Bluebook Format
Bluebook work starts with context, not with a memorized generic template. Determine the legal document type, source type, jurisdiction, and whether practitioner or academic rules apply; then use the current 22nd edition. Keep Bluebook separate from ALWD and from ordinary prose-writing advice.
The Bluebook is a U.S. legal-citation system, currently in its 22nd edition. Before formatting a citation, identify whether you are preparing a practitioner document or academic/legal-scholarship material because the Bluebook distinguishes those contexts. Use the current edition and the exact rule for the source type and jurisdiction.
Key details
Further guidance
Identify Context
Decide whether the citation belongs in a court/practice document or in academic legal writing before choosing a rule. The Bluebook separates these contexts.
Identify Source
Classify the authority correctly—case, statute, regulation, book, periodical, web material, or another source type—because the required elements differ.
Jurisdiction Check
Legal abbreviations and citation details can depend on jurisdiction and source. Use the current edition’s tables and rules instead of copying a superficially similar citation.
Worked Example
For a case citation, first identify the court/reporting context and the document type; then apply the current Bluebook rule. Do not copy an academic footnote form into a practitioner filing without checking the applicable Bluepages rule.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (opens in a new tab)The Bluebook · Official Bluebook site establishes the governing U.S. legal-citation system and its current edition resources.
- New & Noteworthy — Bluebook Twenty-Second Edition (opens in a new tab)U.S. Federal Courts · Federal Judiciary notice confirms that the Bluebook 22nd edition was live in 2025 and available to the federal judiciary.