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Bluebook Citation Generator

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• Archive material
• Chapter of an edited book
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• Online image or video
• Presentation
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• Religious text

What are Bluebook citations?

The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, prescribes the most commonly used legal citation system for law professionals in the United States. The Bluebook is compiled by the Harvard Law Review Association, the University of Pennsylvania Law Review and the Yale Law Journal.

Generations of law students, lawyers, scholars, judges and other legal professionals have relied on the Bluebook’s unique system of citing in their writing.

How to create Bluebook citations

There are many sources supported within The Bluebook including legal cases, Supreme Court cases and statutes. The way in which citations are formatted depends on which type of source you are citing.

A case citation, for example, includes the name of the case; the published sources in which it may be found, if any; a parenthetical that indicates a court and jurisdiction and the year or date of decision; and the subsequent history of case, if any. It may also include additional parenthetical information and prior history of the case.

It’s important to note that the format in which your source should be cited depends on a number of factors (filed but not decided, unpublished interim order etc.) explained in most detail in the latest version of The Bluebook, Edition 19; alternatively, check with your lecturer if you are unsure.

Looking for a simpler option? Generate your citations using Cite This For Me’s Bluebook citation generator within seconds. Fast, accurate and hassle free, it’s citations made easy.

Popular Bluebook Law Review style Citation Examples

How to cite a book in bluebook law review style.

Use the following template to cite a book using the Bluebook Law Review citation style.

In-text citation

Place this part right after the quote or reference to the source in your assignment.

How to cite a Journal in Bluebook Law Review style

Use the following template to cite a journal using the Bluebook Law Review citation style.

How to cite Film or Movie in Bluebook Law Review style

Use the following template to cite a film or movie using the Bluebook Law Review citation style.

How to cite an Online image or video in Bluebook Law Review style

Use the following template to cite an online image or video using the Bluebook Law Review citation style.

How to cite a Website in Bluebook Law Review style

Use the following template to cite a website using the Bluebook Law Review citation style.

Additional Bluebook Law Review style Citation Examples

How to cite a blog in bluebook law review style.

Use the following template to cite a blog using the Bluebook Law Review citation style.

How to cite a Court case in Bluebook Law Review style

Use the following template to cite a court case using the Bluebook Law Review citation style.

How to cite a Dictionary entry in Bluebook Law Review style

Use the following template to cite a dictionary entry using the Bluebook Law Review citation style.

How to cite an E-book or PDF in Bluebook Law Review style

Use the following template to cite an e-book or pdf using the Bluebook Law Review citation style.

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How to cite an Edited book in Bluebook Law Review style

Use the following template to cite an edited book using the Bluebook Law Review citation style.

How to cite an Email in Bluebook Law Review style

Use the following template to cite an email using the Bluebook Law Review citation style.

How to cite an Encyclopedia article in Bluebook Law Review style

Use the following template to cite an encyclopedia article using the Bluebook Law Review citation style.

How to cite an Interview in Bluebook Law Review style

Use the following template to cite an interview using the Bluebook Law Review citation style.

How to cite a Magazine in Bluebook Law Review style

Use the following template to cite a magazine using the Bluebook Law Review citation style.

How to cite a Newspaper in Bluebook Law Review style

Use the following template to cite a newspaper using the Bluebook Law Review citation style.

How to cite a Podcast in Bluebook Law Review style

Use the following template to cite a podcast using the Bluebook Law Review citation style.

How to cite a Song in Bluebook Law Review style

Use the following template to cite a song using the Bluebook Law Review citation style.

How to cite The Bible in Bluebook Law Review style

Use the following template to cite The Bible using the Bluebook Law Review citation style.

How to cite a TV Show in Bluebook Law Review style

Use the following template to cite a TV Show using the Bluebook Law Review citation style.

Bluebook Citation: Electronic and Audiovisual Sources

• Case Location
• Court & Date

Parallel Citations

• Short Forms
• Prior & Subsequent Case History
• Federal Statutes
• State Statutes
• Cases & Statutes Review
• Parentheticals
• When Do I Cite?
• Secondary Sources
• Legislative Resources
• Electronic and Audiovisual Sources
• Court Documents
• Scholarly Publication
• Guides to the Bluebook

Bluebook Quick Reference

B18  (p. 26):  Bluepages Sources and Authorities guide to Internet Sources

Rule 18 (p. 164):  Rule for the Internet, Electronic Media, and other Nonprint Resources

Audiovisual Materials

Rule 18.6  covers citation of films, broadcast television, video sources that have not been broadcasted, and online videos.

Rule 18.7 covers citation of audio materials, including music recordings, recordings of meetings or conferences, and online recordings such as podcasts.

The Bluebook states that you should cite to traditional print resources over electronic resources.  However, there are instances when the electronic version is acceptable:

• When it is an authenticated copy (encrypted, etc.)
• When it is an official copy (i.e. Government version)
• When it is an exact copy (i.e. PDFs)

Also, there are three basic rules for using an internet source when citing:

• If the source is one of the three acceptable types (authenticated, official, or exact copy).
• If you are using the source as a parallel citation (generally done when the internet source provides improved access to the information).
• When it is a direct citation (when the information only exists in a digital format).

The various forms of internet sources and their citation guideslines are covered below, but Rule 18.1 proves a useful table for quick reference.

Electronic Databases

If a case is not published in a reporter, then the Bluebook says that it is acceptable to cite to a database.   Rule 18.3  outlines which cases will fall into this category and how to cite these selected cases.  In your citation you should include:

• Docket number
• Database name and identifying number
• " at " and pinpoint page citation
• Full date of court decision

[ Case name , Docket number, Database name/number,  at  *page (court Month Day, Year).]

NOTE:  Pinpoint citations in a commercial database will be different than in print, since they use something called "star pagination."  To do a pinpoint cite to a commercial database, you include " at " and the star page in the cite.

Rule 18.3  says that statutes cited from an electronic database will look the same as the print citation, except in the date parenthetical.  With citations to print volumes the date of publication of the actual volume is cited, but in electronic databases these statutes are continually updated.  Hence, your date parenthetical for an online statute will include the currentness information provided by the database (ex. "current through 2012 Leg. Sess."), commercial publisher name , and database name in the parentheses.  So, a citation will generally include:

• Abbreviated set name
• Statute section number
• Database name 
• "Currentness" information

[5 U.S.C. § 555 (West, Westlaw through 2011 Leg. Sess.).]

Legislative Materials

Legislative, administrative, and executive materials are also cited just as their print counterparts are, according to Bluebook Rule 18.3.  The only difference is that the name of the database and the identifying numbers are added at the end of the citation, much like a parallel citation.

NOTE:  The Bluebook states that if the name of the database is unclear from it's identifier, include the name parenthetically at the end of the citation.

Secondary Materials

Rule 18.3.4 of the the Bluebook states that you may cite electronic versions of books, periodicals, and other secondary materials as you would the print version as dictated by Rules 15-17.   

The Bluebook recommends using online sources if the internet resource will improve access to the information.   Rule 18.2.3 states that you should first cite to the print source and then include a parallel citation to the internet source.  The URL of the internet source is generally included.  This applies to all sources covered in the Rules 10-17 .

Ex. John Doe,   Fables and Follies of Blue Booking,  10   LAW REVIEW 65, 68 (2012), http://www.johndoe.com/articles/archives/lm78winter2001p.65.htm.

Direct Citations

When a source is only published online, or was "born digital," Rule 18.2.2 of the Bluebook states you should cite the most "stable" electronic location you can find.  The citation should include all information that can most clearly direct the reader to the source, and will generally look very similar to a print citation of an article, including:

• Author (if available)
• Main page title
• Publication date (or last updated)

Steven Lee Myers, Despite Rights Concerns, U.S. Plans to Resume Egypt Aid, The New York Times (March 15, 2012),  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/16/world/middleeast/us-military-aid-to-egypt-to-resume-officials-say.html?_r=1&hp .

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• Next: Court Documents >>
• Last Updated: Sep 13, 2022 10:37 AM
• URL: https://library.famu.edu/bluebook

Northern Illinois University College of Law David C. Shapiro Memorial Law Library

• University Libraries
• David C. Shapiro Memorial Law Library

Sample Bluebook Citations

• Citing Secondary Sources
• Introduction to Sample Bluebook Citations

Citing Legal Dictionaries & Legal Encyclopedias

Citing books & treatises, citing articles in legal periodicals, citing alrs & restatements.

• Citing Case Law
• Citing Codes & Statutes
• Citing Session Laws
• Citing Federal Legislative History Sources
• Citing Administrative Law Sources
• Go to Basic Legal Research Guide

Law Library Contact Information

Reference Desk:

• Email: [email protected]

Circulation Desk:

• Phone: 815-753-0507
• Email: [email protected]

The following samples cover basic citation format for secondary sources. Many of the complicated variations on rules are not shown in these samples. Always consult the Bluebook for additional information.

Legal Dictionaries

Cite to the name of the source/dictionary, page number (if pinpoint citing), edition and year. See R. 15.8 (p.155), B15.1 (p. 23).

Black's Law Dictionary 513 (10th ed. 2015).

Ballentine's Law Dictionary 936 (3d ed. 1969).

Legal Encyclopedias

Cite to the volume, name of the source, article title/broad topic (this is NOT the section name -- it is the title of the main topic within which the section you are citing falls), section number, and year. See R. 15.8 (p. 155), B15.1 (p. 23).  Note: Article names are not abbreviated and are always italicized.

67A Am. Jur. 2d Sales § 940 (2003). 29A C.J.S. Eminent Domain § 412 (2007). 18 I.L.P. Evidence § 178 (2003). or 18 Ill. L. & Prac. Evidence § 178 (2003). 5 Ill. Jur. Criminal Law and Procedure § 55:01 (1999).

Supplements to legal encyclopedias: Remember that you only cite to a supplement if new text is there. Do not cite to the supplement if case annotations, footnotes, or references to secondary sources are the only new information in the supplement. See R. 3.1(c) (p. 71).

When the material you are citing is in both the main volume and the supplement: 30 C.J.S. Eminent Domain § 412 (2007 & Supp. 2016).  

When the material you are citing is only in the supplement: 30 C.J.S. Eminent Domain § 412 (Supp. 2016).

There are many permutations of citing to a book or treatise. Be sure to consult the Bluebook for specifics.

In general, cite to the volume number, author(s), title (in italics), section number and/or page number and/or paragraph number (when pinpoint citing), editor(s) and/or translator(s) (if listed), and year. See R. 15 (p. 149) generally, B15.1 (pp. 22-23).

Single author: See R. 15 (pp. 149-150),  B15.1 (pp. 22-23).

John Humbach, Whose Monet?: An Introduction to the American Legal System 21 (2007).

Multiple authors: See R. 15.1(a) & (b) (pp. 149-150), B15.1 (pp. 22-23). For editors see R. 15.2 (p. 151). For an edition see R.15.4 (pp. 152-153).

Reynolds Robertson & Francis R. Kirkham, Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of the United States §445 (Richard F. Wolfson & Philip B. Kurland eds., 2d ed. 1951).

Volume within a multi-volume set: See R. 15.1 (p. 149).

4 Charles Alan Wright & Arther R. Miller, Federal Practice & Procedure § 1006, at 35 (3d ed. 2002).

Shorter work within a collection : See R. 15.5.1 (p. 142).

Hon. Kathleen M. Pantle & Crystal H. Marchigiani, Arrest, Search and Seizure, in 1 Defending Illinois Criminal Cases § 1.43, at 1-60 (2010).

Legal periodicals include law reviews, journals, and newspapers. There are many permutations of citing to legal periodicals. Be sure to consult the Bluebook for specifics.

In general, cite to the author(s), title of the article (in italics), volume number of the source, title of the source (i.e., name of the journal/publication), page number on which the article begins (and if pinpoint citing, also give the page or range of pages to which you are citing), and publication year of the issue.

The following Bluebook sources are useful in constructing citations to periodical articles:

• R. 16 (pp. 159-171)
• Table 10, Geographical Terms (pp. 502-509)
• Table 12, Months (p. 510)
• Table 13 helps you construct the appropriate abbreviations for journal/publication titles. Institution names are provided in the first  section (T 13.1, pp. 511-513) and common words in the following section.
• For each word in the journal/publication title, look at both sections of Table 13 to see if there is an abbreviation listed for that word. If there is no abbreviation listed in Table 13, then spell out the word.
• Note the exception to closing up single adjacent capitals in abbreviations at R. 6.1 (p. 87).

Article in a consecutively paginated journal:

• In consecutively paginated journals, each new issue within a given volume starts with the page number which follows the last page number in the prior issue. The volume number (before the journal title abbreviation) and the year in parentheses (at the end of the citation) are used to identify the issue. Seasons, months, etc. are not used.
• Most traditional law reviews and law journals are consecutively paginated.
• See R. 16.4 (p. 162), B16.1.1 (p.23), T. 13 (pp. 510-516).

Stephen Garvey, The Attorney's Affidavit in Litigation Proceedings , 31 Stan. L. Rev. 191 (1979).

Student-written article in a consecutively paginated journal with a pinpoint citation: See R. 16.7.1 (pp. 165-166), B16.1.3 (p. 24), T. 13 (pp. 510-516).

Dawn M. Johnsen, Note, The Creation of Fetal Rights: Conflicts with Women's Constitutional Rights to Liberty, Privacy and Equal Protection , 95 Yale L.J. 599, 601 (1986).

Article in a non-consecutively paginated journal:

• In non-consecutively paginated journals, each issue of the journal starts over at page 1. Months or seasons (depending on the journal) are used to uniquely identify the issue. Volume numbers are not used.
• See R. 16.5 (pp. 162-163), B16.1.2 (p.24), T. 12 (p. 510), T. 13 (pp. 510-516).

Joan B, Kelley, Mediation and Adversarial Divorce: Respondent's Perceptions of Their Processes and Outcomes , Mediation Q., Summer 1989, at 71.

Newspaper article: See R. 16.6 (pp. 163-164), B16.1.4 (p.24), T. 10 (pp. 502-509), T. 12 (p. 510), T. 13 (pp. 510-516).

David B. Caruso, Think Tank: Law Should Encompass Homosexual Unions , Chi. Daily L. Bull., Dec. 5, 2002, at 1.

American Law Reports

Although ALR articles have no real persuasive value, an entire ALR annotation can be cited to show trends in the law.

• Cite to the author(s), insert the word "Annotation" followed by the title of the annotation (in italics), volume number, name of the source/ALR series, page number, and copyright year of the volume. See R. 16.7.7 (p. 168). 
• If no author is given, begin the citation with the word "Annotation" (i.e., just omit the author name from the example below).
• If supplements are applicable, see R. 3.1(c) (pp. 71-72).

John E. Theuman, Annotation, Forfeiture of Money to State or Local Authorities Based on its Association with or Proximity to Other Contraband , 38 A.L.R.4th 496 (1985 & Supp. 2016).

Restatements

Cite to the title of the source, section number, abbreviated institutional author's name and copyright year of the volume. See R. 12.9.4 (pp. 131-132), R. 15.1(c).

Restatement (Second) of Contracts § 245 (Am. Law Inst. 1979).

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• Last Updated: May 5, 2023 10:19 AM
• URL: https://libguides.niu.edu/law-sample-bluebook-citations

© 2024 Board of Trustees of Northern Illinois University. All rights reserved.

Bluebook Legal Citation System Guide

Getting started, six steps to creating a citation, bluebook navigation, bluebook troubleshooting, beyond the bluebook, citing & bluebooking faqs, getting help, what is the bluebook.

The Bluebook is a guide to a system of legal citation frequently used by law schools and law journals. This guide will introduce you to how to use the Bluebook. 

Print copies of the Bluebook are available in the Library in Reference and on Reserve at circulation. Copies can also be purchased in print or online at https://www.legalbluebook.com/ .

References to page numbers in this guide are from the 21st edition.

Before You Start

• There are other citation formats.
• Pick the correct one for your project.
• There are gaps in the Bluebook, particularly for non-traditional and non-U.S. sources.
• Use the closest analogous rule.
• Make sure that you are citing the same source or types of sources in the same way. 
• Keep in mind that the main goal for all citation systems is to make it easy for your reader to find the source you are citing. 

Six Steps to Your Citation

To create a Bluebook citation follow this six step process:

1. Identify the Type of Source

What  type of source do you want to cite?

• The Bluebook rules are organized by source type
• Common types include cases, statutes, books and book chapters,  journal articles, web pages, etc.

2. Find the Bluebook Rule

Go to the  Bluebook rule  for that source type. 

• Check the Quick Guides on the inside cover to identify major source types
• Use the index to find rules for other types of sources not included in the Quick Guides
• If you found a traditionally printed source online, review both the rules for the print source and the rules for online sources
• The print and online rules are often used together

3. Read the Rule & Examples

• Read the rule carefully
• Study any examples provided closely
• Examples are provided inside the front cover, at the beginning of each rule, and within the text of the rules
• Note which components are required to create a citation for a specific type of source

4. Gather the Citation Components

• Gather the required components of the citation from your source

5. Draft a Citation

• Draft a citation that looks like the most relevant example
• Do your best, but don't worry if your first draft isn't perfect

6. Edit the Citation

• Edit your draft citation using the Bluebook's style rules and tables
• Note typeface and punctuation conventions for different types of sources
• Note the rules for abbreviations and use the tables to abbreviate your citation

The Six-Step Process in Action

To see an example of how this process works with an article from the NY Times website, check out the powerpoint below.

• PowerPoint Slides: Six-Step Citation Creation Process

Organization & Blue and White Pages

The Bluebook is organized into sections:

• Style Rules
• Primary Law
• Secondary Law
• Internet & Electronic Sources
• Foreign & International Materials
• Tables: Jurisdictions & Abbreviations

Use the Bluepages   when drafting citations that will appear in documents like legal memoranda and court filings. 

Use the Whitepages  when drafting citations that will appear in legal academic publications.

Quick Guides

The Quick Reference inside front and back covers of the print include rule cross references and sample citations for common citation types:

• Inside Front: Quick Reference: Citations in Law Review Footnotes
• Inside Back: Quick Reference: Citations in Court Documents & Legal Memoranda

There is also a Quick Style Guide online for common citation types used in law reviews:

• Online: Quick Style Guide for Citations in Law Review Footnotes

Finding Aids

Consult the following to find the appropriate rule or table for your citation

• Back cover compact table of contents
• Full table of contents (pp. IX-XVI)
• Index (pp. 329-365)

Solving Citation Problems

The Bluebook isn't always clear.  Try the following if you're having difficulty with a citation:

• Make sure you have the correct rule for your type of resource
• If your type of resource isn't specifically included, find the one that is most similar
• If you are citing material for a country that isn't in the Bluebook, find a country with a similar legal system to base your citation on
• Search recent articles in law reviews on Hein, Westlaw and Lexis. Has anyone else cited this material?
• Check the resources linked in Beyond the Bluebook 
• Be consistent with the citation format you pick
• Make sure to include enough information for a reader to follow in your footsteps.

Library Help

We are not Bluebook experts, but we're happy to help guide you through the Bluebooking process.

• Provide access to Library copies of the Bluebook
• Assist you as you navigate Bluebook rules
• Help you locate supplemental citation guides and self-help materials

We cannot check footnotes for you, proofread your paper or provide authoritative Bluebook interpretations. 

Bluebook Orders, Comments & Corrections

• The Harvard Law School Library is not affiliated directly with  The Bluebook or the Harvard Law Review Association
• 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  and is published and distributed by the Harvard Law Review Association

Please contact the editors of The Bluebook directly ( https://www.legalbluebook.com/ ) with orders, questions, comments or corrections. 

Additional Bluebook Help

• Bluebook Guide (Georgetown Law Library)
• Foreign Law by Jurisdiction: Citation (NYU Law) List of citation guides and abbreviation dictionaries for foreign and international law sources.
• Cornell LII: Introduction to Basic Legal Citation

Over It? Here Are Some Other Options...

• ALWD Guide to Legal Citation The ALWD (Association of Legal Writing Directors) Guide to Legal Citation explains legal citation formats for all types of legal documents in a clear, pedagogically sound manner. The Guide’s plain language, numerous examples, and clear, integrated structure to explaining the legal system of citation for legal materials is easy for students, professors, practitioners, and judges to understand and use.
• The Indigo Book The Indigo Book is a free, Creative Commons-dedicated implementation of The Bluebook’s Uniform System of Citation. The Indigo Book was compiled by a team of students at the New York University School of Law, working under the direction of Professor Christopher Jon Sprigman.
• OSCOLA: Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities The Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities is designed to facilitate accurate citation of authorities, legislation, and other legal materials. It is widely used in law schools and by journal and book publishers in the UK and beyond.

All Citation/Bluebook FAQs

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Bluebook Citation for Legal Materials

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

The Bluebook style guide is used in the American legal profession for citation of all relevant sources. Additionally, the Chicago Manual of Style recommends its use for all citation of legal material. What follows is a summary of the basics. It should be noted that the Bluebook system goes into significant complexity on most of these points, but the following is the level of detail it recommends for the basic needs of, e.g., a student.

It should also be noted that, depending on the document, underlines may be substituted for italics and vice versa – as long as one is consistent.

Short Form Citations

Once you have cited a given authority in full once, you may use a short-form citation subsequently. The specific content of a short form citation is flexible, but varies by the type of authority being cited. Acceptable short forms for a given citation will be covered in each entry.

Short forms may also use id.  to indicate that this citation is from the same authority as the previous.  

Court Cases

Citation of a court case requires the following components:

• The name of the case
• The source where you found the case
• The court where the case was decided
• The year the decision took place

The citation may be followed by other parenthetical information, such as a brief explanation of the case’s relevance or a quotation from that case. This may be followed by subsequent history of the case, e.g., later affirmations of the decision, if you so choose.

In citing the name of the case, one generally summarizes. If there are multiple plaintiffs or multiple defendants, one only lists the first party in each category. Moreover, the names of individuals within the case name are shortened to surname only – no first or middle names, no initials, no “aka” or “et al.”

In general, one should abbreviate to the degree possible without losing necessary information. The Bluebook recommends, for example, shortening any procedural phrases to abbreviations such as “In re” or “Ex parte”, as well as using any commonly-understood abbreviations to shorten the names of the parties, e.g. “Univ.” rather than “University”. Names of the source and the court are also generally abbreviated; in the example citation below, Federal Rules Decisions is shortened to “F.R.D.”, and the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania is abbreviated to “W.D. Pa.” Sources and courts tend to have official abbreviations for this purpose, which are generally conspicuously provided for anyone needing to cite them.

The page number in a case citation is the page on which that case begins in the source. If you wish to reference a specific page as well as the general case, separate that page reference with a comma. For instance, if your reference is a case that begins on page 100 of your source, but you want to point specifically to a statement six pages in, the page number in your citation would be “100, 106”.

In the short-form citation of a case, you are free to shorten the case name to only the   first party, or even an abbreviated form of that party’s title. If, however, the first party is a governmental entity, geographical unit, or other such creation, this may not be a helpful citation. (Since there are so many cases where the first party is, for example, the U.S. government, citing a case name as “United States” doesn’t narrow it down enough to be useful). In these cases, cite instead by the name of the second party.

If you are citing a specific point in the case, you may use only that page number and eliminate the page that the case begins on. If you are still citing the case as a whole, retain the page number on which the case begins.

Shortened Case Name , Source at page number.

Ex rel. Mayo , 54 F.R.D. at 282.  

Constitutions

When citing the constitution of a governmental entity, use the abbreviated title of the constitution, then specify to which subdivision of said document you are referring. Some helpful abbreviations for those subdivisions are as follows:

Set the title of the constitution in small caps if possible. The subdivisions should then be listed, separated by commas, in order of decreasing size.

Constitition Title  subdivision, subdivision.

Tenn. Const.  art. IX, §3.

If you are citing a section of that constitution which has since been amended or repealed, note the date of that fact in parentheses at the end of the citation, e.g.

U.S. Const.  amend. XVIII (repealed 1933).

If the entire constitution is no longer in effect, add the date at which the constitution was originally adopted to the citation as follows:

Md. Const.  of 1864, art. XXIV.

If the section of a defunct constitution you are citing was adopted in a different year than the constitution as a whole, then include that year as well, e.g.

Ala. Const. of 1819, amend. III (1850).

There is no short form for constitutional citations.

Statutes, Laws, and Codes

To cite a federal statute, you need to include:

• The title of the act
• The source in which it is found
• The year in which it was enacted (session laws) OR the year in which the source was published (codes).
• The chapters or section(s) being referred to.

State statutes follow a similar structure, but whenever possible, one should simply cite the appropriate section of the code.

Act Title, Source § number (year).

The Guano Islands Act, 48 U.S.C. ch. 8 §§1411-12 (2012).

Ga. Code Ann. § 39-2-17 (2016).

As with constitutional citations above, if the statute has been repealed or amended, indicate this fact and the year it occurred in parentheses at the end of the citation. You may also include additional information in the same fashion.

Utah Crim. Code § 76-7-104 (1973) (repealed 2019).

Short form citations for statutes need to include the section number as well as the minimum information necessary to identify which of your previously-cited authorities the citation refers to. An appropriate short form for the Guano Islands Act above, for instance, could be:

48 U.S.C. §§1411-12

Bills and Resolutions

To cite a bill or resolution, include:

• Title of bill if needed
• Document number
• Term and session of the legislative body
• Relevant sections
• Year published

For bills passed in state legislative bodies rather than federal, you should also include the state.

Act Title, Document Number, Term # Legislative Body, Session § number (State year).

Student Protection Act, H.R. 2625, 113 th  Cong. § 3 (2013).

Floor Amendment 1 to S.B. 459. 42 nd  Leg., 1 st  Sess. § 2 (N.M. 1995).

In short-form citations, it is sufficient to cite by document number, though to avoid confusion, one should specify the state unless discussing a federal law.

Ga. H.B. 677

When citing a hearing, include:

• The full title as published
• The relevant bills, if any
• The committee
• The term & session of the legislative body
• The year of publication
• The name and titles of the individual providing a statement
• Relevant page numbers

Title: Hearing on Bill Before the Committee , Term & Session page numbers (year) (statement of Firstname Lastname, Titles).

Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations for 2003: Hearing before the H. Subcomm. on Education Appropriations , 107 th  Cong. (2002) (statement of Elmo Monster, Sesame Street Muppet).

Protecting America’s Harvest:  Hearing on H.R. 2414 Before the H. Subcomm. on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law , 111 th  Cong. (2010) (statement of Stephen Colbert, Host, The Colbert Report, Comedy Central Studios)

Note: No method of writing short-form citations for hearings is listed in the Bluebook.

Bluebook Citation 101 -- Academic Format

• Secondary Sources
• Constitutions, Statutes & Legislative Materials
• Administrative Materials
• Internet Citation
• Commercial Databases
• Citation Help
• Law Student Guide to Identifying & Preventing Plagiarism
• Law Library Useful Links
• Get Help & About the Author

Dictionaries

Rule 15.8 of The Bluebook (21st ed. 2020) governs the citation of dictionaries.

The citation should include the following:

• Word (italicized)
• Dictionary (large and small caps font)

Replevin, Black's Law Dictionary (10th ed. 2014).

Restatements of the Law

Rule 12.9 of  The Bluebook (21st ed. 2020) covers the citation of restatements.

• Restatement series (large & small cap font)
• Copyright date of the volume

Restatement (Third) of Torts § 46 (2012).

Legal Encyclopedias

Rule 15.8 and BT.1 of The Bluebook (21st ed. 2020) covers the citation of encyclopedias. 

• Encyclopedia abbeviation (large & small cap font)
• Article title (underlined or italicized)
• Copyright date of the volume (in the parenthetical)

88 C.J.S. Trial § 192 (1955).

17 Am. Jur. 2d Contracts § 74 (1964).

14 Ohio Jur. 3d Civil Rights § 82 (2006).

Legal Periodicals

Rule 16 of The Bluebook (21st ed. 2020) covers the citation of law reviews.

Consecutively paginated law reviews and journals (R. 16.4)

• Author's name
• If the article is written by a student author, the designation of the piece
• Title of the article (in italics)
• Volume number (if no volume, use the year as the volume and don't put the year at the end)
• Abbreviation of journal name (large & small caps font, see Tables 10,13, and 13.2 in the Bluebook; also see http://lib.law.washington.edu/cilp/abbrev.html for abbreviations)
• The beginning page number

Charles A. Reich, The New Property , 73 Yale L.J. 733, 737-38 (1964).

Nonconsecutively paginated periodicals (R. 16.5)

• Abbreviation of journal name (large and small caps font, see Tables 10 and 13 in the Bluebook )
• Date as it appears on the cover
• the word "at"

Susan A. Berson, Starting Up: If You're Hanging a Shingle in 2011 , A.B.A. J. , Jan. 2011, at 40.

Newspapers (R. 16.6)

  The citation format for newspapers and newsletters is largely the same as for nonconsecutively paginated periodicals. See your Bluebook for specific exceptions involving special designations, place of publication etc.

American Law Reports

Rule 16.7.6 of The Bluebook (21st ed. 2020) covers how to cite ALRs.

The citation should contain:

• The word "Annotation"
• Title (italicized)
• ALR series (large & small caps font)
• Page number
• Copyright date of volume

William B. Johnson, Annotation, Use of Plea Bargain or Grant of Immunity as Improper Vouching for Credibility of Witness in Federal Cases , 76 A.L.R. Fed 409 (1986 & Supp. 2015).

Rule 15 of The Bluebook (21st ed. 2020) covers citing treatises. There are many variables in citing a treatise so definitely consult the rule for its many permutations. 

Generally, a citation to a treatise should contain the following elements:

• Volume (if applicable)
• Author (large & small cap font) (see R. 15(b) for more than 2 authors and R. 15(c) for institutional authors)
• Title (large & small cap font)
• Section and/or Page
• Editor, translators (if applicable)
• Copyright Date

If you have an institutional author, abbreviate (use Tables 6 & 10) only if it is unambiguous. Do abbreviate United States.

2 Joseph M. Perillo & Helen Hadjiyannakis Bender, Corbin on Contracts § 1.1 (1993).

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The Bluebook: A Systematic Approach: Introduction

• Introduction
• General Hints
• Aids Within The Bluebook
• A Step-by-Step Approach
• The Approach We'll Take
• Regulations
• Mini-Index to The Bluebook
• For Further Information

Purpose of This Guide

The Bluebook seems to have a unique ability to frustrate, anger and intimidate law students.   Indeed, it reduces many of them to a state of gibbering terror. But you can and you will master it if you approach it systematically.   The purpose of this guide is to demystify The Bluebook by:

·          Providing a “mini-index” to the most heavily-used rules and tables

·          Presenting a systematic approach to its use

·          Explaining the use of   its “Powerful Secret Weapons”:   the Table of Contents and the Index (See Step 2 in the Step-by-Step Guide)

·          Assembling citations from scratch

·          Highlighting the various aids to using it

·          Pointing to how-to guides and websites to help its users

Will it ever be warm and friendly? Um, sorry.   But using this guide will definitely make it more accessible.

General Principles of Citation

Why to Cite

·          To allow readers to quickly and efficiently locate sources cited.

·          To indicate the weight of the authority cited.

·          To demonstrate the depth and breadth of research conducted.

·          To avoid plagiarism

When to cite

·          In the discussion section of a brief or memorandum

Typically not in the issue, brief answer, facts or conclusion sections

·          When you assert a legal principle

A contract must be supported with adequate consideration. CITE

·          When you refer to or describe the content of a legal authority

The court ruled that. . . CITE

·          When you quote from a source

An attorney must use the degree of skill commonly exercised by a “reasonable, careful and prudent lawyer.” CITE

·          When you borrow an idea, even when you do not use the language verbatim

The growth of international family law reflects two broadening trends: globalization and the spread of human rights.   CITE

Intended Audience

This guide is aimed at UST (or indeed any) law students writing briefs, memoranda or upper-level papers.   It uses the rules and conventions for practitioners’ documents rather than for law review footnotes.

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Citation Guide: Interpreting, Managing & Creating Bluebook Legal Cites : Citation & Writing Styles

• Abbreviations and Short Form Citation
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Ask a Librarian

Legal citation style guides.

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Citing Sources

• Chicago Style
• Turabian Style
• American Fisheries Society Style
• ASME Guidelines
• Biochemistry (ACS journal) Style

The Bluebook

• CSE Style / Harvard Referencing Style
• Harvard Business School
• Journal of Biological Chemistry Style
• Journal of Wildlife Management
• SBL Handbook of Style
• Citing the Bible
• Citing Data Sets
• Citing YouTube

Look to these resources:

• Bluebook Citation Guide from Harvard Law Library This guide provides instructional materials and answers to questions about Bluebook citation. It is intended to assist Harvard Law School LLM students in finalizing their master's theses. However, the guide can help anyone who is writing a scholarly law paper, including JD students. more... less... From the Harvard Law School Library. Includes Chart of Bluebook Rules and Tables as well as useful FAQ's to explain the nuances of law citations.
• Tarlton Law Library -- Bluebook Legal Citation Guide Provides an overview of the style, general rules, and examples for how to cite a number of common sources.
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• Next: CSE Style / Harvard Referencing Style >>
• Last Updated: Mar 26, 2024 6:48 PM
• URL: https://hbl.gcc.libguides.com/citing

How To Cite Sources: Bluebook- Legal Citation

• Chicago and Turabian
• Bluebook- Legal Citation

Legal Citation Manuals and Guides

A brief note on legal citation.

Source citations for case law, court decisions, law journals, and legislation have their own specialized style norms, and other citation style guides (APA, Chicago, MLA, etc.) typically defer to those norms instead of creating their own rules. In the United States, "the definitive style guide for legal citation" is the Bluebook 's Uniform System of Citation (now in its 20th edition), and so it is to Bluebook guidance that other style manuals defer.

The David L. Rice Library does not have an institutional subscription to the 20th edition of the Bluebook online; we do have a print copy of the 19th edition (2010) in the Reference collection. Three more recent free online resources for creating Bluebook-style legal citations are linked below. Users already generally familiar with Bluebook style may also find that ZoteroBib  can be useful for generating the basic elements of a legal citation. More advanced Zotero users may want to download and use Juris-M, a reference manager designed specifically for legal citation.

• The Indigo Book: An Open and Compatible Implementation of A Uniform System of Citation (2nd edition Beta release) The Indigo Book is "a free, Creative Commons-dedicated implementation of The Bluebook’s Uniform System of Citation."
• Peter W. Martin's Introduction to Basic Legal Citation (2020 ed. online, via Cornell U. Law School) Martin's text provides a helpful guide and examples for legal citations, consistent with Bluebook style.
• Georgetown Law's Bluebook Guide This guide explains the organization and layout of The Bluebook and how to cite the most commonly cited legal materials, including cases and statutes.
• Juris-M A free reference manager based on the open source Zotero platform, specifically designed for collecting and citing law and legislation in multiple languages and legal jurisdictions
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• Next: DOIs >>
• Last Updated: Feb 5, 2024 2:54 PM
• URL: https://usi.libguides.com/citingsources
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Bluebook Citation Style (20th ed.)

The Bluebook style is generally used for legal documents in the United States and is rare even for us, who work on many papers. It features detailed descriptions of how various documents such as judicial opinions, arbitrations, and other materials should be cited. It also features forms for most other resources, which makes it a fully functional citation style. This guide will help you understand the unique nature of Bluebook and apply it in your legal writing to impress educators.

This guide is developed in line with The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (the Columbia Law Review Association, the Harvard Law Review Association, the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, and the Yale Law Journal ed., 20th ed. 2015).

• What is Bluebook Citation Style?

Why You Need to Cite Your Sources

• Notes on Citations
• Legal Citation
• Citation for Books, Reports, and Other Non-periodical Materials
• Article Citation
• Citation Websites and Electronic Media
• Citation for Other Sources

Tables and Figures in Bluebook Style

 what is bluebook citation style.

The Bluebook style is exclusively used for legal papers, and so it can be somewhat complicated due to its focus on easy citations of various court documents. The form is a blend between in-text and footnote-based formats, as its citations are located in the text but appear more similar to footnote-based ones. You have to provide the author’s full name, the name of the book, the year of publication, and the page number for the relevant quotation or citation. As such, Bluebook shares some similarities with most other citation styles while closely emulating few to none.

You may be familiar with the need to cite information, but many places also require you to follow a strict guide and a specific style while doing so. Here are some reasons why both of these aspects are critical for your writing and overall career:

• The point of a paper is to show your understanding of the topic and then reach additional conclusions from there. You show this awareness by citing works in the field that support or oppose your findings.
• The sources you use have to warrant the trust of a reader, meaning scholars should generally acknowledge them. Peer review is an essential practice that differentiates high-quality sources from inferior ones.
• When you reference a source, you have to identify what it is and where it may be found in a form that is easy for the reader to understand. Hence, you should adhere to the template lest you commit some mistake that makes the citation unusable.
• Ultimately, if you are caught plagiarizing, whether intentionally or not, you will be severely punished. You may even be expelled or fired from your organization, receiving a bad mark on your record that will severely tarnish it.

General Principles of Bluebook Formatting

• Use any acceptable professional font, such as Times New Roman, Courier New, etc.
• Italics are used in the body of the text for source names and stylistic purposes
•  Citations are designed to help the reader locate a source
• Bluebook citation style is designed for both students and researchers to be used in academic writing (The Whitepages) and practitioners (clerks, lawyers, and other legal professionals) to be used in non-academic legal documents (The Bluepages)
• Citation format of the Whitepages and the Bluepages differs in typeface and elements of citation
• Authors and titles of books, including institutional authors, titles of periodicals are written in Large and Small Caps
• Case names in text are written in Italics while in citations, they are written in normal font
• Case names in text and in citations also differ by the extent to which the case name is abbreviated
• If Whitepages guidelines fail to cover how to format the source, refer to Bluepages rules.
• If no information on citing a particular type of document is available, cite it in accordance with the format of the closest alternative

Notes on Bluebook Citations

•  In law reviews, all citations must be included as footnotes
• The footnote number should appear after the final punctuation of the quotation
• In some procedural documents, citations can be made in a citation sentence or a citation clause
•  Introductory signals, such as e.g., accord, see, see also, Cf., and others are used to indicate the relationship between the citation and the text or other citations.
• If no signal word is used, this means that the information was directly stated or cited by the chosen authority
• Id. and short names are used to refer to sources that were mentioned recently:
•  Same source and page in two or more footnotes: Id.
• Same source in two or more footnotes, different page numbers: Id., page number.
• Same source used within the past 5 citations: Short citation (different for each document type).

Bluebook Footnote Citation

Bluebook legal citation.

S. Pac. Co. v. Jensen, 244 U.S. 205, 225-26 (1917)

When citing legal cases, you need to include the following information (in order):

• First party vs. Second party
• Reporter volume number
• Reporter abbreviation
• First page of the case
• Specific page referred to
• Deciding court
• Date of decision

If a decision has not been reached yet, include as much information as you can in place of the date of decision. For example, if a case was filed but not decided, include the filing date. If the case involves an interim order, whether published or unpublished, include an appropriate mark (order granting preliminary injunction) at the end of the citation in parentheses.

Constitutions

U.S. Const. amend. §1. U.S. Const. art. I, § 9, cl. 2.

When citing constitutions, include the following information (in order):

• Abbreviation of the constitution cited
• Abbreviation for “amendment” (amend.), “article” (art.) or “clause” (cl.)
• Number of the amendment cited
• Section symbol and number
• If the cited provision has been repealed or amended, add amendment date in parentheses or in text

Note: a short form other than id. is not allowed when citing constitutions

National Emergency Management Act, 6 §§ 701-811 (2006)

Short form:

6 U.S.C. § 701

If you need to cite a statute, such as an act, use the following data (in order):

• Official name of the act
• Code title number
• Abbreviation of the code
• Section containing the statute (with section symbols)
• Date of code edition used

Bills and Resolutions

H.R. Res. 3452, 104th Cong. (1996) S. Res. 95, 115th Cong. (2017)

Short forms:

H.R. 3452 S.R. 95

For bills and resolutions, use the following:

• The name of the bill (if applicable)
• The abbreviation of the house
• Bill number
• Congress number
• Section number
• Year of publication

Challenges and Opportunities Facing America’s Schools and Workplaces: Hearing before the H. Comm. on Education and the Workforce, 113th Cong. (2013)

When citing committee hearings, you must include the following information:

• Full subject matter title
• Bill number (if applicable)
• Subcommittee name (if applicable)
• Committee name
• Session number (for State committee hearings)
• Page number (if citing a specific page)

Bluebook Citation for Books, Reports, and Other Non-periodical Materials

As a rule, when citing books, reports, and similar sources, you will need to provide:

• Author’s full name
• Editor(s) and translator(s) names (if applicable)
• Edition number

The following page contains some examples of different sources cited in the Bluebook format.

Note: author name(s) and source titles are given in small and large caps.

Book with one or two authors

Rɪᴄʜᴀʀᴅ J. Lᴀᴢᴀʀᴜs, Tʜᴇ Mᴀᴋɪɴɢ ᴏғ Eɴᴠɪʀᴏɴᴍᴇɴᴛᴀʟ Lᴀᴡ 57 (2004).

Charles Alan Wright & Arthur R. Miller, Federal Practice And Procedure § 1006 (2d ed. 1987).

Book with more than two authors

Kᴀʀᴇɴ Wʜɪᴛᴇ ᴇᴛ ᴀʟ., Tʜᴇ Fᴏʀɢᴏᴛᴛᴇɴ Rᴏᴏᴍ 100 (2016).

Or you may list all authors:

Kᴀʀᴇɴ Wʜɪᴛᴇ, Bᴇᴀᴛʀɪᴢ Wɪʟʟɪᴀᴍs & Lᴀᴜʀᴇɴ Wɪʟʟɪɢ, Tʜᴇ Fᴏʀɢᴏᴛᴛᴇɴ Rᴏᴏᴍ 100 (2016).

Book with editor or translator

Cᴀsᴇs ɪɴ Oɴʟɪɴᴇ Iɴᴛᴇʀᴠɪᴇᴡ Rᴇsᴇᴀʀᴄʜ 30 (Janet Salmons ed., 2011).

Note: do not write editor or translator names in small caps, use a regular font

Book with no author

Lᴀᴡᴍᴇɴ ᴀɴᴅ Oᴜᴛʟᴀᴡs 49-50 (Great Mountain West Supply 1997).

Note: include a publisher in parentheses

Multiple editions of the book

Sᴛᴜᴀʀᴛ Bᴇʟʟ ᴇᴛ ᴀʟ., Eɴᴠɪʀᴏɴᴍᴇɴᴛᴀʟ Lᴀᴡ 187 (8th ed. 2013).

Chapter in an edited book

Sᴛᴜᴀʀᴛ Bᴇʟʟ ᴇᴛ ᴀʟ., International Law and Environmental Protection, in Eɴᴠɪʀᴏɴᴍᴇɴᴛᴀʟ Lᴀᴡ 136 (8th ed. 2013).30.

Bluebook Article Citation

Scholarly journal article

Bernard M. Bass & Paul Steidlmeier, Ethics, Character, and Authentic Transformational Leadership Behavior , 10Lᴇᴀᴅ. Qᴜᴀʀ. 181, 210-212 (1999). Short form: Bass & Steidlmeier, supra note 1 (first note cited), at page number.

For articles published in scholarly journals, include the following:

•  Author’s name
• Article title
• Journal volume number
• Abbreviated journal title
• First page of the article
• Specific page(s) cited

Magazine Articles and Newspapers

Declan Walsh & Eric Schmitt, Arms Sales to Saudis Leave American Fingerprints on Yemen’s Carnage, N.Y. Tɪᴍᴇs, Dec. 25, 2016, at 2. Short form: Walsh & Schmitt , supra note 1 (first note cited), at page number.

For magazine and newspaper articles, provide the information as listed below:

• Author’s name
• Magazine or newspaper title (shortened)
• Date of publication

Bluebook Citation Websites and Electronic Media

The Bluebook citation handbook strongly advises against including electronic sources in the bibliography if they can be cited as a printed source. The following examples are for reference only, and you should still check if a printed version of a source is available before citing it as an electronic source.

Aᴄᴄᴏʀ Hᴏᴛᴇʟs, Cᴏᴍᴍɪᴛᴍᴇɴᴛ, https://www.accorhotels.group/en/commitment (last visited Dec. 26, 2018).

PDF documents (corporate author)

Tʜᴇ Cᴏᴄᴀ-Cᴏʟᴀ Cᴏᴍᴘᴀɴʏ, 2017 Sᴜsᴛᴀɪɴᴀʙɪʟɪᴛʏ Rᴇᴘᴏʀᴛ (2018), https://www.coca-colacompany.com/content/dam/journey/us/en/private/fileassets/pdf/2018/2017-Sustainability-Report-The-Coca-Cola-Company.pdf

PDF document (individual author)

Xiao-Ping Chen, et al., Affective Trust in Chinese Leaders: Linking Paternalistic Leadership to Employee Performance , 40 J. Mᴀɴ. 796, 797 (2014), http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.908.4532&rep=rep1&type=pdf.

Dave Owen, The New WOTUS Proposed Rule and the Myths of Clean Water Act Federalism , Eɴᴠɪʀᴏɴᴍᴇɴᴛᴀʟ Lᴀᴡ Pʀᴏғ. Bʟᴏɢ (Dec. 13, 2018, 1:21 PM), https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/environmental_law/2018/12/the-new-wotus-proposed-rule-and-the-myths-of-clean-water-act-federalism.html.

Bluebook Citation for Other Sources

There are many other types of sources that you might be required to cite in the Bluebook format. Some examples will be included below. Sources that do not match any of the categories in the guide should be cited like the next best alternative included in the guide.

Note: Short forms for these sources should be created using the abbreviations “supra” or “id.”

Student-written law review materials

Abraham Bell & Gideon Parchomovsky, Article, The Case for Imperfect Enforcement of Property Rights , 160 U. Pᴀ. L. Rᴇᴠ. 1927, 1929-1930 (2012).

Proceedings, regular publications by institutes, and ABA section reports

Sarah Zappe et al., Flipping the Classroom to Explore Active Learning in a Large Undergraduate Course , 116 ASEE Aɴɴ. Cᴏɴғ. Exᴘ. Pʀᴏᴄ.284 (2009).

Unpublished and forthcoming sources

Stephen B. Burbank & Tobias Barrington Wolf, Class Actions, Statutes of Limitations and Repose, and Federal Common Law , 167 U. Pᴀ. L. Rᴇᴠ. (forthcoming Dec. 2018)

E-mail correspondence

E-mail from Anna Smith, Dir. of Operations, Organization, to Jayden Smith, Assoc. Prof., Organization (Dec. 25, 2018, 09:55 EST) (on file with author).

Telephone interview with Margaret Wilson, Editor, Organization (Nov. 19, 2016). Interview with Margaret Wilson, Editor, Organization, in City, State (Mar. 24, 1998).

Working papers

Jay P. Greene & Greg Forster, Public High School Graduation and College Readiness Rates in the United States 1 (Ctr. for Civic Innovation, Working Paper No. 3, 2003).

Note: “Ctr. for Civic Innovation” is the name of the sponsoring organization.

Intergovernmental Organizations

Ahmad Reza Hosseinpoor et al., Sᴛᴀᴛᴇ ᴏғ Iɴᴇǫᴜᴀʟɪᴛʏ: Rᴇᴘʀᴏᴅᴜᴄᴛɪᴠᴇ, Mᴀᴛᴇʀɴᴀʟ, Nᴇᴡʙᴏʀɴ ᴀɴᴅ Cʜɪʟᴅ Hᴇᴀʟᴛʜ, Wᴏʀʟᴅ Hᴇᴀʟᴛʜ Oɢᴀɴɪᴢᴀɪᴛɪᴏɴ [WHO] (2015), http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/164590/9789241564908_eng.pdf.

lnt’l Civil Aviation Org. [ICAO], 2012 Annual Report of the Council , ICAO Doc. 10001 (2012), https://www.icao.int/publications/Documents/10001_en.pdf.

The Bluebook citation style is somewhat unique in its laissez-faire approach to the formatting of your paper. It exists to ensure that your citations are accurate and precise and limits itself to that task. As such, you are free to format tables and figures however you see fit. Nevertheless, it is probably best to follow some other styling format, so this guide will provide an example using the Chicago style of formatting (see figure 1).

Figure 1: Glass World.

Source: Environmental Science, Careers in Environmental Science, Nepa Ceqa Manager, https://www.environmentalscience.org/careers (last visited Jul. 19, 2019).

Notably, Bluebook does not require the use of a bibliography, so a single mention of the reference in the text is sufficient. However, it has remarkably strict rules about referencing that you can find in the book that gives its name to the style. As many images and figures will be taken from online sources, you should remember a few basic guidelines. First, the format discourages the use of any strictly online resources. Second, if you are citing an electronic version of a print document, you can mention it as though you were using that print document. However, if that document would be challenging to obtain, you should make it clear that you are using an electronic version in the reference. Lastly, you should think carefully before inserting tables or figures into a legal document, as they usually only contain formatted text.

Reference List

1.    Glass world [image on the Internet] 2018. [cited August 18, 2019]. Available from: https://www.environmentalscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/NEPA-CEQA-640×425.jpeg

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Bluebook Legal Citation

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Clicking on an orange bracketed and labeled selection below will take you to the portion of this guide discussing the appropriate citation format and bluebook rules.

Bluebook Rule (21st): 15.1

Law Review Typeface: Smallcaps

Personal Authors

Author names should be included in full just as they appear in the original publication.  Include such designations as "Jr." or "III" but not titles such as "Dr.," even if included in the original work.  Offset "Jr." or "III" with a comma only if that is how it appears in the original. 

Philip D. O'Neill, Jr. , Verification in an Age of Insecurity: The Future of Arms Control Compliance (2010).

If a cited work has two authors, include both names in the same order as they appear in the original separated by an ampersand.

Neal Feigenson & Christina Spiesel , Law on Display: The Digital Transformation of Legal Persuasion and Judgment (2010).

For more than two authors, provide the first name followed by "et al."

Russell L. Weaver, et al. , Inside Constitutional Law: What Matters and Why (2009).

NOTE: If there is particular relevance in listing all author names, list them in them in the order they appear in the original source, separated by commas except for the final name, which is separated only by an ampersand without a comma.

Institutional Authors

If the author of a work is an institution, provide the complete name. 

4 Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation , The American Law of Mining 98 (2d ed. 1984).

NOTE: In some circumstances, a particular individual within an institution will be given authorial credit.  If this is the case, provide the individual's name, followed by the institutional name separated by a comma.

Consult rule 15.1(d) for guidance on the proper abbreviation of institutional author names.

NOTE: Use the abbreviation "U.S." when "United States" is part of an institutional name.  This differs from the rule prohibiting the abbreviation of United States as part of a case name, discussed here in this guide.

Editors and Translators

The full name of any editors and translators is included in a parenthetical.  Consult rule   15.2   for further guidance.

Bluebook Rule (21st): 15.3

Provide the title of a work as it appears on the title page, but follow the capitalization rules of Bluebook rule 8 .

In general, this rule requires that all words be capitalized except:

• articles ("the", "a", etc.)
• conjunctions
• prepositions which are four or fewer letters in length.

While they should not be capitalized, articles should always be included in the title, and no words should be abbreviated. Always capitalize both the first word of a title and the first word following a colon.

Julius G. Getman, Restoring the Power of Unions: It Takes a Movement (2010).

Jacqueline Stevens, States Without Nations: Citizenship for Mortals (2010).

Sanford Levinson, Wrestling with Diversity (2003).

Roger K. Newman, Hugo Black: A Biography (1994).

Bluebook Rule (21st): 15.4

When you are citing a work that only has one edition, use the year of publication in the parentheses.

Example:  Daniel C.K. Chow & Edward lee, International Intellectual Property: Problems, Cases, and Materials (2006).

When you are citing to a work that has been published by the same publisher more than once, you should cite the edition and the year it was published in the parentheses.

Example:  Lawrence Lessig, Code: Version 2.0 ( 2nd ed. 2006). 

If the edition is from a different publisher than the original, you should note the publisher.

Example:  John C.H. Wu, The Golden Age of Zen ( Image Books 1996) (1975).

Bluebook Rule (21st): 15.10

Law Review Typeface: Smallcaps for author names; italics for " Id ." and " supra ."

A book, report, treatise, or other non-periodic material may be cited in short-form after it has been cited in full.

Use of both " Id ." and " supra " is appropriate for this type of authority:

• Sanford Levinson, Wrestling with Diversity 25 (2003).
• Roger K. Newman, Hugo Black: A Biography 33 (1994).
• Id. at 35-36
• Levinson , supra note 1.
• Newman , supra note 2 at 37.

Generally, rule 4 will provide guidance for proper short-form citation of this type of authority, as is discussed under general short-form citation rules in this guide.

Short forms for works in a collection

Rule 15.10.1 establishes special rules for citation of shorter works in a collection.

" Id. " may be used to cite to a shorter work in a collection if the shorter work was cited in the same or the immediately proceeding footnote, but " Id. " may not be used to cite the entire collection.

" Supra " should be used to refer to the entire work as a whole.  The title of the entire work, however, should always be used instead of the author. 

NOTE: If the entire title would be cumbersome or confusing to use with " supra ," a "hereinafter" citation may be appropriate, as is discussed elsewhere in this guide .

Supra should also be used to refer to the short work if it has been previously cited and Id. is not appropriate.  In this case, use the author name with " supra ."

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Bluebook Guide: Whitepages

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Here is the other deviation in The Bluebook , now involving materials on unpublished and forthcoming sources.  The Whitepages presents this topic in R17, pp. 169-74.  However, there is no corresponding rule in the Bluepages for this material.  If the need for citation arises for a practitioner in a court document, the Whitepages will certainly bridge any citation gaps, as the Whitepages enlarges and expands the Bluepages.  

Unpublished and Forthcoming Sources

The Bluebook provides table of examples of citations for unpublished and forthcoming sources, including such materials as unpublished manuscripts; dissertations and theses; letters, memoranda, or press releases; e-mail correspondence; forthcoming publications; and working papers.  See R17.1, p. 169.  Additionally, there are some examples on  The Bluebook 's  Quick Style Guide . 

Unpublished Materials

Generally, a citation for unpublished materials not scheduled for publication should be in ordinary type and include the following (See R17.2, pp. 169-72):

• Author name
• Title or description of the work
• Page(s) (if applicable)
• The most precise writing date available
• Information on where the work may be located (if possible)

Refer to R10.8.1 to cite pending and unreported cases and R12.6 to cite recently released, but unpublished statutes.  When an unpublished work is subsequently collected and published, cite per rule R15.5.2(b).

Note that there will be some tweaks to the general citation format presented above depending on the type of unpublished document.  See the specific Whitepages rules for the following types of unpublished documents.

• Manuscripts (R17.2.1, pp. 169-70)
• Dissertations & Theses (R17.2.2, p. 170)
• Letters, Memoranda & Press Releases (R17.2.3, pp. 170-71)
• E-mail Correspondence & Listserv Postings (R17.2.4, p. 171)
• Interviews (R17.2.5, p. 171)
• Speeches & Addresses (R17.2.6, pp. 171-72)
• Working Papers (R17.4, pp. 172-73)
• Electronic Databases & Online Sources (R17.5, p. 173)

Forthcoming Publications

A forthcoming book, article, or other work scheduled for publication will be cited in the same manner as the published work will be cited using the same typefaces.  See R17.3, p. 172.  However, there are exceptions for forthcoming works.  

• Do not include a pinpoint citation after the title of the journal or book
• Add the designation "forthcoming" in the date parenthetical
• Include the month of publication (if available) in addition to the year in the date parenthetical. 
• Omit volume number if such information is not yet available

Short Citation Forms

The Bluebook calls for the use of id. and supra forms in the same manner as they are utilized for materials appearing in periodicals (R16.9) and nonperiodicals (R15.10).  When there is no author listed, the name of the source will be substituted.  Also, enclose a page citation to the manuscript version of a forthcoming publication in a parenthetical.  See R17.6, pp. 173-74.

If materials are available only online, then use the normal short form appropriate for the source.  The URL need not be repeated following the full citation.

As always, The Bluebook provides helpful examples.  See R17.6, pp. 173-74.

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Legal Citation

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Multiple Authors

Rules 15.1(a) and 16.2 of The Bluebook cover the format of citations with two authors for non-periodic and periodic materials, respectively.

Example :  Richard Delgado & Jean Stefanic, Critical Race Theory: An Introduction (2017).

Example : Sonia Smith & Mila Bozic Erkic, Does a Wellness Collection Have a Place at a Law Library? , 45 Can. L. Libr. Rev. 10 (2020).

Rules 15.1(b) and 16.2 of The Bluebook cover the format of citations with more than two authors.

Example :  Nancy Levit et al., Feminist Legal Theory: A Primer (2016).

Example : Dana Bolger et al., A Tale of Two Title IXs: Title IX Reverse Discrimination Law and Its Trans-Substantive Implications for Civil Rights , 55 U.C. Davis L. Rev. 743 (2021).

Dissertations

Rule 17.2.2 of the Bluebook governs dissertations and theses. which are cited in the same manner as unpublished manuscripts (Rule 17.2.1). Authors should cover following elements: [Author(s)], [Title (subtitle only if particularly relevant)], (Full Date) (Type of paper, Institution).

Example :  Peter Mazzacano, Exemptions for the Non-Performance of Contractual Obligations in CISG Article 79 and the Quest for Uniformity in International Sales Law (2013) (Ph. D. dissertation, York University).

Dictionaries

Rule 15 of The Bluebook covers the format of citations to dictionaries. Authors should indicate following elements in their citations: Word (italicized), Dictionary (small caps) (Edition and Year). Some frequently cited works require special form. Rule 15.8(a).

Example :  Replevin , Black's Law Dictionary (10th ed. 2014).

Legal Encyclopedias

Rule 15 of the Bluebook presents how to cite from legal encyclopedias. Authors should cover following elements: Volume, Encyclopedia abbeviation (large & small cap font),  Article title (underlined or italicized), Section, Copyright date of the volume (in the parenthetical). 

Example : 29A C.J.S. Eminent Domain § 412 (2007).

Rule 15 of the Bluebook presents how to cite from treatises. Authors should cover following elements: volume number, author(s), title (in italics), section number and/or page number and/or paragraph number (when pinpoint citing), editor(s) and/or translator(s) (if listed), and year.

Example :  2 Joseph M. Perillo & Helen Hadjiyannakis Bender, Corbin on Contracts § 1.1 (1993).

Legal Periodicals

Rule 16 of the Bluebook governs legal periodicals, e.g., law reviews, journals, and newspapers.

The Bluebook has two sections of the legal periodicals: 

• Consecutively paginated law reviews and journals (R. 16.4) and
• Nonconsecutively paginated periodicals (R. 16.5).

Under Rule 16.4, authors should cover following elements: 

[Author's Name], (If the article is written by a student author, the designation of the piece,)  [ Title of the article ], [Volume number (if no volume, use the year as the volume and don't put the year at the end)], [ Abbreviation of Journal Name (see Tables 10,13, and 13.2)], [The beginning page number], [Pincite] and (Year). 

Example : Dawn M. Johnsen, Note, The Creation of Fetal Rights: Conflicts with Women's Constitutional Rights to Liberty, Privacy and Equal Protection , 95 Yale L.J. 599, 601 (1986).

Under Rule 16.5, authors should cover following elements: 

[Author's Name], (If the article is written by a student author, the designation of the piece,)  [ Title of the article ], [ Abbreviation of Publication Name (see Tables 10,13, and 13.2)], [Publication Date] at [The beginning page number]. 

Example : David L. Hudson, Jr., Legislators Take Aim at Critical Race Theory: Nonexistent Curriculum Is Caught in the Crosshairs , 108 A.B.A. J. 20 (2022).

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Q. How do I cite a book or book chapter in bluebook format?

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Answered By: Harvard Law School Library Research Services Last Updated: Dec 11, 2023     Views: 93507

Bluebook Rule 15 gives the citation format for books, reports, and other nonperiodic materials as well as shorter works in collection, including book chapters. 

Generally, the a book citation should include the author's full name , the title of the book , the page cited , e ditor's name (if applicable ), edition (if applicable) , and year of publication . A chapter citation will also include the chapter author and starting page. 

• Book Citation: See J ONATHAN Z ITTRAIN , T HE F UTURE OF THE I NTERNET AND H OW TO S TOP IT 125 (2008).
• Book Chapter Citation: See Matthew C. Stephenson, Law and Corruption , in  E LGAR C ONCISE E NCYCLOPEDIA OF C ORRUPTION L AW  (Mark Pieth & Tina Søreide eds., 2023).

HINT: Use Ctrl-Shift-K (Windows) or Command-Shift-K (Mac) for small caps.

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Don't let plagiarism errors spoil your paper

Consider your source's credibility. ask these questions:, contributor/author.

• Has the author written several articles on the topic, and do they have the credentials to be an expert in their field?
• Can you contact them? Do they have social media profiles?
• Have other credible individuals referenced this source or author?
• Book: What have reviews said about it?
• What do you know about the publisher/sponsor? Are they well-respected?
• Do they take responsibility for the content? Are they selective about what they publish?
• Take a look at their other content. Do these other articles generally appear credible?
• Does the author or the organization have a bias? Does bias make sense in relation to your argument?
• Is the purpose of the content to inform, entertain, or to spread an agenda? Is there commercial intent?
• Are there ads?
• When was the source published or updated? Is there a date shown?
• Does the publication date make sense in relation to the information presented to your argument?
• Does the source even have a date?
• Was it reproduced? If so, from where?
• If it was reproduced, was it done so with permission? Copyright/disclaimer included?
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Basic Case Citation

The precise format of a case citation depends on a number of factors, including the jurisdiction, court, and type of case. You should review the rest of this section on citing cases (and the relevant rules in  The Bluebook ) before trying to format a case citation for the first time. However, the basic format of a case citation is as follows:

Note: In court documents (briefs, motions) and legal memoranda, a full case name is usually italicized or underlined.  In academic legal writing (i.e., a law review article), full case names are generally not underlined or italicized. 

Rule & Tables

Rule 10  (and Rule B10 in the Bluepages) governs how to cite cases. It contains extensive instructions on how to format case citations, and Rule 10 also provides guidance on citing briefs, court filings, and transcripts.

In addition to Rule 10, you may need to consult the following tables in order to format the case citation:

• Table 1 : A list of (1) reporters* and reporter abbreviations, (2) courts and court abbreviations, and (3) preferred sources to cite for federal courts and each state's courts  
• Table 6 : Abbreviations for terms used in case names (e.g., America[n] = Am.)  
• Table 7 : Abbreviations for court names that you would use in the event a court abbreviation is not provided in Table 1  
• Table 10 : Abbreviations for geographical terms (e.g., Virginia = Va.)  

*What Is a Reporter?* A reporter is a publication containing the opinions of a particular court or jurisdiction, organized chronologically by date of decision. The opinions of a given court or jurisdiction are often published in more than one reporter.  As you'll see below, for example, opinions of the U.S. Supreme Court are published in three reporters.  If a case is published in a reporter,  The Bluebook  prescribes which reporter is the preferred one to cite (Table 1). 

For more on reporters, see our  Case Law Research Guide  or watch Anatomy of a Case, Case Citation, and the Case Law Reporter System in our Case Law Research Tutorial (on the right).

Case Citations Tutorial

Case Law Research Tutorial

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According to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th ed.,  "Existing legal references are usually already written in legal style and require few, if any, changes for an APA style reference list entry" (American Psychological Association, 2020, p. 355). In other words, APA defers to the Bluebook style, a popular legal citation style, when citing legal resources. 

Academic Writer includes examples of APA-style citations for various legal resource types. The citation examples are included in the Learn Tab. Once in the Learn Tab, click on "Go to Sample References," then click on Legal.

Find the references for the type of legal resource being cited to use as a model.

Indigo Book

The Indigo Book: A Manual of Legal Citation  is a free version of The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, a popular legal citation style used in the United States. The Bluebook was created by the editors of the Columbia Law Review, the Harvard Law Review, the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, and the Yale Law Review in the editing of law review articles for their respective publications. The first two chapters of the Bluebook, printed on blue paper, is an introduction to legal citation developed for practitioners and law clerks, thus the name of the Indigo Book.

Using the Indigo Book

Consult the table of contents to find the legal resource type being cited. The table of contents is hyperlinked, so click on the chapter needed (for example, Cases). View the instructions and examples to create a Bluebook-style citations.

Additional Resources

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Reading a Legal Citation

Court opinion.

Published court opinions appear chronologically in case reporters for the case jurisdiction. The citation consists of the volume number of the case reporter, an abbreviation for the case reporter, and the page number where the opinion begins in the reporter.

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Online Reference Generator to Ease Your Academic Burden

A universal bluebook legal citation generator.

If you are a student of one of the U.S. law schools, there is one thing that is most likely driving you crazy. It’s the dreaded Bluebook referencing guide. Bearing a seemingly innocent name, which it owes to its blue-colored cover and inch-thick, the Bluebook is a comprehensive guide on how to reference academic and legal documents in your legal papers.

The Bluebook is probably the only style guide that has other, smaller style guides explaining how to use it. To find the information you need in it is a challenge but one that you can overcome with the help of our Bluebook citation maker.

Let’s start from the very beginning.

The origins and fundamentals of the Bluebook referencing style

Usually, the Bluebook referencing style is traced to a pamphlet by Erwin Griswold, the editor of Harvard Law Review , on how to properly cite law articles. Recent studies, however, argue that the style was born in Yale with the publication of Karl N. Llewellyn on how to write law materials for the Yale Law Journal.

Whatever the origin, however, today the Bluebook is used by the majority of U.S. law schools and provides information on citations, typefaces, subdivisions, quotations, abbreviations, special symbols, capitalizations, titles, and so on. In fact, the Bluebook is so widespread and ubiquitous that a new word has been created – “bluebooking,” which means citing sources in full accordance with the style guide’s norms.

Alternative citation systems exist and are also used in some jurisdictions, but the Bluebook remains the most frequently used one.

The guide consist of four main sections:

• Bluepages (information about basic legal citation) which is designed to be an easy-to-use, condensed version of the entire manual
• The full rules of citation and style (21 rule in the current edition)
• The tables section with information on authorities that have to be cited and abbreviations to be used
• Index designed to help you find the rules you need

The guide is published by law editors of Columbia, Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania and Yale. It was revised in 1990, 1991, 1996, 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015 and is currently in its 20th edition.

A guide on how to cite Bluebook format

The general rule of citation is that legal documents are cited in the body of the paper, while academic documents are cited in footnotes or endnotes.

The style also distinguishes between short-form and full-form citations. Once a full-form citation has been used at least once, the same legal source can be cited using a short-form citation. Note, however, that the use of short-form citations is only appropriate and allowed where the reader will have no difficulty going back to the full-form citation.

Legal citations also have so-called signals – introductory parts that indicate whether the cited source confirms or contradicts the opinion of the writer (“e.g.” “see,” “see also” and so on).

The formats of citing will depend on the material you want to cite – cases, constitutions, statutes, regulations and administrative materials, electronic and Internet sources, books, etc. All of these have dedicated parts in the Bluebook that you can use for consults.

Using Bluebook in-text citation generator

Using our Bluebook legal citation generator can make legal citing much easier for you. With its help, you can cite academic sources like you would do it in any other style without having to consult the monstrously detailed style guide. Note, however, that this instrument is not intended for legal documents. It means it can’t be used to create Bluebook case citation or any other type of legal document citation.

To create the Bluebook citation online, you will have to take the usual steps:

• Choose the appropriate style and source type
• Provide relevant information
• Click on “Generate”

And voila – your citation is generated and ready to be used.

Bluebook 20th edition examples

As it has already been mentioned, the Bluebook style guide is now in its 20th edition and has dedicated sections for different types of documents. Here, we will provide some Bluebook 20th edition examples of formatting for legal and academic documents to help you better understand the fundamentals of legal citing.

CITING CASES

The format of doing citations for cases depends on the type of the case, the court, and the jurisdiction. It includes the following mandatory elements:

• Volume number
• Reporter (abbreviation)
• 1 st page of the case
• Year when the decision was made

For academic documents, case names need no additional formatting, while in court documents, they are italicized or underlined.

The full information on citing cases is provided in Rule 10 of the Bluebook Guide. Also, when citing cases, you will have to consult several tables (1, 6, 7 and 10) to get information on abbreviations (reporter, terms, court and geographical names), preferred sources and lists of courts in each state.

The Bluebook also prescribes which reporter (court decision-publishing publication) shall be cited if the decision on a certain case was published in several reporters.

CITING STATUTES

The general format for citing statutes is as follows:

• Code (abbreviation)
• Date of the relevant edition

For detailed information on citing statutes, you will have to consult Rule 12 of the Bluebook (which also provides information on citing rules of evidence and procedure, laws and municipal ordinances) and Table 1 that provides details about abbreviations and statutory codes that should be used for citing (official or unofficial ones).

CITING CONSTITUTIONS

The information on citing state and federal constitutions is provided in Rule 11 of the Bluebook. The general format is as follows:

• Appropriate abbreviation (referred to in Table 10)
• Abbreviation for constitution (which is “Const.”)
• Section of the Constitution (article, paragraph, clause)

CITING REGULATIONS

Executive and administrative materials, including federal regulations, are cited according to the provisions of Rule 14 of the Bluebook. The general format is as follows:

• Title number in the Code of Federal Regulations
• F.R. (which is the designated abbreviation for the Code of Federal Regulations)
• Number of the section cited

CITING BOOKS AND REPORTS

The general format for citing a book is as follows:

• Number of the volume cited
• Full name of the author (as published on the title page)
• Title of the book (should be underlined and put into italics)
• Page, section or paragraph
• Edition (if there were more than one)
• Publication year

Note that, as is the case with other styles, the format will differ depending on whether the book has an author or just an editor and other variables. The full information on citing books as legal sources is provided in Rule 15 of the Bluebook.

CITING PERIODICALS (LAW REVIEWS AND OTHERS)

The information on citing periodicals is found in Rule 16 of the Bluebook Guide. The general format for citing a journal article is as follows:

• The full name of the author (as stated in the article)
• Article’s title (underlined and put into italics)
• Abbreviation of the journal title (as in some other styles, the Bluebook provides a list of pre-defined abbreviations for legal publications that can be cited)
• The first page of the article
• Publication date

As it has already been mentioned , signals serve to indicate whether the source cited supports or contradicts the writer’s idea.

Support signals include: “ E.g.,” “Accord,” “See,” “See also,” “Cf.”.

Comparison signal is, quite expectedly, “compare…with…”.

Contradiction signals are “Contra,” “But see,” “But cf.”.

Background material is indicated with “See generally.” The signals are usually put into italics or underlined.

There is a list of elements that should be italicized in citations, such as the names of cases, titles of books, titles of journal articles, introductory signals (see above), explanations and cross-references.

Some elements, on the other hand, are never italicized. Such elements are statutes, constitutions, restatements, reporters, services, journal names, regulations, rules and other administrative materials.

The rule of thumb is not to use italics for any items that are not on the “to be italicized” list.

As you can see, using the Bluebook style is not an easy endeavor and should not be approached lightly. Due to the complexity and the variety of rules, it is hardly possible to have a one-stop tool for an automatic Bluebook citation, and so it is important to know where to go for each kind of citation.

With the help of our free Bluebook law review citation generator, you will have no problems citing academic documents such as books, articles, and online sources that will save you a great deal of time.

In fact, we encourage you to try it right now. There are so many things that you have to spend time on in law school. Making citations is not one of them. Use this Bluebook in-text citation generator or a legal citation tool to find time for more important, career-defining things.

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