What is a Bluebook signal?

What is a Bluebook signal?

The Bluebook lists four different “families” of introductory signals: (1) signals that indicate support, (2) signals that indicate comparison, (3) signals that indicate contradiction, and (4) signals that indicate background material.

Are signals underlined Bluebook?

state the case name in the text. Underline your signals. See, e.g., (followed by commas after both see and e.g.). The comma after the “see” IS underlined. The comma after the “e.g.” IS NOT underlined.

What is the difference between white and blue pages in Bluebook?

Parts of the Bluebook The main division in the Bluebooks is between the Whitepages, which provide citations for use in academic legal writing, and the Bluepages, which provide citations for use in court documents.

How do I compare Bluebook?

Second, “Compare” “must be used in conjunction with ‘with'” and used to offer a comparison between two or more cited authorities while “Cf.” may be used to compare a single authority with the textual proposition.

What is Bluebook citation format?

The Bluebook, formally titled The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, is the style manual for citing to legal documents within the United States. It is now in its 20th edition, more than an inch thick, and consists of over 500 pages of guidance on legal citation.

Are signals always italicized Bluebook?

A signal sends a shorthand message to the reader about the relationship between a proposition and the source or authority cited for that proposition. Signals should always be used in citations. Signals should be underlined or italicized.

Should signals be italicized Bluebook?

What are the 3 major parts of the Bluebook?

The Bluebook contains three major parts: the Blue Pages, White Pages, and Tables.

• Blue Pages (pp. 3-56): A how-to guide for basic legal citation.
• White Pages (pp. 57-231): The primary rules of citation and style.
• Tables (pp. 233-523): A series of tables to be used in conjunction with the rules.

Why is the Bluebook important?

During the course of your law school career, the blue book is the authoritative format. It is a fact of life. A legal citation follows a standard format which allows a lawyer to refer to legal authority so that other lawyers or judges can locate the document.

What is the Bluebook used for?

The Bluebook is the style manual that governs how American legal documents are cited in legal memoranda, court documents, and law journals. It is published by the editors of the law journals at Columbia University, Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University.

Are citation signals italicized?

Italicize the signal if it is included in the citation sentence. Capitalize the signal if it the first word of the sentence. Include an explanatory parenthetical if the citation requires it.

What should always be italicized in legal writing?

The following citation elements should be italicized:

• case names (including procedural phrases)
• book titles.
• titles of journal articles.
• introductory signals used in citation sentences or clauses.
• prior or subsequent history explanatory phrases.
• words or phrases attributing one cited authority to another source.

What does supra mean Bluebook?

cite prior material
“Supra” is used to cite prior material while “infra” is used to cite subsequent material.

What is the purpose of Bluebook?

Why is The Bluebook important?

Why do lawyers use Bluebook?

A firm may follow its own format for citing authority. During the course of your law school career, the blue book is the authoritative format. It is a fact of life. A legal citation follows a standard format which allows a lawyer to refer to legal authority so that other lawyers or judges can locate the document.

Do Lawyers use The Bluebook?

Legal Citation in California California state courts prefer for attorneys to use the California Style Manual but allow them to use the Bluebook. However, the courts always require attorneys to cite to the official reporters (Cal., Cal. App., and Cal. App.