The Bluebook: Alternately Titled, Why I Drink.
So the title of this post was supposed to be, "In the thick of it" - with some information about how the Capstone is going, what I'm currently working on, etc. All I could think of was the smug little Bluebook sitting on my desk thinking it's won some sort of power struggle against me. (Spoiler alert - it hasn't).
The Bluebook. The enemy of every law student ever. I'm equal parts grateful and not that I haven't really had to use it until Capstone. Let me be clear - it's the devil - but, I wish we'd had a course on it or had to use it or even a brief seminar on how to tab it and use it, because it's tough. I spent my time in undergraduate and my previous master's program (yes, this is my second master's, I may be a glutton for punishment) using APA style. The Bluebook is nothing like that. I'm also old-school, and enjoy having the physical book I'm going to reference in front of me rather than scrolling through the PDF on my iPad (I'm an overachiever, I have the PDF version and the physical book).
I digress. I sat down and stared at this thing. I had no idea how to start. None. My husband, the brilliant engineer that he is, threatened me with holy water if I brought it near him. I considered bribing my kids to tab it for me, but with two 10-year-olds, I don't think that would end well. What does anyone do when they have no idea what to do? Google!
Google: "What the hell do I do with a bluebook?" - that one didn't work.
Google: "How to use a bluebook" - cue every law library online with in-depth descriptions.
Google: "If I set the bluebook on fire will the devil himself rejoice?" - again, not very helpful.
I sat back, took a sip of wine, and thought. And then it came to me, on the
wings of angels heralded by Judy Garland singing over the rainbow - PINTEREST. I hopped back online and went to Pinterest and entered "Law school bluebook" into the search box. Lo and behold, there it was. Some unfortunate soul like myself had made a post on how she
tabbed her bluebook. I ran with it.
You, my dear friends, can benefit from my recent discovery of the GoodNotes app, and I present to you my notes on primary and secondary sources, and tabbing the bluebook.
My advice to you is this - learn how to use the bluebook early on. It will help. Also, buy stock in your choice of alcohol. You're going to need it.
The Bluebook: Alternately Titled, Why I Drink. © 2022 by Heather Wester is licensed underCC BY-ND 4.0