This guide provides an introduction to selected citation rules in The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (21st ed.), and citation examples for students working on academic law journals. These examples are provided for instructional purposes only. You should always refer to The Bluebook itself and base your final citations on its rules and examples. The Bluebook's online Quick Style Guide provides additional suggestions on formatting commonly used sources.
The reference librarians can help you identify relevant Bluebook rules or look for example citations. Find out how to contact us here.
The 21st edition of The Bluebook was released in summer 2020. The following resources discuss noteworthy updates in the 21st edition:
An updated 2021 printing was published in late January 2021 and makes additional changes to the 21st edition.
The Bluebook is divided into three main parts:
The Bluebook provides several finding aids to locate rules or citation examples:
Quick Reference: Law Review Footnotes table | Inside of the front cover |
Quick Reference: Court Documents and Legal Memoranda table | Inside of the back cover |
Index (find rules and page numbers by keyword) | Back of the volume |
Table of Contents (find major rules and tables) | Back cover |