LibGuides: Econ 371: Law & Economics: Citing Legal Sources

Bluebook Case Citation Guide
In legal writing, one of the most commonly cited types of sources are judicial opinions. A citation to a judicial opinion is typically referred to as a “case” or “court case” citation. This guide lists out essential Bluebook elements and Bluebook examples for a few of the most common types of case citations. This guide is only a general reference and starting point and should be used in conjunction with the Bluebook or Indigo Book.

Citing Online Sources

Many of the legal and news sources you use in the course are online. If you find your cases via Westlaw, NexisUni or HeinOnline, you do not have to add an url in your citation. Westlaw, in particular, does not have a permalink.

See 10.8.1 in The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation. Your citations for these sources should include the following elements:

News articles: Author, if any (year). Title. Source title, date if needed, page number. URL

Paul D. Kamenar (1994). Property owners get a tool. Legal Times, 25 July, S41.

Court case available on electronic media: Case name, case citation (year).

Dolan v. City of Tigard, 512 U.S. 374 (1994).

The Indigo Book: A Manual of Legal Citation
A free, Creative Commons-dedicated implementation of The Bluebook’s Uniform System of Citation.

ALWD Guide to Legal Citation by Coleen M. Barger
Call Number: @Ref Desk: KF245 .A45 2017
ISBN: 9781454887768
Publication Date: 2017-05-19
The Bluebook by Harvard Law Review (Compiled by); Columbia Law Review (Compiled by); University of Pennsylvania Law Review (Compiled by); Yale Law Review (Compiled by)
Call Number: @ Ref Desk: KF245 .B58 2015
ISBN: 9780692400197
Publication Date: 2015-06-25