Bluebook legal writing numbers

The bluebook is the resource all attorneys and legal scholars use to properly cite and format legal documents. In a diverse and rapidly changing legal profession, the bluebook continues to provide a systematic method by which members of the profession communicate important information to one another about the sources and legal authorities upon. Fortunately, the rules about numbers in writing are much easier and more scintillating than the definitions of words related to numbers. Basic layout bluebook 101 library guides at university. So if you plan to commit your future to lawrelated fields, knowing how to cite in bluebook format is a must for you. In addition, abbreviate any state or smaller geographic unit included in a. It is a composite of those contained in the bluebook and the alwd guide to legal citation. Easy way to cope with bluebook title page and citations. Percentages may be spelled out twenty percent or written as numbers 20% numbers that begin sentences should be spelled out.

At asl, the primary source for rules regarding legal citation is the. The blue book rules for writing numbers comma fraction. Make sure that you quote exactlythe editors will be checking. This is not a comprehensive citation reference work. As it stands right now, most legal writing is the stuff of nightmares. In university dissertations and documents produced by professionals. Except for a few basic rules, spelling out numbers vs.

Pages, paragraphs, and pincites bluebook legal citation tarlton. Check the bluebook for the rules on quotations they. Legal publications welcome to the oregon state bar online. The white pages expand on the rules included in the bluepages.

The first nine rules in the bluebook apply to all of the other rules and they are all about style. Apr 05, 2011 in english writing, the decimal point is represented by a dot. Ugly legal writing, see webinar american bar association. Commas cannot be used to represent a decimal point. Generations of law students, lawyers, scholars, judges, and other legal professionals have relied on the bluebook s unique system of citation in their writing.

A readable and pragmatic guide, this valuable text offers thorough explanations of important concepts as well as selfchecking. The bluebook now makes it optional to use parentheses around your record cites. The chicago manual of style, the bluebook and the alwd guide to legal. However, the following are rules and examples for other types of legal documents that many firstyear law students may need to cite in addition to cases and statutes. The alwd manual was created by the association of legal writing directors because lawyers, judges, law teachers, and law students need a citation manual that is easy to use, easy to teach from, and easy to learn from. Bluebook guide home libguides at university of illinois.

Among all users of this online citing machine, students, scholars, professors, judges, attorneys, and other legal specialists are the most active ones. Also use hyphens when those numbers are part of bigger numbers. In a diverse and rapidly changing legal profession, the bluebook continues to provide a systematic method by which members of the profession communicate important information to one another about the sources and legal. The oregon appellate courts style manual says to spell out numbers from zero to nine as does the bulletin, and chicago recognizes this alternative as popular in some publications. Easy bluebooking bluebook citations libguides at william. Fortunately, the rules about numbers in writing are much easier and more. The blue book rules for writing numbers free download as word doc. Page numbers are typically cited following the name of a work and before a date parenthetical. Hence, it is essential to learn to write under bluebook legal citation. Oct 01, 20 spell out numbers below 10 and big round numbers. Basic layout bluebook 101 library guides at university of.

The bluebook contains rules that prescribe how to cite a variety of legal documents. Students will learn how to identify, use, and analyze primary and secondary legal. Citing to the record in briefs marquette university law. Leading style guides, such as the red book, the elements of style, and bluebook, give us the rules. Even when the word already ends in s, this is the rule i follow.

Unless youre writing a date in the 1st of january, 2010 format, always spell out ordinal numbers. Unlike the remainder of the bluebook, which is designed in a style and at a level of complexity commensurate with the needs of the law journal publication process, the bluepages provide easytocomprehend guidance for the everyday citation needs of firstyear law. Alwd preface the alwd manual is consistent with the bluebook on most practices and is increasingly so with the fourth. However, the basic format of a case citation is as follows. Unlike many pieces of legal citation that are purely technical, an effective use of signals can add meaning to your writing, indicating quickly to your reader how a certain source supports your proposition. American law reports alr is good resources for background, analysis, and citations about law cases, statutes, and other legal details.

Its customary to use at with appellate record cites, but the 19th edition does not require at with other page number references in record cites. Modern legal writing style dictates that legal documents should be clear, uncomplicated, and consistent. Underlining also is acceptable and must be used exclusively in the unified writing competition. Check the bluebook for the rules on quotations they are pretty straightforward rule 5. Bluebook style is one of the less known systems of citations that is used majorly in the legal system to provide reference and citations for the literature and sources that are used in legal documents and that build the foundation for the current case. As men of law rely upon a great number of various sources, legal citation also covers the usage of signals that present citations and explain. Rules for writing numbers the blue book of grammar. Bluebook is used to cite passages within legal writing. Thats why the judge objected to 7th judicial circuit. If you follow buttericks rules on document design, your writing will beckon your readers.

Do not put a space between the two symbols see examples above. Expansive and trademark claims by the proprietors of the bluebook spawned the latest entry in the field, the indigo book, released in 2016. Select a bluebook style from the list and check copy to clipboard. Unlike the remainder of the bluebook, which is designed in a style and at a level of complexity commensurate with the needs of the law journal publication process, the bluepages provide easytocomprehend guidance for the everyday citation needs of first. The chicago manual of style, the bluebook and the alwd guide to legal citation all suggest. Citing cases bluebook guide guides at georgetown law library. If you are using parentheses around your record cites, then you use them with all record cites, including those that contain id. This handout, used in conjunction with bluebook rule 1. If you chose to spell out multiword whole numbers between 22 and 99, use hyphens. Nov 30, 2019 this new book provides a fresh, innovative approach that enables students to master the bluebook citation rules needed in legal research and writing courses and in legal practice.

So if you plan to commit your future to lawrelated fields, knowing how to cite in bluebook. Mar 29, 2019 using alr has become the standard for many law papers and citing them can be done with either the bluebook citation or the association of legal writing directors alwd citation. A number of sources are available to help you become proficient and professional in the art of legal citation. Removing legalese helps lay bare any oversights in the original.

Therefore, the number ten thousand five hundred and fiftythree and threequarters is written like this in english. Find your pincite by locating the starred numbers immediately before and after the relevant text. From the legal writing clinic writing tip of the week abbreviations in legal writing this tip covers some of the abbreviations you might use in the text of a legal document. In your first year you will be writing legal memoranda and briefs, therefore you will follow the examples in the bluepages. Policies and philosophies vary from medium to medium. Many publishers of literary works, such as literary journals and fiction books, prefer. For a number of words, but following no consistent pattern, both manuals.

Bluebooking for court documents guide to legal writing. Rules for writing numbers the blue book of grammar and. I dont think it would make a difference if you changed the pincite, so in your example. The white pages in the bluebook address academic citation. The bluebook style guide is used in the american legal profession for citation of all relevant sources. X research source in a few steps, you can create an alr citation like, martha lee, invasion of personal property in the state of nevada, 20 a. The following information regarding the bluebook citation format is an adapted version of the style and formatting guidelines found in the bluebook, 20th ed. How to cite the amendments in bluebook format legal beagle. The chicago manual of style, the bluebook and the alwd guide to legal citation all suggest spelling out numbers from zero to ninetynine. For example, if you are citing a secondary authority with a title, consult rule 8 capitalization, to know whether you need to capitalize certain words or not.

Citing cases bluebook guide guides at georgetown law. Additionally, the chicago manual of style recommends its use for all citation of legal material. Abbreviate the listed words wherever they appear in a partys name that is part of a citation. Even the leading guidebooks for writers, the associated press stylebook and the chicago manual of style, have different approaches. Bluebook rule 10 covers how cases should be cited in legal documents. To us, using numerals for singledigit numbers looks tacky. Bluebook citation for legal materials purdue writing lab. The precise format of a case citation depends on a number of factors, including the jurisdiction, court, and type of case. As men of law rely upon a great number of various sources, legal citation also covers the.

Errors are harder to find in dense and convoluted prose. Pages, paragraphs, and pincites bluebook legal citation. Legal checking perfectit proofreading software for. This class will teach students how to perform legal research, writing, and analysis. Leading style guides, such as the red book, the elements of style, and bluebook, give.

Using alr has become the standard for many law papers and citing them can be done with either the bluebook citation or the association of legal writing directors alwd citation. If the article is written by a student author, the designation of the piece see r. 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 nonacademic legal documents the bluepages citation format of the whitepages and the bluepages differs in typeface and elements of citation. It provides a system of rules for legal citations so that readers can locate the sources cited.

It combines detailed, yet easytounderstand, explanations and examples of bluebook rules with different types of exercises, which are also available online. Set out below is a table of words and their abbreviations with links to examples. Apr 14, 2007 as we discuss in the eleventh edition of the blue book of grammar and punctuation, writing numbers is a complex topic, with many exceptions. Basic legal citation starting points most lawyers and law students seem to think that properly citing legal materials is a nightmare. Jul 19, 2019 the precise format of a case citation depends on a number of factors, including the jurisdiction, court, and type of case. Generations of law students, lawyers, scholars, judges, and other legal professionals have relied on the bluebooks unique system of citation in their writing. Page numbers are typically cited following the name of a work and. If you are writing a brief or memo, look at the blue pages, rule b10 or apply the citation rules of the jurisdiction. Essential bluebook rules law school writing center law school. The style for a literary publication may differ from the style for a journalistic publication. The key in all cases is to use a consistent style throughout your writing.

Aug 01, 2019 after you have some citations in your zotero library, rightclick on one and select create bibliography from item. For citations to an authority which is part of a larger, consecutively paginated source, such as case reporters or periodicals, include the page number on which the. The bluebook requires citation to printed material provided it is available, unless there is an authenticated, official, or exact digital copy of the printed sources. The chicago manual of style recommends spelling out the numbers zero through one hundred and using figures thereafterexcept for whole numbers used in. As men of law rely upon a great number of various sources, legal citation also covers the usage of signals that present. This new book provides a fresh, innovative approach that enables students to master the bluebook citation rules needed in legal research and writing courses and in legal practice. For abbreviations in citations and case names, follow the rules in the bluebook. There are too many rules for this introductory guide to cover. A citation informs the reader where the writer obtained. Traditional legal language tends to hide inconsistencies and ambiguities.

Internet citation bluebook citation 101 practitioner. Install the word plugin to use citations from your zotero library when you are writing. This selfpaced guide to citation form is a perfect match for any basic legal writing and research course. As he suggests, it should be seventh judicial circuit.