Struggling with Bluebook rules. Any tips? Forum

[SkittlesLaw]

Does anyone have advice or shortcuts for the Bluebook rules so I don't have to look up the rules every time I go to cite a case?

[northwood]

perhaps make a brief table of contents with an example of each rule?

[encore1101]

Just do it more. It gets second-nature in no time.

[LawReviewDenier]

Bluebook is ridiculous. It is written by a group of students from Harvard, Columbia, and Penn, and Yale and we have to cling to it like it was divinely inspired. It's a shame we have to waste our time as law students memorizing these arbitrary rules.
Don't get me started with law review citations. It's all we do; check that every Bluebook rule was met.

Down with the Bluebook.

[SlimJim]

SPAM

[cavalier1138]

Bluebook is ridiculous. It is written by a group of students from Harvard, Columbia, and Penn, and Yale and we have to cling to it like it was divinely inspired. It's a shame we have to waste our time as law students memorizing these arbitrary rules.
Don't get me started with law review citations. It's all we do; check that every Bluebook rule was met.

Down with the Bluebook.

Thank Zeus you're here to articulate a new and exciting viewpoint on citation formats!

All citation rules are arbitrary. They still have to be uniform. If you didn't have to learn Bluebook, you'd have to learn an equally intricate system, and you'd complain just as much.

[mjb447]

Just do it more. It gets second-nature in no time.

+1, particularly if (as your post suggests) you're struggling with the rules for cases specifically. There really aren't that many rules applicable to cases and they're relatively straightforward by Bluebook standards, although you'll probably still have to look up some abbreviations if you want to be 100% Bluebooked.