Legal Citation Style Guides

Australia

AGLC

The predominant citation style used in Australia for legal materials is the Australian Guide to Legal Citation. The latest edition is the 4th edition 2018. (AGLC4). It is published by the student staff of the Melbourne University Law Review (MULR). From this page, you can download a non printable PDF version  on open access, and order a print copy.

New Zealand

New Zealand Law Style Guide

Alice Coppard et al, New Zealand Law Style Guide (New Zealand Law Foundation, 3rd , 2018). Available on open access online.

Canada

McGill

Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation - created by the editors of the McGill Law Journal (commonly known as the 'McGill Guide').

The Law Library holds the 9th edition (Carswell, 2018) in print only - at  K 114 CANA. It is available for a two hour loan - ask the Library staff for access.

McGill is not available online on open access. There are, however, some good open access online guides to using McGill - see for example the following guides to the 9th edition (which is significantly different to the 8th):

Canadian Guide to Legal Style

  • Created by the editors of the Queen's Law Journal (Carswell, 2014).
  • The Law Library holds this in print at K 114 CANA.

United Kingdom

OSCOLA

The Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities (Hart, 4th ed, 2012) (OSCOLA)

The current version of OSCOLA (4th ed, 2012) is available freely online.

A separate OSCOLA publication deals with citing international sources. This is available freely online.

Oxford University Press' Instructions to Authors of books also includes additional guidelines for authors of legal texts, including an abridged version of OSCOLA.

OSCOLA has a version specifically for Ireland - OSCOLA Ireland, which is available freely online.

OSCOLA Guides & Tutorials

  • The Oxford University OSCOLA webpage links to open access OSCOLA quick guides, tutorials, FAQs and OSCOLA styles for EndNote, Latek, Refworks and Zotero.

Hart

Hart Publishing, Style Guidelines 2010. Available on open access online.

French, Derek, How to Cite Legal Authorities (Blackstone, 1996)

  • Available in print in the Law Library at K 112 FREN – two hour loan

United States

ALWD

Association of Legal Writing Directors and Darby Dickerson (eds), ALWD Guide to Legal Citation (Wolters Kluwer, 6th ed, 2017).

  • Available in print in the Law Library's High Use collection at K 114 ALWD
  • Legal Citation in a Nutshell (West, 2nd ed, 2016) illustrates the rules of The Bluebook and the ALWD Citation Manual for cases, statutes, and all other major legal sources. Appendices provide useful comparative information for these two systems of citation.

Bluebook

The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (Harvard Law Review Association, 20th ed, 2015)

  • The Library does not subscribe to the Bluebook online. It is available in print in the Law Library's High Use Collection at K 114 BLUE.
  • Georgetown Law Library has a comprehensive Bluebook Guide.
  • Two simplified adaptations of the Bluebook, containing clear explanations, guidance and examples, are available online on open access. These are not affiliated with the Bluebook, but comply with Bluebook rules:
  • Legal Citation in a Nutshell (West, 2nd ed, 2016) illustrates the rules of The Bluebook and the ALWD Citation Manual for cases, statutes, and all other major legal sources. Appendices provide useful comparative information for these two systems of citation.

Chicago

The University of Chicago Manual of Legal Citation ('The Maroonbook')

Aspen

Bouchoux, Deborah E, Aspen Handbook for Legal Writers: a Practical Reference (Wolters Kluwer, 4th ed, 2017)

  • The Law Library holds this edition in print only, in the High Use Collection at K 101 BOUC.

International Law

The Guide to Foreign and International Legal Citations (Wolters Kluwer, 2nd ed, 2009), by the New York University School of Law, Journal of International Law and Politics. This publication complements the ALWD Citation Manual and the Aspen Handbook for Legal Writers.