Bluebook Review 2 - StatutesExperiential Legal Writing I – Fall 2016

Citing Statutes

• Bluebook Rule B12 (pages 18 – 21)

• See Rule 12 (pages 120-134) for more guidance

United States Code

• Federal statutes are codified in the United States Code.

• [Title Number] U.S.C. § [Section Number] (year)

• 17 U.S.C. § 107 (2012)

• 17 U.S.C. §§ 107-109 (2012)

Indiana Code

• T1 (page 263)

• Indiana Code

• Ind. Code § x-x-x-x (year)

(Parenthetical)

• If using print statutes (Rule 12.3.2)• Publisher (if using an unofficial version)

• Supplement?• If your material appears in a supplement or a pocket part

• Use Rule 3.1(C) to indicate supplement

• Year of Code (NOT the year of enactment)

• If using electronic database (Rule 12.5)• Publisher information -> Use 12.3.1(d), which refers to T1

• Database’s name and its currency RATHER THAN <Year of Code>• Use T9 to abbreviate things like “Regular”, “Session”, and “Legislation”

• Example: 17 U.S.C.A. § 107 (Westlaw through Pub. L. No. 114-219)

Citing the Print Version

• If possible, cite to the current official version• U.S.C. (official)

• U.S.C.A. (West, unofficial)

• U.S.C.S. (LexisNexis, unofficial)

• Ind. Code (official)• Ind. Code Ann. (West’s Annotated Indiana Code – unofficial)

• Ind. Code Ann. (Burn’s Indiana Statutes Annotated – LexisNexis – unofficial)

Citing the Print Version – (Parenthetical)

1. Year of Code (Rule 12.3.2)

• If you use a print version of statutes, you need to provide the year of code

• NOT the year in which the statute was enacted

• But provide the year that appears• On the spine of the volume OR

• On the title page OR

• The latest copyright year

Citing the Print Version – (Parenthetical)

2. Supplements: Rule 12.3.1(e)

• If your material appears in supplement or pocket parts• Use Rule 3.1(c)

• Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 12, § 892 (Supp. 2004)

3. Publisher

• If you use an official version, do NOT provide the publisher’s name

• If you use an unofficial version, provide the publisher’s name

• xx U.S.C.A. § xxx (West 2014)

• xx U.S.C.S. § xxx (LexisNexis 2014)

Citing the Print Version - Example

Section 1-39-104 of West’s Wyoming Statutes Annotated, published by West. It appears in the 2016 pocket part.

• T1 says the format for West’s Wyoming Statutes Annotated is• Wyo. Stat. Ann. § x-x-x (West <year>)

• Use ”Supp.” to tell the reader that the material appears in a supplement

• Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 1-39-104 (West Supp. 2016).

Electronic Databases

• Rule 12.5• Publisher information -> Use 12.3.1(d), which refers to T1

• Replace <year of code> with <Database Name & Currency>

• The database’s currency appears either at the top (Lexis) or the bottom (Westlaw) of the electronic version of the statute

• Use the currency information provided in the database

• Use T9 to abbreviate things like “Regular”, “Session”, and “Legislation”

• Use 6.2(b) for ordinals

• Example: Second Regular Session -> 2d Reg. Sess.

Electronic Databases

Electronic Databases – Example 1

• Section 1-39-104 of The Wyoming statutes

• You are citing the Westlaw version of the statute

1. Note that Westlaw is the online equivalent of West’s Wyoming Statutes Annotated.

Electronic Databases – Example 1

• Section 1-39-104 of The Wyoming statutes

• You are citing the Westlaw version of the statute

2. Use T1 for Wyoming (page 302). Use the template for West’s Wyoming Statutes Annotated.• Wyo. Stat. Ann. § x-x-x (West <year>)

3. Since this is an electronic database, we must provide the database’s name and its currency instead of the year of code (Rule 12.5)

4. So our template should instead be Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 1-309-104 (West, <Database name with currency information>)

Electronic Databases – Example 1

• Section 1-39-104 of West’s Wyoming Statutes Annotated

• You are citing the Westlaw version of the statute

• So far, we have Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 1-309-104 (West, <Database name with currency information>)

5. Look at the bottom of the Westlaw version of the statute for currency information. “Current through the 2016 Budget Session.”

Electronic Databases – Example 1

• Section 1-39-104 of West’s Wyoming Statutes Annotated

• You are citing the Westlaw version of the statute

• So far, we have Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 1-309-104 (West <DB and its currency>)

• Westlaw says “Current through the 2016 Budget Session.”

6. Look at Rule 12.5(a) for examples. Also use T9 to abbreviate things like “Session”, “Regular”, “Legislation”

7. Omit “current” and “the”. Also omit the things preceding “current”

8. T9 says Session = Sess.

9. So the parenthetical should be (West, Westlaw through 2016 Budget Sess.).

Electronic Databases – Example 1

• Section 1-39-104 of West’s Wyoming Statutes Annotated

• You are citing the Westlaw version of the statute

10. Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 1-309-104 (West, Westlaw through 2016 Budget Sess.).

Electronic Databases – Example 2

• The same Wyoming statute (section 1-39-204)

• But you are citing to the Lexis Advance version this time

1. Lexis is the online equivalent of Wyoming Statutes Annotated

Electronic Databases – Example 2

• The same Wyoming statute (section 1-39-204)

• But you are citing the Lexis Advance version this time

2. Use T1 for Wyoming (page 302)

3. Find the template for Wyoming Statutes Annotated• Wyo. Stat. Ann. § x-x-x (<year>)

Electronic Databases – Example 2

4. Since this is an electronic database, we must provide the database’s name and its currency instead of the year of code (Rule 12.5)

5. So our template should instead be Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 1-309-104 (Database name with currency information)

6. Lexis says ”current through 2016 Legislative Session”

7. Omit ”current” and the things preceding ”current”

8. Use T9 for abbreviation• Legislative = Legis.

• Session = Sess.

Electronic Databases – Example 2

9. Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 1-309-104 (LEXIS through 2016 Legis. Sess.).

Look at Rule 12.5(a) for more examples

Electronic Databases – Recap

• Rule 12.5

• Look at your electronic database to find out its print equivalent.• (Wyoming statutes on Lexis = Wyoming Statutes Annotated)• (Wyoming statutes on Westlaw = West’s Wyoming Statutes Annotated)

• Use T1 to find the basic template for your state statutory code set

• Replace <year of code> with <DB’s name with its currency>

• For currency, use what your DB provides

• Then use T9 for abbreviation (Session, Regular, Legislation, etc.)

• Use 6.2(b) for ordinals (First -> 1st; Second -> 2d; Third -> 3d; Fourth -> 4th)

• Omit “the” and “current”

Electronic Databases – Federal Statutes

• What about Westlaw/Lexis version of federal statutes???

• Rule 12.5(a) provides examples of using Westlaw and Lexis Advance for federal statutes

• Templates

• [title] U.S.C.A. § [section] (Westlaw through <currency>)

• [title] U.S.C.S. § [section] (LEXIS through <currency>)