Which is the correct way to cite a public law with Pub. L. No. and a Stat. citation?

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Multiple Choice

Which is the correct way to cite a public law with Pub. L. No. and a Stat. citation?

When citing a public law that includes both the Pub. L. No. and a Statutes at Large reference, the format should place the Public Law designation first, then the Stat. citation, with a comma between them, and the year in parentheses at the end: Pub. L. No. [Number], [Stat. citation] ([Year]). This arrangement clearly links the enacted law to its location in the Statutes at Large and then signals the year of enactment. For example, Pub. L. No. 111-5, 123 Stat. 321 (2009). The comma after the Public Law number is essential to separate the Public Law identifier from the Stat. citation. Using anything else—such as omitting the comma, writing the full phrase Public Law No. instead of the standard Pub. L. No., or placing the year outside the parentheses—deviates from the conventional Bluebook format and can obscure the intended cross-reference between the law and its statutory citation.

When citing a public law that includes both the Pub. L. No. and a Statutes at Large reference, the format should place the Public Law designation first, then the Stat. citation, with a comma between them, and the year in parentheses at the end: Pub. L. No. [Number], [Stat. citation] ([Year]). This arrangement clearly links the enacted law to its location in the Statutes at Large and then signals the year of enactment. For example, Pub. L. No. 111-5, 123 Stat. 321 (2009).

The comma after the Public Law number is essential to separate the Public Law identifier from the Stat. citation. Using anything else—such as omitting the comma, writing the full phrase Public Law No. instead of the standard Pub. L. No., or placing the year outside the parentheses—deviates from the conventional Bluebook format and can obscure the intended cross-reference between the law and its statutory citation.

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