The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation is generally the default legal citation manual. It is compiled by the editors of the Columbia Law Review, the Harvard Law Review, the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, and The Yale Law Journal and began in 1926. It is now in its 21st edition. Other general legal citation manuals include ALWD, and The Redbook. Additionally, each jurisdiction and court may have its own citation rules. Ohio, for example, has its own writing manual.

Bluebook Organization

• Quick Reference:  Law Review Footnotes
• Blue Pages (these are practitioner oriented)
• General Rules (R. 1 – 9)
• Specific Source Rules (R. 10-21)
• Tables (T. 1-16)
• Index
• Quick Reference: Court Documents and Legal Memoranda

Rule 15.8 of The Bluebook (21st ed. 2020) governs the citation of dictionaries. You may also find it helpful to look at B16.

The citation should include the following:

• Title of entry (italicized or underlined)
• Title of dictionary (italicized or underlined)
• Edition
• Year

Example: 

Replevin, Black's Law Dictionary (10th ed. 2014).

Bluebook

Rule 15.8 and BT.1 of The Bluebook (21st ed. 2020) covers the citation of encyclopedias. 

Elements

The citation should include the following:

• Volume
• Encyclopedia abbeviation
• Article title (underlined or italicized)
• Section
• Copyright date of the volume (in the parenthetical)

Examples

88 C.J.S. Trial § 192 (1955).

17 Am. Jur. 2d Contracts § 74 (1964).

14 Ohio Jur. 3d Civil Rights § 82 (2006).

Bluebook

Rule 16.7.6 of The Bluebook (21st ed. 2020) covers how to cite ALRs. 

Elements

The citation should contain:

• Author
• the word "Annotation"
• Title (italicized or underlined)
• ALR volume
• ALR series
• Page number
• Copyright date of volume

Example

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. 2017).

Bluebook

Rule 12.9 of The Bluebook (21st ed. 2020) covers the citation of restatements.

Elements

The citation should include the following:

• Restatement series (italicized or underlined)
• Section
• Copyright date of the volume

Example

Restatement (Third) of Torts § 46 (2012).

ALWD

Rule 23 of the ALWD Citation Manual (7th ed.) covers the citation of restatements.

Elements

The citation should include the following:

• Restatement series (italicized or underlined)
• Section
• Copyright date

Example

Restatement (Third) of Torts § 46 (2012).

Bluebook

Rule 16 of The Bluebook (21st ed. 2020) covers the citation of law reviews.

Consecutively paginated law reviews and journals (R. 16.4)

Elements

The citation should include the following:

• Author's name
• If the article is written by a student author, the designation of the piece (see R. 16.7.1)
• Title of the article (in italics or underlined)
• Volume number (if no volume, use the year as the volume and don't put the year at the end)
• Abbreviation of journal name (Tables 10,13, and 13.2 in the Bluebook)
• The beginning page number (if pinpoint citing, include the beginning page number and the pinpoint cite)
• Year (in parenthesis)

Example:

Charles A. Reich, The New Property, 73 Yale L.J. 733, 737-38 (1964).

Nonconsecutively paginated periodicals (R. 16.5)

Elements

The citation should include the following:

• Author
• Title of the article (in italics or underlined)
• Abbreviation of journal name (see Tables 10 and 13 in the Bluebook)
• Date as it appears on the cover (if no date of issue is available, provide the issue number and indicate the volume number before the title)
• the word "at"
• The beginning page number (if pinpoint citing, include the beginning page number and the pinpoint cite)

Example:

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.

ALWD

Rule 21 of the ALWD Citation Manual (7th ed.) covers the citation of periodicals.

Consecutively paginated law reviews and journals

Elements

The citation should include the following:

• Author
  • If the author is a student, insert "student author" after the name.
• Title (italicized or underlined)
• Volume (if no volume put the year and don't repeat the year at the end)
• Periodical Abbreviation (see Appendix 5)
• Page (if pinpoint citing, include the beginning page number and the pinpoint cite)
• Date

Example

Charles A. Reich, The New Property, 73 Yale L.J. 733, 737-38 (1964).

Nonconsecutively paginated periodicals

Elements

The citation should include the following:

• Author
  • If the author is a student, insert "student author" after the name.
• Title (italicized or underlined)
• Volume number (if exists)
• Periodical Abbreviation (see Appendix 5)
• Publication Date
• the word "at"
• Page (if pinpoint citing, include the beginning page number and the pinpoint cite)
• Date (use exact date and if there is no specific date, include the abbreviation "no." and the issue number followed by the year)

Susan A. Berson, Starting Up: If You're Hanging a Shingle in 2011, 97 A.B.A. J., Jan. 2011, at 40.

Bluebook

Rule 15 of the Bluebook (20th ed.) covers citing treatises. There are many variables in citing a treatise so definitely consult the rule for its many permutations. 

Elements

Generally, a citation to a treatise should contain the following elements:

• Volume (if applicable)
• Author (see R. 15(b) for more than 2 authors and R. 15(c) for institutional authors)
• Title (italicized or underlined)
• Section and/or Page
• Editor, translators (if applicable)
• Edition
• Copyright Date

Example

2 Joseph M. Perillo & Helen Hadjiyannakis Bender, Corbin on Contracts § 1.1 (1993).

ALWD

Rule 20.3 of the ALWD Citation Manual (5th ed.) covers the citation of books.

Elements

• Volume number (if applicable)
• Author (see R. 20.1(b)(2) for multiple authors and R. 20.1(b)(3) for institutional authors
• Title (italicized or underlined)
• Section and/or Page
• Editor, translators (if applicable)
• Edition
• Date

Example

2 Joseph M. Perillo & Helen Hadjiyannakis Bender, Corbin on Contracts § 1.1 (1993).

Rule 11 of The Bluebook (21st ed. 2020) covers the citation of Constitutions.

Elements

The citation should include the following:

• U.S. or the abbreviated name of the state (see T. 10)
• Const.
• Abbreviate any subdivisions per Table 16

Examples

U.S. Const. amend. XIII, § 1.

Ohio Const. art. I.

Bluebook

Rule 12.4 of The Bluebook (21st ed. 2020) covers the citation of session laws. The Bluepages B12.1.1 and Table 1 should also be consulted. The citation should include the following:

Elements

• Title of Act
  • Use official or popular name if one exists
  • Otherwise identify the act with the date of enactment or effectiveness (abbreviated per T. 12)
• Volume (if no volume, give the year)
• Abbreviated name of session law publication (see  T. 1)
• Pages and sections (if pinpoint citing give the beginning page and the relevant page to which you are citing)
• Year of enactment (if no date of enactment, use effective date)
• Codification information (as a parenthetical)

Examples:

Immigration and Nationality Act, Pub. L. No. 82-414, § 101, 66 Stat. 163, 167 (1952) (codified as amended at 8 U.S.C. § 1101).

Act of Dec. 31, 1996, Pub. Act 89-685, 1996 Ill. Laws 685 (codified as amended at 735 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/3-107).

Act of Apr. 12, 1994, § 2, 1993-1994 Ohio Laws 6546, 6548-50.

Am. S. B. No. 47, 2013 Ohio Legis. Serv. Ann. L-13, L-23 (West) (codified as amended at Ohio Rev. Stat. § 3503.06).

Am. S. B. No. 47, 2013 Ohio Legis. Bull. 24, 39, (Lexis) (codified as amended at Ohio Rev. Stat. § 3503.06).

ALWD

Rule 14.6 & 14.8 in the ALWD Citation Manual (7th ed.) covers the citation of session laws.

Elements

• Title of Act
  • Use official or popular name if one exists (omit "the")
  • Otherwise identify the act with the date of enactment or effectiveness (abbreviated per Appx. 3(A))
• Law abbreviation
• The abbreviation "No."
• Law number
• Pinpoint reference (if applicable)
• Volume
• Abbreviated name of session law publication (See Appx. 1)
• Pages and sections (if pinpoint citing give the beginning page and the relevant page to which you are citing)
• Year
• Codification information (as a parenthetical)

Examples

Immigration and Nationality Act, Pub. L. No. 82-414, § 101, 66 Stat. 163, 167 (1952) (codified as amended at 8 U.S.C. § 1101).

Act of Apr. 12, 1994, § 2, 1993-1994 Ohio Laws 6546, 6548-50.

Bluebook

Rule 12 of The Bluebook (21st ed. 2020) covers the citation of statutes.

Elements

• Name and original section number as it appears in the session laws (only if the statute is commonly cited that way)
• Title, Chapter, or Volume (see  T. 1, 1.3)
• Code (cite to the official code if at all possible)
• Section
• Publisher, editor or compiler (unless the code is published by or under the supervision of government officials)
• Year (optional for federal codes) (on spine or title page if available, otherwise year on title page, and if not that, the copyright year)
• Supplements (see Rule 3.1 to cite any material appearing in supplements)

Examples:

42 U.S.C.§ 1983.

8 U.S.C. §§ 1187-89.

Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3503.06 (West 2007).

Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3503.06 (LexisNexis 2009).

Citing to Online Codes -- Rule 12.5 and 18.3:

The Bluebook requires you to cite to the official code if it is available. If citing to a statute that is available on a commercial online service such as Lexis or Westlaw, provide the following:

• Title, Chapter, or Volume (see  T. 1)
• Code (cite to the official code if at all possible)
• Section
• Publisher, editor or compiler
• Name of the database
• Currency of the database

Examples:

Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3503.06 (Lexis, Lexis Advance current with legis. passed by the 132d General Assemb. and filed with the Sec. of State through file 178 (HB 532)).

Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3503.06 (West, Westlaw through File 42 of the 132d General Assemb. (2017-2018) and 2017 State Issue 1).

ALWD

Rule 14 of the ALWD Citation Manual (7th ed.) covers the citations to codes.

Elements

A citation to the Federal statutes should include the following:

• Title number (if applicable)
• Code Abbreviation (cite to official code where possible - see Appendix 1)
• Section
• Publisher (if unofficial)
• Date

Examples

42 U.S.C.§ 1983 (2006).

8 U.S.C. §§ 1187-89 (2006 & Supp. IV 2011).

Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3503.06 (West 2007).

Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3503.06 (LexisNexis 2009).

Online Codes

• Use regular citation form but add the name of the database provider and currency information

Bluebook

Rule 10 of The Bluebook (21st ed. 2020) governs the citation of cases.

The citation should include the following:

Elements

• Case Name - first listed parties on each side (italicized or underlined) (use T. 6)
• Volume
• Reporter (see T. 1)
• Page
• Court and jurisdiction in parenthetical (see T.1, T.7, T.10)
• Year in parenthetical
• Subsequent History after parenthetical (if applicable)

Example:

United States v. Prince Line, Ltd., 189 F.2d 386, 387 (2d Cir. 1951).

Explanation:

• Case Name:  Note there is no abbreviation of United States per 10.2.2.  Abbreviate Ltd. Per R. 10.2.1(c), T.6. 
• Reporter:  Abbreviate the F.2d reporter per R. 6 (single adjacent caps), R. 6.2(b)(ii) (no superscript, use 2d instead of 2nd) & T.1.
• Court:  Abbreviate Second Circuit per R. 6, T.1, T.7.  Note that there is no superscript per R. 6.2(b)(ii).

ALWD

Rule 12 of the ALWD Citation Manual (7th ed.) covers the citation of cases.

Elements

• Case Name - first listed parties on each side (italicized or underlined) (see chart 12.1)
• Volume
• Reporter (see chart 12.2, local court rules - Appendix 2, )
• Page
• Court and jurisdiction (see Appendices 1 and 4 for court abbreviations)
• Year
• Subsequent History (if applicable)

Example

United States v. Prince Line, Ltd., 189 F.2d 386, 387 (2d Cir. 1951).

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.  See R. 18.2. 

• Authenticated:  those sources using encryption based authentication such as digital signatures and public key infrastructure (preferred by The Bluebook - look for certificates, seals,or logos)
• Official:  materials that a jurisdiction has designated as "official"
• Exact Copy:  unaltered copy of the printed source in a format that preserves pagination and other format attributes (most likely PDF)

Example:  The Ohio Supreme Court has designated the Supreme Court website as the Ohio Official Reports for opinions of the courts of appeals and the Court of Claims. See Ohio Rep. Op. R. 3.2, http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/LegalResources/rules/reporting/Report.pdf.  These opinions are in PDF format and bear a watermark.

If there is no print format or if the print format is obscure and is, for all practical purposes unavailable, cite to the most stable Internet source available.

Elements of citation:

• Author (if available)
• Titles
• Use title bar or page-identifying heading (use descriptive title if needed)
• Include main page title and abbreviate it per T. 13
• Date
• Use dates that refer clearly to the material cited
• Otherwise use last updated or last modified
• Or last visited
• URL (but not too long or complicated)

Examples:

Eric Goldman, When Should Search Engines Ignore Court Orders To Remove Search Results?,Tech. & Marketing L. Blog (Sept. 4, 2013), http://blog.ericgoldman.org/archives/2013/09/when_should_sea.htm.

Bill Ong Hing, Understanding SB1070 from the Lens of Institutionalized Racism and Civil Rights, Legal Services N. Cal., http://www.equity.lsnc.net/understanding-sb1070-from-the-lens-of-institutionalized-racism-and-civil-rights (last visited Sept. 5, 2013).

A parallel citation to an Internet source may be provided if it substantially improves access to the source.  Follow the regular rules for citing the source and then add the parallel Internet citation.

Elements of Citation

• Original print citation
• Introduce the parallel citation with available at
• URL

Examples:

Commission on Women in the Profession, American Bar Association, From Visible Invisibility to Visibly Successful: Success Strategies for Law Firms and Women of Color in Law Firms (2008), available at http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/migrated/women/woc/VisiblySuccessful.authcheckdam.pdf.

D. Andrew Austin & Mindy R. Levit, Cong. Research Serv., The Debt Limit: History and Recent Increases (Aug. 27, 2013), available at http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/213995.pdf.

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 201-1 (date), available at http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol04_Ch0201-0257/HRS0201/HRS_0201-0001.htm.

Traton News, L.L.C. v. Traton Corp., No. 12-4139 (6th Cir. June 11, 2013), available at http://federal-circuits.vlex.com/vid/traton-news-llc-v-corp-440553998.

• Id., per R. 4.1
• Supra per R. 4.2

Rule 18.3 of The Bluebook covers the commercial databases such as Lexis, Westlaw, and Bloomberg Law. The Bluebook still requires the use and citation of printed sources where available (see R. 18.2). Commercial databases should be cited in preference to other, general Internet resources.

Codes should be cited according to R. 12.3, but if citing to an electronic database, additional information is required.

Elements of Citation

• Title (for Federal)
• Abbreviated name of the code per T. 1
• Subject (where applicable)
• Title, Chapter, Volume (where applicable)
• Section and/or paragraph
• Publisher
• Database
• Currency of the database (as opposed to year of the code)

Examples:

Cal. Bus. & Prof. § 1670.2 (West, Westlaw through Ch. 202 of 2013 Reg.Sess. and all 2013-2014 1st Ex.Sess. laws).

Cal. Bus. & Prof. § 1670.2 (Deering, Lexis through Ch. 129 of  2013 Reg. Sess.).

Secondary sources should be cited according to the rules for that source, but add a parallel cite to an electronic database. Include the database identifer if it is available.

Example:

Nicole Perlroth et al., N.S.A. Able To Foil Basic Safeguards Of Privacy On Web,  N.Y. Times, Sept. 6, 2013, at A1, available at 2013 WLNR 22171198.

According to Rule 18.3.1, an "unreported" case may be cited to an electronic database. 

Elements of Citation

• Case name (see R. 10)
• Docket number
• Database identifier (if unavailable, add information on the specific collection in a parenthetical)
• Page or paragraph numbers
• Court name (see R. 6, R. 10, T. 7, T. 10)
• Full date

Examples:

Beaven v. U.S. Dep't of Justice, No. 03-84-JBC, 2007 WL 1032301, at *3 (E.D. Ky. Mar. 30, 2007).

Beaven v. U.S. Dep't of Justice, No. 03-84-JBC, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 24459, at *3 (E.D. Ky. Mar. 30, 2007).

Beaven v. Ridley-Turner, No. 3:04-CV-160 RM (N.D. Ind. Apr. 18. 2005) (CaseMaker, U.S. District Court Case Law).

Use the database identifier in the short form.

Example:

Beaven, 2007 WL 1032301, at *3.

Beaven, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 24459, at *3.

Rule 1.2 of The Bluebook (21st ed. 2020) covers the use of signals.  Signals are used in front of citations to alert the reader as to how that citation is being used.  They can be quite confusing!

Do not use a signal with a citation when you have directly borrowed someone else’s words or have paraphrased her words or ideas.

Signals can also be used as verbs in text.

• E.g., – string cites, multiple examples but not an exhaustive list.  Here are a few examples to illustrate /support my statement.  You can combine this with other signals such as See.

•  Accord – 2 or more in agreement. The signal accord comes after another citation that supports the proposition.  The first citation here directly supports the statement and the accord signal and second citation indicates another source that supports it.   A common use of this signal is to show that two different jurisdictions agree.

•  See – clearly supports (obviously follows but not directly stated).  Slightly less direct support than no signal.

•  See also – additional material supporting the proposition.  Parenthetical explanation is encouraged.

• Cf. – compare (different but analogous – it doesn’t exactly support your statement but it is close).  Parenthetical explanation encouraged.

•  Compare -- To actually compare two authorities directly.  You must use “with,” and another citation  with this signal.  Parenthetical explanation encouraged.

• Contra –  directly states the contrary.  The opposite of using no signal at all

• But See – authority supports proposition contrary to main proposition

•  But cf. – analogous to the contrary of the main proposition.  Parenthetical strongly encouraged.

See generally – Background.  Parenthetical explanation encouraged.

Regulations

Rule 14 and Table 1 of The Bluebook (21st ed. 2020) covers Administrative and Executive Materials. Rule 14.2 is specific regarding regulations .

A citation to the CFR would look like this: 

29 C.F.R. § 825.112 (2015).

The 29 refers to the CFR title.  The CFR part is 825.  The CFR section is 825.112.

A citation to the Federal Register would look like this:

Office of the Attorney General; Applicability of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, 75 Fed. Reg. 81,849 (Dec. 29, 2010) (codified at 28 C.F.R. Pt. 72).

The 75 is the Federal Register volume.  The 81,849 is the Federal Register page number.  The Federal Register issue date is December 29, 2010.

Adjudications

Rule 14.3 is specific regarding administrative adjudications and arbitrations.  Generally, they should conform to Rule 10 for cases but apply Rule 14.3.1 exceptions.

Executive Orders & Proclamations

See T.1. Generally you will cite to Title 3 of the CFR when available. The citation elements consist of:

• Exec. Order abbreviation or Proclamation
• No. followed by the order or proclamation number
• Title 3
• C.F.R.
• Page number
• Original Year Promulgated

Exec. Order No. 13827, 3 C.F.R. 794 (2018).

Additional Law Library Research Guides & Video Tutorials

Susan M. Boland
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Robert S. Marx Law Library
Office 110H
susan.boland@uc.edu
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Susan Boland is the Interim Director for the University of Cincinnati Robert. S. Marx Law Library. She teaches legal research and offers reference and research support services to all law library users. Prior to joining the law library faculty, she was the Head of Information Services for the Ruth Lilly Law Library at the Robert H. McKinney School of Law and the Research & Instructional Services librarian at Northern Illinois University College of Law. She has also held positions at a public library and community college library and served as a judicial clerk for the Iowa District Court for the Fifth Judicial District.  She is a member of various professional associations both regionally and nationally. She has served as Chair of the Computing Services Special Interest Section of the American Association of Law Libraries and President of the Mid-America Association of Law Libraries. She is currently Vice-President of the American Association of Law Libraries Animal Law Caucus. She has presented at regional and national conferences, as well as at continuing legal education programs. Her publications include annotated bibliographies on the death penalty and election law, as well as articles on legal research, technology, and teaching.