What Bluebook Rule Governs Citing Looseleaf Services?
The Bluebook is a widely-accepted legal citation guide used by law students, professors, and professionals across the United States. One of the common questions that arise when citing legal materials is: what Bluebook rule governs citing looseleaf services? This article aims to provide a comprehensive explanation of the relevant Bluebook rule and its application in legal citations.
In the Bluebook, the rule governing the citation of looseleaf services is found in Rule 14.5. This rule provides specific guidelines on how to format and reference looseleaf services in legal documents. According to Rule 14.5, a looseleaf service is defined as a “periodically updated printed publication, often with a tabbed index and sometimes a companion website, that is published by a commercial publisher and is intended for use by practicing lawyers and judges.”
When citing a looseleaf service, it is essential to follow the format outlined in Rule 14.5. The general format for citing a looseleaf service is as follows:
Author. Title of Article. Title of Looseleaf Service, Edition, Section Number, Paragraph Number, Date of Publication or Update.
For example, if you were to cite an article from a looseleaf service titled “Legal Ethics in Corporate Practice,” you would format the citation as follows:
Smith, John. “Legal Ethics in Corporate Practice.” Corporate Legal Manual, 5th ed., § 2.03, 2021.
It is important to note that when citing a looseleaf service, you must include the following elements:
1. Author: The name of the author of the article or entry.
2. Title of Article: The title of the specific article or entry you are citing.
3. Title of Looseleaf Service: The title of the looseleaf service in which the article or entry is found.
4. Edition: The edition of the looseleaf service you are citing, if applicable.
5. Section Number: The specific section number where the article or entry is located within the looseleaf service.
6. Paragraph Number: The specific paragraph number within the section where the article or entry is found, if applicable.
7. Date of Publication or Update: The date of the publication or last update of the looseleaf service.
By following Rule 14.5 and the specific format outlined for citing looseleaf services, you can ensure that your legal citations are accurate and consistent with the Bluebook guidelines. This will help you maintain professionalism and credibility in your legal writing and research.
