Legal citation, the bluebook, and the anxiety of authority. 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. The editors provide authoritative guidance to reasonable questions on subjects covered by the bluebook. A citation clause occurs within a textual sentence and is set off with commas. This relation can be supportive, comparative, or contradictory. Thus far, this guide has described how to cite cases in long form, i. Four days before, sentinels of the preobrazhensk regiment had stood in front of the house to which balashev was conducted, and now two french grenadiers stood there in blue uniforms unfastened in front and with shaggy caps on their heads, and an escort of hussars and uhlans and a brilliant suite of aidesdecamp, pages, and generals, who were. Parallel citations are used when the same case is printed in two or more different reporters. Subsections are the lowest unit that can be used in a cross reference. The bluebook citation system is the most comprehensive and the most widely. A law declaring that one group of citizens shall not be afforded equal opportunity to seek assistance from the government violates the equal protection clause.
Guide to cite using bluebook citation method with examples. Pink text information that you will need to find from. However, the basic format of a case citation is as follows. Generations of law students, lawyers, scholars, judges, and other legal professionals have relied on the bluebooks unique system of citation in their writing. Only finish a citation clause with a period if it is the last clause in a sentence. Use citation sentences to cite sources and authorities that relate to the. A citation sentence occurs on its own after a textual sentence and is followed by a period. The signal accord comes after another citation that supports the proposition.
In other words, a parallel citation references location information for more that one source of a case. You can combine this with other signals such as see. The first citation here directly supports the statement and the accord signal and second citation. Citing cases bluebook guide guides at georgetown law. Whats the difference between a citation sentence, citation. Sometimes multiple citations or strings are necessary. A few fragmentary passages remain, of which it will be sufficient to cite a word or two to call them to remembrance. Additionally, you may have multiple authorities in a single signal. Capitalize the signal if it the first word of the sentence.
Consult your state courts local rules to find out whether the parallel citation is necessary. There is a division of jurisdiction in bluebook and each jurisdiction has different format of citation, which is quite evident from examples below. Citations in the string cite may well be wasted as courts recognize their discretion to elect to disregard the string citations entirely. In general, if one source is considered more authoritative than the others, place this one first in the string cite. The author experienced frustration with the bluebook both as a first year student and on a law journal board. Blue colored practitioners notes for court documents and legal memoranda blue colored tables pages. Coloring book nicely organized cite featuring spiderman coloring pages. In law, a citation or introductory signal is a set of phrases or words used to clarify the authority. The alwd guide to legal citation allows all to be contained in a single sentence with only a. A string citation contains numerous citations, each separated by a semicolon. You may either insert the direct quotes from the source into your paper or paraphrase the sentences taken from the source.
If one authority is considerably more helpful or authoritative than others cited. This guide presents bluebook exercises and instructions that are used. When referring to a case by name alone, underline and cite fully with a citation sentence or citation clause. For generations, law students, lawyers, scholars, judges, and other legal professionals have relied on the bluebooks unique system of citation. For example, several cases following a see signal must be placed in order. If your authority directly states the proposition or your cite clearly supports the text, you use no signal. Introductory signals appear at the beginning of citation sentences. One citation sentence may contain multiple citations separated by semicolons. A law declaring that one group of citizens shall not be afforded equal opportunity to seek. Because you will often cite a case and other legal materials multiple times in a document, the bluebook has established a short form for use in subsequent citations. The precise format of a case citation depends on a number of factors, including the jurisdiction, court, and type of case. Authorities that support or contradict entire sentences in text are given in separate citation sentences. The two major instances in which a parallel citation may be needed are.
Never use the two character postal abbreviations for states. The authority is one of multiple authorities directly stating the same position. But if you begin a new sentence after a citation, that new sentence. The following information regarding the bluebook citation format is an adapted. Guide to cite using bluebook citation method with examples what is blue book. If citing a federal case and a state case, cite the federal case first. A statute or case name may also be incorporated into a textual sentence, in which case it is not a citation at all.
For example, in the colyer case judge anderson determined that mere membership in the communist party was not a threat to the country. Short form citations are allowed only after a full citation and only when certain criteria are met see short form. Italicize the signal if it is included in the citation sentence. Please cite two instances of the magical skill of the druids. Authorities that support or contradict entire sentences in text are given in separate citation sentences that begin with capital letter and end with period. String citation legal definition of string citation. However, if the emphasis of your sentence is the rule of the case, place the citation at the end of the textual sentence as a freestanding citation sentence. Pay close attention to comma usage, placement, and typeface as dictated in the bluebook. A series of references to cases that establish legal precedents and to other authorities that appear one after another and are printed following a legal assertion or conclusion as supportive authority. For help with other source types, like books, pdfs, or websites, check out our other guides. When a case is referenced in a separate citation clause or sentence, follow all rules below, use ordinary roman type, and abbreviate any word contained in t.
If it is in a citation clause or sentence, it should not be capitalized. Internet citation bluebook citation 101 practitioner. Citation format examples for footnotes general rules times new roman, size 10, 1 line spacing, justified. Law student to lawyer to promote legal education and to assist people seeking legal information. Citation clause like a citation sentence, but set off my commas rather than periods.
The bluebook style guide is used in the american legal profession for citation of all relevant sources. A full citation works well in a textual sentence as. Always use a signal unless 1 the cited authority directly. Bluebook citation for legal materials purdue writing lab. State court cases from different jurisdictions are cited alphabetically by state and then by rank within each state. To have your reference list or bibliography automatically made for you, try our free citation generator. Weird bluebook rules bluebook citations libguides at.
The period on the outside, as in the latter example, is appropriate in a citation clause format where you cite in two different places in a sentence. Partial custody refers to the right to take possession of a child away from the custodial person for a specified period of time. For citation sentences, signals in the same category are listed within a single citation sentence, each one marked off by semicolons. Citation clauses are set off from the text by commas and immediately follow the proposition to which they relate.
Consult the bluebook in conjunction with these tips. The bluebook, is the definitive style guide for legal citation in the united states. Set off with commas, unless it ends a sentence, then end with a period. The second half of the second citation example lists the regional reporter citation as a parallel citation. When refering to a case by name alone, underline and cite fully with a citation sentence or citation clause. Citation sentences begin with a capital letter and end with a period. A bluebook guide for law students suffolk university. Use citation sentences to cite sources and authorities that. The most useful answers are gathered here as blue tips, classified by subject.
Note that if the state or court is clear from the official reporter title, omit it from the date parenthetical. The author hopes this guide will offer some helpful advice. 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. Here are a few examples to illustrate support my statement. Citation practices and the bluebook cuny school of law. 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. Additionally, the chicago manual of style recommends its use for all citation of legal material. The main rule that describes the short form for cases is rule 10. Effective january 1, 2008, however, california rule of court, rule 1. This guide provides commentary, models and tips on the bluebook 19th edition for law students.
Look up the abbreviation for the state in table 10. When you use more than one signal in a citation string, the signals should be. For party name abbreviation rules, it is the same as a citation sentence. According to the bluebook signals of different types should be grouped in different. This signal, an abbreviation of the latin exempli gratia, means for example. These tips are searchable and linked to the bluebook content they address. Example of parallel citations legal citations research. Bluebook citation hamline university school of law. Everything you wanted to know that the bluebook does not tell.
Legal professionals love to hate string citations, and critics have no shortage of reasons to view them with. String these together in one citation sentence, separated by semicolons. For example, in preparing a brief, an attorney might set forth a particular assertion based upon the facts of the case and. Supreme court has the power to invalidate statutes that are repugnant to the u. The bluebook requires citation to printed material provided it is available, unless there is an authenticated, official, or exact digital copy of the printed sources. Signals of different types must be grouped in different citation sentences. Citing to the record in briefs marquette university law. In that case, the period on the outside of the second citation clause signifies that the cite applies just to the second half of the sentence. Signals are important because they indicate how a cited authority relates to the text.
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