Transitioning from
ALWD Manual (4th ed. 2010) to
Bluebook (19th ed. 2010)
An overview for law review candidates
Prepared by J. Lyn Entrikin Goering, Professor of Law
William H. Bowen School of Law,
May 20, 2011
Based on work by Darby Dickerson, Dean
Texas Tech University School of Law
In other words . . .
From This :
To This:
The [Evil] Bluebook Blues . . .

Judge Richard A. Posner, Seventh Circuit Court of
Appeals, recently published a book review (in The Yale
Law Journal, of all places) of the most recent edition of
the Bluebook:


An unconscious awareness of the limitations of
legal “science” drives the search for rigor into
unlikely places, such as form of citations, and
has given the profession a 511-page book that
it does not need.
Richard A. Posner, The Bluebook Blues, 150 YALE L. J.
850, 860-861 (2011) (footnote omitted).
The [Evil] Bluebook Blues . . .

Another author warns,

If you have cracked open The Bluebook, you
already know that it presents a bewildering
assortment of rules, rules, and more rules for legal
citation. If you are new to legal citation, or a little
rusty at it, the task of deciphering and applying
those rules can seem overwhelming.

Linda J. Barris, UNDERSTANDING AND MASTERING THE
BLUEBOOK: A GUIDE FOR STUDENTS AND PRACTITIONERS 3
(2d ed. 2010).
The [Evil] Bluebook Blues . . .

And yet another:

The Bluebook is a thick book with a blue cover filled
with more rules than the Internal Revenue Code. It is
written by a consortium of law reviews and its primary
purpose is as a money-making racket.

Daniel Solove, Law Review Editing: Some
Suggestions for Reform, Concurring Opinions, at
http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2007/03/
some_pet_peeves.html (March 13, 2007).
What’s the Difference, Anyway?

Now in its 19th edition, the Bluebook
was first published in 1926 by law
review editors for law review
contributors.

Trivia Question: How long was the 1st
edition?
• As some commentators have observed, “The
Bluebook is not user-friendly and was not designed
as a teaching tool.”
• Carol M. Bast & Susan Harrell, Has the Bluebook Met Its Match? The
ALWD Citation Manual, 92 Law Library J. 339 (2000).
What’s the Difference, Anyway?

Originally, the Bluebook was never intended for use by
practitioners. Yet recent editions include “blue pages” for preparing
court pleadings, memos, and other practice-oriented documents
(perhaps to compete with ALWD).

For practice documents (legal memos, briefs, and other court
pleadings), the differences are minor – in fact, nearly
indistinguishable.

But for scholarly writing, the critical distinction between the two
citation manuals is the format for law review articles, especially
footnotes.

In law reviews, “all citations appear in footnotes appended to the
portions of the text to which they refer.” BB Rule 1.1.

That’s why law review writers need to know how to use the
Bluebook – because most (not all) law reviews use it.
General Tips for Using the Bluebook

For footnote citations, consult Quick Reference: Law Review
Footnotes (inside the front cover).

Caution: The Quick Reference inside the back cover is for
practitioner documents like memos and briefs, not law review
articles.

For text citations, consult BB Rule 1.1(a) and 2.2(a). As a
general rule, all law journal citations belong in footnotes (except
case names in text sentences, followed by a superscript footnote
“call” number. [Create a footnote by placing the cursor where
you want the call number, then clicking “references” and “insert
footnote” from your word processing menu.]

Use the Bluebook’s extensive index to find the pertinent rules.
(Be sure you know how to use a print index – it’s not Google!)
Significant Differences: ALWD v. BB

1. Typeface

2. Abbreviations

3. Books and Treatises

4. Legal periodicals

5. Footnotes

6. Signals

7. Order of Authorities

8. Other Minor Format Differences
Typeface Conventions –
Bluebook Rules 2.1 & 2.2

Law reviews generally use three kinds of
typeface (dating to the typesetting days):



Ordinary Roman type
Italics
SMALL AND LARGE CAPITALS
Ordinary Roman type and Italics are used in both text
and footnotes. SMALL AND LARGE CAPITALS are used
only in footnotes.
Typeface Conventions –
Bluebook Rules 2.1 & 2.2



One major difference is that Bluebook footnotes
use SMALL & LARGE CAPS for some citations.
ALWD never uses small & large caps – whether in
text or footnotes.
For case names, the BB also differs in using italics,
depending whether the case name is –
(1) part of a text sentence (“textual citation”) or a
stand-alone citation (“citation sentence”), and
(2) in a full or short-form citation.
Typeface Conventions – Cases
Bluebook Rules 2.1 & 2.2
Textual Citations:
While a case name is often mentioned in the main text of a law
review article, such as Brown v. Board of Education,1 the rest of
the citation appears only in the footnote (volume, reporter
abbreviation, page, court abbreviation, and year), like this:
1
347 U.S. 483 (1954).

Italicize the case name that stands alone in the main text.
Remember not to abbreviate the case name in a text sentence,
except the 8 magic words listed in Rule 10.2.1(c), mostly business
designations: Co., Inc., Ass’n, Bros., Corp., Ltd., No., &.

In the footnote, use ordinary typeface for the rest of the citation.
Typeface Conventions – Cases
Text Citations v. Citation Sentences:
A text citation may also occur entirely in a footnote. If the case
name and full citation are part of a footnote text sentence, or in
other words “[w]hen a case name is grammatically part of the
sentence in which it appears,” then italicize the full case name.
Examples:
1 In
Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954), the Court rejected the
“separate but equal” justification. Id. at 485.
But don’t italicize if a case is cited only in a citation sentence:
1 The
Supreme Court rejected the “separate but equal” justification in 1954.
Brown v. Bd. of Educ., 347 U.S. 483, 485 (1954).
Be sure to abbreviate in a footnote citation sentence (except 8
words listed in Rule 10.2.1(c), but do not abbreviate if the case is
in a text sentence. See Table 6.
Typeface Conventions – Cases
Bluebook Rules 2.1 & 2.2
Footnote Citations:


Full case citations. When citing a case2 in full in a footnote
citation sentence (case name, volume, reporter abbreviation,
page(s), court abbreviation, and year parenthetical): use ordinary
Roman typeface for the full citation (except procedural phrases
like In re), including the abbreviated case name.
2 Brown v. Bd. of Educ., 347 U.S. 483 (1954).
Short-form case citations. When citing a case4 in short-form in
a footnote (either a short-form case name, or the full case name
with a short-form citation), italicize the case name (except
procedural phrases like In re) and use ordinary Roman type for
the rest of the citation information.
4 Brown, 347 U.S. at 485.
Typeface – Other Authorities
Bluebook Rules 11, 12, 13, 15, 16

In law review footnotes, use SMALL AND LARGE CAPITALS rather
than ordinary typeface for citing the following in citation
sentences and in full or short-form text citations:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
Book authors & titles: JOE T. GARCIA, BOOKENDS (2006).
Periodical abbreviations (but not author names): ARK L. REV.
Constitution names: CAL. CONST.
Statute and Ordinance abbreviations: FLA. STAT. ANN.
Restatements: RESTATEMENT (SECOND) OF TORTS
Court rules: FED. R. CIV. P.
Legislative reports and documents: H.R. REP. NO.
Model and Uniform Acts: MODEL PENAL CODE
Typeface – Other Authorities
Bluebook Rules 2.2(a)(ii)


But when referring to any of these sources by name in the
text (without including the citation information), use the
typeface appropriate for law review text (never large &
small caps).
Example:
The library has a copy of The Path of the Law [book] that
was published in the Harvard Law Review [law review], a
complete set of the Federal Supplement [reporter], and
today’s Wall Street Journal [newspaper]. It does not have
a copy of Hearings on S. 776 [legislative document] or
Alaska Statutes [statute].
Abbreviations - Bluebook Rule 6.1

The Bluebook and ALWD abbreviation spacing rules
are virtually identical.

But specific abbreviations differ. Bluebook (Table 6)
uses some formats that include apostrophes (but no
periods), while ALWD (App. 3) traditionally did not.

But ALWD (4th edition) permits either abbreviation
form:
BB examples
Comm’n
Dep’t
Env’t
Int’l
Nat’l
ALWD examples
Commn. or Comm’n
Dept. or Dep’t
Env. or Env’l
Intl. or Int’l
Natl. or Nat’l
Abbreviations - Bluebook Rule 6.1

While most ALWD abbreviations are in Appendix 3, the
Bluebook has separate abbreviation tables for different
purposes. In general, the Bluebook allows fewer general
abbreviations). Be sure to use the correct table!
Bluebook Table
T.6 - Case Names (other than textual cites)
T.7 - Court Names
T.8 - Explanatory Phrases
T.9 - Legislative Documents
T.10 - Geographical Terms
T.11 - Judges and Officials
T.12 – Months
T.13 - Periodicals
T.14 - Publishing terms
T.15 - Looseleaf Services, etc.
T.16 - Subdivisions
Example
Brown v. Bd. of Educ.
Jud. Dist.
cert. denied,
H. Rep.
Ark., Chi., Czech Rep.
J., Sen., Comm’r
Jan., Aug.
Ark. L. Rev.
ed., vol., unabr.
U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (CBC)
supp., vol., nn.
Books and Treatises - BB Rule 15
Key Differences from ALWD Manual

Typeface. Bluebook Rule 15.3 requires SMALL & LARGE CAPS for
the author’s name and the book’s title.
JOHN G. AUTHOR, BOOK TITLE 25 (2d ed. 2009).

Volume Number. Bluebook Rules 3.1 & 15.1 require a different
format to designate the volume number of a multi-volume work.
The volume number immediately precedes the author’s name.
2 FREDERICK POLLOCK & FREDERIC WILLIAM MAITLAND, THE
HISTORY OF ENGLISH LAW 205-06 (2d ed. 1911).

Publisher Name. Bluebook citations do not include names of
book publishers (unless citing a work published by a different
publisher than the original one) but do include names of editors
or translators. See Rules 15.2 & 15.4(iii).
Annotations: Bluebook Rule 16.7.6

The Bluebook requires addition of the word
“Annotation,” in ordinary Roman typeface, after
the author’s name and before the title of the
annotation:


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).
Note that the abbreviated title of the volume is in
large and small caps.
Periodicals: Bluebook Table 13

A few periodical abbreviations differ between
ALWD and the Bluebook. Look up each one
in Bluebook Table 13 to ensure accuracy.

Examples:
ALWD
ABA J.
J. Leg. Educ.
J.L. Socy.
Intl. Law.
J. Intl. Wildlife L. & Policy
L. & Socy. Rev.
Bluebook
A.B.A. J.
J. LEGAL EDUC.
J.L. SOC’Y
INT’L LAW.
J. INT’L WILDLIFE L. & POL’Y
L. & SOC’Y REV.
Periodicals – Bluebook Rule 16

The Bluebook format for citing periodicals
that are not consecutively paginated differs
slightly from ALWD:

Bluebook Rule 16.5: Eileen Libby, A Qualified
Yes, 94 A.B.A. J., Nov. 2008, at 32.

ALWD Rule 23.1(f)(3): Eileen Libby, A Qualified
Yes, 94 ABA J. 32 (Nov. 2008).
Footnote References –
Bluebook Rule 3.2(b)

The Bluebook requires a slightly different
format than ALWD when citing to footnotes:


Bluebook (no space between “n.” and number):
Chevron U.S.A. v. Nat’l Resources Defense
Council, 467 U.S. 837 n.9 (1984).
ALWD (add a space between “n.” and number):
Chevron U.S.A. v. Nat’l Resources Defense
Council, 467 U.S. 837 n. 9 (1984).
Footnote References –
Bluebook Rule 4.2(a).

The Bluebook requires a slightly different format
than ALWD when using supra or infra to crossrefer to other internal footnotes:



Bluebook:
See Reich, supra note 9, at 18.
ALWD (Rule 10.3(a)):
See Reich, supra n. 9, at 18.
Note: Unlike ALWD, Bluebook Rule 15.10 does not permit
the use of infra to cross-refer to books, reports, or other
nonperiodic materials cited later in a work.
Signals: Bluebook Rule 1.2(a)

While Bluebook rules for signals are similar to ALWD
rules, note the minor differences:
(1) After E.g., add a unitalicized comma. If e.g.
is used with another signal, add an italicized
comma before and an unitalicized comma
after the “e.g.” signal:
 See, e.g., Brown v. Bd. of Educ., 347 U.S.
483 (1954).
 ALWD Rule 44.6(a) omits both commas.
Signals: Bluebook Rule 1.3

While Bluebook rules for signals are similar to ALWD
rules, note the minor differences:
(2) In a string citation, group each major category of
signals (support, comparison, contradiction,
background) in separate citation sentences, each
ending with a period. Begin the next group with a
capital letter.
 Bluebook: See Case A; Case B. But see
Case D. See generally Case G.
 ALWD R. 44.8(c): See Case A; Case B; but
see Case D; see generally Case G.
Signals: Bluebook Rule 1.3
(3) The order in which signals are grouped in a
citation sentence differs slightly in the Bluebook
rules from the order required by the ALWD
manual. Use the following order for Bluebook:
(1) Suggesting support: [No Signal], Accord, See, See
also, cf.
(2) Suggesting comparison: Compare . . . [and] . . .
[with] . . . and . . . .
(3) Suggesting contradiction: Contra, But see, But cf.
(4) Suggesting background material: See generally
(5) The sequence for “e.g.” citations depends on the signal
it accompanies (including “No signal”).
Signals: Order of Authorities
Bluebook Rule 1.4

Federal district courts: The Bluebook rule treats
federal district court decisions as if they are
issued by a single court. Within each signal, put
the opinions in reverse chronological order,
ignoring the federal district name.

In comparison, ALWD Rule 45.3(f) treats each
federal district as a distinct court, ordering
decisions alphabetically -- first by state, then by
district -- and within each district, in reverse
chronological order.
Order of Authorities Within
Signals: Bluebook Rule 1.4

Federal courts of appeals: The Bluebook treats
them as one court. Simply put the decisions in
reverse chronological order, without regard to
circuit number.

In comparison, ALWD Rule 45.3(f) treats federal
circuit courts as distinct courts, ordering their
decisions by circuit ordinal (First, Second, and
so forth), followed by the D.C. Circuit and finally
the Federal Circuit. Within each circuit, the
cases are cited in reverse chronological order.
Other Minor Format Differences









Related authority
Page spans
Internal cross-references
Short-form case citations in footnotes
Long quotations
Capitalization of “court”
Intermediate state appellate court cases
Multiple decisions issued the same year
Cases in electronic data bases
Related Authority:
Bluebook Rule 1.6 & Table 8

The Bluebook generally requires adding an
italicized explanatory phrase to a citation to
append related authority that refers to the cited
authority. See Table 8 for abbreviations.


Filled Milk Act § 1, construed in Milnot Co. v.
Richardson, 350 F. Supp. 221 (S.D. Ill. 1972).
ALWD Rule 46.4 generally places similar
references to cited authority in explanatory
parentheticals using ordinary type.
Related Authority:
Bluebook Rule 1.5

But if a primary authority discusses, quotes,
cites, or otherwise mentions another source,
then include that reference in an explanatory
parenthetical using ordinary typeface:


Case A (citing Fla. Stat. Ann. with approval).
ADA Amendments of 2008 (explicitly overruling
Case A).
Page Spans: Bluebook Rule 3.2(a)

Unlike ALWD, which gives some flexibility on citing a span
of pages, the Bluebook is very specific. Drop any
repetitious digits, but in any case always retain two digits
on the right side of the hyphen. Separate the page
numbers with an en dash (–) or hyphen (-).

Examples:
 87 Yale L.J. at 1354–57 [not 1354-1357 or 1354-357]
 87 Yale L.J. at 101-05
[not 101-105 or 101-5]

The page span rule does not apply to section or
paragraph numbers. BB Rule 3.3(b) allows omission of
identical digits or letters preceding a punctuation mark,
unless doing so would create confusion. Otherwise retain
all digits. Example: Del. Code Ann. tit. 9, §§ 817–819 (1989).
Internal Cross-References:
Bluebook Rule 3.5

The rules are very similar, but under the
Bluebook, spell out “note” or “part” rather
than abbreviating those subdivision names:

Bluebook: Supra note 45 and accompanying
text.

ALWD: Supra n. 45 and accompanying text.
Short-Form Case Citations Bluebook Rule 10.9

The rules are very similar, but the Bluebook has a rule for
footnotes that ALWD does not:


A short-form citation to a case may be used “if it clearly
identifies a case” previously cited -
in the same footnote, or

“(either in full or short form, including “id.”) in one of
the preceding five footnotes.” Rule 10.9(a) (emphasis
in original).
The 19th edition relaxes the 18th edition’s rule discouraging
more than five sequential “id.” citations, but use caution!
Long Quotations–Bluebook Rule 5.1

Bluebook Rule 5(a)(i) requires a block
indent (both left and right margins)
whenever quoting fifty or more words.

ALWD Rule 47.5 requires a block indent
whenever the quotation –
 spans more than four lines of text or
 includes fifty or more words.
Capitalization – Bluebook Rule 8


Most capitalization rules are consistent.
Two Bluebook differences:

Generally do not capitalize prepositions. Rule
8(a). Exceptions:




Prepositions five or more letters long; [Until, Within, Under]
Prepositions that begin a heading or title;
Prepositions immediately follow a colon.
Do not capitalize the word “court” when referring to
a state supreme court, except when naming the
court in full. Rule 8(b)(ii).

Example: The Kansas Supreme Court rejected J’Noel’s
claim for wrongful death. The court erred in doing so.
State Intermediate Appellate Court
Opinions: Bluebook Rule 10.4

When citing a decision of a state intermediate
appellate court, do not include the specific
department or district number in the court
abbreviation, unless that information is
particularly relevant. Bluebook Rule 10.4(b).

When the information is particularly relevant,
follow the examples in Rule 10.4(b). (No
similar examples appear in Table 1.)
Cases – Bluebook Rule 10

Under Bluebook Rule 10.5(d), “[w]hen citing a case
with several different decisions in the same year,
include the year only with the last-cited decision in that
year,” unless one of the citation formats requires the
exact date (month, day, year).


Example: If a federal district court decision (F. Supp.) and the
federal circuit court decision (F.2d) in the same case were
both issued in 2005 and both are referenced in the same
case citation (i.e. as subsequent history) include the year only
with the most recent decision (generally the highest court).
ALWD Rule 12.7(a) has no similar rule, so the year is
always included in each cite, even to the same case.
Opinions on Electronic Databases:
Bluebook Rule 18.1.1

The Bluebook requires the docket number of
a judicial opinion as part of the citation to an
electronic database version (i.e. Westlaw or
Lexis):


See Smith v. Jones, No. 02-3924, 2003 U.S. App.
LEXIS 789, at *2 (3d Cir. Jan. 10, 2003).
ALWD Rule 12.12(d) permits, but does not
require, the docket number in the citation.
Tips for Specific Legal Authorities





Constitutions
Restatements
Periodicals
Student authored law review articles
Internet resources
Constitutions: Bluebook Rule 11


The Bluebook and ALWD citation formats are
identical except the typeface.
The Bluebook uses small & large caps for the
constitution name only (not the subdivisions):

Bluebook:
U.S. CONST. art. I.

ALWD:
U.S. Const. art. I.
Restatements: Bluebook 12.8.5

The Bluebook citation form is virtually identical
to ALWD’s, except the typeface:
RESTATEMENT (SECOND) OF TORTS § 847A
(Tentative Draft No. 17, 1974).
Periodicals: Bluebook Table 13

Remember: A few periodical abbreviations
differ between ALWD and the Bluebook.
Look up each one in Bluebook Table 13 to
ensure accuracy.

Typeface: Bluebook requires SMALL AND
LARGE CAPS for the periodical abbreviation
only (but not for the author’s name).

Examples:
ALWD:
ABA J.
J. Leg. Educ.
Bluebook:
A.B.A. J.
J. LEGAL EDUC.
Periodicals – Bluebook Rule 16.4

The Bluebook format for citing to nonconsecutively paginated periodicals differs
slightly from ALWD:

Bluebook: Jodi Wilgoren, Prosecution Outlines
Case for Harsh Sentencing of B.T.K. Killer in Gory
Detail, N.Y. TIMES, Aug. 18, 2005, at A14.

ALWD: Jodi Wilgoren, Prosecution Outlines
Case for Harsh Sentencing of B.T.K. Killer in Gory
Detail, N.Y. Times A14 (Aug. 18, 2005).
Law Journal Articles by Student
Authors: Bluebook 16.1 & 16.6.2

Designate student-authored works by noting
the appropriate term, such as “Comment,”
“Note,” or “Recent Case,” after the author’s
name:


Victoria Malony, Note, My Life as Professor
Goering’s Teaching Assistant, 98 Kan. L. REV. 14,
37 (2011).
Do not use “Student Author,” as ALWD Rule
23.1(a)(2) requires.
Internet Sources: Bluebook Rule 18.2

The Bluebook strongly encourages citation to
traditional print versions of legal authorities and
other resources.

Rule 18.2 allows internet citations only if:
(1) the cited “source is unavailable in a
traditional printed format or on a widely
available commercial database” or
(2) the content of a the source is identical to
the printed version and a parallel citation to
the internet “will substantially improve access
to the source cited.”
Internet Sources: Bluebook Rule 18.2


Bluebook citation formats differ for material posted
only on the internet as opposed to materials
published elsewhere but reprinted on the internet.

For materials published in traditional print format
but available on the internet, follow Rule 18.2.2. Give
the print citation and a parallel citation to the URL,
introduced with “available at.”

For materials available only on the internet, follow
Rule 18.2.3. Include the author, title, pagination, and
publication date from the internet, followed by the URL
(not preceded by “available at” or “at”).
For undated materials, use the “last visited” format:
(last visited Dec. 15, 2010). Rule 18.2.3(e).
Summary

Use Bluebook’s extensive index to find applicable rules.
Read the rule carefully and look carefully at the
examples for guidance when the rule is unclear.

Remember the main distinctions: typeface,
abbreviations, book publisher (generally not) and
volume designation, periodicals, signal punctuation,
order of authorities for federal cases.

Check footnote citation form by consulting “Quick
Reference” inside the front cover of the Bluebook.

Consult ALWD Manual for more explanation when the
Bluebook rule is unclear -- but watch the details and
keep typeface differences in mind.
Additional Resources

COLEEN M. BARGER & BROOKE J. BOWMAN, ALWD
COMPANION: A CITATION PRACTICE BOOK ch. 16 (2010).

LINDA J. BARRIS, UNDERSTANDING AND MASTERING THE
BLUEBOOK: A GUIDE FOR STUDENTS AND PRACTITIONERS
(2d ed. 2010).

THE BLUEBOOK: A UNIFORM SYSTEM OF CITATION (19th ed.
2010) (electronic format; http://www.legalbluebook.com/;
http://www.legalbluebook.com/Public/Tour.aspx)

BOSTON UNIV. SCHOOL OF LAW, THE BLUEBOOK FOR LAW
JOURNAL MEMBERS, at
http://www.bu.edu/lawlibrary/research/techcheck/blueboo
king.html
Additional Resources (continued)


DEBORAH E. BOUCHOUX, CITE-CHECKER: A HANDS-ON GUIDE TO
LEARNING CITATION FORM (3d ed. 2010).
ALAN L. DWORSKY, USER’S GUIDE TO THE BLUEBOOK (2010)
(primarily for practitioners).

GEORGETOWN UNIV. LAW CTR., BLUEBOOK GUIDE (2010), at
http://www.ll.georgetown.edu/guides/bluebook1_7.cfm.

LexisNexis, Interactive Citation Workstation 2010, at
http://www.lexisnexis.com/icw/exercise_main.aspx?type=B

PETER MARTIN, INTRODUCTION TO BASIC LEGAL CITATION (online
ed. 2010), at http://www.law.cornell.edu/citation/.

UNIV. OF WASHINGTON SCHOOL OF LAW, BLUEBOOK 101 (2011),
at https://lib.law.washington.edu/content/guides/bluebook-101
Questions?
?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RLEWky1Znw