The Bluebook, formally titled The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, is the style manual for citing to legal documents within the United States. The Bluebook is compiled by the editors of the Columbia Law Review, the Harvard Law Review, the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, and The Yale Law Journal.
The Law Library has 4 copies of the current edition on reserve (and several of the previous edition in the Law Library Stacks). These can be checked out from the Circulation Desk for in-library use.
ALWD Guide to Legal Citation (Carolyn V. Williams, 2021)
This resource from a legal writing professor and the Association of Legal Writing Directors, an association of legal writing instructors, focuses its attention on legal citation for legal practice, codifying the most common legal citation rules. It also notes differences in the rules of academic citation, with clear visual signals to prevent confusion. It includes guidelines for citing sources not specifically addressed in the rules.
The Bluebook Uncovered (Dionne E. Anthon, 2020)
Perfect for law students preparing for the All-Journal Write-on Exam or anyone trying to improve their citation sentences and footnotes, this slim volume features a practical rearrangement of Bluebook topics in descending importance.
Legal Citation in a Nutshell (Larry L. Teply, 2021)
Highlighting the key issues of legal citation and the differences between Bluebook and ALWD conventions of legal citation, either of which writers might apply depending in different jurisdictions.
Understanding and Mastering The Bluebook (Linda J. Barris, 2020)
This instruction manual for using the Bluebook lays out the basic rules of legal citation. It does not focus attention on the many exceptions to Bluebook rules or less common rules. It helps readers cite to cases, statutes, constitutions, regulations, procedural and court rules, secondary sources, and litigation documents.
User's Guide to The Bluebook (Alan L. Dworsky, 2021)
This pamphlet, revised for the 21st Edition of The Bluebook, provides plain language interpretations of citation rules for practitioners (from the Bluepages) such as when and when not to underline words. It provides a brief overview of the rules in general, and goes into depth on commonly cited documents such as cases and statutes.
Alexa Z. Chew, Citation Literacy, 70 Ark. L. Rev. 869 (2018)
Citations in legal documents convey information about the cited authority, such as the degree of influence it has over subsequent cases. But many law students receive insufficient instruction in how to read these important components, as citation sentences tend to be excised from all but a small part of their first-year writing courses.
Citeus Legalus
Citeus Legalus is a free online tool allowing users to input individual pieces of information and then generating a citation. Other, similar programs limit the number of citations or require payment.
Cornell’s Legal Information Institute
If you’re looking for a quick reference guide to legal citations, Cornell’s Legal Information Institute has a useful summary guide.
Citing ChatGPT - Thomas R. Kline School of Law
This citation guide from the Thomas R. Kline School of Law provides guidance on how to cite to content produced using generative AI.
Westlaw (Westlaw password required)
In Westlaw you can simply highlight text with your cursor and a small menu will pop-up allowing you to “copy with reference” to add the highlighted portion and a citation to your clipboard. Westlaw allows you to export different formats, so be sure to select the correct option.
Lexis (Lexis password required)
Lexis enables users to highlight and copy-paste text with a citation (also in different formats like Westlaw). In addition, Lexis has a module called the Interactive Citation Workstation which allows you to practice Bluebook citation for many resources.
