citing online article bluebook

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 .

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

Visiting the Library

• Location & Parking
• Main Library Contacts
• Staff Directory

Career Opportunities

• Law Librarianship Education
• Current Openings

Access Materials

• Interlibrary Loan & Document Delivery
• Course Reserves
• Search the Catalog
• Legal Databases
• All Databases
• Bloomberg Law

Library Resources

• Conference Rooms
• Technology Help
• Research Guides
• New Acquisitions
• Stack & Call Number Guide
• Ask a Librarian
• Reference Desk Hours
• Services to the Public

Collections

• Archives & Special Collections
• Digital Collections
• Federal Documents
• Law in Popular Culture

Liaison Services

• Find Your Liaison
• Current Awareness
• Scholarship Support
• Research Instruction

Collection Services

• Borrowing Materials
• Faculty Document Delivery Requests
• Submit a Course Reserve
• Submit a Past Exam
• Access NYT & WSJ

Course Support

• Past Exams Database
• Study Aid Guide

Student Guides

• 1L Calendar
• 1L Tarlton Calendar
• Faculty Research Assistants
• Law Review Students
• Graduating Students

Legal Research

• Bloomberg, Lexis, & Westlaw
• Seminar Papers & Law Review Notes
• Research Refresher
• Course Offerings

Student Services

• How to Print, Copy, and Scan

Bluebook Legal Citation

• Intro signals: E.g., See, See also, Cf., etc.
• Order of authorities
• Pages, Paragraphs, and Pincites
• Short form: Id., Infra, Supra, Hereinafter
• Typeface conventions
• Constitutions
• Legislative Materials
• Administrative Materials
• Books, Reports, Treatises
• Law Reviews, Magazines, and Newspapers

Periodical Examples

Author rules, title rules, consecutively paginated periodicals, non-consecutively paginated periodicals, short form rules.

• Digital Materials
• The Greenbook
• Other Citation Manuals
• Additional Resources

Consecutively Paginated Periodical Example (including most law journals):

Pamela Samuelson,  Functionality and Expression in Computer Programs: Refining the Tests for Software Copyright Infringement , 31  Berkeley Tech L.J. 1215 (2016).

Non-Consecutively Paginated Periodical Example (including most newspaper and magazines):

Adam Satariano,  Law Bolsters Copyrights in Europe , N.Y. Times , Mar. 27, 2019, at B1.

Bluebook Rule (21st): 16.2

Law Review Typeface: Ordinary

Authors of periodical articles are cited in much the same way as the Bluebook rule for authors of books and treatises, as discussed here in this guide. 

If an article has two authors, list both authors connected by an ampersand in the same order as they are listed in the original source:

Yuval Karniel & Stephen Bates , Copyright in Second Life , 20 Alb. J.L. Sci. & Tech. 433 (2010).

If an article has three or more authors, it is permissible to either give the first author's name followed by " et al. " or list all authors as they appear.

Melissa L. Tatum, et al. , Does Gender Influence Attitudes Toward Copyright in the Filk Community? , 18 Am. U. J. Gender Soc. Pol'y & L. 219 (2009).

Typically, it is only necessary to list all authors when the identity of each author is important.

NOTE: When listing three or more authors, separate each name with a comma except for the final name, which is separated only by an ampersand without a comma.

Melissa L. Tatum, Robert Spoo & Benjamin Pope , Does Gender Influence Attitudes Toward Copyright in the Filk Community? , 18 Am. U. J. Gender Soc. Pol'y & L. 219 (2009).

Bluebook Rule (21st):  16.3

Law Review Typeface: Italics

A periodical article's title should be included in full, just as it appears in the original source, but should be in italics and capitalized according to Bluebook rule 8 .

If a word (such as a case name) is italicized in the title in the original source, this word should appear in ordinary Roman type in the citation.

Kristina N. Spencer, Using Copyright Remedies to Promote Efficiency in the Open Source Regime in Wake of Jaobsen v. Katzer , 6 J.L. Econ. & Pol'y. 63 (2009) .

NOTE: Additional guidance as to which words should appear in ordinary Roman type is found in Bluebook rule 2.2 .

Bluebook Rule (21st):  16.4

The proper Bluebook citation for articles appearing in consecutively paginated journals is author, title,  volume number , abbreviation of the periodical name , first page of the article , and specific pages cited ( if any), and year:

Pamela Samuelson,  Functionality and Expression in Computer Programs: Refining the Tests for Software Copyright Infringement , 31  Berkeley Tech L.J.  1215, 1258–67 (2016).

If a journal does not otherwise indicate the volume number, but does continuous pagination across issues, use the year as the volume number.

Volume numbers should always be given as Arabic numerals even if the original source uses Roman numerals.

Indicate special issues and publications if they do not conform to the consecutively paginated publication schedule.

Note: Issue numbers are never included in Bluebook citations, even if readily indicated in the original source.

Example:  Paul D. Clement,  Theory and Structure in the Executive Branch , 2011  U. Chi. Legal. F. 1.

Journal Name

The name of the journal should be written using small caps type face.

Example:   Tex. L. Rev.

Journal names are always abbreviated according to tables T6 ,  T10 , and T13 .

NOTE : Previous editions of the Bluebook sometimes included multiple abbreviations for the same word, depending on the context. Abbreviations intended for use in case names appeared in table T6 , but a different abbreviation for the same word might appear in table T13  for periodical titles. The 21st edition of the Bluebook has brought these tables into alignment, creating a unified set of abbreviations across T6 , T10 , and T13 , with one abbreviation per word. 

Pages and Pincites In your citation to a journal article, immediately following the name of the journal, you should indicate the page on which the article begins. Immediately after the first page, you should place a comma followed by a pinpoint citation to specific pages after a comma. 

Bluebook Rule (21st):  16.5

The proper bluebook citation for nonconsecutively paginated journals and magazines is:  author , title of work (in italics) , periodical name (in small caps) , date of issue as it is on the cover , the word at , first page of the work . 

Adam Satariano, Law Bolsters Copyrights in Europe , N.Y. Times , Mar. 27, 2019, at B1. 

If there is no author, you should begin the citation with the title.

Bluebook Rule (21st):   16.9

Law Review Typeface: Id . and supra should be in italics.

Use id.  when the work is cited immediately previously, either in the same footnote or as the only authority in a previous footnote.

For  supra , include the author's last name before the  supra . If there is no author, use the title, or use "hereinafter" to establish a short name for the citation. 

• << Previous: Books, Reports, Treatises
• Next: Digital Materials >>
• Last Updated: Sep 6, 2023 10:57 AM
• URL: https://tarlton.law.utexas.edu/bluebook-legal-citation

Bluebook Rules: Internet Citation

• Recent Updates
• LII Guide to Legal Citation
• The Bluebook Online
• Citing Cases
• Citing Statutes
• Internet Citation
• Print & Online Reference Resources
• Elements of Style

Citing to internet sources is becoming more ubiquitous. Rule 18 is the go-to rule for internet, e-media, and other nonprint resources.  You can find Rule 18 in the White Pages on page 174. 

General Internet Citation Rules

When it's okay to cite to internet sources:

• When a state designates an online source "official" for a particular legal document. Rule 18.2.1(a)(ii).
• When a print source is practically unavailable   cite to the print  but also indicate the online source's location. Rule 18.2.1(b).
• When a print source is available, provide a parallel citation to an internet source, if the cite would "substantially improve access." Rule 18.2(c).
• When the source doesn't exist in a traditional printed source. Rule 18.2.2.
• When a traditional printed source exists but either can't be found or is practically unavailable. Rule 18.2.2.

Citation Form

I nternet citation's should include: title, pagination, and publication date as they appear on the webpage. Rule 18.2.2.

The table below provides examples of different internet citation forms. The table is reproduced from Bluebook Rule 18.1.

• << Previous: Citing Statutes
• Next: Print & Online Reference Resources >>
• Last Updated: Sep 25, 2023 10:09 AM
• URL: https://libguides.okcu.edu/c.php?g=225185

Bluebook 101

• Bluebook Videos
• Bluebook Formats
• Basic Layout
• Major Changes in the 21st Edition
• Washington Practitioners
• Books and Other Resources to Help with the Bluebook

Tools to Help You Create Citations

Westlaw copy with reference, lexis copy with reference, shepard's style check, lexis for microsoft office, bloomberg law copy with reference, citation management tools: endnote, mendeley, refworks, zotero, other: bestlaw, citeus legalus, legalease.

• Advanced Bluebooking
• Citing Foreign Law
• Citing Generative AI
• Example Citations
• Bluebooking Office Hours

Think Bluebooking is challenging? So do a lot of other people! There are many different tools out there to help you create Bluebook-formatting citations. But beware-- none of these tools are a perfect solution for all of your Bluebook troubles . You will need to double-check your citations to make sure they're correct even after using one of these tools.

Select text, right click, Copy with Reference. Selectable Formats:

• ALWD (Association of Legal Writing Directors)
• Standard (Bluebook) [Default]
• Various State Jurisdictions (including Washington State)

Lexis Advance Copy with Reference

Select text, right click, Copy (Quick). Selectable Formats:

• Standard (Blueboook) [Default]
• ALWD Guide to Legal Citation

Select text, right click, Copy (Advanced).

Shepard's StyleCheck

Download: https://www.lexisnexis.com/shepards-citations/stylecheck/features.asp

Shepard's StyleCheck checks either Bluebook rules or California Citation forms. It is part of Shepard’s Brief Suite, a suite of programs that automates the cite checking process. To submit the brief you are viewing to the Shepard’s StyleCheck program:

• Click the Shepard’s StyleCheck button. Default style-verification options are already set. (To customize your options, e.g., to reflect the style of specific jurisdictions, click Properties in the Options screen.)
• View your error report. Be sure to save the report if you wish to view it again.

Lexis for Microsoft Office

Free Trial: https://www.lexisnexis.com/en-us/products/lexis-for-microsoft-office.page

• Click Set Cite Format to set court style manual style preferences.
• Click Check Cite Format under the LexisNexis tab.
• Click the Change button to add the correct citation format -OR-
• Click the Get Document button to view the source document and ensure accurate citation usage

Select text, click Copy with Citation. This will open a box with the formatted citation that you can copy and paste into your document. You also have the option of linking the citation to Bloomberg Law.

Bloomberg Law does not allow you to change the citation format.

EndNote Cite While You Write

EndNote  Cite While You Write allows you to cite your references in Bluebook format. To download Cite While You Write go to Options>Download Installers>Cite While You Write. In Word, open the  EndNote  Tab and login with your  EndNote  email and password. Click Insert Citations, which opens a search box where you will search for you reference. Click Find and select your reference(s), then click Insert. If the Bluebook citation is not accurate, you can manually the citation.

EndNote  supports the following styles:

• Bluebook-Brief
• Bluebook-Law Review

In the Bibliography section of the EndNote Tab, you can change the Style and Update your citations. You can download these styles from the  EndNote website .

Mendeley Cite-O-Matic

Mendeley   Cite-O-Matic  will allow you to cite your references in Bluebook style.  Mendeley  should automatically download  Cite-O-Matic  into the References Tab in Word. Click Insert Citation. Search for your reference(s) and click OK. You can also change the Style of your citations. If the Bluebook citation is not accurate, you can manually edit the citation.

Mendeley  supports the following Styles:

• Bluebook Inline
• Bluebook Law Review

You can find and edit styles on the  Mendeley website .

RefWorks Write-N-Cite

RefWorks  Write-N-Cite allows you to cite references in Bluebook style. To download Write-N-Cite from your  RefWorks  account: Tools>Write-N-Cite.  RefWorks  will download Write-N-Cite to the References Tab in Word. Click Insert Citation. Click Insert New. Search or browse for your  referene (s) and you will see a preview of the formatted citation. Click OK. If  RefWorks  makes an error with the citation format, you can manually edit the citation.

RefWorks  supports the following citation styles:

• Bluebook (notes & bibliography)
• Bluebook (notes only)

To add more citation styles, go to Output Style Manager in your  RefWorks  account. You can see the full list of styles on the  RefWorks  website .

Zotero  will download a plugin into the Add-Ins tab on Word. Click Insert Citation. This will open a window where you can select the citation style. After selecting the style, another window will open allowing you to search for your reference(s). Once the references are added to your paper, you can edit those citations

Zotero  supports the following citation styles:

You can download additional citation styles from the  Zotero website .

Georgetown Law Library has a series of three training videos about Zotero

Citation management software enables you to collect, organize, edit, and share your research. There are several options out there, but Georgetown Law Library recommends Zotero. This set of tutorials will focus on installing and using Zotero and its cloud storage and sharing.

For accessibility, there are also PDFs of the text, as well as options for closed captioning and variable playback speeds.

Juris-M is a Zotero spin-off aimed at legal researchers. It uses the free Indigo Book , similar to (but not licensed by) The Bluebook .

Bestlaw  is a free browser extension for Chrome and Firefox that adds features for  WestlawNext  and Lexis Advance.  Bestlaw  can automatically generate Bluebook citations with one click. There is also a Pro version for sale that adds more features.

Download: https://www.bestlaw.io/

Citeus Legalus

"The legal citation generator for lazy law students." A fun citation generator.

Website: http://citeuslegalus.com/

LegalEase is a subscription-based citation generator. It's priced at about $22 a month. The company offers a 7-day free trial.

• << Previous: Books and Other Resources to Help with the Bluebook
• Next: Advanced Bluebooking >>
• Last Updated: Mar 5, 2024 9:06 AM
• URL: https://lib.law.uw.edu/bluebook101

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).

• << Previous: Introduction to Sample Bluebook Citations
• Next: Citing Case Law >>
• 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 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).

• << Previous: Home
• Next: Constitutions, Statutes & Legislative Materials >>
• Last Updated: Nov 13, 2023 2:51 PM
• URL: https://guides.libraries.uc.edu/bluebooklawrev

University of Cincinnati Libraries

PO Box 210033 Cincinnati, Ohio 45221-0033

Phone: 513-556-1424

Contact Us | Staff Directory

University of Cincinnati

Alerts | Clery and HEOA Notice | Notice of Non-Discrimination | eAccessibility Concern | Privacy Statement | Copyright Information

© 2021 University of Cincinnati

An Introduction to The Bluebook

• Short Citation Forms (Id., Supra, Hereinafter)
• Online Sources
• Books, Treatises, Encyclopedias, Reports

Consecutively Paginated vs. Nonconsecutively Paginated Periodicals

• Foreign and International Materials
• Additional Tutorials and Guides

Rule 16 governs citing to periodical materials. These include continuously published materials such as law reviews and journals, other academic journals, newspapers, magazines, and newsletters. This section has been updated to reflect content in the 21st edition of  The Bluebook .

Note the following:

• Rules 16.1 and 16.3 specify that article titles need to be formatted in italics, but  periodical titles should be formatted using both large and small caps. They must also be abbreviated according to Tables T13 (Institutional Names in Periodical Titles) and T10 (Geographic Terms) . 
• Rule 16.7 covers "Special Citation Forms". This addresses student-written law review articles, book reviews, symposia, commentaries, multipart articles, and more.
• Rule 16.8 discusses how to cite to periodicals available online or in commercial databases. 
• Rule 16.9 contains guidelines for using id. and supra when citing to periodicals.
• Rule 18.2 permits citation to online sources that are exact copies of printed sources.  HeinOnline contains PDFs of the print versions of a vast number of law reviews and journals.

Tip : HeinOnline produces Bluebooked citations for law review & journal articles in their digital collection. When viewing an article in Hein, click on the "Cite" button located above the journal table of contents.

The Bluebook distinguishes between "consecutively paginated" and "nonconsecutively paginated" periodicals:

• Rule 16.4 covers consecutively paginated periodicals, which include most law reviews. These are organized by volume and page numbers continue throughout all issues of the volume. For instance, Vol. 1, Issue 1 contains pages 1-100; Vol. 1, Issue 2 contains pages 101-200; and so forth. 
• Rule 16.5 covers nonconsecutively paginated periodicals, which include many magazines. These have page numbers starting at 1 for each new issue.

Rule 16.6 governs citations to newspapers, which are generally cited like nonconsecutively paginated periodicals (with a few exceptions).

Print news articles may be cited as follows:

Evan Halper,  Push Is On for Universal Voting by Mail , L.A. TIMES, Mar. 20, 2020, at A5.

Rule 16.6(f) governs citations to online newspapers, which may be cited instead of the print versions. Rule 18.2.2 also applies to these citations.

Evan Halper, Coronavirus Threatens the November Election. Can Vote by Mail Save It? ,  L.A. TIMES (Mar. 19, 2020), https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-03-19/calls-mount-making-november-mail-in-ballot.

• << Previous: Books, Treatises, Encyclopedias, Reports
• Next: Statutes >>
• Last Updated: Aug 25, 2022 9:02 AM
• URL: https://libguides.law.ucdavis.edu/bluebookintro

Bluebook Legal Citation System Guide

The bluebook, six-steps to creating a citation, bluebook faqs, bluebook training videos, beyond the bluebook, getting help.

This is a guide to the Bluebook system of American legal citation. The information here can help anyone who is writing a scholarly legal paper in the United States, including JD students, LLM students, and SJD students.

The Bluebook is currently in its 21st edition, released in June 2020. It is available in two formats: as a print book, and as an electronic publication.  To buy a print copy or a subscription to the electronic version, visit  https://www.legalbluebook.com/ .

All references to print book page number in this guide are from the 21st edition.

The Bluebook: An Overview

The Bluebook has two sections:

• The Bluepages section: citation rules for documents written by practitioners, like legal memoranda and court filings. 
• The Whitepages section: citation rules for legal academic publications, including law journal articles.

Since law school work focuses on academic writing, this guide describes and explains the rules in the Whitepages section.

Citation Rule Categories

• Rules 1-8 (pp. 61-94): Style rules , including typeface, capitalization, abbreviation, quotations, and cross references.  
• Rule 10 (p. 95): Cases
• Rule 11 (p. 119): Constitutions 
• Rule 12 (p. 120): Statutes, Codes, and Session Laws
• Rule 13 (p. 135): Legislative Materials (including Congressional documents)
• Rule 14 (p. 142): Administrative and Executive Materials
• Rule 15 (p. 147): Books, Reports, and other Nonperiodic Materials
• Rule 16 (p. 157): Periodical Materials (including journal articles and newspapers)
• Rule 17 (p. 169): Unpublished and Forthcoming Sources
• Rules for citing non-print sources , including internet and other electronic sources: Rule 18 (p. 174)
• Rules for citing foreign (non-U.S.) materials: Rule 20 (p. 188)
• Rules for citing international materials: Rule 21 (p. 195)

Table 1 (p. 227) has jurisdiction-specific rules for citing U.S. federal and state cases, statutes, and other primary legal materials.

Table 2 has rules for citing sources from selected foreign jurisdictions.  It is no longer in the print version of the Bluebook, but it is freely available online .

Tables 3 (international organizations, p. 299) and 4 (treaties, p. 302) have rules for citing international sources.

Finally, many Bluebook rules require certain names, words, and phrases to be shortened.  Tables 6-16 (starting on p. 304) list these abbreviations.

Six-Step Process

To create a correct Bluebook citation, follow this quick six-step process:

• Figure out what type of source you want to cite: a case, a statute, a book, a journal article, etc.
• Go to the Bluebook rule for that source type.  For example, if it's a U.S. case, go to rule 10.
• Read the rule carefully and study any examples provided closely.
• Determine the components of the citation and get them from the source.
• Draft a citation that looks like the most relevant example.
• Edit the citation using style rules, tables, etc., to make it correct.

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

To download the PowerPoint slide deck shown in this video, click the icon below.

• PowerPoint Slides: Six-Step Citation Creation Process

FAQ #1: Is there a program I can use to generate Bluebook-style citations automatically?

If you want them to be 100% correct, then no.

The Zotero Citation Management System has an option for generating Bluebook-style citations. However, Zotero's citations are frequently not Bluebook-perfect (especially for primary sources like cases and statutes), so you will have to fix them if you want them to be right.

The PowerNotes Content Management System also has an option for generating Bluebook-style citations.  It does Bluebook a bit better than Zotero, but its citations are not perfect either.  If you want them to be correct, you have to fix them.

Anything you download from HeinOnline as a PDF will include a Bluebook citation on the first page of the PDF.  Those citations are often close but not entirely right. For example, Hein-generated citations do not use small caps for book and journal titles.  So, again, you can use them but you will have to fix them.

Lexis and Westlaw show citations for every case. These are generally correct in that the letters and numbers are right. But many cases are reported in multiple reporters, and the Bluebook has requirements regarding which citation version you use depending on the court.  So you can and should use them, but you still have to use Rule 10 and Table T1 to make them perfectly compliant with the Bluebook rules.

In other words, there is no getting around learning the Bluebook if you are writing an American legal academic paper that requires citations to be in Bluebook format . No automated process will do a better Bluebook citation than a human being reading and applying the rules.

FAQ #2: OK, fine. Does the Bluebook have a list of citation examples for each rule?

Yes! Right inside the front cover there is a quick guide to the major rules, with citation examples. Use this as a quick reference if you can't remember which rule covers which type of source.

FAQ #3: How do I cite something I found online?

Rule 18 has rules for citing internet sources, websites, documents found online, blogs, social media posts, etc.  This guide has a short video that demonstrates how this works for a website (click Bluebook Training Videos in the table of contents to the left of this text to navigate to it).

Remember, the Bluebook really prefers that you cite to a print source. It has gotten more flexible over the years. However, for something like a law review article, even if you found it online, you still need to follow the instructions in Rule 16 to cite it.

FAQ #4: How do I cite a source that I cited in another footnote?

Instructions for doing this are in Rule 3.5: Internal Cross-References .

If you cited only one source in footnote #1, and you want to cite the exact same source in footnote #2, that is when you use id. Only the source has to be the same, not the page or section.

In the below example, footnote #2 is citing page 200 of the Messi case.

For secondary sources like law review articles and books, if you want to cite a source that you cited longer ago in your paper than the previous footnote, you can use supra .

When you do a supra citation, you have to use the same font specifications as you did in the original citation. What does that mean? Check out footnote #3 below, which cites a book.  According to rule 15, both the author and the title of the book must be in small caps.  This same book is also cited in footnotes #5, #7, and #11.  In each of those, the author's name is in small caps.

This rule is slightly different for cases, however.

• For the short form of a case, the general rule is to use the name of the first party, italicized (as was done in footnotes #4 and #13 in the example below). 
• If the case was cited more than five footnotes ago, you cannot use a short form; you have to cite the whole case again (as shown in footnote #14 below).

Footnote #1: Messi v. Haaland, 100 F.4th 197 (9th Cir. 2021). Footnote #2: Id . at 200. Footnote #3: Kylian Mbapp é , Comparative Constitutional Jurisprudence in the Twenty-First Century 15 (2022). Footnote #4: Messi , 100 F.4th, at  201. Footnote #5: Mbapp é , supra note 3, at 58-59. Footnote #6: Manuel Neuer, Why the Judiciary Needs Term Limits , 200 Harv. L. Rev. 1, 7 (2022). Footnote #7: Mbapp é , supra note 3, at 88. Footnote #8: See Neuer, supra note 6, at 9-11 (describing how establishing term limits for judges in Germany has instilled more confidence in that country's judiciary). Footnote #9: Zinchenko v. Davies, 101 F.4th 408, 409 (2nd Cir. 2022). Footnote #10: Id . at 415. Footnote #11: See generally Mbapp é , supra note 3. Footnote #12: But see id . at 227-30 (outlining Mbapp é's argument that  constitutional court judges should also be trained in areas other than law). Footnote #13: Zinchenko , 101 F.4th at 410; see also Neuer, supra note 6, at 15-16. Footnote #14: Messi v. Haaland, 100 F.4th 197, 202 (9th Cir. 2021).

FAQ #5: Help! When I add new footnotes, the numbering in supra citations gets messed up.

It's a fact of life that footnote numbers change as we add and remove footnotes from our paper during the editing process.

Fortunately, Microsoft Word has a feature that can help.  There is a video further down in this guide that explains how to use Word's Internal Cross-Reference feature to add footnote reference numbers to supra citations (click  Bluebook Training Videos  in the table of contents to the left of this text to navigate to it).

If you use this feature, these numbers will be connected to the source that you're citing.  What does that mean?  Suppose you first cite a book by Sandra Jones in footnote #28 in your paper, like this:

Then, you cite that same book in footnote #34, like this:

What happens if, later on, you add another footnote to your paper BEFORE the Jones book citation that has been in footnote #28?  That's right: that Jones book citation is pushed back to footnote #29.  That also means that the supra note number in footnote #34 (which is now footnote #35) needs to change, from 28 to 29.

When you first create footnote #34, don't manually type "28" after " supra note."  Instead, insert it as a cross-reference, following the instructions in the video below.  That way, when it needs to be updated when the footnote numbers change, you can tell Word to do that automatically.  That procedure is also explained in the video.

If you do this every time you add a supra citation, you will be able to update all of the numbers in all of the supra citations in your paper in a few keystrokes, regardless of how many footnotes you have.  Please consider using this headache-preventing device.

FAQ #6: When should I use "see" in a footnote?

Introductory signals explain why and how you are citing and using a source.They are listed below, and rule 1.2 explains their use.

• See generally

In the example below, signals are used in footnotes #8, #11, and #12.

When using a signal like " See " or " But see ," you may want to use a parenthetical to explain why you are citing a particular source.  This is shown in footnotes #8 and #12 in the example below. For more information about how this works, see  rule 1.5: Parenthetical Information .

FAQ #7: Are there special rules for citing non-English foreign sources?

Instructions for citing foreign (non-English) materials are provided in detail in Rule 20.2 and in the individual country sections in Table T2 (which is freely available online; note not every jurisdiction is covered) .  

Generally, when it comes to language version, you need to cite the source you are referring to, as detailed in rules 20.2.2 and 20.2.5 .

If you are referring to a  non-English primary source in its original language , you should cite the original-language version.  Here's an example of this from the German version of the Political Parties Act:

If you are referring to a primary source that was translated into English , you should cite the translated version.  Here's an example of this from an English-language translation of the Swiss Civil Procedure Code that is available on the Swiss government's website:

Cite foreign books just like U.S. books according to rule 15. For articles from foreign periodicals and newspapers , see rule 20.6 . 

Providing an English-language translation of foreign-language article titles is permitted, but not necessary. There is no stated rule for providing translations of book titles.  Remember, however, if your paper is targeting a U.S. audience, many readers will find those kinds of translations helpful.

FAQ #8: Are there special capitalization rules for titles?

Americans capitalize most words in titles, and the Bluebook's capitalization rule, Rule 8 , reflects this preference:

• General rule: capitalize all words, including the initial word and the word immediately following a colon.
• Articles (such as a, an, the)
• Conjunctions (these are words that connect words, sentences, or phrases, such as for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)
• Prepositions (such as with, by, in, on)
• Exception to the exception: Capitalize any of those words if they are the first word of the title, the first word after a colon, or more than four letters.

Incorrect article title capitalization: Hearing the voiceless: a respected judge on putting the rights of crime victims above those of defendants

Correct article title capitalization: Hearing the Voiceless: A Respected Judge on Putting the Rights of Crime Victims Above Those of Defendants

FAQ #9: Where do I put the footnote numbers in the text, before or after the punctuation?

In American legal writing, as opposed to that in many other countries, place the footnote number AFTER  punctuation marks, including periods, commas, quotations marks, etc. Note, however, that there are two types of punctuation marks that should have the footnote number placed before them: colons, and dashes.  This is shown in the example accompanying rule 1.1.

Bluebook Tips Video Series

We have some short videos of Bluebook tips that are based on the FAQ in this guide.  

The first tip video explains the answers to both FAQ #3 (using id and supra) and FAQ #4 (using Word's internal cross reference feature), all in one 3:30 video!

The next tip video discusses FAQ #2 - using rule 18 to cite online sources.  It also talks about perma.cc , the Harvard Law School Library Innovation Lab's website archival tool. 

Here's another video that was made based on a recent question we received in the research service department.  It describes how to cite a federal statute as a session law (using rule 12.4) and not how it was codified in the U.S. Code.  Examples are given for two types of citations: to a chapter number (for very old statutes), or to a public law number (for newer statutes).

Bluebook Training Class in Two Parts (Video, From 2020)

Below is a two-part recording of a Bluebook training class offered by Jennifer in March 2020. Although it references the 20th edition of the Bluebook, the class is still relevant and provides a good basic introduction to general Bluebook style and citation rules for US and foreign sources. 

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.

Contact Us!

  Ask Us!  Submit a question or search our knowledge base.

Chat with us!  Chat   with a librarian (HLS only)

Email: [email protected]

 Contact Historical & Special Collections at [email protected]

  Meet with Us   Schedule an online consult with a Librarian

Hours  Library Hours

Classes  View  Training Calendar  or  Request an Insta-Class

 Text  Ask a Librarian, 617-702-2728

 Call  Reference & Research Services, 617-495-4516

• Last Updated: Dec 12, 2023 10:15 AM
• URL: https://guides.library.harvard.edu/law/bluebook_old

Harvard University Digital Accessibility Policy

Legal Citation

• Getting Started
• Constitutions and Regulations
• Internet Sources
• Foreign and International Sources
• Other Secondary Sources
• Abbreviations
• The Maroonbook
• Supreme Court of Ohio Writing Manual
• Selected Research Guides
• Books on Citations
• Citation Management Tools
• Additional Tools

Citing from Electronic Resources

Rule 18 of the Bluebook requires the use and citation of traditional printed sources when available , unless there is a digital copy of the source available that is authenticated, official, or an exact copy of the printed source.  Generally, the Bluebook encourages authors to find and use the hardcopy of the sources; however, if the researchers cannot find the hard copies of the materials they should use the most current internet materials. 

Generally, the Bluebook establishes three general formats for structuring a citation. These three general formats are:

• citations to the hard-copy print material,
• citations that combine the print citation with the electronic citation using “available at,” and
• citations directly to the electronic version.

Under Rule 18.2 – Internet Citations, authors should cite directly to an internet source when a source does not exist in a traditionally printed form or commercial database. If the internet source is identical to the print source, authors may include a parallel cite to the internet source preceded by "available at." Authors should cover the following elements: 

• Typeface the title or party name as you would for a normal citation. Do not underline the URL. If there is no printed comparison, treat the source as unpublished and follow Rule 17 . Rule 18.2.3(b).
• If an author is unclear, a title alone may be used. Rule 18.2.3(c).
• Only pinpoint cite if a page number appears in the document itself, e.g. PDFs. Rule 18.2.3(d).
• Indicate a year if the date clearly refers to the material cited, otherwise use the "last visited" date in parentheses. Rule 18.2.3(e).
• Include a Perma.cc link, DOI link, or link to an archived copy in brackets after the original URL. Rule 18.2.1(d).

Example : Faith Karimini, What Jeff Sessions Said about Russia Ties during Confirmation Hearings (last updated, March 3, 2017), available at http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/02/politics/russia-jeff-sessions-confirmation-hearing/index.html [ https://perma.cc/K7A7-5AVA ].

• << Previous: Constitutions and Regulations
• Next: Foreign and International Sources >>
• Last Updated: Feb 2, 2024 2:29 PM
• URL: https://lawresearchguides.cwru.edu/citations

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

Unfortunately, your browser is too old to work on this site.

For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript.

• NEWS & EVENTS
• EMPLOYERS/PARTNERS
• Experiential Learning / Co-op
• Public Interest Law
• Student Life

Bluebook Citation: Law Reviews/Articles & Other Non-Book Publications

• Common Building Block Rules
• Bluepages v. Whitepages
• Regulations & Adminstrative Opinions
• Law Reviews/Articles & Other Non-Book Publications
• Tables & Bluepages Tables
• Electronic Resources
• International Materials
• Foreign Materials

Authors - Rule 15.1 & 16.2

Follow same rules as for books - Rule 15.1 . The only difference is to use normal type (as versus large and small capitals).

In essence, use the authors name as found on the document (and not in reverse, i.e. its first then second name, not last, then first):

• Decimus Junius Brutus.

When there are two authors, use an ampersand: 

• Marcus Aemilius Lepidus & Marcus Antonius Creticus.

When there are three or more, use the first followed by et al: 

• Gaius Cassius Longinus, et al

Follow the same rules for institutional authors (all Rule 15.1) .

Article and Journal Titles - Tables 13-16

Use the article title as it appears - do not use abbreviations (like in case names). Capitalize according to Rule 8 .

To abbreviate English language periodical titles use tables T13.1, T13.2 and T10 . Omit the words "a," "at," "of," and "the." If the title only consists of one word after the words "a," "at," "of," or "the," do not abbreviate the remaining word (See Table 13).

Examples - Rule 16 & Tables 13-16

James R. Hackney, “Law and Neoclassical Economics: Science, Politics and the Reconfiguration of American Tort Law Theory,” 15  Law and History Review  275, 1997, at page 280.

James R. Hackney, Law and Neoclassical Economics: Science, Politics and the Reconfiguration of American Tort Law Theory , 15  Law and Hist. Rev. 275, 280 (1997).

Author; article title; volume; law review title; page number; pinpoint cite; year

Note: In court documents (bluepages), the article title is underlined. In law reviews, the journal name is in small-caps and the article title is italicized.

For short forms, see Rule 16.9.

Newspapers & Other Non-Conseutively Paginated Materials - Rule 16.6

Generally the same as normal articles. However, as there is no consecutive pagination within a newspaper, you have to specify a location differently (Rule 16.6) .

e.g. Al Baker, Indicting DNA Profiles Is Vital in Old Rape Cases , N.Y. Times , Oct. 18, 2009, at A20,

Note: abbreviations for newspaper extract from the Tables, as with the date abbreviation. Remember for law reviews to use large and small capitals for the newspaper.

These rules also apply to other non-consecutively paginated materials. What does that mean? For example, a collection of magazines bound together in one volume. Between the magazines there is no continuity of pagination. Hence, like newspapers, you have to specify location differently, usually with a specific date (Rules 16.6 - 16.6) .

Subject Guide

Other Types

Other type of documents include:

• Student written law review materials  (Rule 16.7.1)
• Student written book reviews (Rule 16.7.2)
• Symposia (Rule 16.7.3)
• Annotations, i.e. ALRs (Rule 16.7.6)
• << Previous: Regulations & Adminstrative Opinions
• Next: Books >>
• Last Updated: Dec 12, 2022 3:11 PM
• URL: https://lawlibraryguides.neu.edu/bluebook

Bluebook Citation Generator

Powered by chegg.

• Select style:
• Archive material
• Chapter of an edited book
• Conference proceedings
• Dictionary entry
• Dissertation
• DVD, video, or film
• E-book or PDF
• Edited book
• Encyclopedia article
• Government publication
• Music or recording
• Online image or video
• Presentation
• Press release
• 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.

” “

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.

Library electronic resources outage May 29th and 30th

Between 9:00 PM EST on Saturday, May 29th and 9:00 PM EST on Sunday, May 30th users will not be able to access resources through the Law Library’s Catalog, the Law Library’s Database List, the Law Library’s Frequently Used Databases List, or the Law Library’s Research Guides. Users can still access databases that require an individual user account (ex. Westlaw, LexisNexis, and Bloomberg Law), or databases listed on the Main Library’s A-Z Database List.

• Georgetown Law Library
• Research Process

Bluebook Guide

Unpublished opinions.

• Introduction
• Finding the Bluebook
• Using the Bluebook
• Federal Courts
• State Courts
• Short Forms for Cases
• Federal Statutes
• State Statutes
• Statutes Online
• Citing Other Resources
• Video Tutorials

Key to Icons

• Georgetown only
• On Bloomberg
• More Info (hover)
• Preeminent Treatise

While you will most often cite to cases in reporters, only a small percentage of cases are actually designated for publication by a court and published in a reporter. Many cases are unpublished, but still available in databases, such as Westlaw, Lexis, Bloomberg Law, or elsewhere. Rule 10.8.1 describes how to cite an unpublished case and there are examples in the chart at the beginning of Rule 10 (p. 95) .

A citation to an unpublished case that is available in Westlaw, Lexis, Bloomberg Law, or another "widely used electronic database" (Rule 10.8.1(a)) has the following five elements:

• Name of the case (underlined or italicized and abbreviated according to Rule 10.2)
• Docket number
• Database identifier
• Name of the court (abbreviated according to Rule 10.4)
• Date the case was decided, including month (Table 12), day, and year

Here is an example:

United States v. Bennett , No. 05-CR-6050 CJS, 2005 WL 2709572 (W.D.N.Y. Oct. 21, 2005)

If an unpublished case is not available in an electronic database and only available as a slip opinion, the citation is the same, except without the database identifier:

United States v. Bennett , No. 05-CR-6050 CJS (W.D.N.Y. Oct. 21, 2005)

For how to cite specific pages in unpublished opinions, see Rule 10.8.1(a) and 10.8.1(b).

• << Previous: State Courts
• Next: Short Forms for Cases >>
• © Georgetown University Law Library. These guides may be used for educational purposes, as long as proper credit is given. These guides may not be sold. Any comments, suggestions, or requests to republish or adapt a guide should be submitted using the Research Guides Comments form . Proper credit includes the statement: Written by, or adapted from, Georgetown Law Library (current as of .....).
• Last Updated: Jun 8, 2023 1:22 PM
• URL: https://guides.ll.georgetown.edu/bluebook