For those whose work involves writing legal documents and who like to keep a copy of the Bluebook handy, you’ll want to know that the Bluebook published its twenty-first edition last year! The newest edition does include many changes.
Among the most significant changes—the Bluebook says it made hundreds—the Bluebook addresses page limitations in court filings by permitting the tightening of many abbreviations. For example, F. Supp becomes F.Supp. (See B6 in the Bluebook). Also, Bluetable BT2 has undergone many revisions to incorporate local citation rules for federal and state courts. You won’t find a Table T2 (foreign jurisdictions) in the twenty-first print edition, instead it’s been moved entirely online and can be accessed free of charge. The Preface to the Twenty-First Edition provides a good overview of the more important changes.
As always, for anyone who needs a quick refresher, the Quick Reference guide at the back of the Bluebook remains a great place to begin. It sets forth the most common citation forms and provides references to the blue pages for greater detail. But some states have promulgated their own manuals that contain guidance on citation, grammar, and other rules (two such examples: North Carolina and Connecticut). It is a good practice to have both the Bluebook and any state-specific manual nearby when drafting legal documents.
