State Statute:

  1. The abbreviation of the North Carolina code used
  2. The section symbol (§) followed by a space and the section number containing the statute
  3. The year of the statute (A new edition of the General Statutes of North Carolina Annotated is published every two years on the off-numbered year, with interim supplements to current statutes issued during the even-numbered years to reflect any new statutes or amendments).

For example, if you were writing about driving while intoxicated and wanted to reference a statute discussing what constitutes a public vehicular area, the proper citation would be: N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-138.1 or N.C.G.S. § 138.1.

When citing a Supreme Court case, you should cite the official Supreme Court reporter, United States Reports. However, if the case you're citing has not yet been published, cite the United States Supreme Court Reports - Lawyers' Edition. See example below:

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How to Read Case Law

There are five components to a case published in a West Reporter. Of the five parts, only the opinion is considered legal authority.

  1. The Heading/Caption: Contains the case name, the reporter, the date of the decision, and any parallel citations.
  2. Synopsis: This is a summary of the case, written by West editors. 
  3. Headnotes: These are short paragraphs that summarize key legal issues, written by West editors. 
  4. Attorney and Judge names: This is where you find the names of the attorneys who argued the case and the Judge who decided it.
  5. Opinion: This is the only part that is considered legal authority.