Changes in the 19th Edition of the Bluebook

This chart, based on the preface, details the changes in the new edition of the Bluebook. Click on the image for the full-size PDF.

The 19th Edition of Bluebook Is On The Horizon

The 19th edition of the Bluebook is scheduled to be released in May 2010, according to HeinOnline, and available for purchase from HeinOnline for $32.00.

The online version of Bluebook, available for $25.00 subscription fee, states the following on its order page:

Please be aware that we will be releasing the Nineteenth edition of the Bluebook by June 1.

WestlawNext and The Bluebook Citation Format

The WestlawNext site has some informative user guides and brochures, including a chart that compares features of the current Westlaw and WestlawNext. I was interested to read their comments about the use of The Bluebook citation format in WestlawNext. In one of the brochures, they talk about having

Copy and paste with citation, including Bluebook. You can paste text
into your work product with the official citations -- including The Bluebook, ALWD, California, New York and other leading formats.

It seems that if you "copy with reference" it will include a Bluebook citation by default, and you can choose other formats by clicking on the preferences option at the bottom of the screen. I am looking forward to seeing a live preview of the new interface!

Still Struggling With Bluebooking? Check Out the Bluebook Helpers

State Bar of Wisconsin has a post about bluebooking titled Bluebook Helpers: Tool for creating legal citation. Bonnie Schucha, the head of reference at the University of Wisconsin Law School points out the following Bluebook helpers:

CiteGenie - "Automagically copy text with correct citations from Westlaw, Lexis, and other websites."

CiteGenie is a new add-on for the Firefox web browser that automatically creates Bluebook-formatted pinpoint citations when copying from Westlaw or LexisNexis. Highlight some text from a document, right click, and choose “Copy with CiteGenie.” The text and citation are then placed in your clipboard where you can paste them into your word processor or other application.

Introduction to Basic Legal Citation by Peter W. Martin

This work first appeared in 1993. It was most recently revised in May 2007 to reflect changes appearing in the third edition of the ALWD Citation Manual, published in 2006. It is also keyed to the most recent edition of The Bluebook, published in 2005.

Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations

Legal abbreviations can be a puzzle to both new students and experienced professionals. This web-based service allows to search for the meaning of abbreviations for English language legal publications, from the British Isles, the Commonwealth and the United States, including those covering international and comparative law. A wide selection of major foreign language law publications is also included. Publications from over 295 jurisdictions are featured in the Index. The database mainly covers law reports and law periodicals, but some legislative publications and major textbooks are also included. The Index is still under development.

Let us know what you think and which one was your favorite? We'd love to hear your opinions.

Alternative Source Citing

How about this one!? Post Modern Language Association (PMLA) has a funny section covering possible alternative sources of citing. In case your Bluebook was not completely up to date, check out the new ruling on alternative source citing including sources like Rest-Stop Restroom Graffiti, Magic 8-Balls, Tattoos, or Alien Mind Transmissions.