Simone Lawson
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation outlines a unique system of citation for legal documents. It is a comprehensive guide to citing legal documents, including the United States Constitution and its amendments. For example, to cite the Fourteenth Amendment, Section 2 of the United States Constitution, the correct Bluebook citation is U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 2.. This citation style is used by law students, lawyers, scholars, and judges. The Bluebook also provides guidelines for citing state constitutions, such as the Hawaii Constitution, and foreign constitutions.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Federal constitution abbreviation | U.S. |
| State constitution abbreviation | Abbreviated state name |
| Article | art. |
| Section | § |
| Clause | cl. |
| Amendment | amend. |
| Short cite | Id. |
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What You'll Learn
Citing the US Constitution
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation outlines a standard format for citing the US Constitution. The citation format for the US Constitution is as follows:
To cite the United States federal constitution, use the abbreviation "U.S." before the word "Const." followed by the amendment number in Roman numerals, the abbreviation "amend.", the section, and the clause. For example, the citation for the Fourteenth Amendment, Section 2, would be:
> U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 2.
If you are citing a state constitution, provide the official abbreviation of the state name followed by "Const." For example, the citation for Article 9, Section 1, Clause 2 of the Hawaii Constitution would be:
> Haw. Const. art. IX, § 1, cl. 2.
Note that according to Rule 11 of The Bluebook, you cannot use a short cite for constitutions other than "Id." Also, nothing is underlined in a statute citation, and the section is indicated by the "§" symbol.
For the first article of the US Constitution, section 9, clause 2, the citation would be:
> U.S. Const. art. I, § 9, cl. 2.
This citation format is used in legal documents and academic research papers to ensure proper attribution and academic integrity.
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State constitution citation
When citing state constitutions in Bluebook style, you should follow a specific format. Firstly, provide the official abbreviation of the state name, followed by "Const." in small caps typeface. This is a combination of the abbreviated geographic region from Table 10 of the Bluebook and the word "CONST."
For instance, if you were citing Article X, Part IV of the Louisiana Constitution, the correct citation would be:
> LA. CONST. art. X, pt. IV.
Note that "LA" is the official abbreviation for Louisiana.
If you are citing a specific clause or section within an article, include this information after the article number, separated by commas. For example, to cite Clause 2, Section 9 of Article I of the U.S. Constitution, the format would be:
> U.S. Const. art. I, § 9, cl. 2.
When citing foreign constitutions, be sure to cite them by name. Additionally, if you are citing a constitutional provision that has been repealed or amended, indicate the year and action in parentheses, or cite the relevant provision in full. For example:
> U.S. CONST. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933).
> U.S. CONST. amend. XVIII, repealed by U.S. CONST. amend. XXI.
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Citing an article of the Constitution
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation provides a standard method for citing legal documents, including the United States Constitution and state constitutions. Here is a guide on how to cite an article of the Constitution using The Bluebook's rules:
Citing the United States Constitution:
To cite an article of the United States Constitution, use the abbreviation "U.S." followed by "Const." and then specify the article, section, and clause you are citing. For example, to cite Article 1, Section 9, Clause 2 of the United States Constitution, the correct citation would be: "U.S. Const. art. I, § 9, cl. 2". Note that the "§" symbol indicates a section, and "cl." indicates a clause.
Citing State Constitutions:
When citing a state constitution, use the official abbreviation of the state name followed by "Const." and then specify the article, section, and clause. For example, to cite Article 9, Section 1, Clause 2 of the Hawaii Constitution, the correct citation would be: "Haw. Const. art. IX, § 1, cl. 2".
Additional Considerations:
- According to Rule 11 of The Bluebook, you cannot use a short cite for constitutions other than "Id."
- Always use the full name when citing foreign constitutions.
- If you are citing a specific amendment to the Constitution, use "amend." followed by the amendment number. For example, to cite Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment, the citation would be: "U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 2".
- When citing an electronic form of the Constitution, include the author, title, site, modification date, access date, and URL.
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Short cite notes
When citing constitutional amendments in Bluebook style, there are specific guidelines to follow. The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation is currently in its 20th edition, and it outlines the correct way to format citations for the United States Constitution and state constitutions.
For a short cite note of the United States Constitution, the abbreviation "U.S." is used before the word "Const." followed by the amendment number, section, and clause. For example, the correct citation for the Fourteenth Amendment, Section 2, is: "U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 2". Note that "amend." is used to indicate an amendment, and "§" is used to indicate a section.
When citing a state constitution, provide the official abbreviation of the state name followed by "Const.". For example, to cite Article 9, Section 1, Clause 2 of the Hawaii Constitution, the correct citation is: "Haw. Const. art. IX, § 1, cl. 2". Here, "art." represents article, and "cl." represents clause.
It is important to note that according to Rule 11 of The Bluebook, you cannot use a short cite for constitutions other than "Id." All foreign constitutions should be cited by name. Additionally, if you are citing an article of the Constitution, include the article number, section, and clause. For example, "U.S. Const. art. I, § 9, cl. 2" refers to Article 1, Section 9, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution.
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Citing the First Amendment
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation provides guidelines for citing legal documents, including constitutional amendments. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to string cite the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution using The Bluebook style:
Abbreviations and Capitalization:
When citing the United States Constitution, use the abbreviation "U.S." followed by "Const." For example, "U.S. Const." The "Const." should be in small caps typeface if possible.
Amendment Number and Section:
To cite a specific amendment, include the amendment number in numerical form followed by the abbreviation "amend." For example, to cite the First Amendment, you would write "U.S. Const. amend. I".
Article, Section, and Clause:
- If you need to cite a specific article, section, or clause within the First Amendment, you would include those details after the amendment citation. For example:
- Article 1, Section 9, Clause 2: "U.S. Const. amend. I, art. 1, § 9, cl. 2"
Direct Quotations:
- When directly quoting from the First Amendment, include the specific article, section, and clause from which the quote is derived. For example:
- "U.S. Const. amend. I, art. 1, § 9, cl. 2 provides 'The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.'"
Short Citations:
According to Rule 11 of The Bluebook, you cannot use a short cite for constitutional amendments other than "Id." For example, if you have already cited the full citation and want to refer to it again, you would use "Id." as the short citation form.
Remember to apply The Bluebook's specific formatting guidelines, including punctuation, typeface, and indentation, to ensure your citations are accurate and consistent.
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Frequently asked questions
U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 2.
Haw. Const. art. IX, § 1, cl. 2.
U.S. Const. art. I, § 9, cl. 2.
U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 2.
Provide the official abbreviation of the state name followed by "Const." For example, Tex. Const.
