The Bluebook, a legal citation manual, specifies a consistent order of parentheticals within legal citations. These parentheticals, enclosed in parentheses and placed after the case name, provide supplemental information such as subsequent history, parallel citations, and explanatory notes. Understanding the order of parentheticals helps ensure accurate and consistent legal citations.
The Bluebook Order of Parentheticals
Whether you’re writing a legal brief or a legal memorandum, it’s important to cite your sources correctly using the Bluebook order of parentheticals. Not only does this avoid plagiarism, it also helps readers to find the sources you’ve cited. Here’s a guide to the Bluebook order of parentheticals:
1. Case Name
The first element of a Bluebook parenthetical is the case name. The case name should be italicized and followed by a comma.
2. Court
The next element of a Bluebook parenthetical is the court that decided the case. The court should be abbreviated and followed by a comma.
3. Year
The third element of a Bluebook parenthetical is the year that the case was decided. The year should be in parentheses and followed by a period.
4. Page Number
The fourth element of a Bluebook parenthetical is the page number of the case. The page number should be followed by a period.
Example:
- Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954).
5. Additional Elements
In addition to the four basic elements, there are a number of additional elements that can be included in a Bluebook parenthetical. These elements include:
- Parallel Citations: If the case has been cited in other reporters, the parallel citations can be included after the year of decision.
- Subsequent History: If the case has been subsequently reversed, affirmed, or vacated, the subsequent history can be included after the parallel citations.
- Author: If the case is an unpublished opinion, the author of the opinion can be included after the subsequent history.
The following table provides examples of Bluebook parentheticals with additional elements:
| Case Name | Court | Year | Page Number | Additional Elements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown v. Board of Education | U.S. | 1954 | 483 | Parallel citations: 74 S. Ct. 686, 98 L. Ed. 873 |
| Roe v. Wade | U.S. | 1973 | 113 | Subsequent history: Aff’d, 410 U.S. 113 (1973) |
| Doe v. Smith | D. Ariz. | 2019 | 1 | Author: John Doe |
Question 1:
How is the order of parentheticals determined in The Bluebook?
Answer:
The order of parentheticals in The Bluebook follows a hierarchical system based on relevance, with the most relevant information appearing first:
- Signal words: These introduce the parenthetical and indicate its purpose (e.g., “see”, “cf.”, “accord”).
- Case names: These are the names of the parties involved in the cited case.
- Court and year: These specify the court that issued the decision and the year it was published.
- Page numbers, section numbers, or paragraph numbers: These indicate the specific part of the document being cited.
- Additional information: This may include parenthetical citations to other sources or explanatory notes.
Question 2:
What is the purpose of a parenthetical in The Bluebook?
Answer:
Parentheticals in The Bluebook serve several purposes:
- Provide supplemental information: They can provide additional details, such as the history of a case or the significance of a holding.
- Distinguish between similar sources: They can help differentiate between cases with similar names or facts.
- Indicate the relevance of the citation: They can signal how the cited source supports the current argument.
- Facilitate cross-referencing: They can allow readers to quickly locate the cited source in the bibliography or another part of the document.
Question 3:
How do I properly punctuate parentheticals in The Bluebook?
Answer:
Parentheticals in The Bluebook are generally enclosed in parentheses and separated from the surrounding text by a space. However, there are exceptions:
- Signal words: Signal words are not enclosed in parentheses.
- Case names: Case names are italicized and followed by a comma.
- Court and year: The court and year are enclosed in parentheses and separated by a comma.
- Page numbers, section numbers, or paragraph numbers: These are enclosed in parentheses and separated by commas.
- Multiple parentheticals: When there are multiple parentheticals, they are separated by semicolons.
Well, that’s it for our quick dive into the world of parenthetical citations and the Bluebook rules. Whew, I know that was a bit dense, but hopefully, it helped shed some light on the subject. If you’re still feeling a bit lost, don’t worry, there are plenty of resources out there to help you. And remember, practice makes perfect. The more you write and cite sources, the more comfortable you’ll become with the Bluebook. Thanks for sticking with me until the end. Feel free to drop by again if you have any more questions about legal citations or anything else