The bluebook requires the use and citation of traditional printed sources when available, unless there is a digital copy of the source available that is authenticated, official, or an exact copy of the printed source, as described in rule 18. Secondary sources bluebook citation 101 practitioner format. This book is a must have for law students, paralegals and attorneys. Headings within the note or comment follow the same conventions for headings found in pieces written by nonstudent authors. Citing an entire book with one author, no specific page, or section. Check for a supplement in the back of the book or next to the book. Using our bluebook legal citation generator can make legal citing much easier for you.
State statutes bluebook citation libguides at florida. First published in 1891, blacks law dictionary is considered by many to be the premier reference for legal terms and quotations. Guide to cite using bluebook citation method with examples. The puritans were probably the first to enforce sunday laws on the north american continent, banning many commercial and recreational activities on sundays during. Federal statute supersedes state statute on the same subject in the event of a conflict. Boston college law school professor richard albert law facstaffdeansfacultyalbertr. Introductory signals appear at the beginning of citation sentences. The purpose of this guide is to introduce the bluebook and basic concepts of legal citation to new law students.
Primary authorities bluebook citations libguides at. Federal statutes bluebook guide guides at georgetown. If treatise has more than two authors, cite only first listed author and include et al. For a detailed discussion on where to place the numbers for your footnotes, see r1. However, the punctuation following the last element of the signal is neither underlined nor italicized. The basic elements of a periodical citation include. Do underline or italicize complete works books, newsletters, magazines, newspapers, movie titles, etc. Bluebooking for court documents guide to legal writing. Law school bluebook basics one of the books that all 1l law students are required to purchase is the bluebook.
Here, the supplement is inserted in the back of the book and is dated 2017. Sometimes the easiest way to fake bluebook, rock star status is to be a groupie. Many states have established a statutory presumption in favor of equal division of marital. This book is a reference guide that, believe it or not, will be just about the only book you take from law school into your practice as a lawyer. Always check the blue pages in the back of the bluebook table 1 to ensure that the. If you are citing a federal statute currently in force, the bluebook dictates that you cite to the united states code if it contains the current version of a statute rule 12. When this occurs, you can cite to the public law number, sessions law or statutes at large rule 10. Here, the supplement jumps directly from 2128 to 2301, indicating that 2250 has not been amended. The precise format of a statutory citation depends on a number of factors. For more than 100 years, missouri has published the official manual of the state of missouri, commonly known as the blue book. With its help, you can cite academic sources like you would do it in any other style without having to consult the monstrously detailed style guide. Search the blue book online and you will find over 800,000 company listings. Melissa love koenig posted on april 24, 2012 categories legal writing. While older citation reference works may still call for underlining, that format has.
Make sure to use the year of the code, not the year of the statute. Bluebooking california statutes bluebooking and legal. Here, you can find detailed information on local, state and federal governments, as well as stories, essays and pictures that help preserve the states heritage. In court documents, use ordinary roman, italics, and underlining. When citing a case name in full, do not underline the case name in the endnote rule 10.
Underline case names in text no italics and always give the full case name the first time you cite it. Cases how to cite university of akron school of law. Rights and domestic relations in medieval canon law 2004. Bluebook rule 12 covers how statutes should be cited in legal documents. Note, however, that this instrument is not intended for legal documents. View the two guides below for information during this period. Statutory codes exist in order to make it easier for individuals to find what the current law is on a given topic, such as criminal law. Do not underline party names, italicize case names. Generations of law students, lawyers, scholars, judges, and other legal professionals have relied on the bluebooks unique system of citation in their writing.
Check if your statute is amended or added in the supplement. However, the basic format of a statutory citation is as follows. Just remember that between the 18th and 20th edition, a lot has changed. Citing to the record in briefs marquette university law. You may also want to buy a copy of the book mastering the blue book or something similar to help you understand how to use this book. Typeface conventions bluebook legal citation tarlton law. The precise format of a case citation depends on a number of factors, including the jurisdiction, court, and type of case. Some of the most obscure bluebook rules or how to really. A case or statute should be shortcited if it appears within the five previous endnotes.
Surprisingly for many researchers, the bluebook requires citations to united states publications over citations to publications from international bodies, such as the united nations. Law library basic legal citation starting points most lawyers and law students seem to think that properly citing legal materials is a nightmare. Blue pages first section of rules for practitioners, organized as. You should use ordinary plain text for case names in full citations, except for procedural phrases like ex. Else, cite to an unofficial code usually the annotated version, then lexis or westlaw, then looseleaf, internet or newspaper, in that order rule 12. Effective monday, march 23, the jacob burns law library will be closed to help flatten the covid19 infection curve. Citing cases bluebook rules dulaneybrowne library at. You underline or italicize titles of books and journal articles.
Ordinary roman type for the authors name, italics for the book title. Italicized case names are prescribed by the california style manual, which served as the official guide for documents filed in california state courts until the adoption of california rule. The first mention of a statute, rule, regulation, or legislative material requires a full citation. Only the party names are underlined or italicized excluding the comma. For generations, law students, lawyers, scholars, judges, and other legal professionals have relied on the bluebook s unique system of citation. Citing cases bluebook guide guides at georgetown law. The bluebook, is the definitive style guide for legal citation in the united states. Consult the blue pages, rule b12, if you are writing a brief or memo. In rare instances, blue laws affect activities on days other than sunday, but the most common use is in reference to sunday, in which case they are also known as sunday laws. Rule 15 in the bluebook explains how to properly cite a book. Bluebook rule 10 covers how cases should be cited in legal documents. Cite to page 707 of a 1995 case between bruce babbitt, secretary of the interior, et al. Party name, volume reporter page court year parenthetical.
Effective january 1, 2008, however, california rule of court, rule 1. A uniform system of citation, a style guide, prescribes the most widely used legal citation system in the united states. With their assistance i prepared the first edition of introduction to basic legal citation. Remember every citation sentence must end with a period. If treatise has two authors, include the full name of both. Always use a signal unless 1 the cited authority directly states the proposition in the text. The bluebook is flexible on short forms of legislative.
In a diverse and rapidly changing legal profession, the bluebook continues to provide a systematic method by which members of the profession communicate important information to one another about the sources and legal authorities upon. A number of sources are available to help you become proficient and professional in the art of legal citation. Law students, charged with identifying subjects on which computerbased materials would be particularly helpful, placed citation at the top of the list. Citing statutes bluebook guide guides at georgetown. Signals are important because they indicate how a cited authority relates to the text. Industry source of regional, categorized construction information and is available in print and online. Full name of the authors book title underlined or italicized pinpoint page number if needed publication information if applicable. Citations are to the 20th edition of the bluebook, a uniform system of citation rule 10 cases p. It is form commonly recognized and used by legal professionals throughout the united states. In citations basic legal citation cornell university. Citing a book with more than two authors to a specific section and an edition other than the first. This relation can be supportive, comparative, or contradictory.
Bluebook citation in scholarly legal writing georgetown law. In a continuation of last weeks article should we use italics or underline. If possible, cite to the official code andor its supplement. There is a statutory code containing federal statutes enacted by congress and a statutory code for each states statutes enacted by the state legislature. There are also two unofficial codes for federal statutes. Deciding court, jurisdiction date of decision united states v. In academic legal writing, law journals, citations are placed in footnotes. California style manual for many years, the california style manual has served as the official guide for styling citations to legal materials in documents filed with state courts in california. If the article is written by a student author, the designation of the piece see r. Citation practices and the bluebook cuny school of law. Underlined case names should remind you of the blue book from law school. Should one or two section symbols be used in an et seq.
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