The popularity of the bluebook among law students and professionals has given rise to a new name. The bluepages contain condensed versions of the full rules and are intended to provide easytocomprehend guidance for. Support to direct the reader to specific authority supporting the. In law, a citation or introductory signal is a set of phrases or words used to clarify the authority. The use of no signal at all before a citation indicates to the reader that the citation directly supports the text. Recent studies, however, argue that the style was born in yale with the publication of karl n. Signals are used in front of citations to alert the reader as to how that citation is being used. The indigo book isnt the same as the bluebook, but it does implement the same uniform system of citation that the bluebook does. Robbins abstract the bluebooks introductory citation signals are essential to effective legal discourse. When instead they form the verb of a sentence that includes the citation they are not italicized or underlined. Signals bluebook citation 101 practitioner format research. Attribution to identify the source of ideas expressed in the text, and. The following information regarding the bluebook citation format is an adapted version of the style and formatting guidelines found in the bluebook, 20th ed. Do not use a signal with a citation when you have directly borrowed someone elses.
Cite to page 707 of a 1995 case between bruce babbitt, secretary of the interior, et al. There are 5 primary differences between alwd and bluebook citation formats. The bluebook twentieth edition is a uniform system of citation. It is now in its 20th edition, more than an inch thick, and consists of over 500 pages of guidance on legal citation. Bluebooking is the process of supporting assertions with citations in proper form.
As with any reference book, the bluebook becomes easier to use once you know where to find the information you need. In academic legal writing, law journals, citations are placed in footnotes. Llewellyn on how to write law materials for the yale law journal whatever the origin, however, today the bluebook is used by the majority of u. Within each general class of signal, signals are arranged in order of greatest to least direct relation to the assertion so a signal indicating a direct quote would come before one indicating an inferential step. As such, every thought, sentence and idea must refer to a legal underpinning be it case law, statute, regulation, book, law reivew etc. 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.
Signals indicating that the cited work is supportive of the authors text are the most commonly used type of signal. Broadly speaking an introductory signal can function in 4 different ways to show support, contradiction, comparison, or background information. No comma separates the signal from the rest of the citation, except for e. Signals are used in front of citations to alert the reader as to how that citation is. An example of a bluebook citation for a case includes the cases name. Italicize the signal if it is included in the citation sentence. The editors published a new eighteenth edition in 2005 that encompasses several changes.
Bluebook sample citations the law school university of. The choice of signal can influence not only the interpretation of cited cases, but also the path of the law. The bluebook style is exclusively used for legal papers, and so it can be somewhat complicated due to its focus on easy citations of various court documents. The bluebook style guide is used in the american legal profession for citation of all relevant sources. Within those footnotes, citations are made in citation sentences and clauses.
To generate a new password, fill out this form and a new password will be sent to your email address. Essentially the order of signals is supporting, comparative, contradictory, and general background. This guide will clearly explain, in plainenglish and with examples, the different types of introductory signals, as prescribed by the bluebook. Bluebook citation in scholarly legal writing georgetown law. Court of appeals for the 7th circuit, is a noted critic of the bluebook and wrote these two. These rules include signals, quotations, typeface, order of authorities, short cites, etc. A uniform system of citation, a style guide, prescribes the most widely used legal citation system in the united states. Always check the blue pages in the back of the bluebook table 1 to. The following information regarding the bluebook citation format is an. This book does not cover the latest editions of alwd and bluebook, but it may still be useful.
The bluebook consists of four main sections the first section is the bluepages, which provide information on basic legal citation. Specifically, you would refrain from using any signal whatsoever before the citation when the citation is a the source of a quotation, b directly supports the text, or c directly referring to the text. Bluebook citation for legal materials purdue writing lab. Introduction bluebook guide guides at georgetown law. Use no signal, for example, when directly quoting an authority or when restating numerical data from an authority. Bluebook guide libguides at university of illinois law. The bluebook, as it is commonly referred to, spans more than three hundred pages. The bluebooks introductory citation signals are essential to effective legal discourse. See generally introduction to basic legal citation. Cited authority supports a proposition different from the main proposition but is sufficiently analogous to lend support cf. Bluebook legal citation university of akron school of law. Few books cause law students as much dread, pain, anger, and frustration as the bluebook the bluebook, formally titled the bluebook.
The whitepages are the indepth rules of citation and style. Formatting of signals and accompanying punctuation rule 1. Bluebook gallagher law library videos library guides. If a current official code does not exist, as is the case for many states, a citation to a current, unofficial code is preferred. The bluebook supports numerous sources in law writing. Signals bb alwd ib citing an authority without any preceding word to clarify or qualify its connection to the text represents that the citation directly states the proposition or identifies a quotation or authority with which the citation is associated e. Introduction to bluebooking bluebook basics libguides. For example, several cases following a see signal must be placed in order according to court, chronology, and sometimes alphabetically. Legal writers use citation signals to tell readers how the citations support their propositions, organizing citations in a hierarchy of importance so the reader can quickly determ. A uniform system of citation, is the style manual for citing to legal documents within the united states. For a detailed discussion on where to place the numbers for your footnotes, see r1. Signals of the same basic type supportive, comparative, contradictory, or background rule 1.
Where the florida rules do not address a particular citation, the bluebook. The bluebook also has citation rules for legal memoranda and other practiceoriented materials the blue pages, which students in lrwa2. The scope of the indigo book s coverage is roughly equivalent to the bluebook s bluepagesthat is, the indigo book covers legal citation for u. Bluebook layout bluebook guide guides at georgetown. B12 basic format for statutes in court documents r12 detailed format for statutes in academic writing r12. Only the signal beginning a citation sentence has its initial letter capitalized. Citations are to the 20th edition of the bluebook, a uniform system of citation rule 10 cases p. No comma separates the signal from the rest of the. The format of these citations depends solely on the kind of source that the writer cites in his or her writing. Blue pages this guide covers the bluebooks white pages, which provide citation rules for academic papers. Statutes bluebook legal citation tarlton law library. The bluebook lists a number of signalswords at the start of a citation that signal what sort of support a source offers. It is used in citations to present authorities and indicate how those authorities relate to propositions in statements.
This part outlines where vlr conventions depart from the bluebook, adds additional rules, and seeks to clarify some of the more obscure bluebook rules. Citations not covered in this rule or in the bluebook shall be in the form prescribed by the florida style manual published by the florida state. The bluepages provide easy and basic principles for common citations. The choice of signal can influence not only the interpretation of cited cases. Although it is intended to highlight the bluebook, and not substitute for it, we hope this guide provides a convenient, delawarespecific resource for the superior courts judicial officers, law clerks, interns, externs, and staff. Basics of legal citations introduction to legal citation. Generations of law students, lawyers, scholars, judges, and other legal professionals have relied on the bluebooks unique system of citation in their writing. Contra is used whenever the cited authority directly states a contradictory proposition and so is essentially the contradictory form of no signal. The form is a blend between intext and footnotebased formats, as its citations are located in the text but appear more similar to footnotebased ones. Always use a signal unless 1 the cited authority directly states the proposition in the text.
However, they can be understood and used with a little bit of knowledge. But see is used when the citation clearly supports a proposition contradictory to the textual assertion, and. Introductory signals are placed before every citation to indicate how the citations relate to the preceding sentence or clause. These sources include statutes, supreme court cases, and other law cases. A law declaring that one group of citizens shall not be afforded equal. At the nations oldest roman catholic law school, notre dame law school encourages students of diverse backgrounds to broaden their social, spiritual, and personal lives while honing their intellectual and professional skills to serve the good of all. Introductory signals guide bluebook citation generator. Do not use a signal with a citation when you have directly borrowed someone elses words or have paraphrased her words or ideas. Tables show jurisdiction specific authorities and citations. Building on that understanding and an explanation of the process of using citations in legal writing, the book then discusses and illustrates the particular rules of the bluebook and the alwd citation manual for citing cases, statutes, and all other major legal sources. Statute citations have a volume, the name of the cited code, a section, and a date. Bluebook citation for llm students bluebook citation for.