The Challenge of Legal Citation Systems

Mastering legal citation means understanding multiple citation systems. In addition to the Bluebook, fifty states produce fifty sets of laws, and each state decides how it wants its own materials to be cited. For case law, the Bluebook advises authors to use the West Reporter citations if available, but to add public domain citations if a state uses them. However, a state’s internal rules may require citation to the official state reports. All this creates a maze of rules that practitioners need to follow. Legal citation presents difficulties for law students that law librarians and instructors need to appreciate, so they can find the best ways to address them.