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Bluebook Guide: Illinois Cases

This guide introduces the Bluebook's uniform system of legal citation. This guide is best used in conjunction with the Bluebook.

Style Sources

The Bluebook provides specific information on sources from Illinois.  See T1.3, pp. 255-56.

The Style Manual for the Supreme and Appellate Courts of Illinois is the official style manual produced by the Illinois Courts.  The Style Manual provides guidance in the following areas: (1) Structuring an Opinion, (2) Grammatical Style, and (3) Citation Style.  The Style Manual designates The Bluebook, A Uniform System of Citation (20th ed. 2015), as the official style guide for Illinois reviewing court opinions except to the extent specific rules are modified herein.

The Style Manual notes that a good practice is to stay consistent with The Bluebook rules as much as possible.

Notably, the Style Manual indicates that typeface conventions for legal writing from The Bluebook (the Bluepages) should be used in Illinois reviewing court opinions.

Illinois Published Opinions

In the past, Illinois decisions were published in official state reporters:  Illinois Reports for Illinois Supreme Court decisions and Illinois Appellate Court Reports for the appellate decisions.  Illinois Supreme Court and Appellate Court decisions are also available in the commercial reporters:  the North Eastern Reporter and West's Illinois Decisions.

In 2011, the state stopped the production of printed official reporters and started to issue electronic versions of Illinois Supreme Court and Appellate Court decisions on the Illinois courts website.  Illinois decisions are still available in the North Eastern Reporter and West's Illinois Decisions.

Illinois Supreme Court Rule 6 provides that citation of Illinois cases filed before July 1, 2011, and published in the Illinois Official Reports shall be to the Official Reports. Still, the citation to the North Eastern Reporter and/or the Illinois Decisions may be added. The Style Manual similarly instructs always to cite Illinois's official reports (Illinois Reports (Ill. or Ill. 2d) or Illinois Appellate Court Reports (Ill. App., Ill. App. 2d, or Ill. App. 3d)) for opinions published therein (opinions issued before July 1, 2011).

For Illinois cases filed on or after July 1, 2011, the public-domain citation shall be given and, where appropriate, pinpoint citations to paragraph numbers shall be given. The Style Manual provides helpful examples of how to cite public-domain opinions.

Full citation:  People v. White, 2011 IL 109689.
Full citation with pinpoint:  People v. White, 2011 IL 109689, ¶ 139.
Full citation with pinpoint to a footnote:  People v. White, 2011 IL 109689, ¶ 12 n.2.
Short citation:  White, 2011 IL 109689.
Short citation with pinpoint:  White, 2011 IL 109689, ¶¶ 63-64.

A citation to the North Eastern Reporter and/or the West's Illinois Decisions may be added but is not required.

Parallel Citations

The Style Manual is an invaluable resource for those seeking guidance on parallel citations.  It is worth noting that when citing Illinois cases in Illinois Supreme Court opinions, parallel citations to the North Eastern Reporter (N.E. or N.E.2d) are unnecessary.  However, when citing Illinois cases in appellate court opinions, parallel citations to the North Eastern Reporter are optional.  If you choose to use them, please note that they should only be included in the first citation of a case and not repeated thereafter.  Additionally, the Style Manual advises against using citations to West's Illinois Decisions, Westlaw, and Lexis.  This information is important to keep in mind as it helps ensure accuracy and consistency in legal writing.  Overall, the Style Manual is an excellent tool for anyone striving to produce high-quality legal work.

Examples

Style Manual Examples

This is for cases in which parallel citation information is included.

Full citation:  People v. Sharpe, 216 Ill. 2d 481, 487, 839 N.E.2d 492, 498 (2005).
Short citation:  Sharpe, 216 Ill. 2d at 487.
Id. citation:  Id. at 487.

Parallel citation information may only be included for public-domain opinions' first full citation.  Note that no pinpoint citation is given to a regional reporter for public-domain cases' parallel citations.

Full citation:  Snyder v. Heidelberger, 2011 IL 111052, ¶ 1, 953 N.E.2d 415.
Short citation:  Snyder, 2011 IL 111052, ¶ 1.
Id. citation:  Id. ¶ 2.

Other Examples

  • Linden Bros. v. Practical Elec. & Eng'g Publ'g Co., 309 Ill. 132, 140 N.E. 874 (1923).
  • People v. Hansen, 2011 IL App (2d) 081226, 952 N.E. 82.
  • People v. Hansen, 952 N.E.2d 82 (Ill. App. Ct. 2011).
  • Lewis v. Rutland Twp., 359 Ill. App. 3d 1076, 824 N.E.2d 1213 (2005).
  • Jastram v. Lake Villa Sch. Dist. 41, 192 Ill. App. 3d 599, 549 N.E.2d 9 (1989).

When citing decisions from Illinois Reports or Illinois Appellate Court Reports, it is important to include the appropriate references.  For decisions made in 2011 and beyond, the state's public-domain opinions citation system should be used.  While parallel citations to the North Eastern Reporter are not required, they are permitted under Illinois court rules.  Make sure to stay informed and accurate when citing legal decisions in Illinois.