How To Bluebook Cite A Statute

When citing a statute in legal writing, it is important to use the proper format to ensure that your citation is accurate and complete. The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation is the standard guide for legal citation in the United States, and using the Bluebook format will ensure that your citations are properly formatted.

The Bluebook format for citing a statute consists of three elements: the official name of the statute, the section number, and the year of the statute. Here is an example of a citation using the Bluebook format:

U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 1 (1868)

The official name of the statute is “The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.” The section number is “1,” and the year is “1868.”

When citing a statute, it is important to be as specific as possible. If there is more than one section of a statute that you are citing, be sure to include the section number. If the statute has been amended more than once, include the year of the amendment as well.

It is also important to be aware of the different types of statutes. There are three types of statutes: public, private, and local. The Bluebook provides specific formats for citing each type of statute.

Public statutes are those that are passed by the United States Congress and are part of the federal law. When citing a public statute, use the official name of the statute as it appears in the United States Statutes at Large. The section number and the year of the statute should also be included.

Private statutes are those that are passed by state legislatures and are part of the state law. When citing a private statute, use the official name of the statute as it appears in the state code. The section number and the year of the statute should also be included.

Local statutes are those that are passed by city or county legislatures and are part of the local law. When citing a local statute, use the official name of the statute as it appears in the local code. The section number and the year of the statute should also be included.

How do you cite a state statutory law?

When citing a state statutory law, you must include the name of the state, the name of the law, and the year the law was enacted. You must also include the section of the law that you are citing. For example:

Michigan Vehicle Code, Section 257.617 (2015)

Ohio Revised Code, Section 2921.42 (2015)

Wisconsin Statutes, Section 939.22 (2015)

You can find the name of the state and the law’s section number in the table of contents or in the index.

How do you in text cite a statute?

When you are in law school, you learn to cite cases and statutes. But what about when you are outside of law school and need to cite a statute? How do you do that properly?

The first step is to find the statute you want to cite. You can do a search online or in a law library. Once you have found the statute, you need to look at the citation. The citation will tell you where the statute is located and what section of the statute you are referencing.

Next, you need to find the section of the statute that you are referencing. The statute will be divided into numbered sections. You will need to find the section that corresponds to the law that you are discussing.

Once you have found the section, you need to include the section number in your citation. You can do this in two ways. You can either place the section number in parentheses after the citation or you can place it in brackets. Here is an example of both methods:

[section number] (Example: 42 USC § 1983)

[section number] (Example: (42 USC § 1983))

If you are including the section number in parentheses, you also need to include the title of the statute. Here is an example:

(Title of Statute) § (section number) (Example: The Clean Air Act § 112)

If you are including the section number in brackets, you do not need to include the title of the statute. Here is an example:

[section number] (Example: (42 USC § 1983))

Once you have included the section number, you are finished with the citation.

How do I cite a statute online?

When you are citing a statute online, there are a few things you need to include in your citation. The first is the name of the state where the statute is located. The second is the name of the statute. The third is the date the statute was enacted. The fourth is the URL of the website where the statute is located.

Here is an example of a citation for a Texas statute:

Texas Statutes, Chapter 552, enacted August 28, 2017, https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/TN/htm/TN.552.htm

How do you footnote a statute?

There are a few different ways to footnote a statute, depending on what type of law it is. Generally, you will want to include the statute’s title, chapter number, and section number. You can also include the name of the law firm that authored the statute, the state in which it was enacted, and the date it was enacted.

If you are referencing a state statute, you will also need to include the citation format that the state uses. For example, in California, you would use the “Bluebook” citation format, which includes the name of the state, the volume of the code, and the page number.

If you are referencing a federal statute, you will use the “United States Code” citation format, which includes the name of the code, the chapter number, and the section number.

Here is an example of how to footnote a statute:

1. 18 U.S.C. § 1030 (2012)

2. CAL. PENAL CODE § 422.6 (West 2012)

What is a statutory citation?

A statutory citation is the formal way of referring to a law or regulation. It includes the name of the law, the year it was passed, and the section number. For example, the citation for the Americans with Disabilities Act is 42 U.S.C. § 12101.

When you cite a law in your writing, you must include all of this information. If you only include the name of the law, the reader won’t be able to find it.

It’s important to include citations correctly, because if you don’t, your argument may be invalid. Courts will often reject arguments that don’t include proper citations.

How do you cite state statutes ALWD?

When citing state statutes, the ALWD Citation Manual recommends using the official name of the state followed by the abbreviation “Stat.” and the year of the publication. For example:

Michigan Stat. Ann. § 722.21 (West 2018)

If you are using an online source, include the name of the website and the date you accessed the information.

Michigan Stat. Ann. § 722.21 (West 2018) (accessed September 1, 2018)

How do you in text cite a case law?

There are a few different ways to in text cite a case law. The most common way is to use the name of the case and the year it was decided. For example, Roe v. Wade (1973).

If you are using a case law in a legal document, you should also include a list of the sources you used to come to your conclusion. This is done in a legal document by using a type of footnoting system.

There are a few different types of footnoting systems, but the most common is the Chicago Manual of Style. In this system, the name of the case is listed in a superscript and the year it was decided is listed in parentheses. For example, Roe v. Wade (1973).

If you are using a case law in a non-legal document, you can simply list the name of the case and the year it was decided. For example, Roe v. Wade (1973).

How To Bluebook Cite A Statute7 min read