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Bluebook Guide: More Whitepage Specifics

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

Quick Points

Citations to books vary based on the features of a particular publication.  For example, the format is slightly different if a book has an editor rather than an author.  Be sure to carefully review the publication and consult Rule 15 in order to cite it correctly.  Additionally, the typeface used for books is different in academic writing. Rather than underlining the title, use small caps.

Highly Specific Topics on Books, Reports, and Nonperiodic Materials

See the overviews and examples presented in The Bluebook for the following topics.

  • Photoduplicated Reprints (R15.4(b), p. 151)
  • Pre-1900 Works (R15.4(c), p. 151)
  • Supplements (R15.4(d), p. 151)
  • Collected Work (R15.5, pp. 151-52)
  • Prefaces, Forewords, Introductions & Epilogues (R15.6, p. 153)
  • Serial Publication (R15.7, p. 153)
  • Electronic Databases & Online Sources (R15.9, pp. 154-55)

Short Citation Forms

When a book, report, or other nonperiodic material has been first cited in full in a law review footnote, a short form employing either id. or supra will be used to refer to the work in subsequent citations.  The Bluebook explicitly states never to use infra to reference these materials.  See R15.10, pp. 155-56.

Generally, follow R4 for short citation forms; however, use R15.10.1 to refer to a shorter work in a collection.  For more information on how to use id., see R4.1, pp. 79-81.  For more information on how to use supra, see R4.2, pp. 81-92.  Some examples of the use of supra were provided in The Bluebook:

  • 2 Holdsworth, supra note 10, at 6.
  • Keeton et al., supra note 29, § 2, at 4.
  • Cf. Schelling, supra note 12, at 3.