Anaya Nolan
Citing sources in legal writing is an integral part of the process, and the Bluebook is the dominant citation guide for law reviews in the United States. The Bluebook provides rules for citing in academic and non-academic contexts, including law reviews, court documents, and legal memos. Authors should pay attention to formatting rules, such as typeface and punctuation, and be aware of the different rules for citing books, journals, and online sources. The quality of sources is important, with primary sources, recent sources, and prominent works in the field being favoured. Authors should also be open to feedback and work with editors to improve the quality of their citations.
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Citing case names
When citing case names, it is important to follow the prescribed format to ensure consistency and clarity. The basic structure of a case citation includes the names of the parties involved, followed by the volume number, the abbreviated name of the reporter, the first page of the case, and the year. For example:
Katz v. United States, 369 F.2d 130 (9th Cir. 1966)
In this example, "Katz v. United States" represents the case name, with "Katz" being the plaintiff and "United States" the defendant. The volume number is "369," followed by the abbreviated reporter name "F.2d," the first page of the case "130," and the year "1966."
It is worth noting that different jurisdictions may have their own specific requirements for citing case names. For instance, in the United States, The Bluebook serves as the primary reference for legal citation and provides extensive guidelines on citing cases, including rules for abbreviating case names and indicating the relevant court and jurisdiction.
Additionally, when citing case names in academic legal writing, such as law review articles, it is generally not necessary to italicise or underline the full case names. Instead, the focus is on following the standardised format for case citations, ensuring consistency with other legal documents and publications.
Case Law: Who Makes the Decisions?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Citing periodical articles
> Author, Title, Volume Number, Abbreviation of Periodical Name, First Page of the Article, Specific Pages Cited (if any), and Year
For example:
> Pamela Samuelson, Functionality and Expression in Computer Programs: Refining the Tests for Software Copyright Infringement, 31 Berkeley Tech L.J. 1215, 1258–67 (2016).
If the periodical article has two authors, list both authors in the order they appear in the original source, connected by an ampersand:
> Yuval Karniel & Stephen Bates, Copyright in Second Life, 20 Alb. J.L. Sci. & Tech. 433 (2010).
If there are three or more authors, you can either list only the first author followed by "et al." or list all authors. It is generally only necessary to list all authors when each author's identity is important. For example:
> Melissa L. Tatum, et al., Does Gender Influence Attitudes Toward Copyright in the Filk Community?, 18 Am. U. J. Gender Soc. Pol'y & L. 219 (2009).
If the journal does not indicate a volume number but has continuous pagination across issues, use the year as the volume number. Volume numbers should always be given as Arabic numerals, even if the original source uses Roman numerals.
For non-consecutively paginated journals and magazines, the format is slightly different:
> Author, Title of Work (in italics), Periodical Name (in small caps), Date of Issue as it is on the Cover, the word "at", First Page of the Work
For example:
> Adam Satariano, Law Bolsters Copyrights in Europe, N.Y. Times, Mar. 27, 2019, at B1.
If there is no author, begin the citation with the title.
Custody Definition: Case Law and You
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Citing internet sources
The Bluebook is a style guide that provides a citation system for legal documents, including law reviews. It is important to note that the Bluebook encourages citation to print sources when they are available. However, there are certain rules that outline how to cite internet sources when print sources are not available.
When citing internet sources, there are three general formats for structuring a citation:
- Cite the same way you would cite the hard copy print material.
- Use a combination of print and electronic citation.
- Cite directly to the electronic version.
Rules for Citing Internet Sources
- Exact Copies (R.18.2.1(a)(iii)): If the material posted online is an exact copy of the print version, such as a PDF with page numbers, you can cite it as if it were the hard copy print source.
- Combination of Print and Electronic Citation (R.18.2.1(b)): Any online source that shares characteristics with a print source (such as a PDF) can be cited according to the Bluebook rule for the print version. Add the URL after the print citation if the print source is obscure or if adding the URL will substantially improve access.
- Citing Directly to the Electronic Version: If the electronic source does not fit the citation format of any other rule, you can cite directly to the electronic material itself. This includes the title of the webpage, the main page title, relevant dates, and the URL.
- Newspapers (R.16.6(f)): Online versions of newspapers can be used to replace print sources.
- Author and Title Format (R.18.2.2): Author, Title (indicates the location of the page in relation to the rest of the website), Main Page Title (Date, Time), URL. If no date is available, include the last visited date after the URL.
Citing Case Law: Motion to Suppress Essentials
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Citing books
When citing books in law reviews, it is essential to follow the Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation. The Bluebook provides comprehensive guidelines for legal citations and is the dominant guide for law reviews in the United States. Here are some detailed instructions and tips for citing books in law reviews:
Formatting and Style
Adhere to the Bluebook's formatting and style guidelines for book citations. Pay attention to details such as italics, underlining, and small caps. The Bluebook specifies the use of footnotes for citations in law review articles, and the inside front cover provides examples of the Bluebook format for law review footnotes.
Author Names and Order
When citing a book with multiple authors, the Bluebook provides specific guidelines. For two authors, list both authors connected by an ampersand in the same order as the original source. For three or more authors, you may use "et al." after the first author's name or list all authors. Separate multiple author names with commas, except for the final name, which is followed only by an ampersand.
For books, provide the author's name, followed by the book title (in italics), the publisher's name, and the date of publication. If the book is part of a multi-volume work, indicate the specific volume being cited.
Electronic Sources
When citing an electronic or online version of a book, ensure that it is an authentic, official, or exact copy (such as a PDF) of the print source. Cite it as you would the original print source, following Rule 18.2.1 of the Bluebook. If the electronic source includes print characteristics, you may also include the URL using Rule 18.2.1b2.
Primary and Secondary Sources
When citing books as sources in law reviews, favour the use of primary sources. Engage with cases, statutes, and other primary legal materials whenever possible. For secondary sources such as law review articles, treatises, or reports, be sure to credit original ideas to their authors, even if you encountered them through another source.
Citation Placement and Redundancy
Avoid inserting citations directly into the text; instead, use footnotes for citations in law review articles. Cluster related citations in a single footnote, and avoid redundancy by citing once when a single citation sufficiently supports a point.
Accuracy and Credibility
Always cite authoritative and recent sources to enhance the credibility of your law review article. Tools like citation management software can assist in maintaining accuracy, but they should not replace meticulous manual review. Clarify any potentially questionable source choices in the text or footnotes if necessary.
Exploring the Relevance of 1874 Case Law Today
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Citing state case citations
When citing state case law, there are a few key rules to follow. Firstly, case citations typically include the name of the case, the published source or sources, and the deciding court and year in parentheses. This information helps readers understand the weight of the case within their jurisdiction. However, when citing decisions made by the highest court of a state, simply indicating the state is sufficient, without naming the specific court. For example, "Seeco, Inc. v. Hales, 22 S.W.3d 157 (Ark. 2000)".
Additionally, when citing a case from an official state reporter, the state does not need to be indicated if the reporter cited unambiguously indicates the issuing state. For instance, "DiLucia v. Madelker, 493 N.Y.S.2d 769 (App. Div. 1985)".
When citing a state case, it is also important to use the appropriate regional reporter, as outlined in Bluebook rule 10.3.1(b). All seven regional reporters are published by the West Group, and the correct one to use depends on the state. The name of the case should be italicized or underlined, with italics being the preferred option.
It is worth noting that some states no longer publish an official reporter, so it is important to check Table T1 to determine if an official reporter is available for your jurisdiction. For example, Ohio Supreme Court cases are still published in the print reporter, Ohio State Reports.
When citing a case, it is also important to consider whether you are citing a textual sentence or a citation sentence, as the rules for omissions are the same for both. It is recommended to do omissions first to avoid spending time abbreviating words that will ultimately be removed.
Furthermore, when citing a case within a law review article, it is customary to use footnotes rather than inserting the citation directly into the text. This format follows the Bluebook guidelines for law review footnotes, which differ from those for briefs, court documents, and legal memos.
In summary, when citing state case law, it is important to follow the specific guidelines for state cases, utilize the appropriate regional reporter, and pay attention to the formatting preferences for case names and citations within law review articles.
Baby Doe: Landmark Case for Child Protection Laws
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
The Bluebook is the dominant citation guide for law reviews in the United States. It provides rules for commonly referenced materials, such as cases, statutes, and law review articles.
When writing a law review article, insert citations as footnotes. The Bluebook has different formats for law review footnotes, briefs, court documents, and legal memos. The basic format for a law review footnote is: author, title, volume number, abbreviation of the periodical name, first page of the article, specific pages cited (if any), and year.
If an article has two authors, list both authors connected by an ampersand in the same order as they appear in the original source. If an article has three or more authors, it is permissible to either give the first author's name followed by "et al." or list all authors as they appear.
If you find a law review article on the internet, you can use the following format: author, title (indicates location of page in relation to the rest of the website), main page title, date, time, and URL.
