How to Format a Bluebook Table of Authorities
The table of authorities is one of the most important parts of any academic paper formatted in Bluebook (21st edition). It provides readers with the full details of every source you cited, allowing them to locate and verify your references. Getting the formatting right is essential for academic credibility. This guide covers the exact rules, shows real examples, and highlights the most common mistakes students make.
Formatting Rules
Follow these rules when creating your Bluebook table of authorities:
1.Court briefs require a Table of Authorities divided into: Cases, Statutes, and Other Authorities
2.Law review articles list footnotes at the bottom of each page — not in a separate reference list
3.Case citations: Party v. Party, volume Reporter page (Court Year). E.g., Smith v. Jones, 123 U.S. 456 (2024).
4.Statute citations: Name of Act, Public Law number, Statutes at Large citation, and codified location
5.Use signals (See, E.g., Accord, See also, Cf., But cf., But see, Contra, See generally) before citations
6.Subsequent references use 'id.' for the immediately preceding citation or 'supra note X' for earlier footnotes
7.Case names are italicized in law review footnotes but not in court documents
Example Table of Authorities
Here is how a Bluebook table of authorities looks with entries for different source types:
Court Case
Smith v. Jones, 123 U.S. 456 (2024).
Federal Statute
Legal Citation Reform Act of 2024, Pub. L. No. 118-100, 138 Stat. 1234.
Law Review Article
Alex B. Lee, Modern Citation Practices, 115 Yale L.J. 45 (2024).
Book
Jane D. Smith, The Art of Legal Research 42 (Academic Press 2024).
Website
World Health Organization, Global Health Statistics, https://www.who.int/statistics (last visited Mar. 20, 2024).
Common Mistakes to Avoid
These are the five most frequent formatting errors students make when creating a Bluebook table of authorities:
- Missing or incorrect hanging indent: Every entry should have the first line flush left and all subsequent lines indented by 0.5 inches. Use your word processor's paragraph settings rather than pressing the Tab key.
- Incorrect alphabetization or ordering: Entries must be arranged according to Bluebook rules. Ignore articles like "A," "An," and "The" when alphabetizing. For numbered styles, list entries in the order they first appear in the text.
- Inconsistent spacing: Double-check your line spacing throughout the entire table of authorities. Mixing single and double spacing is a common error that is easy to miss.
- Wrong use of italics: Italicize titles of standalone works such as books and journals, but do not italicize article or chapter titles. Check Bluebook guidelines for exactly which elements should be italicized.
- Missing or broken DOIs and URLs: Always include a DOI when one is available, formatted as a clickable link. Test every URL before submitting your paper to make sure it leads to the correct source.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is a Bluebook Table of Authorities?
- A Bluebook Table of Authorities is the section at the end of your paper that lists all the sources you cited in your text, formatted according to The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation 21st Edition (21st edition) guidelines. It allows readers to locate and verify each source you referenced.
- How do I format a Bluebook table of authorities?
- Start on a new page, title it "Table of Authorities," and list all sources you cited in your paper. Follow the specific Bluebook rules for hanging indents, spacing, alphabetization or numbering order, and italics.
- What is the difference between a table of authorities and a bibliography?
- A table of authorities includes only the sources you directly cited in your paper, while a bibliography may also include sources you consulted but did not cite. In Bluebook (21st edition), the end-of-paper list is called the "Table of Authorities."