Information these tables give the various abbreviations for the u. Bt2 jurisdictionspecific citation rules and style guides. Because publishers adopt different practices regarding how abbreviations are printed, one may find abbreviations with or without periods for each letter. Take a look at the list below to find which common words in case names are abbreviated according to the bluebook and how you should abbreviate them. Cite to the name of the source dictionary, page number if pinpoint citing, edition and year. Includes references to state court rules with examples of how to cite cases and expanded coverage of citing electronic documents. Citing secondary sources sample bluebook citations. Generations of law students, lawyers, scholars, judges, and other legal professionals have relied on the bluebooks unique system of citation in their writing. For example, the abbreviation for the district of wyoming is. Where the citation to the official reporter is not available, use a place holder. 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.
When appropriate, the citation should also include the electronic case filing number found on pacer. Always consult the bluebook for additional information. In some cases, it indicates that a word should not be abbreviated. Case name abbreviations table 6 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z. Citation to a case contained in an electronic service e. Federal courts bluebook guide guides at georgetown law.
If the source is westlaw or lexis, and access to both is available, cite both services. Price, bitner and bysiewicz, effective legal research. Any online source that shares characteristics with a print source should be cited according to the rule for the print version. A reference guide for attorneys, legal secretaries, paralegals, and law students this link opens in a new window citechecker.
Legal citations legal reference sources research guides. Citation machine helps students and professionals properly credit the information that they use. Bluebook is listed in the worlds largest and most authoritative dictionary database of abbreviations and acronyms. State court abbreviations bluebook quick reference. A volume that explains the organization of a state government and provides the names of state officials. Abbreviation abbreviate the titles of court documents. Similarly, the style sheet requires parallel citations to the official reports and both unofficial. It is a composite of those contained in the bluebook and the alwd guide to legal citation. Blue book legal definition of blue book legal dictionary. Oct 29, 2019 princes dictionary of legal abbreviations. As set forth more on the federal cases page of this guide, supreme court opinions will have a citation to the u. The bluebook contains rules that prescribe how to cite a variety of legal documents.
Set out below is a table of words and their abbreviations with links to. This research guide lists citation manuals and dictionaries of legal abbreviations to help you with these tasks. The style manual used by the new york state law reporting. The first citation will be to the official reporter for the court, followed by a citation to the unofficial reporters. Apr 03, 2020 princes dictionary of legal abbreviations 7th ed. Generally, the bluebook encourages citation to print sources when they are available.
Having a common set of abbreviations is very important because it allows everyone reading a legal document to understand what is being presented in writing without having to spell out terms that are frequently utilized. In all child custody cases, the welfare of the child and the childs best interest is the primary. Abbreviations for foreign countries materials are found in table 2. Law school bluebook basics one of the books that all 1l law students are required to purchase is the bluebook. It is used in most united states law schools and court systems to properly cite and abbreviate court cases in parenthetical citation sentences of legal documents. It includes citation samples of commonly used resources, style and abbreviation guides, and info on using citation managers to organize your research and automatically create cites. State abbreviations bb alwd ib state abbreviations 1. Abbreviations this guide contains tips on using the bluebook for legal citation. Blue book definition is a register especially of socially prominent persons. There is a bankruptcy court for every united states district court. West also publishes the california reporter and the new york supplement, which contain appellate case law from california and new york. It provides a system of rules for legal citations so that readers can locate the sources cited.
Court document abbreviations table 8 of 17th edition this table gives suggested abbreviations for citations of court documents and legal memoranda not in the other forms of legal writing for the words most commonly found in the titles of court documents. Case name first listed parties on each side italicized or underlined see chart 12. For help with other source types, like books, pdfs, or websites, check out our other guides. Mar 30, 2020 rule 12 of the alwd citation manual 5th ed. How do you cite to websters dictionary under bluebook format.
Jan 15, 2019 abbreviations for foreign countries materials are found in table 2. University of chicago manual of legal citation the maroon book sources for abbreviations. Use citation sentences to cite sources and authorities that relate to the. Accepted abbreviations for legal materials may be found in various publications, such as. Bluebook basics tuesday, june 14, 1 pm et presented by. Cite to the name of the sourcedictionary, page number if pinpoint citing, edition and year. These tables give the various abbreviations for the u. This book is a reference guide that, believe it or not, will be just about the only book you take from law school into your practice as a lawyer. Supreme court has the power to invalidate statutes that are repugnant to the u. Secondary sources bluebook citation 101 practitioner format. Bluebook is listed in the worlds largest and most authoritative dictionary database of abbreviations and acronyms the free dictionary. Many of the complicated variations on rules are not shown in these samples. Although it is intended to highlight the bluebook, and not substitute for it, we hope this guide provides a convenient, delawarespecific resource for the superior courts judicial officers, law clerks, interns, externs, and staff.
Citing other resources bluebook guide georgetown law. 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. The law library has many copies available at law reserve, reference, and at the reference desk, via call number kf 245. A uniform system of citation, is the style manual for citing to legal documents within the united states. How do you cite to websters online dictionary under the. Such citations and abbreviations are found in court decisions, statutes, regulations, journal articles, books, and other documents. Name of the case underlined or italicized and abbreviated according to rule 10. It is an essential book that every legal professional should know how to use. Legal abbreviations are commonly found in anything from a book to court documents. Blue book definition of blue book by merriamwebster. Unlike previous versions, the writing manual states its directives in rule format. The abbreviation for a bankruptcy court is the same as for the district court with bankr. This edition now offers coverage of several citation formats.
The tables in the bluebook provide abbreviations and full titles for u. A publication that establishes the correct form of case citations or of references to a legal authority showing where information can be found. Below is a list of state supreme court and court of appeals abbreviations. European court and commission of human rights materials, t. Bluebook guide home libguides at university of illinois. The following samples cover basic citation format for secondary sources. Problems, cases, and materials 2006 when you are citing to a work that has been published by the same publisher more than once, you should cite the edition and the year it was published in. A citation to a court of appeals case in the federal reporter includes the following six elements. Generally, the given differences may be described as the white pages vs. Pink text information that you will need to find from. Bluebook, the dictionary definition bluebook, the defined.
Abbreviations bluebooking tips and resources libguides. Provide the case name, citation, court, decision date and docket or index number. Consult court rules for required citation format, usually found in the jurisdictions rules of procedure. How to read a legal citation legal citations libguides at ucla. Citing articles from the heinonline law journal library. Abbreviations to federal courts legal abbreviations libguides at. West publishes seven 7 regional reporters as part of the national reporter system. Looking for online definition of bluebook or what bluebook stands for.
Bluebook, alwd, westlawnexts citation preferences, and fdsys. These regional reporters contain appellate case law from all 50 states plus the district of columbia. Jul 19, 2019 if a court of appeals case is published in the federal reporter, the bluebook dictates that you cite to it table 1, p. Thus, the abbreviation for the bankrupty court of the district of wyoming is. Mar 30, 2007 a citation of any online dictionary or thesaurus should include the following information. A citation of any online dictionary or thesaurus should include the following information. A uniform system of citation the standard reference manual for american legal citation formatting. A uniform system of citation is a legal style guide. Similarly, the style sheet requires parallel citations to. Abbreviations bluebooking tips and resources libguides at. Where there is an official record, such as the record on. Westlaw or lexis is permissible only when the case is not published in book form. A reference guide for attorneys, legal secretaries, paralegals and law students.
You will be surprised at how many very common abbreviations are actually legalbased. To have your reference list or bibliography automatically made for you, try our free citation generator. When filing legal documents with a court, court rules of citation apply. The style manual used by the new york state law reporting bureau. Home legal citation guides and abbreviations research. Purpose of the bluebook the bluebook, formally titled the bluebook. Jan 06, 2012 a citation of any online dictionary or thesaurus should include the following information. Below is a basic list of very common abbreviations. If a court of appeals case is published in the federal reporter, the bluebook dictates that you cite to it table 1, p.
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