How to cite a frequently cited named work
Bluebook (22d ed.) citation format · B15 / R15.8 · Books, periodicals & other secondary
Dictionaries, The Federalist, the Bible and similar works cited by name.
Example
Good-Faith Bargaining, Black’s Law Dictionary (9th ed. 2009).
More examples
Each of these is checked against the rules on every change to the tool.
- 88 C.J.S. Trial § 192 (1955).
- The Federalist No. 5, at 53 (John Jay) (Clinton Rossiter ed., 1961).
- 2 William Blackstone, Commentaries *152, *155–56.
- Mark 9:21 (King James).
What the citation needs
Required
- Work — The work: “Black’s Law Dictionary”.
When they apply
- Kind — Which form of this source you are citing. The fields that matter change with it.
- Parenthetical (translator, version) — An explanatory parenthetical: what the source says or holds, in a phrase (R1.5).
- Entry / heading — The entry or heading you cite in it: “Good-Faith Bargaining”.
- Edition — The edition, where it is not the first (R15.4).
- Volume — The volume number, which comes before the reporter, code or periodical name.
- Number — The number that identifies the document in its series.
- Section — The section cited (R3.3).
- Pincite — The exact page (or section, or paragraph) your point is on — not the first page. R1.2(f): pincites are required except after “see generally”.
- Attribution — R15.8(b): The Federalist names its author in a parenthetical.
- Editor — The editor’s name, given in the parenthetical with the edition and year (R15.2).
- Publisher — The publisher (R15.4).
- Year — The year that goes in the date parenthetical at the end of the citation.
In a brief and in a law review
The Bluebook sets citations two ways: the Bluepages for court documents and legal memoranda, the Whitepages for law review footnotes. Here is the first example above as each one prints it, in its typeface.
Court documents (Bluepages)
Good-Faith Bargaining, Black’s Law Dictionary (9th ed. 2009).
Law review footnotes (Whitepages)
Good-Faith Bargaining, Black’s Law Dictionary (9th ed. 2009).
The words are the same in both; only the typeface changes.
Common mistakes
Each of these is a citation the checker refuses, with what it says is wrong and the corrected form.
Wrong
Black’s Law Dictionary, Good-Faith Bargaining (9th ed. 2009).
Right
Good-Faith Bargaining, Black’s Law Dictionary (9th ed. 2009).
Wrong
88 C.J.S. Trial §§ 192 (1955).
Why
A single section takes “§” (R3.3(b)).
Right
88 C.J.S. Trial § 192 (1955).
Wrong
The Federalist No. 5, at 53 (Clinton Rossiter ed., 1961).
Why
R15.8(c)(i): name the author of the Federalist paper parenthetically, e.g. “(Alexander Hamilton)”.
Right
The Federalist No. 5, at 53 (John Jay) (Clinton Rossiter ed., 1961).
Wrong
2 William Blackstone, Commentaries.
Why
Could not classify (case, statute, regulation, uniform/model act, article, book, or website).
Right
2 William Blackstone, Commentaries *152, *155–56.
Governing rules
B15 / R15.8
- 15.8 — frequently cited works.
Build this citation with the generator, check one you have already written, or paste a whole list of footnotes to check them in order.
Related source types
Books, periodicals & other secondary: