Legal writing blue book

There are quite a few simple rules for the proper use of ellipses, which are used more often in legal writing than most forms of writing, since lawyers often generally too. For abbreviations in citations and case names, follow the rules in the bluebook. The manual supplements the uniform citation system for florida legal documents, rule 9. I consider legal writing to be technical writing, however, so i suggest 80 yards, 14 miles and 97 degrees, even if you are writing out numbers to one hundred. If this book were a dessert, it would be 20,000 calories. Paralegal career for dummies, 2nd edition for dummies careereducation. The white pages expand on the rules included in the bluepages. Bluebook style is one of the less known systems of citations that is used majorly in the legal system to provide reference and citations for the literature and sources that are used in legal documents and that build the foundation for the current case.

It also goes one step further and checks for plagiarism. Debate about two spaces after a period in legal writing. Make sure that you quote exactlythe editors will be checking. A guide for students and practitioners legal citation, third edition.

Law school bluebook basics one of the books that all 1l law students are required to purchase is the bluebook. Citing statutes bluebook guide guides at georgetown. From the legal writing clinic writing tip of the week capitalizing court rules b7. Bluebook format is a uniform system of citation, commonly used in the legal documents or argumentative essays in law. Butterick is an advocate for improving the appearance of legal writing by adopting more attractive and modern typographical practices, rather. Additionally, the chicago manual of style recommends its use for all citation of legal material. Welcome to the bluebook, the definitive style guide for legal citation in the united states. Interactive citation workstation available online at lexisnexis. For generations, law students, lawyers, scholars, judges, and other legal professionals have relied on the bluebooks uniform system of citation in their writing.

It was most recently revised in october of 2019 to update the links to state rules and several other external resources. Some of the debate is being driven by the publication of typography for lawyers, by matthew butterick. Bluebook resources penn state law university park, pa. How to cite the amendments in bluebook format legal beagle. Ellipses an ellipsis is a series of three points with spaces between them. It checks your writing for spelling and grammar and punctuation mistakes. Butterick is an advocate for improving the appearance of legal writing by adopting more attractive and modern typographical practices, rather than clinging to the unattractive writing styles of the past. This relation can be supportive, comparative, or contradictory. Blue pages this guide covers the bluebooks white pages, which provide citation rules for academic papers. The central function of a legal citation is to allow the reader to efficiently locate the cited source. The white pages in the bluebook address academic citation. Bluecolored practitioners notes for court documents and legal memoranda bluecolored tables pages. Signals are important because they indicate how a cited authority relates to the text. However, the basic format of a case citation is as follows.

A uniform system of citation, a style guide, prescribes the most widely used legal citation system in the united states. Bluebook citation for llm students bluebook citation for. Count three spaces to the left of the ones column and continue to do so as the numbers get bigger. In your first year you will be writing legal memoranda and briefs, therefore you will follow the examples in the bluepages. A logical question to ask is, what is blue book format. 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 authorities upon. This book is a reference guide that, believe it or not, will be just about the only book you take from law school into your practice as a lawyer. The scope of the indigo books coverage is roughly equivalent to the bluebooks bluepagesthat is, the indigo book covers legal citation for u. In a diverse and rapidly changing legal profession, the bluebook continues to provide a systematic method by which members of.

So if you plan to commit your future to lawrelated fields, knowing how to cite in bluebook format is a must for you. The precise format of a statutory citation depends on a number of factors. Even when the word already ends in s, this is the rule i follow. Bluebook citation to format legal documents and cases. Court document abbreviations table 8 of 17th edition this table gives suggested abbreviations for citations of court documents and legal memoranda not in the other forms of legal writing for the words most commonly found in the titles of court documents. Citation practices and the bluebook cuny school of law. Even chicago sees the clarity of a 40watt bulb and a 32inch inseam, rather than the spelledout versions.

Generations of law students, lawyers, scholars, judges, and other legal professionals have relied on the bluebooks unique system of citation in their writing. The following information regarding the bluebook citation format is an adapted version of the style and formatting guidelines found in the bluebook, 20th ed. Bluebook citation for legal materials purdue writing lab. However, the basic format of a statutory citation is as follows. Citing cases bluebook guide guides at georgetown law. Introductory signals appear at the beginning of citation sentences. Sometimes the most readable format is a combination of numerals and words. Anyone can benefit from this website whether they are a student, paralegal, court. A citation informs the reader where the writer obtained. Authorities that support or contradict entire sentences in text are given in separate citation sentences.