
Citing a law review article is a crucial skill for legal scholars, students, and practitioners, as it ensures proper attribution and enhances the credibility of legal research. Law review articles, published in academic journals, provide in-depth analysis and commentary on legal issues, making them valuable sources in legal writing. To cite these articles correctly, one must follow specific citation formats, such as the Bluebook, which is widely used in the United States. Understanding how to accurately reference law review articles not only adheres to academic integrity but also facilitates the traceability of legal arguments and contributes to the broader legal discourse. This guide will outline the essential steps and rules for citing law review articles effectively.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | List all authors’ names in the order they appear, last name first, followed by a comma and initials. |
| Article Title | Title of the law review article, capitalized using title case. |
| Volume Number | Volume number of the law review journal, italicized. |
| Journal Name | Full name of the law review journal, italicized. |
| Page Number(s) | First and last page numbers of the article. |
| Publication Year | Year the article was published, in parentheses. |
| Pinpoint Citation | Specific page or section within the article (optional, if needed). |
| Citation Format | Follows the Bluebook or other legal citation style guide. |
| DOI or URL | Include a DOI (preferred) or stable URL if available (optional). |
| Example | John Doe, The Evolution of Legal Theory, 45 Harv. L. Rev. 123 (2023). |
| Footnote vs. Text Citation | Law review articles are typically cited in footnotes, not in-text. |
| Abbreviations | Use standard abbreviations for journal names (e.g., Harv. L. Rev.). |
| Multiple Authors | List all authors; use "and" before the last author’s name. |
| No Author | Start with the article title, followed by the journal and other details. |
| Online Sources | Include the URL or database name (e.g., Westlaw, LexisNexis) if applicable. |
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What You'll Learn

APA Style Citation Format
When citing a law review article in APA Style, it is essential to follow the specific guidelines outlined by the American Psychological Association. APA Style is widely used in the social sciences and legal fields, ensuring clarity and consistency in academic writing. To cite a law review article, begin with the author’s last name and initials, followed by the publication year in parentheses. For example: "(Smith, J. D., 2023)." If there are multiple authors, separate their names with commas, and use an ampersand before the last author’s name. The title of the article should be in sentence case, meaning only the first word and proper nouns are capitalized. Italicize the title of the journal, which in this case is the law review. For instance: "*Harvard Law Review*."
Next, include the volume number of the law review in italics, followed by the issue number in parentheses if applicable. After the volume or issue number, provide the page range where the article appears. For example: "*123 Harvard Law Review* (4), 1234-1256." If the law review does not use issue numbers, simply omit that part. It is crucial to ensure accuracy in volume and page numbers, as these details are vital for locating the source. If the article is accessed online, include a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) if available, or provide the URL of the journal’s homepage to ensure the citation is complete and accessible.
In-text citations in APA Style require the author’s last name and the publication year in parentheses, such as "(Smith, 2023)." If you directly quote the article, include the page number as well, for example: "(Smith, 2023, p. 1235)." For works with multiple authors, follow the same format, using commas to separate names and an ampersand before the last author. If the article is cited multiple times, abbreviate the author’s name and use "et al." for more than two authors, e.g., "(Smith et al., 2023)."
For articles accessed through online databases like Westlaw or LexisNexis, include the database name in the citation. For example: "Retrieved from Westlaw Database." If the article is available on an open-access platform, provide the direct URL. However, APA Style prefers DOIs over URLs for stability. Ensure that all elements of the citation are formatted correctly, with proper punctuation and spacing, to maintain consistency and professionalism.
Finally, when compiling the reference list, alphabetize entries by the author’s last name. If there is no author, use the title of the article, in sentence case, to alphabetize. Each entry should be double-spaced, with a hanging indent for readability. The reference list should appear at the end of the document under the centered heading "References" (not in bold, italics, or underlined). Following these APA Style guidelines ensures that law review articles are cited accurately and uniformly, facilitating scholarly communication and verification of sources.
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Bluebook Citation Guidelines
When citing a law review article using Bluebook Citation Guidelines, it is essential to follow a specific format to ensure clarity and consistency. The Bluebook, widely regarded as the definitive style guide for legal citations, provides detailed rules for citing various sources, including law review articles. The basic structure for citing a law review article consists of the author’s name, the title of the article, the volume number, the abbreviation of the law review’s name, the first page number of the article, and the publication year, all enclosed in a specific order and punctuation.
The author’s name should be listed in normal font, with the last name followed by a comma and the first name or initials. The title of the article is italicized and followed by a colon. Next, include the volume number of the law review in bold, followed by the abbreviated name of the law review in italics. The abbreviation for the law review should match the Bluebook’s Table T.13, which lists official abbreviations for law reviews and journals. After the law review’s name, provide the first page number of the article, followed by a comma and the publication year in parentheses. For example: *John Doe, The Evolution of Property Law: 21st Century Perspectives: 50 Yale L.J. 1 (2020)*.
If the law review article is accessed online, the Bluebook requires the inclusion of the Electronic Information Page (EIP) or the URL, depending on the specific rule. For online law review articles, add “(EIP)” after the page numbers if the article is part of a database like Westlaw or LexisNexis. If a direct URL is used, it should be included in angle brackets after the page numbers. For instance: *Jane Smith, Rethinking Contract Law in the Digital Age: 60 Harv. L. Rev. 123 (2017)
In some cases, law review articles may have multiple authors. When citing such articles, list all authors’ names in the order they appear, separated by commas, and follow the same formatting rules. For example: *John Doe & Jane Smith, The Intersection of Technology and Privacy Law: 45 Stan. L. Rev. 234 (2019)*. If the article is written by more than two authors, use “and” before the last author’s name, as in: *John Doe, Jane Smith, and Richard Roe, The Future of Environmental Law: 70 U. Chi. L. Rev. 567 (2023)*.
Finally, when citing a law review article in a footnote, the first citation should include the full Bluebook format. Subsequent citations of the same article may use a shortened form, omitting the title and including only the author’s last name, the abbreviated law review name, and the page number. For example, a subsequent citation might appear as: *Doe, 50 Yale L.J. at 10*. This ensures brevity while maintaining clarity and adherence to Bluebook standards. Following these guidelines will help legal scholars and practitioners accurately and consistently cite law review articles in their work.
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MLA Style Citation Rules
When citing a law review article in MLA style, it is essential to follow specific guidelines to ensure accuracy and consistency. MLA (Modern Language Association) style is commonly used in the humanities and liberal arts, and its rules for citing legal sources, including law review articles, are designed to provide clear and concise references. The citation should include all necessary elements to allow readers to locate the source easily.
In MLA style, the basic format for citing a law review article begins with the author’s last name, followed by a comma and their first name. After the author’s name, include the title of the article in quotation marks, followed by the name of the law review in italics. The volume number of the law review is then listed, followed by the issue number (if applicable) in parentheses. Next, provide the year of publication in parentheses, followed by the page range of the article. For example: Smith, John. "The Evolution of Property Rights." *Harvard Law Review* 120.3 (2021): 567-600. This structure ensures that all critical information is included in a logical order.
If the law review article is accessed online, additional elements are required. After the page range, include the words "Web" to indicate the medium, followed by the date of access in day-month-year format and the URL. For instance: Smith, John. "The Evolution of Property Rights." *Harvard Law Review* 120.3 (2021): 567-600. Web. 15 Oct. 2023. https://www.example.com/article. This ensures that the citation is complete and allows readers to locate the online source.
MLA style also emphasizes the importance of consistency and clarity in citations. If there are multiple authors, list them in the order they appear on the article, using "and" before the last author’s name. For example: Doe, Jane, and Richard Roe. "Legal Perspectives on Climate Change." *Yale Law Journal* 119.6 (2020): 1234-1278. If the article has no author, start the citation with the title of the article in quotation marks. Additionally, if the law review does not use volume or issue numbers, omit those elements and proceed with the year and page range.
Finally, when compiling a Works Cited list, arrange the entries alphabetically by the author’s last name or title if there is no author. Each entry should be double-spaced, with a hanging indent for lines after the first. This formatting ensures readability and adheres to MLA style conventions. By following these rules, you can accurately cite law review articles in MLA style, providing a professional and standardized reference for your readers.
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Chicago Style Citation Steps
When citing a law review article in Chicago style, it's essential to follow specific steps to ensure accuracy and adherence to the format. The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) offers two citation systems: the Notes-Bibliography system and the Author-Date system. For law review articles, the Notes-Bibliography system is more commonly used in legal writing. Here’s a detailed, step-by-step guide to citing a law review article in Chicago style using this system.
Step 1: Identify the Key Elements
Begin by gathering all necessary information about the law review article. This includes the author’s full name, article title, journal title, volume number, issue number (if available), publication year, and page range. For example, if citing an article by Jane Doe titled *"The Evolution of Property Rights"* published in *Harvard Law Review*, volume 123, in 2020, from pages 100 to 150, ensure all these details are noted. Accuracy in these elements is crucial for a proper citation.
Step 2: Format the Footnote Citation
In the Notes-Bibliography system, the first citation appears as a footnote. The format is as follows: author’s first name, middle initial (if provided), and last name, followed by the article title in sentence case and enclosed in double quotation marks. Next, provide the journal title in italics, followed by the volume number, issue number (if applicable), and the page range. Finally, include the publication year in parentheses. For instance:
> 1. Jane Doe, "The Evolution of Property Rights," *Harvard Law Review* 123 (2020): 100-150.
Step 3: Create the Bibliography Entry
The bibliography entry follows a similar structure but is formatted slightly differently. Start with the author’s last name, followed by a comma, then the first name and middle initial. The article title is in sentence case and enclosed in quotation marks. The journal title is italicized, followed by the volume number, issue number (if available), page range, and publication year. For example:
> Doe, Jane. "The Evolution of Property Rights." *Harvard Law Review* 123 (2020): 100-150.
Step 4: Handle Subsequent Citations
For subsequent citations of the same source, use a shortened form in the footnotes. Include the author’s last name, a shortened version of the title (if necessary), and the page number(s) referenced. For example:
> 2. Doe, "Evolution of Property Rights," 105.
If the same source is cited consecutively, use the Latin term *Ibid.* followed by the page number, if different. For example:
> 3. *Ibid.* 106.
Step 5: Pay Attention to Special Cases
If the article has multiple authors, list all authors in the same order as they appear in the source, separated by commas. For more than three authors, use "et al." after the first author’s name. If the article is accessed online, include a stable URL or DOI at the end of the citation, preceded by "https://" or "doi:". For example:
> 2. Jane Doe et al., "The Evolution of Property Rights," *Harvard Law Review* 123 (2020): 100-150, https://harvardlawreview.org/article/123-100.
By following these steps, you can accurately cite a law review article in Chicago style, ensuring clarity and consistency in your legal writing.
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In-Text Citation Examples
When citing a law review article in-text, the primary goal is to clearly and concisely direct the reader to the corresponding entry in the reference list or bibliography. The most common style guides for legal writing, such as The Bluebook and ALWD Citation Manual, provide specific rules for in-text citations. Below are detailed examples of in-text citations for law review articles, focusing on both parenthetical citations and signal phrases.
Parenthetical Citation Examples: In legal writing, parenthetical citations are frequently used to indicate the source of a quotation or idea. For a law review article, the basic format includes the author’s last name, the year of publication, and the page number(s) if referencing a specific part of the article. For example: (Smith 2020, 45). If the author’s name is mentioned in the sentence, the parenthetical citation omits the author’s name and includes only the year and page number: Smith argues that this approach is flawed (2020, 45). When citing multiple works by the same author published in the same year, a lowercase letter is added after the year to distinguish them: (Smith 2020a, 45). If there are two authors, both names are included in the citation: (Smith & Johnson 2020, 56). For three or more authors, use "et al.": (Smith et al. 2020, 78).
Signal Phrase Examples: Signal phrases are another way to integrate citations into the text smoothly. They typically include the author’s name and a verb indicating the action (e.g., argues, states, notes). For instance: "As Smith (2020) argues, the current legal framework is inadequate" (p. 45). If the signal phrase includes the year, the parenthetical citation need only include the page number: "Smith argues that this approach is flawed (2020, 45)." For multiple authors, the signal phrase can be adjusted accordingly: "Smith and Johnson (2020) highlight the inconsistencies in the statute" (p. 56). For three or more authors, use "et al." in the signal phrase: "Smith et al. (2020) critique the court’s reasoning" (p. 78).
Citing Multiple Sources in One Parenthesis: When referencing multiple sources in a single parenthetical citation, list them in alphabetical order by the first author’s last name. For example: (Johnson 2019, 34; Smith 2020, 45). If the sources have the same author and year, include the distinguishing letter: (Smith 2020a, 45; Smith 2020b, 67). Ensure each citation is separated by a semicolon and follows the same format for consistency.
Special Cases: If the law review article has no identifiable author, cite the title of the article in the parenthetical citation, using a shortened version if necessary. For example: (The Impact of Technology on Legal Practice 2021, 23). If the article is accessed online and has no page numbers, omit the page reference or use paragraph numbers if available: (Smith 2020, para. 15). Always consult the specific style guide being used to ensure compliance with its rules for handling unique citation scenarios.
By following these in-text citation examples, writers can accurately and professionally reference law review articles in their legal scholarship, ensuring clarity and adherence to established citation standards.
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Frequently asked questions
In Bluebook style, cite a law review article as follows: Author’s full name, Title of Article, Volume Number Abbreviated Journal Title First Page (Year). Example: John Doe, The Evolution of Property Law, 50 Harv. L. Rev. 123 (2020).
Use the official Bluebook abbreviation for the law review journal. For example, "Harvard Law Review" becomes "Harv. L. Rev." and "Yale Law Journal" becomes "Yale L.J." Refer to Table T.1 in the Bluebook for a complete list of abbreviations.
No, the author’s credentials or affiliation are not included in the citation. Only the author’s name, article title, journal name, volume, page number, and year are required in a standard law review citation.
































