USAFA Library Guides: Legal Studies: Writing and Citing

Legal Citation

Bluebook Citation for Legal Materials
Purdue OWL guide for help citing sources used in the American legal system. See Chicago Manual of Style for more guidance.
Bluebook Legal Citation System Guide
Guide produced by the Harvard University Law School
The Bluebook Uncovered: A Practical Guide to Mastering Legal Citation (PDF)
Free online book based on The Bluebook's 21st edition
The Indigo Book
Free resource roughly equivalent to The Bluebook’s “Bluepages"
Introduction to Basic Legal Citation
Cornell's Law School basic introduction with examples and contrasts between the Bluebook & ALWD Citation Manual
Quick Style Guide of Bluebook Whitepages
Examples how to cite commonly used sources in Bluebook

Chicago Manual of Style Online

As you look for Chicago Style citation help, be sure to find out which method your work requires and refer specifically to the guidance that applies to that method. Both your in-text citations and your reference lists/bibliographies will differ according to which version you use.

Chicago Manual of Style Online
Chicago Style (17 ed.) supports two different citation methods for professional publishing:
1. Author-Date: Typically used in the physical and social sciences
2. Notes & Bibliography: Humanities preferred
Legal and Public Documents
The Chicago Manual recommended legal style publications

The Chicago Manual of Style
Call Number: Z 253 .U69 2017 (Ready Reference)
Note: Copy at service desk for short loans.

More Citation Guides

Citing Sources
A guide of the common citation styles used by academic disciplines
Citing Court Decisions in APA Style
Documenting Legal Works in MLA Style
MLA Handbook Plus
Full access to MLA Handbook's citation examples & writing prose

Legal Writing and Advocacy

The Lawyer's Guide to Writing Well
Practical guide for lawyers on legal writing, outlines the causes and consequences of bad writing, and prescribes straightforward, easy-to-apply remedies that will make your writing readable.
Legal Writing
A guide for students to learn vital legal skills and understand a range of assessment methods, such as exam questions, final essays and problem answers.
Point Made: How to Write Like the Nation's Top Advocates
Primed with tips and techniques to help you craft a legal brief and to engage in written advocacy.

More Resources

10 Tips for Better Legal Writing by ABA
Gale Legal Forms
A wide selection of popular and state-specific legal forms
How to Read a Scholarly Journal Article
How to Write a Law Review Note Worthy of Publication
Written by Jonathan Burns for Girl’s Guide to Law School
Legal Education and Writing
Aspects of legal writing explained by Legal Information Institute
Legal Method Essentials
A handy guide to learn all the basic skills for the study of law from a British perspective. Chap 10: Legal Writing & Research.
Legal Writing: Quick Study Reference Guide
A Primer on Legal Reasoning
With examples to help students understand legal discourse

Zotero

Zotero is a free, easy-to-use citation management tool that helps you to collect, manage, cite, and share your research sources. Being famiiar with the basic format structure of a particular style like Chicago is important to ensure consistent results when making a final bibliography in Zotero.

Zotero Setup
Instructions to set up your own Zotero account and information on adding, organizing, sharing & citing your sources
Zotero Tutorials
Select from a list of video tutorials to learn how to use Zotero