Blue book citation style

Prepared by,
Arpita Gupta, Ruchira Goel
 Basic purpose of citation
• To let the reader locate a cited source
accurately and efficiently

• It provides minimum amount of

information necessary to find the cited
source
 Structure of bluebook

• The Bluebook contains three major parts:

1. First part (rules 1 to 9): general standards of
citation and style to be used throughout the
legal writing.
2. Second part (rules 10 to 21): specific rules of
citation for cases, statutes, books, periodicals
etc.
3. Third part (tables T.1 to T.17): series of tables
to be used in conjunction with the rules.
 Tables 1 to 17
TABLES
T. 1 United States Jurisdictions ( Different kinds of courts in US.)
T. 2 Foreign Jurisdictions (Case, statute etc. citation types for different
countries. )
T. 3 Intergovernmental Organizations (Citation for records of organizations
like UN, ECHR etc. )
T. 4 Treaty Sources (Like Official U.S. Sources, UN Treaty series, EU treaty
series etc.)
Abbreviations
T. 5 Arbitral Reporters
T. 6 Case Names (list of abbreviations for words like Academy, Business,
Committee etc.)
T. 7 Court Names (Abbreviations for word like Administrative Court, Circuit
Courts, Family Court etc.)
T. 8 Court Documents (Abbreviations for words like Affidavit, Affirm etc.)
 Tables cont…
Abbreviations

T. 9 Explanatory Phrases (for phrases like overruled by, enforced,

vacated, modified, withdrawn etc. )
T. 10 Legislative documents ( for common words found in legislative
texts like concurrent, bill, documents(s), miscellaneous etc.)
T. 11 Geographical Terms (for States in US, other countries etc.)

T. 12 Judges and Officials (for officials like Arbitrator, Chief Justice )

T. 13 Months (abbreviations for months )

T. 14 Periodicals (abbreviations for common y cited periodicals like
American Journal of Criminal Law, Ottawa Law Review.)

T. 15 Publishing Terms (like annotated, volume, manuscript,

anonymous, abridged.)
T. 16 Services ( for service publishers like Tax Court Reports.)

T. 17 Subdivisions (document subdivisions like amendment, clause,

chapter, example, footnote, preamble, volume, part.)
 Different kinds of authorities and
signals used to cite them:
1. Authority directly stating a proposition (no signals).
2. Authority, not specifically stating but directly
supporting a proposition (See).
3. Authority less directly supporting an author’s
proposition (cf.).
4. Authority contradicting a proposition (Contra, But see,
But cf.).
5. Authority providing general background information
(See generally).
Signals of same type to be separated by semicolons and
of different types to be separated by full stops.
 Internal cross reference
• Supra: above
Citation form: author’s last name, supra note number.
E.g.: JAMES & HAZARD, supra note 8, at 6.
E.g.: KEETON ET AL., supra note 18, at 5.

• Infra: below
E.g.: See infra Part IV.A.

• Hereinafter: special shortened for can be used for some authorities:

E.g.: 34 PAUL M. BATOR ET AL., HART AND WECHSLER’S THE FEDERAL
COURTS AND THE FEDERAL SYSTEM 330 (3d ed. 1988)
[hereinafter HART & WECHSLER].
: 35 HART & WECHSLER, supra note 34, at 614.
• Note: footnotes within the same piece.
• Part: other parts within the same piece.
• Use “p.” and “pp.” for page number only in case of internal cross
reference, e.g., See infra p. 50 and note 100.
 Use of “Id.”
• Used when citing immediately preceding
authority either when citing immediately
preceding authority :
- in same foot note or,
- in immediately preceding footnote- when
the preceding footnote contains only one
authority.

Eg:1 Chalfin v. Specter, 233 A.2d. 562 (Pa. 1967).

2 Id. at 563.
 Parenthetical information
• Information may be enclosed in parenthesis and added to
the basic citation. It is generally recommended when
relevance of cited authority is not very clear. (rule 1.5)
E.g.,
See generally Akhil Amar, Reports of My Death: A Reply, 138
HARV. L. REV. 1965 (1990) (arguing that the author and the
two-tier theory of federal jurisdiction are still visible.)

• When signals are used as verbs of ordinary sentences,

matter that would be included in a parenthetical
explanation should be made part of sentence itself. Here,
the signal is not italicized (rule 1.2)
E.g.,
See Louis Touton, Note, The Property Power and Federalism,
80 COLUM. L. REV. 817 (1980), for a discussion of the limits on
the property power.
 Quotation, alteration, omission
• Quotation:
- for fifty or more words: Block quotation
- for forty nine or fewer words: quotation
marks
• Alteration:
- when changing case of a letter enclose it in
brackets. E.g., “[P]ublic confidence…”
• Omission:
- insert an ellipsis: “ … ”
 Secondary sources like books(Rule 15-18)…1
• Books, Pamphlets, and Other Nonperiodic Materials (Rule 15)
Citation format: Author’s, editor’s and/or translator’s name; title;
serial number; page, section or paragraph if only part of a
volume is cited; edition; publisher, if not the original one; and
date.
E.g., CHARLES DICKENS, BLEAK HOUSE 50 ( Norman page
ed., Penguin Books 1971) (1853).
E.g., MANCUR OLSON, THE LOGIC OF COLLECTIVE ACTION 53-65
(1965).
E.g., ALLEN SCHICK, THE CHANGING ROLE OF CENTRAL BUDGET
OFFICE (Jon Blondal ed., 1977).
Citation of works by institutional authors:
E.g., STATISTICAL ANALYSIS CTR., STATE CRIME COMM’N, CRIME IN
GEORGIA 41 (1980).
 Prefaces, Forewords, Introductions
and Epilogues (Rule 15.6)…3
• By someone other than the author:
E.g., L. Maria Child, Introduction to HARRIET A.
JACOBS, INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE OF A SLAVE GIRL 3,3-4
(L. Maria Child & Jean F. Yellin eds., Harvard
Univ. Press 1987) (1861).

• By the author:
E.g., JOHN HART ELY, DEMOCRACY AND DISTRUST, at vii
(1980)
 Shorter work in a Collection…2
• Shorter work by various authors:
E.g., Andrew G. Ferguson, Continuing Seizure: Fourth
Amendment Seizure, in 15 NAT’L LAWYERS GUILD, CIVIL
RIGHTS LITIGATION AND ATTORNEY FEES ANNUAL HANDBOOK
54-1 (Steven Saltzman ed., 1999).
• Shorter works by same author:
OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES, Law in Science and Science in
Law, in COLLECTED LEGAL PAPERS 210, 210 (1920).

Note the use of small and big caps:

E.g., OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES
 Periodical Materials (Rule 16)
• Citation of particular pages in a law review article:
Citation format: author’s full name,-title of article,-
journal article no.-abbreviation of journal-page on which
article begins-span of specific pages cited-(date of
publication)-(parenthetical describing content of pages
cited).
E.g., Charles A. Reich, The New Property, 73 YALE L.J. 733,
737-38 (1964) (discussing the importance of government
largess).
• Entire magazine article:
E.g., Robert J. Samuelson, A Slow Fix for the Banks,
NEWSWEEK, Feb. 18, 1991, at 55.
- Different format for consecutively (rule 16.3) and non-
consecutively (rule 16.4) paginated journals.
• Consecutively Paginated Journals
Format: author, title of work, volume no., periodical
name, first page of the work and page(s) on which
specific material appears, (year).
E.g., Richard A. Epstein, The Supreme Court, 1987
Term-Foreward: Unconstitutional Conditions, State
Power, and the Limits of Consent, 102 HARV. L. REV.
5, 14 (1989).

• Nonconsecutively Paginated Journals

Format: author, title, periodical name, date of issue,
first page of work and page(s) on which specific
material appears following the word “at”
E.g., Barbara Ward, Progress for a Small Planet,
HARV. BUS. REV., Sept.-Oct. 1979, at 89, 90.
 Newspapers (Rule 16.5)
• Signed articles:
E.g., Ari L. Goldman, O’ Connor Warns Politicians
Risk Excommunication over Abortion, N.Y. TIMES,
June 15, 1990 at A1.

• Unsigned articles:
E.g., Cops Shoot Tire, Halts Stolen Car, S.F.
CHRON., Oct. 10, 1975, at 43.
 Special Citation Forms (Rule 15.7)
• Frequently cited works:
E.g., BLACK’S LAW DICTIONARY 712 (7th ed. 1999).

• Shakespeare:
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, THE SECOND PART OF KING
HENRY THE SIXTH act 4, sc. 2.
 Annotations
Format: author’s full name, “Annotation”, title of
the work in italics.

E.g., William B. Johnson, Annotation, Use of

Plea Bargain or Grant of Immunity as Improper
Vouching for Credibility for Credibility of Witness
in Federal Cases, 76 A.L.R. FED. 409 (1986).
 Cases (Rule 10)….1
Full citation includes:
1. Name of the case.
2. Source where the case can be found.
3. Parenthetical including court and jurisdiction.
4. Year or date of decision.
5. Subsequent history of case, if any.
6. May include additional parenthetical
information.

There are different citation formats for cases from

different countries and courts.
 Cases (Rule 10)….2

• US Supreme Court case citation:

party1-v.-party2,-reporter volume number-
reporter abbreviation-first page of case,-specific
page referred to-date of decision.

E.g., Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson, 477 U.S.

57, 60 (1986).

- refers to space.
 Cases (Rule 10)….3
• Other US courts: deciding court is added
parties,-reporter volume no-reporter abbreviation-first
page of the case-span of specific pages referred to-
deciding court-parenthetical phrase describing decision
of Fourth Circuit-action of higher court-citation of
reversal.
E.g., United States v. MacDonald, 531 F.2d 196, 199-
200 (4th Cir. 1976) (resting review of the dispositive
issue on the principal of judicial economy), rev’d, 435
U.S. 850 (1978)
Short form of this case: shortened case name in italics,-
volume no and reporter abbreviation-at-specific page.
MacDonald,-531-F.2d-at-197
 Cases (Rule 10)….4
• Foreign cases: Rule 20 says that cite foreign
cases in accordance with Rule 10 except for
certain modifications. Table T.2 enumerates
citation style for different countries,
jurisdictions, courts and order of preference of
law reporters:

Australia (Common Law)

Citation format: <case name> (<year>)
<volume> <reporter> <page>.
E.g.Mabo v. Queensland [No 2] (1992) 175 CLR 1
 Cases (Rule 10)….5
• India (Common Law)- Supreme Court
Supreme Court Reports (year) volume S.C.R. page
All India Reporter A.I.R. year S.C. page
Supreme Court Cases (year) volume S.C.C. page
• High Court
All India Reporter e.g., 1954 A.I.R. 74
(different series for (Del.) 45
each state)
Indian Law reports e.g., I.L.R. 53 (Cal.) 182
(region wise series)
 Constitutions (Rule 11)

• Use table T. 17 to abbreviate names of

document sub divisions like article, chapter,
clause etc:
E.g., U.S. CONST. art. I, § 9, cl. 2.
• Citation format for an amendment:
abbreviation of constitution cited-
abbreviation for “amendment”-number of
amendment cited-section symbol-specific
section cited
E.g., U.S. CONST amend XIV, § 2.
 Statute (Rule 12)
• US statutes citation format:
Official name of the Act,-U.S.C. title number-
abbreviation of code cited-section symbols-span
of sections containing statute-(date of code
edition cited)
Eg: Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act, 42 U.S.C. §§
9601-9675 (1994).

U.S.C.: United States Code

 Foreign Jurisdictions ( Table T.2)
• India
Compilations Citation form
India Code INDIA CODE
Code of Civil Procedure INDIA CODE CIV. PROC.
Indian Penal Code INDIA PEN. CODE
• Sessions laws and regulations
Citation format: <compilation> <part> (<year>),
<name of law and issuing authority>, <place>,
<date>.
C.I.S. Part I (1984), Order under Sec. 5 of XYZ
Ministry of ABC, New Delhi, 28 Jan. 1984.
 Magazines (Rule 16.5, p.150)
• This rule applies to magazines that are (1)
non-consecutively paginated (i.e. the pages
within each issue start separately) and (2) are
available only in print form
• For magazine references that are also
available online, see Rule 16.8 (Electronic
Media and Online sources), infra
 Magazines (Contd.)
RULE: <Author>, <Title of Work>, <NAME OF
MAGAZINE>, <Date of issue as it appears on the
cover>, at <first page>, <page at which specific
reference appears>.
If no author is listed, begin with the Title

Note: Tables T-10 and T-13 provide the

abbreviations periodicals (see infra).
 Magazines (contd.)
Abbreviations:
• T-10: Provides a list of abbreviations for geographic
locations (focusing on all US and Australian states,
along with major cities of the two countries; and
abbreviations of other countries)
• T-13: List of abbreviations for select English Language
periodicals, and words commonly used in periodical
titles
• Periodical/magazine abbreviations: Most commonly
cited magazines in India do not feature in T-13.
 Magazines (contd.)
• In such cases (abbreviation of periodical title
not in T-13), the rule is: structure the
abbreviation by looking up each word in T-13,
and location in T-10. Omit “a”, “at”, “of”, “in”
and “the”. Retain “on”. If the word is in neither
T-10 nor T-13, use the full word. If the Title
ends up consisting of only one word after “a”,
“at”, “of”, “in” and “the” have been deleted,
do not delete the remaining word.
 Magazines (contd.)
• Example 1: (abbreviation available in T-10 or
T-13)
Hillary Rodham Clinton, Leading Through Civilian
Power, FOREIGN AFF., Nov.-Dec. 2010, at 6, 10.
• Example 2: (abbreviation not available in T-10
or T-13)
Priya Sehgal, The Last Leg, INDIA TODAY, Oct. 25,
2010, at 3, 7.
Electronic Media and Nonprint Sources
(Rule 18, p.151)
• Generally covers material available only on the
internet. However, even if a print source is available, a
parallel citation to an electronic source is advisable if it
will substantially increase access to the source
• Covers (1) Widely used commercial electronic
databases like Westlaw and Lexis (Rule 18.1); (2) the
Internet (Rule 18.2); (3) CD-ROMs (Rule 18.3);
microforms (Rule 18.4); (5) Films, broadcasts and non-
commercial videotapes (Rule 18.5); and audio
recordings (Rule 18.6)
• Here we elaborate on points (1), and (2) since they are
the electronic sources most widely used in legal work.
 Electronic Media: (1) Electronic
Databases (Rule 18.1)
Bluebook here gives examples only of Westlaw and
LEXIS
(a) Citing the Electronic Source as a primary source,
such as a case available only only LEXIS
Rule: <Case Name>, <Docket number>, <database
identifier>, (<court name> <full date>). If a page
number is assigned, then put it before the court
name, preceded by *. If a paragraph number is
assigned, precede it with ¶
Example: Gibbs v. Frank, No. 02-3924, 2004 U.S.
App. LEXIS 2135, at *18 (3d Cir. Oct. 14, 2004).
 Electronic Commercial Databases
(contd.)
(b) Citing an online source as a secondary source
to a print source, such as a
magazine/periodical that is simultaneously
available on Westlaw
Rule: <Complete citation according to rules 15-
17>, available at <electronic citation>.
Example: Hillary Rodham Clinton, Leading
Through Civilian Power, FOREIGN AFF., Nov.-Dec.
2010, at 6, 10, available at 2010 WL 2824844.
 Electronic Media: (2) Internet (Rule
18.2)
• General Rule: Internet citations only when the source is
(1) unavailable in traditional printed format or on a
widely available electronic database; or (2) available in
traditional printed format, but the content of the
internet source is identical to the printed source, and a
parallel citation to the internet (preceded by available
at) will substantially improve access to such source
• Principles: (1) The URL should be complete, and lead
directly to the source; (2) in cases of the document
being available in both HTML and other popular
formats that preserve the document’s pagination (eg.,
pdf., or a Word Document), the latter, and not the
HTML format should be cited
 Internet: Direct Citations
• RULE: <Complete citation as it appears on the
internet>, <URL> (<last visited date>).

Example: Paul Lavista, Privacy Rights and Cyber

Crime, http://www.cybercrimes.com/1-
xyz/lavista.htm (last visited Sept. 18, 2010).
 Internet, Parallel Citations
• RULE: <Full Original Citation>, available at
<URL>.

Example: Hillary Rodham Clinton, Leading

Through Civilian Power, FOREIGN AFF., Nov.-Dec.
2010, at 6, 10, available at
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/66799
/hillary-rodham-clinton/leading-through-
civilian-power.
Unpublished and Forthcoming Sources
(Rule 17, p.147)
Includes:

(1) Unpublished Materials (Rule 17.1): Refers to

work that is not scheduled for publication by
the author, such as (a) Manuscripts; (b)
Dissertations and Thesis; (c) Letters and
Memoranda; (d) Interviews; (e) Speeches
(2) Forthcoming Publications (Rule 17.2)
(3) Working Papers (Rule 17.3)
 Unpublished Materials (Rule 17.1)
(a) Manuscript:
Rule: <Author>, <Title> <page number> (<full date>)
(unpublished manuscript <where the work can be
found>).
Example: Anatoliy Bizhko, Capitalism and Democracy 25
(Feb. 29, 2000) (unpublished manuscript, on file with
The Yale Law Journal).
(b) Forthcoming Publications:
Rule: Cite it in the same manner as the published source
would be cited. However, do not include the pincite.
Add: (Forthcoming <month> <year>). If month is not
available, then just the year
 Unpublished Materials (contd.)
Example (Forthcoming Publication)
(a) Book:
SARAH BARRINGER GORDON, THE TWIN RELICS OF
BARBARISM (forthcoming 2001).
(b) Journal Article:
Sarah Greenberger, Enforceable Rights, No Child
Left Behind, and Political Patriotism: A Case for
Open-Minded Section 1983 Jurisprudence, 153
U. Pa. L. Rev. (forthcoming Jan. 2005).
 Unpublished Materials (contd.)
(c) Working Papers
RULE: Cite in the same way as an unpublished manuscript. Include
after the main citation: (<name of sponsoring authority, using
abbreviations>, <Working Paper Designation and Number>,
<year>). If the paper is also available online, then add after the
parenthetical, available at <URL>.
Example 1: L.J. Kotlikoff, National Savings, Economic Welfare, and the
Structure of Taxation 24–33 (Nat’l Bureau of Econ. Research,
Working Paper No. 729, 1981).
Example 2: Richard Briffault, The Political Parties and Campaign
Finance Reform 16–17 (Columbia Law Sch. Pub. Law & Legal Theory
Working Paper Group, Paper No. 12, 2000), available at
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=223729.
 Foreign Materials (Rule 20)
• Foreign Materials refer to sources that are not
based in the US. They include foreign cases,
constitutions, statutes, and periodicals.
• Table T-2 provides jurisdiction specific
examples of citations or foreign materials.
India is included in T-2. See supra slides 22-26
for examples of citation of foreign materials
provided in T-2.
 Foreign Materials (contd.)
For jurisdictions not contained in T-2, the general
rules of citation are:
(a) Jurisdiction not evident from context: If the
jurisdiction is not evident from the text of the
main citation, indicate the same in parenthetical
after the citation.
Example 1: Weed v. Powell, [1978] S.C.R. 354 (Can.).
Example 2: (here the jurisdiction is evident from
main citation): Guthrie v. Huff, [1980] 2 N.Z.L.R.
40.
 Foreign Materials (contd.)
(b) Cases—general rule:
Common Law case--If the reporter does not clearly indicate
the court deciding the case, indicate the court
parenthetically; But if the court involved is the highest
court in the jurisdiction, only the jurisdiction needs to be
identified unless the jurisdiction is otherwise clear from
the main citation
Example (1)—court not indicated: R v. Lockwood, (1782) 99
Eng. Rep. 379 (K.B.).
Example (2)—highest court: Weed v. Powell, [1978] S.C.R. 354
(Can.).
Example (3)—Highest court, but jurisdiction evident from
context: Guthrie v. Huff, [1980] 2 N.Z.L.R. 40.
 Foreign Materials (contd.)
(c) Constitutions: Cite all constitutions by their
given name in the foreign jurisdiction. If the
nature of the document is not evident from the
main citation, add it in parenthetical after the
name. If the jurisdiction is similarly unclear,
include the abbreviated name of the country (as
per T-10) in parenthetical after the pincite
Example: Grundgesetz [GG] [Constitution] art. 51
(F.R.G.).
 International Materials (Rule 21)
• Can be broadly classified into:
(a) Treaties and Conventions; (b) International
Law Cases; (c) International Arbitrations; UN
Sources; (d) Materials of Other International
Organizations; (e) Materials of NGOs; (f)
Digests
General Note: The rule regarding Jurisdiction not
evident from context in foreign materials
applies to International Materials as well.
 International Materials (contd.)
(a) Treaties and Conventions (Rule 21.4)
Rule 1 (for treaties among 3 parties or less):
<name of agreement>, <abbreviated name of
parties>, <sub-division cited>, <date of signing>,
<one U.S. Treaty Source, if US is party>.
Rule 2 (Treaties among more than 3 parties): <name
of agreement>, <sub-division cited>, <date of
signing>, <one U.S. Treaty Source>, <one
international treaty source>.
 International Materials-treaties
(contd.)
Treaty Sources (Rule 21.4.5)—Table 4 lists the 3 kinds of treaty
sources
(a) US Treaty Sources; (b) International Treaty Sources (including
UN treaty sources and other International Organizations’
treaty sources); and (c) unofficial treaty sources.
Rules applying to treaty sources: If US is a party to the
agreement in question (less than 3 parties, or multilateral),
atleast one US source from Table 4 is required.
If US is not a party to the treaty—only one an international
organization source from T4 is required to be cited.
Unofficial sources (eg., ILM) should only be used if the the treaty
is not found in any of the treaty sources specified in T4.
 International Materials-Treaties
(contd.)
Examples:
(1) Bilateral treaty with US as a party:
Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation,
U.S.-Japan, art. X, Apr. 2, 1953, 4 U.S.T. 2063.
(2) Bilateral treaty without US as a party:
Treaty of Neutrality, Hung.-Turk., Jan. 5, 1929, 100
L.N.T.S. 137.
(3) Multilateral Treaty with US as party:
North Atlantic Treaty, art.5, Apr. 4, 1949, 63
Stat.2241, 34 U.N.T.S. 243.
 International Materials (contd.)
(b) International Law Cases: Examples:
(1) International Court of Justice—
<case name> (<parties>), <ICJ citation>, <pincite>
(date).
Military and Paramilitary Activities, (Nicar. v. U.S.),
1986 I.C.J. 14, 26 (June 27).
(2) European Court of Human Rights—
<case name>, <ECHR Citation>, <pincite>, (<year>).
Kampanis v. Greece, 318 Eur. Ct. H.R. 29, 35 (1995).
 International Materials-cases (contd.)
(3) Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
<case name>, <case number>, Inter-Am. C.H.R., <Report
number>, <series and docket numbers> <pincite>
(<year>).
Tortrino v. Argentina, Case 11.597, Inter-Am. C.H.R., Report
No. 7/98, OEA/Ser.L./V/II.98, doc. 7 rev. ¶ 15 (1997).
(4) International Criminal Tribunals
<case name>, <case number>, <type of ruling>, <pincite>
(<date>).
Prosecutor v. Tadic, Case No. IT-94-1-I, Decision on Defence
Motion for Interlocutory Appeal on Jurisdiction, ¶ 70
(Oct. 2, 1995).