Bluebook Law Review CSL (21st Edition) - Enhanced citation style for Zotero/Mendeley

bluebook-law-review-improved.csl

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  <info>
    <title>Bluebook Law Review (21st Edition)</title>
    <title-short>Bluebook 21e</title-short>
    <id>http://www.zotero.org/styles/bluebook-law-review-21e</id>
    <link href="http://www.zotero.org/styles/bluebook-law-review" rel="self"/>
    <link href="https://www.legalbluebook.com/" rel="documentation"/>
    <author>
      <name>Bruce D'Arcus</name>
      <email>bdarcus@gmail.com</email>
    </author>
    <author>
      <name>Nancy Sims</name>
      <email>nsims@umich.edu</email>
    </author>
    <contributor>
      <name>Patrick O'Brien</name>
    </contributor>
    <contributor>
      <name>Timothy Magill</name>
    </contributor>
    <contributor>
      <name>Shay Elbaum</name>
      <email>selbaum@law.harvard.edu</email>
    </contributor>
    <contributor>
      <name>Edwin Hu</name>
      <email>edwin@edwinhu.com</email>
    </contributor>
    <category citation-format="note"/>
    <category field="law"/>
    <summary>The Bluebook legal citation style for law reviews, 21st Edition. Enhanced support for cases, statutes, regulations, constitutions, international materials, and secondary sources.</summary>
    <updated>2026-02-04T00:00:00+00:00</updated>
    <rights license="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/">This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License</rights>
  </info>

  <!-- Locale: Bluebook-specific terms -->
  <locale xml:lang="en">
    <terms>
      <term name="ibid">id.</term>
      <term name="at">at</term>
      <term name="in">in</term>
      <term name="editor" form="verb-short">ed.</term>
      <term name="editor" form="short">ed.</term>
      <term name="editortranslator" form="verb-short">ed. &amp; trans.</term>
      <term name="translator" form="verb-short">trans.</term>
      <term name="edition" form="short">ed.</term>
      <term name="section" form="symbol">§</term>
      <term name="paragraph" form="symbol">¶</term>
      <term name="page" form="short">at</term>
      <!-- Subsequent history terms -->
      <term name="affirmed">aff'd</term>
      <term name="reversed">rev'd</term>
      <term name="certiorari-denied">cert. denied</term>
      <term name="certiorari-granted">cert. granted</term>
      <term name="vacated">vacated</term>
      <term name="overruled">overruled by</term>
    </terms>
  </locale>

  <!-- Author name formatting -->
  <macro name="author-full">
    <names variable="author">
      <name and="symbol" delimiter=", " delimiter-precedes-last="never"/>
      <et-al font-style="italic"/>
      <label form="short" prefix=" "/>
      <substitute>
        <names variable="editor"/>
        <names variable="translator"/>
      </substitute>
    </names>
  </macro>

  <macro name="author-short">
    <names variable="author">
      <name form="short" and="symbol" delimiter=", "/>
      <substitute>
        <names variable="editor"/>
        <text variable="title" form="short"/>
      </substitute>
    </names>
  </macro>

  <!-- Author display varies by type -->
  <macro name="author">
    <choose>
      <!-- Legal cases and legislation: no author at start -->
      <if type="legal_case legislation regulation" match="any"/>
      <!-- Books, reports: small caps -->
      <else-if type="book report motion_picture" match="any">
        <text macro="author-full" font-variant="small-caps"/>
      </else-if>
      <!-- Everything else: regular -->
      <else>
        <text macro="author-full"/>
      </else>
    </choose>
  </macro>

  <!-- Editor/translator for books -->
  <macro name="editor-translator">
    <names variable="editor translator" delimiter=", ">
      <name and="symbol" delimiter=", "/>
      <label form="short" prefix=" "/>
    </names>
  </macro>

  <!-- Container formatting -->
  <macro name="container">
    <choose>
      <!-- Chapter in book: "in BOOK TITLE" -->
      <if type="chapter paper-conference entry-encyclopedia" match="any">
        <group prefix=" ">
          <text term="in" font-style="italic"/>
          <text variable="container-title" font-variant="small-caps" prefix=" "/>
        </group>
      </if>
      <!-- Legal case: reporter abbreviation -->
      <else-if type="legal_case">
        <text variable="container-title" form="short"/>
      </else-if>
      <!-- Statute/regulation: code name -->
      <else-if type="legislation regulation bill" match="any">
        <text variable="container-title"/>
      </else-if>
      <!-- Journal article: small caps journal name -->
      <else-if type="article-journal">
        <text variable="container-title" form="short" font-variant="small-caps"/>
      </else-if>
      <!-- Newspaper/magazine: italics -->
      <else-if type="article-newspaper article-magazine" match="any">
        <text variable="container-title" font-style="italic"/>
      </else-if>
      <!-- Webpage/blog: small caps site name -->
      <else-if type="webpage post-weblog" match="any">
        <text variable="container-title" font-variant="small-caps"/>
      </else-if>
      <!-- Default: small caps -->
      <else>
        <text variable="container-title" font-variant="small-caps"/>
      </else>
    </choose>
  </macro>

  <!-- Date/issuance formatting -->
  <macro name="issuance">
    <choose>
      <!-- Forthcoming -->
      <if variable="status">
        <group delimiter=" ">
          <text variable="status" text-case="lowercase"/>
          <date variable="issued">
            <date-part name="year"/>
          </date>
        </group>
      </if>
      <else>
        <choose>
          <!-- Legal case: (Court Year) -->
          <if type="legal_case">
            <group delimiter=" ">
              <text variable="authority"/>
              <date variable="issued">
                <date-part name="year"/>
              </date>
            </group>
          </if>
          <!-- Statute: (Year) -->
          <else-if type="legislation regulation" match="any">
            <date variable="issued">
              <date-part name="year"/>
            </date>
          </else-if>
          <!-- Newspaper/magazine/blog: Month Day, Year -->
          <else-if type="article-newspaper article-magazine webpage post-weblog" match="any">
            <date variable="issued">
              <date-part name="month" form="short" suffix=" "/>
              <date-part name="day" suffix=", "/>
              <date-part name="year"/>
            </date>
          </else-if>
          <!-- Journal: just year -->
          <else-if type="article-journal">
            <date variable="issued">
              <date-part name="year"/>
            </date>
          </else-if>
          <!-- Book: editor, edition, year -->
          <else-if type="book report" match="any">
            <group delimiter=" ">
              <text macro="editor-translator"/>
              <group delimiter=" ">
                <number variable="edition" form="ordinal"/>
                <label variable="edition" form="short"/>
              </group>
              <date variable="issued">
                <date-part name="year"/>
              </date>
            </group>
          </else-if>
          <!-- Thesis: Month Day, Year -->
          <else-if type="thesis">
            <date variable="issued">
              <date-part name="month" form="short" suffix=" "/>
              <date-part name="day" suffix=", "/>
              <date-part name="year"/>
            </date>
          </else-if>
          <!-- Default: year -->
          <else>
            <group delimiter=", ">
              <text macro="editor-translator"/>
              <group delimiter=" ">
                <number variable="edition" form="ordinal"/>
                <label variable="edition" form="short"/>
              </group>
              <date variable="issued">
                <date-part name="year"/>
              </date>
            </group>
          </else>
        </choose>
      </else>
    </choose>
  </macro>

  <!-- Pinpoint/locator with "at" -->
  <macro name="locator">
    <choose>
      <if variable="locator">
        <choose>
          <!-- Statutes: § locator -->
          <if type="legislation regulation" match="any">
            <group delimiter=" ">
              <label variable="locator" form="symbol"/>
              <text variable="locator"/>
            </group>
          </if>
          <!-- Everything else: at locator -->
          <else>
            <group delimiter=" ">
              <text term="at"/>
              <text variable="locator"/>
            </group>
          </else>
        </choose>
      </if>
    </choose>
  </macro>

  <!-- Section symbol for statutes -->
  <macro name="section">
    <choose>
      <if variable="section">
        <group delimiter=" ">
          <text term="section" form="symbol"/>
          <text variable="section"/>
        </group>
      </if>
    </choose>
  </macro>

  <!-- URL/Access -->
  <macro name="access">
    <choose>
      <!-- No URLs for legal cases or statutes -->
      <if type="legal_case legislation regulation" match="any"/>
      <else-if variable="URL">
        <group delimiter=" ">
          <text variable="URL"/>
          <choose>
            <!-- If no publication date, add "last visited" -->
            <if variable="issued" match="none">
              <group delimiter=" " prefix="(" suffix=")">
                <text value="last visited"/>
                <date variable="accessed">
                  <date-part name="month" form="short" suffix=" "/>
                  <date-part name="day" suffix=", "/>
                  <date-part name="year"/>
                </date>
              </group>
            </if>
          </choose>
        </group>
      </else-if>
    </choose>
  </macro>

  <!-- Main source formatting -->
  <macro name="source">
    <choose>
      <!-- LEGAL CASE (Rule 10) -->
      <if type="legal_case">
        <group delimiter=" ">
          <text variable="title" font-style="italic"/>
          <text variable="volume"/>
          <text macro="container"/>
          <text variable="page-first"/>
          <text variable="locator" prefix=", "/>
          <text macro="issuance" prefix="(" suffix=")"/>
        </group>
        <!-- Subsequent history -->
        <text variable="references" prefix=", "/>
      </if>

      <!-- LEGISLATION/STATUTE (Rule 12) -->
      <else-if type="legislation">
        <group delimiter=" ">
          <!-- Popular name, if any -->
          <text variable="title"/>
          <!-- Code citation -->
          <text variable="volume"/>
          <text macro="container"/>
          <text macro="section"/>
          <text macro="issuance" prefix="(" suffix=")"/>
        </group>
      </else-if>

      <!-- REGULATION (Rule 14) -->
      <else-if type="regulation">
        <group delimiter=" ">
          <text variable="volume"/>
          <text macro="container"/>
          <text macro="section"/>
          <text macro="issuance" prefix="(" suffix=")"/>
        </group>
      </else-if>

      <!-- BILL (Rule 13) -->
      <else-if type="bill">
        <group delimiter=", ">
          <text variable="title"/>
          <text variable="number"/>
          <group delimiter=" ">
            <text variable="authority"/>
            <text macro="section"/>
          </group>
          <text macro="issuance" prefix="(" suffix=")"/>
        </group>
      </else-if>

      <!-- HEARING (Rule 13) -->
      <else-if type="hearing">
        <group delimiter=" ">
          <text variable="title" font-style="italic"/>
          <text value="Before the"/>
          <text variable="committee"/>
          <text variable="authority" prefix=", "/>
          <text variable="page-first"/>
          <text macro="issuance" prefix="(" suffix=")"/>
        </group>
      </else-if>

      <!-- JOURNAL ARTICLE (Rule 16) -->
      <else-if type="article-journal">
        <group delimiter=", ">
          <text variable="title" font-style="italic"/>
          <group delimiter=" ">
            <text variable="volume"/>
            <text macro="container"/>
            <text variable="page-first"/>
            <text variable="locator" prefix=", "/>
          </group>
        </group>
        <text macro="issuance" prefix=" (" suffix=")"/>
      </else-if>

      <!-- NEWSPAPER/MAGAZINE (Rule 16.6) -->
      <else-if type="article-newspaper article-magazine" match="any">
        <group delimiter=", ">
          <text variable="title" font-style="italic"/>
          <text macro="container"/>
          <text macro="issuance"/>
          <group delimiter=" ">
            <text term="at"/>
            <text variable="page-first"/>
          </group>
        </group>
      </else-if>

      <!-- WEBPAGE/BLOG (Rule 18) -->
      <else-if type="webpage post-weblog" match="any">
        <group delimiter=", ">
          <text variable="title" font-style="italic"/>
          <text macro="container"/>
        </group>
        <text macro="issuance" prefix=" (" suffix=")"/>
        <text macro="access" prefix=", "/>
      </else-if>

      <!-- BOOK/REPORT (Rule 15) -->
      <else-if type="book report" match="any">
        <group>
          <text variable="title" font-variant="small-caps"/>
          <text variable="locator" prefix=" "/>
        </group>
        <text macro="issuance" prefix=" (" suffix=")"/>
      </else-if>

      <!-- CHAPTER/COLLECTION (Rule 15) -->
      <else-if type="chapter paper-conference entry-encyclopedia" match="any">
        <group>
          <text variable="title" font-style="italic"/>
          <text macro="container"/>
          <text variable="page-first" prefix=" "/>
          <text variable="locator" prefix=", "/>
        </group>
        <text macro="issuance" prefix=" (" suffix=")"/>
      </else-if>

      <!-- THESIS (Rule 17) -->
      <else-if type="thesis">
        <group delimiter=", ">
          <text variable="title" font-style="italic"/>
          <text macro="container"/>
        </group>
        <text macro="issuance" prefix=" (" suffix=")"/>
        <group prefix=" (" suffix=")" delimiter=", ">
          <text variable="genre"/>
          <text variable="publisher"/>
        </group>
      </else-if>

      <!-- TREATY (Rule 21.4) -->
      <else-if type="treaty">
        <group delimiter=", ">
          <text variable="title"/>
          <text variable="authority"/>
          <date variable="issued">
            <date-part name="month" form="short" suffix=" "/>
            <date-part name="day" suffix=", "/>
            <date-part name="year"/>
          </date>
          <group delimiter=" ">
            <text variable="volume"/>
            <text variable="container-title"/>
            <text variable="page-first"/>
          </group>
        </group>
      </else-if>

      <!-- SPEECH/LECTURE -->
      <else-if type="speech">
        <group delimiter=", ">
          <text variable="title" font-style="italic"/>
          <text variable="event"/>
        </group>
        <text macro="issuance" prefix=" (" suffix=")"/>
      </else-if>

      <!-- INTERVIEW -->
      <else-if type="interview">
        <group delimiter=", ">
          <text value="Interview with"/>
          <text macro="author-full"/>
          <text variable="title"/>
        </group>
        <text macro="issuance" prefix=" (" suffix=")"/>
      </else-if>

      <!-- DEFAULT -->
      <else>
        <group delimiter=", ">
          <text variable="title" font-style="italic"/>
          <group delimiter=" ">
            <text variable="volume"/>
            <text macro="container"/>
            <text variable="page-first"/>
            <text variable="locator"/>
          </group>
        </group>
        <text macro="issuance" prefix=" (" suffix=")"/>
      </else>
    </choose>
  </macro>

  <!-- Short form for subsequent citations -->
  <macro name="subsequent-case">
    <group delimiter=", ">
      <text variable="title" form="short" font-style="italic"/>
      <group delimiter=" ">
        <text variable="volume"/>
        <text variable="container-title" form="short"/>
        <text macro="locator"/>
      </group>
    </group>
  </macro>

  <macro name="subsequent-statute">
    <group delimiter=" ">
      <text variable="volume"/>
      <text variable="container-title" form="short"/>
      <text macro="section"/>
      <text macro="locator"/>
    </group>
  </macro>

  <macro name="subsequent-secondary">
    <group delimiter=", ">
      <group delimiter=" ">
        <choose>
          <if type="book report" match="any">
            <text variable="volume"/>
          </if>
        </choose>
        <choose>
          <if type="book report" match="any">
            <text macro="author-short" font-variant="small-caps"/>
          </if>
          <else>
            <text macro="author-short"/>
          </else>
        </choose>
      </group>
      <group delimiter=" ">
        <text value="supra" font-style="italic"/>
        <text value="note"/>
        <text variable="first-reference-note-number"/>
        <text macro="locator"/>
      </group>
    </group>
  </macro>

  <!-- Main citation layout -->
  <citation et-al-min="4" et-al-use-first="1">
    <layout suffix="." delimiter="; ">
      <choose>
        <!-- Id. with locator -->
        <if position="ibid-with-locator">
          <group delimiter=" ">
            <text term="ibid" font-style="italic" text-case="capitalize-first"/>
            <text macro="locator"/>
          </group>
        </if>

        <!-- Id. alone -->
        <else-if position="ibid">
          <text term="ibid" font-style="italic" text-case="capitalize-first"/>
        </else-if>

        <!-- Subsequent citation -->
        <else-if position="subsequent">
          <choose>
            <!-- Legal case: short form (not supra) -->
            <if type="legal_case">
              <text macro="subsequent-case"/>
            </if>
            <!-- Statute: short form (not supra) -->
            <else-if type="legislation regulation" match="any">
              <text macro="subsequent-statute"/>
            </else-if>
            <!-- Secondary sources: supra -->
            <else>
              <text macro="subsequent-secondary"/>
            </else>
          </choose>
        </else-if>

        <!-- First/full citation -->
        <else>
          <group delimiter=", ">
            <group delimiter=" ">
              <choose>
                <if type="book report" match="any">
                  <text variable="volume"/>
                </if>
              </choose>
              <text macro="author"/>
            </group>
            <text macro="source"/>
          </group>
          <text macro="access" prefix=", "/>
        </else>
      </choose>
    </layout>
  </citation>

  <!-- Bibliography (if needed) -->
  <bibliography hanging-indent="true" et-al-min="4" et-al-use-first="1" subsequent-author-substitute="---">
    <sort>
      <key macro="author-full"/>
      <key variable="title"/>
      <key variable="issued"/>
    </sort>
    <layout suffix=".">
      <group delimiter=", ">
        <group delimiter=" ">
          <choose>
            <if type="book report" match="any">
              <text variable="volume"/>
            </if>
          </choose>
          <text macro="author"/>
        </group>
        <text macro="source"/>
      </group>
      <text macro="access" prefix=", "/>
    </layout>
  </bibliography>
</style>