The law is primary authority, but secondary authority can illuminate how the law is applied. A publication that establishes the correct form of case citations or of references to a legal authority showing where information can be found. Legal encyclopedia that provides case citations and cross references to other resources. However, the following are rules and examples for other types of legal documents that many firstyear law students may need to cite. Additionally, the chicago manual of style recommends its use for all citation of legal. Common abbreviations legal citation research guides at. The following samples cover basic citation format for secondary sources.
Use of the permanent edition is advised, except for issues not yet published in it bluebook, 2010, p. Apr 09, 2020 when citing legal sources, apa style follows the standard legal citation style used across all disciplines. The bluebook is the most commonly used system for legal citations in the united states, especially for legal scholarship, but also with modifications by local rules in judicial opinions and party briefs. For california state cases, csm requires you to cite the official reporters cal.
If required by your instructor, you can add annotations to your citations. A volume that explains the organization of a state government and provides the names of state officials. Mich cases hays v lutheran social servs of mich, 300 mich app 54, 56. To promote uniformity of citations, many lawyers and law students use the blue book. A uniform system of citation is used in place of the apa manual for materials not citations not covered in the apa manual. Citing from other secondary sources legal citation research guide.
The indigo bookisnt the same asthe bluebook, but it does implement the same uniform system of citation thatthe bluebookdoes. Below you will see examples of bluebook citations for various common authority types. The scope of the indigo book s coverage is roughly equivalent to the bluebooks bluepagesthat is, the indigo book covers legal citation for u. A bluebook guide for law students suffolk university. For additional instruction, see illinois supreme court rule 6 and the style manual. For many years, the authoritative reference work on legal citation was a manual. It was most recently revised in october of 2019 to update the links to state rules and several. Legislative history definition, blacks law dictionary 9th ed. Secondary sources bluebook citation 101 practitioner format. See your bluebook for specific exceptions involving special designations, place of publication etc. Guide created by westfield state college ely library.
Citation practices and the bluebook cuny school of law. The bluepages section located at the start of the bluebook is a miniguide to court documents andor legal memoranda. While you generally will not cite to a legal encyclopedia, rule b15. For additional instruction, see illinois supreme court rule 6 and the style manual for the supreme and appellate courts of illinois.
The citation format for newspapers and newsletters is largely the same as for nonconsecutively paginated periodicals. This is an important step because the main volumes are arranged alphabetically by major topic e. The mcgill guide provides comprehensive rules for citing case law, legislation, periodicals, books and parliamentary material for canada, the u. Citation clauses are set off from the text by commas and immediately follow the proposition to which they relate. Apr 03, 2020 when using a print legal encyclopedia, it is best to start by searching for your terms in the index volumes at the end of the set, rather than in the main volumes. Introduction bluebook guide guides at georgetown law library. It was most recently revised in october of 2019 to update the links to state rules and several other external resources. Pink text information that you will need to find from. Additionally, the chicago manual of style recommends its use for all citation of legal material. Bt2 jurisdictionspecific citation rules and style guides. Citus legalus the citation generator for lazy law students. State encyclopedia articles are updated irregularly. Bluepage rules are sometimes different but are always based upon the normal nonbluepage rules.
The basics of legal citation including citation styles bluebook and alwd. However, you may need to check further down or at the beginning of the book to locate the full title, the pin, or the edition. It is now in its 20th edition, more than an inch thick, and consists of over 500 pages of guidance on legal citation. Blue book legal definition of blue book legal dictionary. Always consult the bluebook for additional information.
Martin, cornell legal information institute this guide can be used for both the 4th edition of the alwd citation manual and the 1. Guide to foreign and international legal citations, nyu law library. Secondary sources bluebook citation libguides at florida. This is a proposed citation style to adapt the bluebook to the unique needs of wikipedia. Many of the complicated variations on rules are not shown in these samples. Bluebook uniform system of citation alwd citation manual. Legal encyclopedias are secondary sources that provide a general. Additionally, the apa manual suggests seeking assistance from law school websites or law libraries. Legal materials citation help for apa, 7th edition.
This edition of the tyle s manual for the supreme and appellate courts of illinois has been revised from prior editions two specific goals. Peter martins introduction to basic legal citation an alwd. Our citation guides provide detailed information about all types of sources in mla, apa, chicago and turabian styles. Each example contains orange brackets and labels clicking on a bracketed and labelled portion of the example will redirect to where rules concerning that element of example are included within this guide. There are lots of rules for legal citation, and bluebook is usually the choice of academic papers. Citation examples use nonacademic citation format i. The guides citation format is also now part of heinonlines citation tool repertoire. Dec 19, 2019 you can use this page as a quick starting point. The scope ofthe indigo book s coverage is roughly equivalent tothe bluebooks bluepagesthat is,the indigo bookcovers legal citation for u. Citing secondary sources sample bluebook citations libguides. The authorized exceptions from the bluebook system of citation are listed on pages 29 and 30 of this manual.
Encyclopedias first year legal research guide libguides. Illinois resources first year legal research guide. This manual is published jointly by law schools at harvard, yale, columbia, and the university of pennsylvania. Just select add annotation while finalizing your citation. The print book is designed to work with the web based workstation. Alternative legal citation style guides exist, including the maroonbook and the alwd citation manual. A manual on legal style 2d ed 2006 the chicago manual of style 16th ed 2010. To have your reference list or bibliography automatically made for you, try our free citation generator. A uniform system of citation, commonly referred to simply as the blue book. Always check for local court citation rules for court documents. To have your reference list or bibliography automatically made for you, try our free citation. How do i cite american jurisprudence in an apa paper. For california state cases, csm requires you to cite.
Citation machine helps students and professionals properly credit the information that they use. Secondary sources bluebook basics libguides at university of. Jul 22, 2019 legal encyclopedia that provides case citations and cross references to other resources. The basic elements when citing a legal dictionary include. It informs students how to cite all types of law documents. Michigan appellate opinion manual 2014 michigan supreme court. There are too many rules for this introductory guide to cover. Bluebook and california style manual form are provided on the following pages. Citation rules for court documents and legal memoranda. It also includes a section on citing international documents. Part of doing legal research is citing your authorities properly and tracking down items with unfamiliar citations. The purpose of this guide is to introduce the bluebook and basic concepts of legal citation to new law students. Each different kind of secondary source has a slightly different set of rules for citation, which will be enumerated below. Citeus legalus the automated bluebook citation generator.
A free alternative to the bluebook legal citation guide is now available. In large multivolume treatises, you will often have to indicate which volume you are using. Additionally, you will usually need to reformat the citation to ensure that it complies with csm formatting. The indigo book, formerly called baby blue, is available online without charge in pdf or html. Secondary authorities bluebook citations libguides at william s. This research guide lists citation manuals and dictionaries of legal abbreviations to help you with these tasks. Csm for books and treatises bluebooking and legal citation. Do not begin a citation clause with a capital letter unless the citation clause begins with a source that would otherwise be capitalized. The indigo book a free legal citation guide based on the. Includes separate sets of exercises for the bluebook and the alwd citation manual.
Citing secondary sources sample bluebook citations. Ive worked with both, and for some reason, i prefer alwd to bb. Known by the color of its cover, the bluebook was the codification of professional norms that introduced generations of law students to legal citation. Do not end a citation clause with a period, unless it is the last clause in the sentence. A uniform system of citation, is the style manual for citing to legal documents within the united states. If you dont know what that is, you should probably do manual entry. The bluebook citation manual abbreviation, followed by the alwd citation manual. Citus legalus is an automated bluebook citation generator for lazy law students. Online, citation information is shown at the top of the screen. Bluebook citation for legal materials purdue writing lab. Generations of law students, lawyers, scholars, judges, and other legal professionals have relied on the bluebooks unique system of citation in their writing.
Needless to say, it is large, a bit unwieldy, and challenging at first. Bluebooking and legal citation california style manual csm basics search this guide search. If your judge or court has not stated a preference for the citation style of the california style manual, you may default to the bluebook citation style. 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. There are also several house citation styles used by legal publishers in their. Writing manual is the first comprehensive guide to judicial opinion writing published by the court for its use. 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. Citing other resources bluebook guide guides at georgetown. For help with other source types, like books, pdfs, or websites, check out our other guides.
The scope ofthe indigo books coverage is roughly equivalent tothe bluebooks bluepagesthat is,the indigo bookcovers legal citation for u. This is not a comprehensive citation reference work. The bluebook contains rules that prescribe how to cite a variety of legal documents. Encyclopedias first year legal research guide libguides at. Bluebook citation hamline university school of law.
Volume, author s, title pinpoint cite edition year. The bluebook offers a uniform system of citation which is standardized for most law essays in college. The bluebook is taught and used at a majority of u. The publication manual of the apa does not include citing congressional record. Internet citation bluebook citation 101 practitioner. How to cite a encyclopedia article in bluebook law. 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. When filing legal documents with a court, court rules of citation apply. None of us anticipated seeing the book on the new york times bestseller list, but we took note since the bluebook is the appellate lawyers bible for legal citation.
Effective january 1, 2008, however, california rule of court, rule 1. Electronic versions of the encyclopedias are updated directly. The style manual used by the new york state law reporting. The book has every citation you will ever need when conducting research for your case. A uniform system of citation, a style guide, prescribes the most widely used legal citation system in the united states. The bluebook is the most commonly used system for legal citations in the united states, especially for legal. Cite to the name of the sourcedictionary, page number if pinpoint citing, edition and year. Jul 19, 2019 the bluebook, formally titled the bluebook. Rule 15 in the bluebook explains how to properly cite a book. Home legal citation guides and abbreviations research. However, the following are rules and examples for other types of legal documents that many firstyear law students may need to cite in addition to cases and statutes.
Full name of the authors book title underlined or italicized pinpoint page number if needed. The index is probably the most important part of the book. How to reference a encyclopedia article in bluebook law. The bluebook style guide is used in the american legal profession for citation of all relevant sources. The bluebook citation manual abbreviation, followed by. The supreme court will follow this manual in its opinions. A short primer on bluebook citation formats for federal and state cases and. It is important to note that many state courts and the. The apa manual provides explicit directions for the citation of cases, statutes, and administrative materials, but defers to the latest edition of the bluebook.