liminfoBluebook Citation Reference
Free reference guide: Bluebook Citation Reference
About Bluebook Citation Reference
The Bluebook Legal Citation Reference provides a complete, searchable guide to the Bluebook citation system used in U.S. legal writing. It covers case citations for the Supreme Court, federal circuit and district courts, and state courts, along with statutes, constitutions, federal regulations, and legislative materials.
Beyond primary sources, this reference includes rules for citing secondary sources such as law review articles, books, restatements, and treatises. It also covers introductory signals (See, Cf., Compare), repeated citation handling (Id., Supra, Hereinafter), pinpoint citations, parentheticals, and string citation ordering.
The reference addresses typeface conventions for law reviews versus court documents, abbreviation tables (Table T6), footnote formatting, international law materials including treaties and UN resolutions, and foreign law citations for Korean, German, UK, and Japanese legal systems.
Key Features
- Complete case citation formats for U.S. Supreme Court, federal, and state courts
- Federal and state statute citation rules with publisher-specific variants (U.S.C., U.S.C.A., U.S.C.S.)
- Secondary source citation templates for law reviews, books, restatements, and treatises
- Introductory signals reference covering See, Cf., Compare...with, and Contra
- Id., Supra, and Hereinafter rules for repeated citation handling
- Pinpoint citation, parenthetical, and string citation ordering conventions
- Typeface rules for law review footnotes versus court document text
- International and foreign law citation formats for treaties, UN documents, and multi-jurisdiction statutes
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I cite a U.S. Supreme Court case in Bluebook format?
Use the official United States Reports format: Party v. Party, Volume U.S. Page (Year). For example: Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954). The official reporter (U.S.) is preferred over S. Ct. or L. Ed. 2d.
When should I use Id. versus Supra in legal citations?
Id. refers to the immediately preceding citation and works for all source types. Supra is used only for secondary sources (books, articles, treatises) and never for cases or statutes. Use Id. at [page] when referencing a different page from the immediately preceding source.
What is the correct order for string citations in legal writing?
String citations are separated by semicolons and follow this order: (1) Constitutions, (2) Statutes, (3) Treaties, (4) Cases (federal before state, higher courts before lower), and (5) Secondary sources.
How do I cite federal statutes under the Bluebook?
Use the format: Title U.S.C. section number (Year). For example: 42 U.S.C. section 1983 (2018). Unofficial compilations use U.S.C.A. (West) or U.S.C.S. (LexisNexis) when the official code is unavailable.
What are the differences between law review and court document typeface rules?
In law review footnotes, case names are italicized and book/journal titles use SMALL CAPS. In court documents, case names are underlined and everything else is in regular (Roman) typeface.
How do I cite international treaties and UN resolutions?
For treaties: Treaty Name, Date, Volume U.N.T.S. Page. For UN resolutions: G.A. Res. Number, U.N. Doc. Number (Date). For ICJ cases: Party v. Party, Year I.C.J. Page (Date).
What introductory signals should I use in Bluebook citations?
No signal means direct quotation or direct support. "See" indicates clear support requiring inference. "See also" provides additional support. "Cf." supports by analogy. "Contra" directly opposes. "But see" provides clear opposition. "See generally" offers background information.
How do I handle pinpoint citations for specific pages or sections?
For pages, use: Brown, 347 U.S. at 485. For consecutive pages, abbreviate: 485-90. For non-consecutive pages, list all: 485, 490, 495. For footnotes: Id. at 485 n.3. For paragraphs: Id. para. 15.