String citation sturm college of law university of denver. Its limited aim is to serve as a tutorial on how to cite the most widely referenced types of u. It might be difficult to understand bluebook citation format without having some vivid examples. Because such string cites are difficulttoread, i prefer to display a string cite as an indented list in the text not as a footnote, with a blank line clearly separating each case. If, however, the provision cited or quoted has changed since the publication of the source doing the citing or quoting, cite. For this reason if you are citing to a range of sections, use the words to or through instead of a dash to avoid confusion.
As you spend more time looking through the bluebook, you may come up with your own top ten list of particularly obscure bluebook rules ordered, as ours. The following information regarding the bluebook citation format is an adapted version of the style and formatting guidelines found in the bluebook, 20th ed. Sometimes multiple citations or strings are necessary. Elements of a citation get separated by commas, or set off by parentheses. If no public domain cite is available, cite to regional reporters only. Regents of the university of california, the court held. A string citation contains numerous citations, each separated by a semicolon. If you are using parentheses around your record cites, then you use them with all record cites, including those that contain id. Students should know by this time 2 types of intext citations exist. The signal accord comes after another citation that supports the proposition. According to the bluebook signals of different types should be grouped in different citation sentences.
It is not intended to be a comprehensive discussion of citation rules. In general, if one source is considered more authoritative than the others, place this one first in the string cite. Contra is used whenever the cited authority directly states a contradictory proposition and so is essentially the contradictory form of no signal. Bluebook citation to format legal documents and cases. Direct intext citation the writer leaves quote the way it appears in the original source without changing anything. And note that these rules were chosen based on personal editing and writing experience. Some basics on bluebooking with a focus on maryland rules this is a quick guide to citing maryland cases and statutes, based on bluebook rules 10 and 12. You can combine this with other signals such as see. For generations, law students, lawyers, scholars, judges, and other legal professionals have relied on the bluebooks unique system of citation. The development of the bluebook from its inception in 1926 as a twentysixpage pamphlet for use at harvard law. Use promocode youtube on our website and get 20% off in this video, we cover what it takes to properly write a bluebook citation. When citing a range of sections or an entire act, the range must be specified in the citation. A uniform system of citation and the alwd citation manual. Thus far, this guide has described how to cite cases in long form, i.
For example, if citing to footnote 3 on page 807, provide the pin as 807 n. Signals bluebook citation 101 practitioner format research. Substance of legal citation the subtext of citation. Some of the most obscure bluebook rules or how to really. The main authority being cited, or whichever is most useful, if any, should always be cited first. The bluebook now makes it optional to use parentheses around your record cites. Citation signals have different meanings in different u. If you encounter a situation that is not covered in this guide, make sure to check the bluebook for more detail. Citations in quoting citing parentheticals, 6152010 related section. Example 1 demonstrates an effective use of multiple citations to support a rule synthesis. Style manual updated 2018 preface the oregon appellate courts have adopted this style manual as a guideline for conventions used in format, citation, quotation, and style when writing opinions. For example, constitutions are listed before statutes, which. Order of authorities bluebook legal citation tarlton.
String cite o separate with a semicolon o order according to r 1. 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. For example, in preparing a brief, an attorney might set forth a particular assertion based upon the facts of the case and. Citing to the record in briefs marquette university law. Italicize the signal if it is included in the citation sentence. Citation practices and the bluebook cuny school of law. Else, cite to an unofficial code usually the annotated version, then lexis or westlaw, then looseleaf, internet or newspaper, in that order rule 12. See generally akhil reed amar, reports of my death are. String citation legal definition of string citation. Look up the abbreviation for the state in table 10.
Here are a few examples to illustrate support my statement. String citations a good writing tool or a bad idea. Bluebook rule 10 covers how cases should be cited in legal documents. Guide to cite using bluebook citation method with examples. The anxiety of a jthority absence, a rather impressive literature 8. Hat tip to eva resnicow, aka editrix lex, who brought this bluebook change to my attention since the eighteenth edition, the bluebook has included internal quotation marks omitted among the parenthetical expressions listed in rule 5. Citation format examples for footnotes general rules times new roman, size 10, 1 line spacing, justified. I dont think it would make a difference if you changed the pincite, so in your example. 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.
The two most prominent citation manuals are the bluebook. Lengthy string citations, like long singlespaced block quotations, are never a good idea. When citing multiple pages, give the inclusive page numbers and. Public domain cite and other reporter informati on is available for each state in t. Never use the two character postal abbreviations for states.
Alternately, you can find most of the citation information you need at the top of the screen on lexis and westlaw. Federal courts bluebook guide guides at georgetown law. Court documents and legal memoranda is the typeface. But see is used when the citation clearly supports a proposition contradictory to the textual assertion, and. If possible, cite to the official code andor its supplement. Finally, no signal can be used when you referred to an authority in your proposition and your citation merely identifies the authority. The first citation here directly supports the statement and the accord signal and second citation.
For example, 735 ilcs 52101 is a single section, not a range from 2 to 101. It is not allinclusive nor an attempt to dictate writing style. Everything you wanted to know that the bluebook does not tell. A string cite as a singlespaced, fineprint footnote is useful for citing authorities to support an assertion that is commonly known amongst attorneys and judges. That is the bluebook rule addressing the broader question of how to signal any number of alterations a writer might make to a. When citing a source for the purposes of a citing or quoting parenthetical under rule 1. The most frequently used are probably no signal, e.
If citing to a footnote, add the number of the footnote after the page number in the format n. The bluebook, is the definitive style guide for legal citation in the united states. Citation signals help a reader to discern meaning or usefulness of a reference when the reference itself provides inadequate information. If you need to include a pinpoint citation to, for example, a quotation or the holding of a case, add the page number after the first page. If the case is not published in the regional reporter, cite to a source in which the case is published. For example, you may wish to use a string citation if you need to illustrate that there. Additionally, you may have multiple authorities in a single signal.
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