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This primer is shared with ILRF Journal authors. Its sole purpose is to provide authors with basic Bluebook citation requirements for general academic application. It is not meant to be an exhaustive citation resource. Authors should refer to the Bluebook 22nd edition for further guidance.
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Authors: You are REQUIRED to use the Bluebook form of citation when citing your sources in all of your research. The Bluebook is the most standardized form of citation used in the practice of law; however, it is not the only citation form. Some courts (and even specific judges) have developed their own citation requirements. You will be expected to use the Bluebook citation form in all of your research. This primer walks an author through how to cite most of the source types that you will be using in your work.
The Bluebook is divided into three major sections. The first section, the "blue pages," is used by practitioners who are writing legal documents. For your academic research, you will spend most of your time using the "blue pages." The second, the "white pages," is used in academic writing or when the "blue pages" are silent. The third, the "tables section," is utilized for finding specific ways to cite various statutes and courts. In addition, the authors have created a "Quick Reference" that can be found on the back, inside cover of the Bluebook.
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Note: The 22nd edition of The Bluebook, released at the end of May 2025, is the most substantial change to legal citation in at least a decade and includes significant updates such as new rules for citing AI-generated content, tribal law, and clearer guidelines for digital sources. It also introduces new citation signals and allows for modified citations in cleaned-up quotations, enhancing usability for modern legal practices. Be sure to always refer to your Bluebook, 22nd Edition, for all citation formatting guidance.
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Web-based resources now incorporate the new rule 18.2.1 (p. 185) that requires an archived version of the source as it existed at the time of citing to it. Such websites must either be preserved using an archival tool like perma.cc or be preserved in digital/physical form and be on file with either the author or the journal publishing the piece where the citation appears.
Template: Author, Title Page (Edition Year).
Your Bluebook citation should look like this:
M.P. Jain, Indian Constitutional Law 256 (8th ed. 2018).
When citing a book, start with the name of the author, then the title of the book, the page number where you can find the information you just cited, the edition of the book, and finally the date of the book's publication. Please note that the citation is not placed in parentheses.
A book citation should look like this:
"A High Court's decision usually can be appealed to the Supreme Court." M.P. Jain, Indian Constitutional Law 256 (8th ed. 2018).
Remember, all paraphrased content and direct quotes must be cited to the original source. In addition, note the placement of the citation — at the end of the sentence. Citations are placed directly in the body of the document, not at the end of the document in a reference section.
Template: Party A v. Party B, (Year) Volume SCC Page, Pinpoint (India).
Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India, (1978) 1 SCC 248, 262 (India).
OR