Preparing for the Write-On

Vol. 49 Write-On CompetitionInformation for Prospective Members

Thursday | May 14, 2015

Before the Write-On

• Download the GB (10th ed.)– Visit the UCD Law Review website > Prospective Members

• Flag & tab your BB & GB to easily flip to a Rule• Read/skim through the BB & GB– Read BB 1–8, p.53-86 in full (strongly recommended)

• Look through the:– BB “Quick Reference” Table (BB inside front cover)– BB/GB Table of Contents– BB/GB Index (in back)– BB Tables (T1–T16)

• Mark your BB to note when the GB applies– See GB Table 1, p. 3-4

Intro to the Bluebook Rules (19th ed.)

• 1: Structure and Use of Citations– Signals, signal order, source order, parentheticals

• 2: Typefaces for Law Reviews• 3: Subdivisions

– Volumes, Parts, Pages, Footnotes, Graphical Materials, Sections, Internal Cross-References

• 4: Short Citation Forms– For different sources, id., supra, hereinafter

• 5: Quotations• 6: Abbreviations, Numerals, and Symbols• 7: Italicization for Style and in Unique Circumstances• 8: Capitalization

Intro to the Bluebook Rules (19th ed.)

• 9: Titles of Judges, Officials, and Terms of Court• 10: Cases• 11: Constitutions• 12: Statutes• 13: Legislative Materials• 14: Administrative and Executive Materials• 15: Books, Reports, and Other Nonperiodic Materials• 16: Periodical Materials• 17: Unpublished and Forthcoming Sources• 18: The Internet, Electronic Media, and Other Nonprint Resources• 19: Services• 20: Foreign Materials• 21: International Materials

Intro to the Bluebook Tables (T1–T16)

• T1: United States Jurisdictions• T2: Foreign Jurisdictions• T3: Intergovernmental Organizations• T4: Treaty Sources• T5: Arbitral Reporters• T6: Case Names and Institutional Authors in

Citations• T7: Court Names• T8: Explanatory Phrases

Intro to the Bluebook Tables (T1–T16)

• T9: Legislative Documents• T10: Geographical Terms• T11: Judges and Officials• T12: Months• T13: Periodicals• T14: Publishing Terms• T15: Services• T16: Subdivisions

How to Use the Bluebook

• Identify signals and sources cited– A signal does not end until a “ . ” OR a new signal

• Order of signals by family, then within each family (BB/GB 1.2; BB 1.3)– Correct punctuation and italicization of signals

• Order of authorities within each signal (BB/GB 1.4)• Look up the corresponding BB/GB rule for each source• Check and note any missing <PIN> or <PAREN> (GB 1.2)• Order and use of parentheticals (BB/GB 1.5)• Check for necessary short cites (id., supra, hereinafter)

Signals and Signal Families [BB/GB 1.2; BB 1.3]

• Signals in the same family are strung together within one citation sentence and separated by semicolons.

• Signals in separate families must be grouped in separate citation sentences.

• Order signals by family in accordance with how they are listed in BB 1.2

– EXAMPLE: See [source]; see also [source]. But see [source]. See generally [source].

Intro to the Goldbook (10th ed.)

• Organization– GB Rules: replace, supplement, or clarify BB Rules

• GB Rule numbers correspond to the matching BB Rule number

– Writing Conventions: technical aspects• Capitalization• Grammar• Punctuation• Pluralization

– Style Conventions: structural & stylistic aspects• House Style• Legal Writing• Word Usage

– Index

BB Practice Packet

1 See Astrid Suryanto, Satoshi Tomiie, & Florian

Kruse, It was What It was, 128 HARV. L. REV. 805

(2015). See also Arjun Vagale & Tomomi Ukumori,

Green in Blue, 83 Fordham L. Rev. 155, 155-58

(2014). See, e.g., Stelios Vassiloudis, A Special Kind

of Space, 44 U.C. DAVIS L. REV. 1407, 1410-14.

Step 1: Identify Signals & Sources

1 See Astrid Suryanto, Satoshi Tomiie, & Florian

Kruse, It was What It was, 128 HARV. L. REV. 805

(2015). See also Arjun Vagale & Tomomi Ukumori,

Green in Blue, 83 Fordham L. Rev. 155, 155-58

(2014). See, e.g., Stelios Vassiloudis, A Special Kind

of Space, 44 U.C. DAVIS L. REV. 1407, 1410-14.

Step 1: Identify Signals & Sources

1 See Astrid Suryanto, Satoshi Tomiie, & Florian Kruse, It was What It was, 128 HARV. L. REV. 805 (2015). See also Arjun Vagale & Tomomi Ukumori, Green in Blue, 83 Fordham L. Rev. 155, 155-58 (2014). See, e.g., Stelios Vassiloudis, A Special Kind of Space, 44 U.C. DAVIS L. REV. 1407, 1410-14.

Periodical (BB 16)

Periodical (BB 16)

Step 2: Order of Signals [BB/GB 1.2; BB 1.3]

1 See Astrid Suryanto, Satoshi Tomiie, & Florian

Kruse, It was What It was, 128 HARV. L. REV. 805

(2015). See, e.g., Stelios Vassiloudis, A Special Kind

of Space, 44 U.C. DAVIS L. REV. 1407, 1410-14. See

also Arjun Vagale & Tomomi Ukumori, Green in

Blue, 83 Fordham L. Rev. 155, 155-58 (2014).

GB 1.2(a)

Step 3: Order of Sources Within Each Signal

1 See Astrid Suryanto, Satoshi Tomiie, & Florian

Kruse, It was What It was, 128 HARV. L. REV. 805

(2015). See, e.g., Stelios Vassiloudis, A Special Kind

of Space, 44 U.C. DAVIS L. REV. 1407, 1410-14. See

also Arjun Vagale & Tomomi Ukumori, Green in

Blue, 83 Fordham L. Rev. 155, 155-58 (2014). Good to go because only one source within each signal.

Step 4: Look up BB/GB Rule for Each Source (Rule 16 for Periodicals)

1 See Astrid Suryanto, Satoshi Tomiie, & Florian

Kruse, It was What It was, 128 HARV. L. REV. 805

(2015). See, e.g., Stelios Vassiloudis, A Special Kind

of Space, 44 U.C. DAVIS L. REV. 1407, 1410-14. See

also Arjun Vagale & Tomomi Ukumori, Green in

Blue, 83 Fordham L. Rev. 155, 155-58 (2014).

Step 4: Look up BB/GB Rule for Each Source

Original: See Astrid Suryanto, Satoshi Tomiie, &

Florian Kruse, It was What It was, 128 HARV. L.

REV. 805 < > (2015).

Corrected: See Astrid Suryanto, Satoshi Tomiie &

Florian Kruse, It Was What It Was, 128 HARV. L.

REV. 805, <PIN> (2015);

Step 4: Look up BB/GB Rule for Each Source

Original: See, e.g., Stelios Vassiloudis, A Special

Kind of Space, 44 U.C. DAVIS L. REV. 1407, 1410-

14 < > < >.

Corrected: see, e.g., Stelios Vassiloudis, A

Special Kind of Space, 44 UC DAVIS L. REV. 1407,

1410-14 <(YEAR)> <(PAREN)>;

Step 4: Look up BB/GB Rule for Each Source

Original: See also Arjun Vagale & Tomomi

Ukumori, Green in Blue, 83 Fordham L. Rev. 155,

155-58 (2014).

Corrected: see also Arjun Vagale & Tomomi

Ukumori, Green in Blue, 83 FORDHAM L. REV.

155, 155-58 (2014).

Step 5: Double-Check Whole FN (Original Version)

1 See Astrid Suryanto, Satoshi Tomiie, & Florian

Kruse, It was What It was, 128 HARV. L. REV. 805

(2015). See, e.g., Stelios Vassiloudis, A Special Kind

of Space, 44 U.C. DAVIS L. REV. 1407, 1410-14. See

also Arjun Vagale & Tomomi Ukumori, Green in

Blue, 83 Fordham L. Rev. 155, 155-58 (2014).

Step 5: Double-Check Whole FN (Corrected Version)

1 See Astrid Suryanto, Satoshi Tomiie & Florian Kruse,

It Was What It Was, 128 HARV. L. REV. 805, <PIN>

(2015); see, e.g., Stelios Vassiloudis, A Special Kind of

Space, 44 UC DAVIS L. REV. 1407, 1410-14 <(YEAR)>

<(PAREN)>; see also Arjun Vagale & Tomomi Ukumori,

Green in Blue, 83 FORDHAM L. REV. 155, 155-58

(2014).

BB Practice Packet

Original: 2 See Klosman Industries v. Heldens, 99 Cal.App.4th 816, 819-822 (Cal. 2002); Klingle v. Belkadi, 546 U.S. 418, 420 (2006).

Corrected: See Klingle v. Belkadi, 546 U.S. 418, 420 (2006); Klosman Indus. v. Heldens, 99 Cal. App. 4th 816, 819-22 (2002).

BB Practice Packet

Original: 4 Nic Chagall, Time Stood Still, NEW YORK TIMES, Sep. 1, 2011, at A4; Corsten v. Bluestone, 509 F.3d 116 < > (2d Cir. 2007).

Corrected: Corsten v. Bluestone, 509 F.3d 116, <PIN> (2d Cir. 2007); Nic Chagall, Time Stood Still, N.Y. TIMES, Sept. 1, 2011, at A4.

Extra Tips

• Don’t forget to check for necessary short cites. See BB 4 (id., supra, and hereinafter)

• Turn on hidden formatting/paragraph marks to easily spot improper spacing–Windows: CTRL + SHIFT + 8–Mac: CMD + 8

• Shortcut for SMALL CAPS–Windows: CTRL + SHIFT + K–Mac: CMD + SHIFT + K

Abbreviated Comment

Objectives• Provide an analysis of the sources

contained in the packet• Clearly explain how the specific cases

impact a question of law• Persuasively resolve a “Circuit Split”

Abbreviated Comment

Requirements• Length: 2000 words• Structure: – Introduction– Law– Analysis– Conclusion

• Sources: Closed universe• Citations: Footnotes

Abbreviated Comment

Grading: Organization; quality of argument; writing

clarity; use of authority; proper Bluebooking; etc.

Graded by multiple editors (to ensure consistency)

50 % of Write-On Score