Scary music in my experience, few things strike more fear into the hearts of legal support staff than having to put. There are also two unofficial codes for federal statutes. For california statutes, the bluebook allows citations to deerings california codes annotated available in print and on lexis or wests annotated california codes available in print and on westlaw. Citing statutes bluebook guide guides at georgetown. As for the fun symbol, i dont think the author is arguing for more use of the full word section when referencing legal authority. An abbreviation for the latin et sequentes or et sequentia, meaning and the following. Below are examples based on the 18th edition of the bluebook. In a diverse and rapidly changing legal profession, the bluebook continues to provide a systematic method by which members of the profession communicate important information to one another about the sources and legal authorities upon. It is used to refer to a page citation that continues on the pages that follow, or a statutory section or subsection and the sections or subsections that follow it.
Jul 19, 2019 the precise format of a statutory citation depends on a number of factors. Its the one legal professionspecific feature in microsoft word. A b c d e f gh i jk l m n o p qr s t u vwxyz show all. In my experience, few things strike more fear into the hearts of legal support staff than having to put out a brief with a. Weve previously looked at citing cases with this system, but today well move on to using bluebook referencing to cite federal statutes. For this reason if you are citing to a range of sections, use the words to or through instead of a dash to avoid confusion. Do not use a short form citation form other than id. The federal election campaign act of 1971 feca, pub. Bluebook citation for llm students bluebook citation for. Health care reform and the affordable care act ppaca. Bluebook legal referencing citing federal statutes. Federal statutes bluebook guide guides at georgetown law. It is commonly used by lawyers to include numbered lists, pages or sections after the first number is stated, as in the rules of the road are found in vehicle code section 1204, et seq.
In the reference list entry, give the popular or official name of the act if any and the year of the act. Claudia catalano, annotation, unlawful access under stored communications act, 18 u. It is used to refer to a page citation that continues on the pages that follow, or a statutory section or. Nov 10, 2016 the bluebook specifically prohibits the use of et seq. Jul 19, 2019 if you are citing a federal statute currently in force, the bluebook dictates that you cite to the united states code if it contains the current version of a statute rule 12. Should one or two section symbols be used in an et seq. Citations to cases and other authorities in all documents filed in the courts must be in the style established by either the california style manual or the bluebook. An ordinance adopted by a city pursuant to its authority under the home rule city act, 1909 pa 279, mcl 117. The illegal use of drugs includes the use, possession, or distribution of drugs as defined by the controlled substances act 21 usca ss 801 et seq. Boston college law school professor richard albert responded to my question and, with his. Citing statutes bluebook guide guides at georgetown law. The bluebook sets out uniform conventions for referencing legal documents, so anyone studying us law will want to be familiar with the bluebook system. The date of the enactment of this subsection, referred to in subsec. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that et seq.
Use the short form of the legal citation once the authority. As mentioned previously, the current edition of the united states code is updated in print with an annual supplement. Mar 18, 2020 for this reason if you are citing to a range of sections, use the words to or through instead of a dash to avoid confusion. Instead, again, the author just doesnt want to reference legal authority at all. Federal statutes bluebook guide guides at georgetown. Bluebook legal referencing citing federal statutes proofed. Within a state, state supreme court ctations are placed before i intermediate appellate court citations. The legislation was passed by the 92nd congress and signed into law. The bluebook also has citation rules for legal memoranda and other practiceoriented materials the blue pages, which students in lrwa2 use. Manual, you may default to the bluebook citation style.
The bluebook says to spell out section and paragraph in the text except when referring to provisions in the u. Introductory signals and citation structure signals indicate the degree of support given by cited authority. Equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities, 42 u. Blue pages this guide covers the bluebooks white pages, which provide citation rules for academic papers. In the federal example, the title is listed before the set. The united states code annotated and united states code service are also updated in print with supplements or pocket parts small pamphlets inserted in the back of a volume if a particular statute has been amended or a new statute is enacted and the changes appear in a. Generations of law students, lawyers, scholars, judges, and other legal professionals have relied on the bluebooks unique system of citation in their writing. When citing a range of sections or an entire act, the range must be specified in the citation. University of illinois law prof christine hurt adds her two cents about the bbs unfairness to solo blogs complete with a link to her paper analyzing the 18th edition. The law originally focused on increased disclosure of contributions for federal political campaigns. Section 25a of the federal reserve act, which is classified to subchapter ii 611 et seq. Dick places state court cases reverse chronological in order and not alphabetically by state. While you generally will not cite to an alr annotation, rule 16.
Archiving of internet sources is encouraged, but only when. A uniform system of citation, a style guide, prescribes the most widely used legal citation system in the united states. Significant changes in the bluebook basic legal citation. And, judging from some of the requests i receive from my newsletter readers, its also one of the most intimidating. However, the basic format of a statutory citation is as follows. Mar 19, 2017 effective january 1, 2008, however, california rule of court, rule 1.
The 20th edition of the bluebook is now available and includes a new rule. Citations to cases and other authorities in all documents filed in the courts must be in. Table of authorities the ultimate guide legal office guru. Bluebooking california statutes bluebooking and legal. Gwu law prof daniel solove weighs in with this blog post on his pet bb peeves. Although the bluebook is a beast, when it comes to computers and text it can be a friendly beast. In fact there is little uniformity in the use of the signals by law clerks and other legal writers.
False bluebook rules control for all situations, even superseding court rules relating to citation form. This section provides a brief guide to frequently used bluebook citation rules and sets out several exceptions. The title, section, and text of the statute are almost always identical no matter which version you use but, to find the correct year, you will. Apr 03, 2020 while you generally will not cite to an alr annotation, rule 16. The bluebook does a pretty good job of giving examples of the particular statute you may be citing. Generations of law students, lawyers, scholars, judges, and other legal professionals have relied on the bluebook s unique system of citation in their writing. For many years, the california style manual has served as the official guide for styling citations to legal materials in documents filed with state courts in california. The bluebook specifically prohibits the use of et seq.
How to cite legal materials follow the bluebook style, as closely as you can. Et seq legal definition of et seq legal dictionary. Commonly used in legal citations to refer to statutes that comprise several sequential sections of a code of statutes e. Supreme court citation practice citation rules legal. The bluebook system, however, is subject to the exceptions set forth in this manual. Code or a federal regulation but to use the symbols in citati ons. When a controlled substance is given by prescription, the use of that drug is regulated by several factors that are not present when a drug is. To send a reader to several statues, one may use the following form under bluebook rules.
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