Free Bluebook Citation Generator
Generate free Bluebook citations instantly — paste a DOI, URL, or search by topic. CiteMe searches 250M+ scholarly sources and formats footnotes and reference entries following Bluebook rules for US legal writing. No signup required.
Used in law reviews, court briefs, legal memoranda, and academic legal writing
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Why Use Our Bluebook Citation Generator?
Real Academic Databases
Search 250M+ works from OpenAlex, Semantic Scholar, and CrossRef. Every citation is real and verifiable with DOI links.
Bluebook 21st Edition Compliant
Automatically formatted according to the Bluebook 21st edition rules. Correct formatting for cases, statutes, books, and journal articles.
Law Review & Brief Ready
Get properly formatted citations ready for law review footnotes or practitioner briefs. Copy and paste into your legal document.
Legal & Non-Legal Sources
Works for cases, statutes, regulations, treaties, books, journal articles, websites, and other sources commonly cited in legal writing.
How to Cite in Bluebook Format
The Bluebook provides rules for citing legal and non-legal sources. Here are the most common templates:
Case
Statute
Book
Journal Article
Bluebook Citation Examples
Case Citation
Statute Citation
Book Citation
Law Review Article
Federal Regulation
Examples formatted in Bluebook 21st edition style
Practitioner vs Law Review Format
Practitioner (Bluepages)
Used in briefs, memos, and court filings:
- Citations embedded in text
- Case names underlined or italicized
- Signal conventions (e.g., See, Cf.)
Law Review (Whitepages)
Used in law review and academic articles:
- Citations in footnotes
- Case names italicized
- Full citation on first reference, short form after
Cite by Source Type in Bluebook
Need help citing a specific source? Choose from our specialized Bluebook citation guides.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Bluebook citation style?
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (21st edition) is the definitive citation guide for American legal writing. It is used in law reviews, court briefs, memoranda, and other legal documents. It provides rules for citing cases, statutes, books, articles, and other legal and non-legal sources.
What is the difference between Bluebook and OSCOLA?
Bluebook is the standard for US legal citation, while OSCOLA (Oxford Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities) is used in UK law. Bluebook uses footnotes or embedded citations depending on the document type. OSCOLA always uses footnotes. Formatting rules for cases, statutes, and other sources differ significantly between the two systems.
How do I cite a case in Bluebook format?
Bluebook case citations include: Case Name (italicized), Volume Reporter Page (Court Year). Example: Marbury v. Madison, 5 U.S. (1 Cranch) 137 (1803). Include the court only if not obvious from the reporter abbreviation.
How do I cite a statute in Bluebook format?
Bluebook statute citations use: Title Code Section (Year). Example: 42 U.S.C. Section 1983 (2018). For state statutes, include the state code abbreviation. Use the official code when available.
What is the difference between practitioner and law review format?
Bluebook has two main formats: practitioner (used in briefs and memos) uses citations embedded in text with case names underlined. Law review format (used in academic articles) uses footnotes with case names italicized. The Bluepages section covers practitioner format; the main rules cover law review format.
Is this Bluebook citation generator free?
Yes! CiteMe offers free Bluebook citations with a generous monthly limit. Search by DOI, title, or author to generate properly formatted legal references for your law review articles, briefs, and memos.
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