The purpose of this guide is to introduce the bluebook and basic concepts of legal citation to new law students. A comma, must separate this starting page 677 from the pin cite 683. The precise format of a case citation depends on a number of factors, including the jurisdiction, court, and type of case. General case citation is covered in bluebook rule 10. Bluebook rule 12 covers how statutes should be cited in legal documents. State, supreme court abbreviations or court of last resort. Set out below is a table of words and their abbreviations with links to.
This will provide you with all of the information you need to cite the case but it will not be properly bluebooked. Bluebooking tips and resources georgia state university. Washington practitioners bluebook 101 library guides. Below is a list of state supreme court and court of appeals abbreviations. Use ilcs as the abbreviation for all forms of the illinois compiled statutes, both semiofficial and unofficial. Blue book legal definition of blue book legal dictionary. California has its own style manual for its state courts. A publication that establishes the correct form of case citations or of references to a legal authority showing where information can be found. Accepted abbreviations for legal materials may be found in various publications, such as. Any information about state and court that is clear from the reporter name should be deleted from the parenthetica l. Citations and abbreviations for statutes and regulations. Decisions of the comptroller general of the united states selected. Essential bluebook rules law school writing center law.
Washington courts general rule 14 requires that citations in court documents conform with the format prescribed by the reporter of decisions. Basics of legal citations introduction to legal citation. Bluebook citation for legal materials purdue writing lab. For further information on state statutes, please click here consult the blue pages, rule b12, if you are writing a brief or memo.
State court abbreviations university of akron school of law. Set out below is a table of words and their abbreviations with links to examples. Understanding connecticut legal citations case citations in the connecticut statutes c ct reports ca ct appellate reports cs ct supplement conn. This page provides bluebook a uniform system of citation, 19th ed.
Case name abbreviations table 6 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z. These include standard abbreviations united states code becomes. A volume that explains the organization of a state government and provides the names of state officials. Bluebook editors compile the most useful answers to bluebook questions. The bluebook is the main citation manual for law in the u. A uniform system of citation cabell reference kf245. Sanford levinson, wrestling with diversity 25 2003. The abbreviations for the court and state are not included in the parenthetical due to rule 10. One of the keys to citing statutes properly is knowing where to find the proper legal citation abbreviations. Cases bluebook legal citation tarlton law library at tarlton law. A citation to a case in a regional reporter has the following six elements.
Contains legal abbreviations for english language publications. Citing secondary sources sample bluebook citations. Words in case names basic legal citation cornell university. The new rule brings kentucky practice more in line with the bluebook and alwd styles, although citation to the lower appellate court is slightly at variance. Citing cases bluebook guide guides at georgetown law library. A book, report, treatise, or other nonperiodic material may be cited in shortform after it has been in full. Georgia state university college of law and the authors of the works. Abbreviations for foreign countries materials are found in table 2. The fastest way to collect all of the citation information for a case is to highlight the specific text you would like to cite and use the databases copy with citation feature. Always consult the bluebook for additional information. The bluebook is a collaborative project by a handful of elite law schools. This guide lists bluebook alternatives, but you should assume that bluebook format is preferred by academic law journals and law school writing programs.
Generally, that means bluebook format, but there are some exceptions for instance, citing rcw instead of wash. I am so pleased to recognize our outstanding state reporter, bill hooks, who succeeded to the position in june 2009. Lettersabbreviations at the end of a name that tells us more about an individual. University of chicago manual of legal citation the maroon book sources for abbreviations. Interactive citation workstation available online at lexisnexis. Supreme court abbreviations bluebook quick reference. However, the basic format of a case citation is as follows. State court abbreviations bluebook quick reference.
The abbreviation for the wi supreme court is wi and for the wi court of appeals is wi app for more information on citation in wi. California specific legal encyclopedia that provides case citations and cross references to other resources. Provides correct citation and abbreviation information for all united states jurisdictions, including federal. Name and original section number as it appears in the session laws. In addition, abbreviate any state or smaller geographic unit included in a. The law library has many copies available at law reserve, reference, and at the reference desk, via call number kf 245. The bluebook is overwhelmingly the most popular legal citation style and is the main focus of this guide. Uniform maine citations university of maine school of law. Consult the blue pages, rule b12, if you are writing a brief or memo. Bluebook rule 10 covers how cases should be cited in legal documents. Below are standard abbreviations for the major federal and california statutory and regulatory sources.
Official code of inforce california state agency rules and regulations. Bt2 jurisdictionspecific citation rules and style guides. Do not use the abbreviations for the illinois compiled statutes listed in table 1 pp. However, this guide also provides an overview of other citation styles that are important for california law students and lawyers to know, such as the california style manual.
Depending on the source or style, you may or may not need to know the city, state, or country. The following samples cover basic citation format for secondary sources. The bluepages provide easy and basic principles for common citations. Citing the law student legal services libguides at. The following information regarding the bluebook citation format is an adapted version of the style and formatting guidelines found in the bluebook, 20th ed. Part of doing legal research is citing your authorities properly and tracking down items with unfamiliar citations. Legal abbreviations gonzaga university school of law. For further information on federal statutes, please click here. B58 18th ed 2005 both contain extensive listings of legal abbreviations for various legal sources. A section of the massachusetts general laws relating to the issuance of search warrants can be cited as mass. These tables give the various abbreviations for the u. State abbreviations bb alwd ib state abbreviations 1. However, some courts require a different type of citation in documents submitted to them. The bluebook style guide is used in the american legal profession for citation of all relevant sources.
The central function of a legal citation is to allow the reader to efficiently locate the cited source. Lexisnexis law school publishing advisory board paul caron professor of law pepperdine university school of law. Ct circuit court reports cases general statutes of connecticut title number section number date of revision regulations of connecticut state agencies title number part number subpart. Abbreviations to state court reporters including washington courts. Citing cases bluebook guide guides at georgetown law. It provides a system of rules for legal citations so that readers can locate the sources cited. Home legal citation guides and abbreviations research.
When filing legal documents with a court, court rules of citation apply. It is used for all federal court documents and legal scholarship. Therefore, california statutory code citations merely include an abbreviation for the specific code followed by the number of the section being cited to e. Cases bluebook legal citation tarlton law library at. Common abbreviations and legal citation examples llsdc. As noted above, the court is omitted if it is the highest court in the state. This legal citations and abbreviations index provided by harvard university will walk you through several different types of searches.
Bluebook rule 12 covers how statutes should be cited in legal. Introduction to basic legal citation table of contents index help. All wisconsin cases issued after 1100 include a public domain citation. This research guide lists citation manuals and dictionaries of legal abbreviations to help you with these tasks. Sources and courts tend to have official abbreviations for this purpose, which are generally conspicuously provided for anyone needing to cite them. Outlines the basic structure of legal citations, including cases law, statutes, and administrative rules and regulations. Bluebook resources penn state law university park, pa. All citations of kentucky statutes shall be made from the official. Names of the source and the court are also generally abbreviated. Company, individual, or entity that helped get a work published or distributed. State courts bluebook guide guides at georgetown law. The following note is set out after the abbreviations. Additionally, the chicago manual of style recommends its use for all citation of legal material.
It is a composite of those contained in the bluebook and the alwd guide to legal citation. Many of the complicated variations on rules are not shown in these samples. Cite to the name of the sourcedictionary, page number if pinpoint citing, edition and year. I must start by thanking the law reporting bureau of the state of new york for inviting me to write the foreword for the 2012 style manual. Related guides princes dictionary of legal abbreviations. Legal citation aims to create uniform, understandable references to laws that make them easy for readers to look up. Abbreviate the listed words wherever they appear in a partys name that is part of a citation. These regional reporters contain appellate case law. Rules white pages in middle tables and abbreviations blue pages in back index white pages in back you must cite to supporting authority when. Common bluebook citations for federal courts welcome. If you prefer to search by state supreme court or court of appeals exclusively, click on the links in the left hand navigation bar for.
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