1. Starting points, points to ponder, sticking points
Using the Bluebook
Starting points, points to ponder, sticking points
Clare Willis

2. My unabashed love for citation
“The reason why you can’t find it is because you have a bad citation.” –Every Law Librarian

3. Where to get help Illinois Bluebook guide Georgetown Bluebook guide
HeinOnline(?)(!)

4. Reading the Bluebook
Bluepages
Whitepages
Tables
Index

5. Bluepages: “B” Practitioners Citations in the body of the text
Bluepages Tips

6. Whitepages: “R” Academia, BUT Fill in the gaps Style rules
Where Bluepages are silent, apply Whitepages

7. An example Case involving a labor union.
B4.1.1 gives the general rule for citing case names, but does not give the rule for when a labor union is a party
R10.2.1(i) gives that rule:
Local 272, International Association of Bridge, Structural and Ornamental Iron Workers v. NLRB

8. Tables: “T” Fill in the details for Blue and White Example:
R or B4.1.1(v): abbreviate any word listed in
T6: Academy=Acad., Federation=Fed’n

9. Index
Helpful!
Refers to page numbers, not rule numbers

10. Rules that always apply
Style Rules: R1-9

11. R1.2 Signals explained See, See also, Contra, etc. Ex. See
It was -30 degrees in Chicago today. WGN News at 9
It was unbearably cold in Chicago today. See WGN News at 9

12. R3.2(a): page numbers Drop digits that repeat Keep last two digits
87 Yale L.J. 1057, (1978).

13. R4.1: Id. General short form rules at R4
More specific short form rules follow the rules for a full citation
R10 cases, R10.9 short form for cases
No Ibid. in legal citation

14. Alterations (R5.2); Omissions (R5.3)
[Brackets]
*.*.*.*
Ex.
Bob said, “I’m going to Jewel, and the dog is coming with me in the truck for the ride.”
Bob said, “[T]he dog is coming with me for the ride.”

15. Typeface
Ordinary Roman
Underlined
Italicized
Large and Small Capitals

16. ALWD?

17. Pitfall!
Electronic Statutes

18. “Party line”=R12.2.1(a)
“If possible, cite statutes currently in force to the current official code or its supplement.”
Official=print(?)

19. Unofficial online version: R12.5
720 Ill. Comp. Stat. 570/402 (2014), available at

20. Citing Lexis/Westlaw Hope for the future…
Use the “information regarding the currency of the database as provided by the database itself.”

21. WestlawNext

22. Wis. Stat. Ann. § 253.01 (West, WestlawNext through 2013 Act 116).
Publisher different in other states, check T1
N.Y. Civ. Serv. Law § 54 (McKinney, WestlawNext through L.2013, chapters 1 to 548, 550 to 558).

23. LexisAdvance

24. Wis. Stat. § 253.01 (LexisAdvance through Act 45, dated August 5, 2013).

25. Thanks! cwillis@kentlaw.iit.edu