Welcome to the Bluebook

1
Welcome to the Bluebook

• The Basics of The Bluebook A Uniform System of
  Citation

2
Basic Structure of Bluebook

• 3 Main Sections
• Bluepages (for practitioners DO NOT use for
  write-on competition)
• Main (White) Pages
• Blue-Bordered Pages (Tables)
• Other Key Parts
• Quick Reference Guide
• Index
• Table of Contents
• See also very back, blue cover for structure

3
Index

• Located at very end (starting on p. 381)
• Use the Index if . . .
• New/Odd Source
• Unsure where to start
• Random Situations
• Any other reason

4
Main (White) Pages

• Rules 19
• Overall Rules for citations AND main text
• Rules 1021
• Source Specific Rules
• Also some stylistic rules (e.g., foreign sources
  in Rule 20)

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Special Issues for the Write-On Competition

• Typeface Conventions
• Watch for specific rules in the Write-On Packet
  that could override portions of Rule 2 (p. 54) or
  other typeface rules in the Bluebook
• For example, replace
• Italics with Underline
• SMALL LARGE CAPS with Bold

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Example Cite a Case (Rule 10)

• 7 Steps to Citation
• Signal (Rule 1)
• J/d specific Rule (Table 1)
• Abbreviate Case Name
• Vol., Reporter, Page
• Pincite Page (if necessary)
• Court Date Parenthetical
• Explanatory Parenthetical

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Step 1 Signals (Rule 1.2)

• Signals are used to introduce a footnote relative
  to the weight of its authority.
• They can be
• (a) Supporting (See, See also, and E.g.,)
• (b) Comparing (Compare, and, with)
• (c) Contradictory (But see, Contra, and But
  cf.)
• (d) Background (See generally)
• Many signals require a parenthetical statement to
  make the authors point clearer to the reader

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Step 2 Jurisdiction Rules (T.1)

• Look up the Jurisdiction
• Federal States in T.1
• Foreign in T.2
• Intergovtal Orgs. in T.3
• Some states have specific formats that differ
  from the default in Rule 10
• See, e.g., Utah

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Step 3 Abbreviate Case Names

• For cases cited in textual sentences, use just
  Rule 10.2.1.
• For cases cited in footnotes citations, use BOTH
  Rule 10.2.1 AND Rule 10.2.2, which refers you to
• Words in Table T.6
• Geographic Terms in Table T.10

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Step 3 contd Abbreviate

• Recording Industry Association of America, Inc.
  v. Verizon Internet Services, Inc.
• Start with 10.2.1 abbreviations
• 10.2.1(c) (p. 8283) Association Assn
• 10.2.1(h) Inc. after RIAA is unnecessary
• Now 10.2.2 (Table T.6 on pg. 335)
• Industry Indus.
• America Am.
• Service Serv.
• BUT, we need Services add s to make plural
• Thus, Services Servs.

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Step 3 contd

• The Resulting Case Name
• Recording Indus. Assn of Am. v. Verizon Internet
  Servs., Inc.

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Example Next Steps

• Rule 10.3 (p. 86) Reporter see also Table T.1
  Rule 6.1 for spacing
• Rule 10.4 (p. 89) Court J/d
• Use Tables T.1, T.2, T.7, and T.11 for proper
  abbreviations of court name geographic
  location D.C. Cir.
• Rule 10.5 (p. 90) Date or Year
• See Recording Indus. Assn of Am. v. Verizon
  Internet Servs., Inc., 351 F.3d 1229, 123135
  (D.C. Cir. 2003).

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Last Step Parenthetical Info

• See Rule 10.6 (p. 91) (discussing the variety of
  parenthetical options)
• see also Rule 1.5 (p. 51) (Instead of a present
  participle, such as discussing, use an entire
  sentence!).

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Parenthetical Information contd

• Use other parentheticals in the following order
• Weight of Authority
• 438 U.S. 104, 146 (1978) (Rehnquist, J.,
  dissenting)
• Quoting/Citing
• Use when you cite a case that cites another case
  for your point
• e.g. (citing Brown v. Bd. of Educ., 347 U.S. 483
  (1954))
• Explanatory
• 438 U.S. 104, 146 (1978) (Rehnquist, J.,
  dissenting) (noting that Penn Central is
  prevented from further developing its property
  basically because too good a job was done in
  designing and building it.)

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Example Cite a Periodical (Rule 16)

• 6 Steps to Citation of a Law Review Article
• Author
• Title of Article
• Journal (Table T.13)
• Page, and pinpoint cite
• Year of publication
• Explanatory Parenthetical (if necessary)

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Step 1 Author (Rule 16.1)

• Include the authors entire name (as much as is
  known)
• Georgette C. Poindexter
• NOT G. C. Poindexter
• If two authors, include both, using an ampersand
• A. Leo Levin Meyer Kramer
• If more than two authors, either include all, or
  use just the first author and et al.
• Paul Butler et al.
• Georgette C. Poindexter, LizabethAnn Rogovoy
  Susan Wachter

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Step 2 Title of Article (Rule 16.2)

• Include the ENTIRE title as it appears on the
  title page
• Do not abbreviate words or omit articles in the
  title
• USE ITALICS (underline for the write-on)
• Edward B. Rock, The Logic and (Uncertain)
  Significance of Institutional Shareholder
  Activism
• Use Rule 8 for capitalization rules
• Some of the law reviews will have their own style
  guides containing capitalization rules

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Step 3 Journal

• For a consecutively paginated journal (when the
  journal, for instance, starts the 3rd issue of a
  volume on the page following the last page of the
  2nd issue)
• Identify the journal volume number
• Look to Table T.13 for the journal abbreviation
• David Rudovsky, Police Abuse Can the Violence Be
  Contained?, 27 Harv. C.R.-C.L. L. Rev.
• For a non-consecutively paginated journal (such
  as a magazine, where each issue starts at page
  1)
• Include only the journal/magazine name, in small
  caps (BOLD for the write on), and the date of
  issue
• Joan B. Kelly, Mediated and Adversarial Divorce
  Respondents Perceptions of Their Processes and
  Outcomes, Mediation Q., Summer 1989

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Step 4 Page and pinpoint cite

• Similar to a case, include the first page of the
  article after the journal name, then a comma, and
  the specific page that contains the material
  being cited
• David Rudovsky, Police Abuse Can the Violence Be
  Contained?, 27 Harv. C.R.-C.L. L. Rev. 465, 500
• For a magazine, include the word at and the
  first page of the article
• Joan B. Kelly, Mediated and Adversarial Divorce
  Respondents Perceptions of Their Processes and
  Outcomes, Mediation Q., Summer 1989, at 71.

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Step 5 Year of Publication

• For a consecutively paginated journal, at the end
  of the citation, include the year of publication
  in parentheses
• David Rudovsky, Police Abuse Can the Violence Be
  Contained?, 27 Harv. C.R.-C.L. L. Rev. 465, 500
  (1992).
• For a non-consecutively paginated journal, the
  year will have already be included, so there is
  no need to repeat it.

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Last Step Parenthetical Info

• Similar to the parenthetical information for
  cases
• Can use a present participle, such as quoting
  or arguing
• See Rule 1.5 (p. 51) (Instead of a present
  participle, such as discussing, use an entire
  sentence!).

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Rule 4 Short Citation Forms

• When a citation has already been mentioned in a
  previous footnote, or in the same footnote, a
  short form of citation should be used.
• The most common short forms are
• Id.
• Supra
• Hereinafter
• See Rules 4.1 and 4.2 for guidance

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Id.

• Id. is used only when citing
• Immediately preceding citation in the same
  footnote, OR
• Immediately preceding footnote (when that note
  has only one source).
• For example
• 1. See Robert B. Reich, Toward a New Consumer
  Protection, 128 U. Pa. L. Rev. 501 (1979) Bruce
  Ackerman, Note, Direct Loan Financing of Consumer
  Purchases, 85 Harv. L. Rev. 1409, 1415-17 (1972)
  see also Chalfin v. Specter, 233 A.2d 562 (Pa.
  1967).
• 2. See Chalfin, 233 A.2d at 570.
• NOT See id. at 570.

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Id. (contd)

• When the citation varies from the former, this
  must be indicated.
• For example,
• Chalfin v. Specter, 233 A.2d 562, 562 (Pa. 1967).
• Id. at 563.
• --------------------------------------------------
  -------------
• 42 U.S.C. 1981 (1994).
• See id. 1983.
• See Rule 4.1 for more examples

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Supra and Hereinafter

• Supra can be used for all sources except
• Cases,
• Statutes,
• Constitutions,
• Legislative materials (other than hearings),
• Restatements,
• Model Codes,
• Regulations
• There is an exception when the name of the
  authority is extremely long, supra may be used
  for the above

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Supra

• This short form can be used when an authority has
  been fully cited previously in the document.
• This form ordinarily contains
• Last name of the author of the work, a comma,
  supra and then an indication as to how earlier
  citation differs from the subsequent citation.
• For example
• Reich, supra note 1, at 509.
• Keeton et al., supra note 29, 2, at 4.
• Rule 4.2 discusses supra in more detail

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Hereinafter

• This short form is used when the Supra form would
  be cumbersome to cite numerous times in a paper,
  or where the regular shortened form might be
  confusing
• After the first citation of the authority, but
  before any explanatory parenthetical, place the
  word hereinafter and your personal shortened
  form in brackets.
• In each subsequent citation, simply use your
  shortened form, a comma, and a supra reference,
  or other shortened form if supra is
  inappropriate.

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Hereinafter (cont.)

• For example
• 34 Proposed Amendments to the Federal Rules of
  Criminal Procedure Hearings before the Subcomm.
  on Criminal Justice of the H. Comm. on the
  Judiciary, 95th Cong. 9293 (1977) hereinafter
  Hearings (testimony of Prof. Wayne La Fave).
• 35 Richard H. Fallon et al., Hart and Weschslers
  The Federal Courts and the Federal System 330
  (5th ed. 2003).
• 36 Hearings, supra note 34, at 33 (testimony of
  Hon. Edward Becker).
• 37 Fallon et al., supra note 35, at 343.
• Do not use hereinafter when supra is
  adequate.
• Rule 4.2 discusses hereinafter in more detail.

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Rule 18.2- The InternetParallel Citation to
Internet Sources

• What kind of Internet site?
• Parallel Citation to Internet Sources (18.2.2)
• Cite as printed source per Rules 10-17, 19-21
• Parallel cite to the Internet with available at
  if it will substantially improve access to the
  source
• e.g. Santa Monica Municipal Code
• Santa Monica, Cal., Mun. Code ch. 3.20 (1976),
  available at http//www.codemanage.com/santamonica
  /.

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Rule 18.2- The InternetDirect Citation to
Internet Sources Analogous to a Printed Source

• What kind of Internet site?
• Direct Citation to Internet Sources (18.2.3)
• Not in a traditional printed format or widely
  available commercial database
• Use typeface and date format of printed source by
  analogy
• Case (R.10)
• Report (R.15)
• Article (R.16)
• E.g., Online Magazine Article available ONLY
  online
• Do not pin-cite unless the source is available in
  a format that preserves pagination (like PDF).
  If no date is available, add a last visited
  parenthetical after URL

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Rule 18.2- The InternetExample Published Online
ONLY

• Rule 18.2.3- Direct Citation to Internet Sources
  (analogous to a printed source)
• Rule 16.4- Print Magazine Articles
• Author
• Title of Work
• Periodical Name
• Date of Issue
• (URL)
• Dahlia Lithwick, Can We Talk? Decoding the
  Blabbering Supremes, Slate, Apr. 8 2006,
  http//www.slate.com/id/2139514/.

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Rule 18.2- The InternetExample Print Magazine
(available online)

• Rule 18.2.2 Parallel Citations to Internet
  Sources
• Note that a magazine as easy to acquire as People
  wouldnt require a parallel citation to an
  internet source, but is used here for
  illustrative purposes.
• Rule 16.4- Print Magazine Articles
• Author
• Title of Work
• Periodical Name
• Date of Issue
• 1st Page/Pinpoint
• Zorianna Kit, Brandos Last Role, People, July
  15, 2004, at 3, available at http//www.people.com
  /2004/July/ BrandosLastRole.

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Rule 18 - Electronic ResourcesDirect Citation to
Internet SourcesWithout a Printed Analogue

• What kind of Internet site?
• Websites (Rule 18.2.3)
• Treated as an unpublished source, per Rule 17,
  and should be printed in normal roman font.
• Include
• Author of site (unabbreviated), if conspicuously
  attributed.
• Title of site (from the title bar if possible)
• URL
• Do not pincite
• Add a last visited parenthetical after URL
• e.g. Citing text on a business website
• Fathers Office, Philosophy About Our Food,
  http//www.fathersoffice.com/html/fathersOffice.ht
  ml (last visited Apr. 9, 2006).

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Rule 20 Foreign Materials Rule 21 Intl
Materials

• General Principles
• Start with the Rule 20 (Foreign Materials) or
  Rule 21 (International Materials) if the source
  appears to be foreign language/international law
  related.
• THEN refer to the standard Bluebook rules for
  Cases/Periodicals etc. when you are instructed to
  follow by analogy.
• Useful Rules
• Rule 20 Table T2 Cases from Foreign
  Jurisdictions
• Rule 21.4 Table T4 Treaties
• Rule 21.7 Table T3 United Nations Sources
• Rule 21.8 Table T3 Materials from
  Intergovernmental Organizations (including
  decisions)
• European Union
• World Trade Organization

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Table T.1 U.S. Jurisdictions

• This table begins with Federal court system
  information in the U.S.
• Includes all the information you could ever need
  on every state court system in the U.S.
• Information on courts, statutes, and state-level
  administrative actions
• States (and D.C.) are listed alphabetically.
• Other U.S. Regions (e.g., Guam) listed afterwards
• As discussed previously, you should note that
  Supreme Court decisions should be cited to United
  States Reports (U.S.), not the Supreme Court
  Reporter (S. Ct.), even though the write-on
  packet will include Supreme Court decisions
  copied from the S. Ct. to save space.

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Table T.2 Foreign Jurisdictions

• This table includes court information for foreign
  jurisdictions it is a gold mine for
  International sources.
• All countries are listed alphabetically.
• T.2 includes information on Foreign
  Constitutions, Codes, Statutes, Decrees,
  Journals, Periodicals, and commonly used internet
  sources.
• Follow the fill-in-the blanks with the specific
  country for example

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Table T.3 Intergovt Orgs. Table T.4 Treaty
Sources

• T.3 Intergovernmental Organizations
• This table is also extremely useful for foreign
  or international cites.
• Includes United Nations, European Communities,
  etc.
• See Rule 21.7 for Materials from the United
  Nations Rule 21.8 for Materials from
  Intergovernmental Organizations
• T.4 Treaty Sources
• This is a very small table which includes
  treaties in
• Official U.S. sources
• Intergovernmental treaty sources, and
• Unofficial treaty sources
• See Rule 21.4 for the rules for citing Treaties

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Abbreviation Tables T.6 T.7

• T.6 Case Names
• This table lists abbreviations for words commonly
  found in the titles of cases
• For example,
• Academy ? Acad.
• Commission ? Commn
• International ? Intl
• N.B. unlike ALWD, Bluebook does use apostrophes
  in abbreviations (ALWD abbreviation for
  International Intl.)
• T.7 Court Names
• This table lists abbreviations of Court names
• For example,
• Appeals Court ? App. Ct.
• Court of International Trade ? Ct. Intl Trade

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Table T.13 Periodicals

• This table gives an alphabetical list of the
  correct abbreviated forms of commonly cited
  periodicals (including journals)
• For example,
• Albany Law Journal of Science and Technology ?
  Alb. L.J. Sci. Tech.
• Colorado Journal of International Environmental
  Law and Policy ? Colo. J. Intl Envtl. L.
  Poly
• If the journal is not listed in this extensive
  list, the Table gives directions as to how to
  cite it using the available resources
• See Rule 16 for the rules for citation to
  periodicals