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Bluebook Quick Reference: Abbreviations and How-tos

New 21st Edition of Bluebook

The 21st edition of the Bluebook became available Summer 2020

One big change is the way federal statutory code sections are cited. If you are citing to the current U.S. Code, you do not have to include a year. This is true when you are citing the official or unofficial code. HOWEVER, if you are citing to the code from Lexis or Westlaw, you must still include the currency information according to Rule 12.5.

See the Summary of Changes, below.

The 22nd edition of the Bluebook is coming out in Spring 2025.

Bluebook Quick Reference: Abbreviations and Examples

This LibGuide contains useful information for legal citation, some of which is not in the Bluebook itself.  It includes:

This guide was originally written by Valparaiso University Law Library.   It is used here with permission.

 

For citations to Foreign Jurisdictions see: Bluebook Table 2 Online

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