Citation Help
Correct citation is an important part of legal and academic writing. This page includes resources to help you cite cases, statutes, and legal materials using The Bluebook and other legal citation guides, as well as APA and MLA style for non-legal assignments.
Legal Citation Styles
These resources will help you cite cases, statutes, and other legal materials.”
-
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of CitationThe standard U.S. guide for formatting citations to cases, statutes, court rules, regulations, and secondary sources.
-
The Bluebook Quick Style GuideA short, official cheat-sheet with examples for the most-cited sources (perfect when you just need the pattern).
-
ALWD Guide to Legal Citation (7th ed.)n easy-to-read alternative to Bluebook that teaches the same core rules with lots of examples.
-
Michigan Appellate Opinion ManualHow Michigan courts expect citations to look; use this for Michigan-specific formats and examples.
-
Basic Legal Citation (online ed. 2020)A free, web-based tutorial with clear examples, common abbreviations, and side-by-side Bluebook/ALWD guidance.
-
Citus Legalus (legal citation generator)A fill-in-the-blanks generator that builds legal citations. Use with caution and always double-check against Bluebook/ALWD.
-
Cardiff's Index to Legal AbbreviationsNot sure what an abbreviation means (or how to abbreviate a journal)? Search this index to decode it fast.
-
The Indigo BookA free, open-access alternative that mirrors core Bluebook rules. Great when you don’t have the book and need quick, legally accurate patterns.
Other Citation Formats
These resources cover APA and MLA styles, which you may use in non-legal classes.
-
APA Formatting and Style Guide (7th Edition)From the American Psychological Association.
-
MLA Formatting and Style GuideFrom the Modern Language Association.