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Checklist for Editing Above the Line

Footnotes. Make sure that each assertion that requires support has a footnote and that the
footnote number is correctly positioned.
o The footnote number belongs on the outside of most punctuation, but on the inside of
dashes and colons (R.1.1(a)).
Quotes. Make sure that any materials quoted are quoted perfectly according to the original
source or PDF. If not, make sure that any alterations are noted in parentheticals ((internal
citation omitted), for example).
o Check:
Text
Punctuation, including ellipses
Trick: When you see quotation marks within quotation marks, glance down
to see whether the footnote includes a quoting reference (as it should).
Typeface
Paragraphingbe sure to mark it on your copy
NP=new paragraph
NNP=no new paragraph
Spelling and Grammar. Mark spelling and grammatical errors.
o Check names and case names.
o Always search the Word document for pubic (a misspelled public makes for an
embarrassing [sic]) and Untied.
o Note that most possessives ending in s take only an apostrophe. See CMOS 7.17.23
o Mark any overlong or confusing sentences.
o Do not make purely stylistic changes.
o Support your grammatical changes with a citation from the Chicago Manual of Style
(CMOS).
Hyphens and Dashes. Fix existing hyphens and dashes; add or remove others as needed.
o Hyphens:
Hyphens are not used with -ly words.
Ex: A largely ignored rule (not a largely-ignored rule)
o En Dashes:
En dashes appear most frequently
Between number ranges (115)
With open compounds (postWorld War II)
There should not be spaces on either side of the dash.
Ex: See 115 (not 1 15)
To create an en dash
o InsertSymbolSpecial Characters
o Type, for example: 1 space hyphen space 15 space; then delete the
extra spaces
o Em Dashes:
Em dashes are the length of the letter M andwhen used correctlylook like this
in the text (not -- or word word).
Capitalization.
o Use (in this order) R.8, past issues of our Law Review, and the Chicago Manual of Style.
Before turning in your admin, search the Word file to make sure that your capitalization
choices are consistent throughout.
o Capitalize Article, Note, and Essay when the reference is to what youre editing.
Ex: In this Article, I will examine the thesis put forward in Kaitlin Moredocks
article How to be Happy.
o Capitalize Part but not subpart.
Ex: As Part I of this Note demonstratesparticularly subpart Aconsistent
capitalization matters.
Typefaces.
o Headings:
TITLE
Author
INTRODUCTION and PARTS (I, II, III, etc.)
Subparts (A, B, C, etc.)
Smaller subparts (1, 2, 3, etc.)
o Materials cited:
Books and cases, for example, should be in italics.
o Foreign words and phrases:
Refer to R.7(b), former volumes of our Law Review, and the Chicago Manual of
Style.
Case Names.
o Make sure they are abbreviated properly.
o Always check the dates and spelling of the parties names using the reporter or a PDF of the
reporter page.
o When a case is first mentioned in the text, make sure the full case name is used and drop a
footnote with the citation.
Ex: 550 U.S. 372 (2007).
Numbers and Symbols. Make sure all numbers and symbols comport with Bluebook rules.
o See especially R.6.2
Commas.
o Use the serial comma (that is, when a list has three or more items, use a comma before the
final conjunction).
Ex: First I gathered the materials, then I read above the line, and last I checked the
footnotes.
Spacing.
o Use R.6.1(a)
o To check spacing, use the Word file: ToolsOptionsViewFormatting marksSpaces.
You will then see, on your screen, a dot for each space.
o We use:
Two spaces after each sentence
One space following semicolons and colons
No spaces between initials
Ex: W.H. Auden (not W. H. Auden)
Acronyms.
o Make sure that the words the acronym replaces appear at the acronyms first use to identify
the acronym. If you dont remember having seen it before, search the Word file.
o When identifying the acronym, do not use quotation marks inside the parenthetical.
Ex: Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS)

Checklist for Editing Below the Line: Bluebooking Guide


Essential Rule #1: Get the Bluebooks permission for every citation.
Essential Rule #2: When in doubt, use the Bluebook index, search the online Bluebook, and run a Big
Five search.
Essential Rule #3: JUSTIFY EVERY CHANGE WITH A BLUEBOOK RULEprevent extra work!
GENERAL ISSUES
Pincites.
Almost every citation must have a pincite.
The only reason not to have a pincite is if the entire authority supports the proposition. If this
is the case, please indicate such on the admin.
Location and format of pincites varies according to citation type.
Page Numbering.
Page ranges must be separated by an en dash.
Retain the last two digits in the second number in the page range, but drop all other repetitious
digits (for example: 127890).
Parentheticals.
Explanatory parentheticals must be included for the following signals: see also, cf., compare, but cf.,
and see generally.
Non-quoting parentheticals must begin with participial phrases.
Order of parentheticals (see R.1.5(b))
Citing or quoting parentheticals should only extend to one level of recursion.
Block Quotes.
All quotes over 50 words in length must be block quotes.
Indicate whether the first quoted word begins a new paragraph in the original by writing either
NP or No NP (see R.5.1(a)(i)).
Signals.
Check the order of signals. They should appear in the order indicated in R.1.3.
Signals of different types must be grouped into different citation sentences. Those sentences
must begin with a capital letter.
Signals of the same types must be grouped into the same sentence. Same-type signals are
separated by a semicolon and begin with lower-case letters. (i.e. See; see also).
Order of Authorities.
Check string cites for order of authorities. Refer to R.1.4 for the correct order.
Internal Cross References.
Check all internal references (i.e. See supra Part IV)note that these may refer to a section
outside your footnote rangeyou still must check it! Use Sharepoint to look at the full
document.
Periodical and book short cites using supra must be checked. Note that the authors last name in
a supra periodical cite is in normal typeface, while it is in small caps for a book.


CASES
Prior and Subsequent History.
Always look up every cases subsequent history using Westlaw or Lexis.
Use R.10.7 and T.8.
Spelling and Abbreviation of Case Names.
Always check the spelling of the case name against the original source. Case names are often
misspelled.
In textual sentences there are fewer abbreviations, follow R.10.2.1.
In footnote citations there are far more abbreviations, follow R.10.2.2.

PERIODICALS
Check abbreviations for all periodical titles. (T.13)
T.13 contains instructions for constructing abbreviations when the Bluebook does not have an
abbreviation.
Special Forms for Periodicals.
Student-written law review materials (R.16.7.1)
Book reviews (R.16.7.2)
Non-consecutively paginated journals (R.16.5)
Forthcoming publications (R.17.3)
Newspapers (R.16.6) and non-consecutively paginated journals & magazines (R.16.5). Dont
forget to abbreviate the months for these sources (T.12)

BOOKS
Follow Rule 15.
We must have the most recent edition of the book. Check for most recent edition using
WorldCat! (See R.15.4).
ILL EARLY!
Follow general citation rules (R.15).
Check for editor/translator (R.15.2).
Special rules for pre-1900 works (R.15.4(c)).
Typeface: author and title should be in small caps.
NO SUBTITLES UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY (R.15.3)!

STATUTES
Determine the proper citation form, then follow the general rules. (R.12.2)
If citing to the session laws, include a codified at parenthetica.l
When pinciting to sections of code, do not use at before a symbol.
All but the most recent federal statutes should be cited to U.S.C.
If a state statute, find the preferred source according to Table 1. Even if our library has a
different source, you must ILL the preferred source.

INTERNET RESOURCES
Parallel citations. (18.2.3)
These should begin with a comma, then use an available at, and list the web address.
Parallel citations should be placed after all parentheticals except for quotation or explanatory
parentheticals.

WHAT IF THE CITATION IS TOO BIZARRE FOR THE BLUEBOOK?
Try these, in this order.
Use Westlaw to search the Big Five Law Journals for the tricky citation.
If the Big Five journals have not cited it, check the entirety of the JLR database.
Ask the Senior Editor assigned to your article. If not available, ask another Senior Editor or
Amelia and A.J. Have suggestions ready.

Cheat Sheet: Hidden Rules of the Bluebook


Takeaway point: The secret to being good at Bluebooking is to look up everything.
Rule 3.3: No at between id. and
o 28 U.S.C. 1332 (2000).
o Id. 1333.

Rule 4.1: Id. cannot be used for internal cross-references.
o Example: See supra notes 23537 and accompanying text.
o A list of internal cross-references can be found in Rule 3.5.

Rule 6.1(a): Spacing of abbreviations and initials
o Close up adjacent single capitals, but do not close up single capitals with longer
abbreviations.
Examples: U.S.C., S.D.N.Y., S. Ct.
o Individual numbers (both numerals and ordinals) are treated as single capitalsso close
them up!
Examples: F.3d, S.E.2d, A.L.R.4TH
o Insert a space adjacent to any abbreviation containing two or more letters.
Example: F. Supp. 2d
o Close up initials in personal names.
Example: A.J. Weissler

Rule 6.2(a)(vii): Commas in numbers
o Use a comma only if the number contains five or more digits.
This includes both in text and in citations
The court dismissed 1237 cases in 1999 and 12,370 in 2004.
Id. 4328. Id. 43,28083.

Rule 4.2: Correct use of supra
o Supra cannot be used to refer to cases, statutes, constitutions, legislative materials other than
hearings, restatements, model codes, and regulations.
o Example: Kroger, 437 U.S. at 390.
NOT Kroger, supra note 7, at 390.

Rule 18.2.3(c): Order of parentheticals within a citation that includes available at
o Sometimes you will include a parallel citation to an Internet source. Introduce the parallel
citation with the words available at per Rule 18.
o Put available at after format-related parenthetical information and related authority
parentheticals but before explanatory or quotation parentheticals.
Example: Polly J. Price, Precedent and Judicial Power After the Founding, 42 B.C. L. REV.
81, 84 (2000) (emphasis added) (citing GUIDO CALABRESI, A COMMON LAW FOR
THE AGE OF STATUTES 4 (1982)), available at
http://www.bc.edu/schools/law/lawreviews/meta-
elements/journals/bclawr/42_1/02_FMS.htm (discussing precedent in the context
of statutory construction).


Rule 1.2(e): Italicization of signals when used in a textual sentence
o Do not italicize signals when they are used as verbs of textual sentences in footnotes.
o Example: For an in-depth analysis, see 1 WILLIAM BLACKSTONE, COMMENTARIES *79,
*8687.

Rule 5.3: Ellipses
o In sentence: *.*.*.*
o After and between sentences: *.*.*.*.(*)
o Refer often to the examples found in Rule 5.3(b).
o Beginning of the sentence: first letter in brackets NEVER ellipses

Rule 3.3(b): Multiple section symbols
o If citing consecutive sections or subsections or citing multiple subsections within different
sections, then
o If citing multiple subsections within a single section, then

Capitalization of id. and signals
o Rule: If id. or a signal is in the middle of a sentence, do not capitalize it.
o Example:
Ragan v. Merchs. Transfer & Warehouse Co., 337 U.S. 530, 535 (1949).
See id. at 531.

Dashes


Use em dashesthe longest of the dashesin text, like Ive done here. Do not put any spaces between
the text and the em dashes. (I can do this on my keyboard by holding CTRL + ALT + Pressing the Minus
Sign on the Number Pad.)
Use en dashes, the second longest of the dashes, between numbers. For example, see pages 7980. (I can
do this on my keyboard by holding CTRL + Pressing the Minus Sign on the Number Pad.)
Use hyphens between words, like when referring to the work-product doctrine. (The dash sign on your
keyboard. On my keyboard, it is between the equals sign and the 0.)

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