Production tests: Any guide to bluebooking? Forum

[joetheplumber]

So I am trying to get onto a 1L journal and have little to no experience on how to prepare for the production test. My legal writing class is useless as the bluebooking we did was so little. Also, there doesn't seem to be any training or teaching at all. We are just thrown into the pool. Does anybody have a guide or know of a good book to buy to help with this? I mean, how did you guys prepare for the law review write on.

Thanks

[kalvano]

There's this thing at the back of the Bluebook where they organize everything by topic and give a page number for more information.

[ph14]

So I am trying to get onto a 1L journal and have little to no experience on how to prepare for the production test. My legal writing class is useless as the bluebooking we did was so little. Also, there doesn't seem to be any training or teaching at all. We are just thrown into the pool. Does anybody have a guide or know of a good book to buy to help with this? I mean, how did you guys prepare for the law review write on.

Thanks

Commonly tested (not exhaustive):
T6 & T10 - case name and geographic abbrev. (Penn. Is Pa.!)
Periodicals - hint, this doesnt align perfectly w/ T6
Dropped/incorrect pincites
Year in journal a la byu = no year in parenthetical
Use of short forms/id.
preferred reporter (T1) - n.e., so., A., P., etc.
1 used for L
Court abbreviations (T7) (if reporter clearly says state don't include in parentheses! i.e., Cal. Rptr. or N.Y.S.2d.)
Incorrect x-refs
Italics (look for nonitalicized commas, etc.)
Typeface (look for a word that is in a slightly different font or size, or should be in small capitals instead of Roman type of vice versa).

[joetheplumber]

^^Thanks.
I dunno about you guys but the bluebook is the most confusing piece of book i have ever read. Those table of contents are the front and back pages do not do a good job of elucidating much. You would think after 19 editions, the ppl at harvard would think of something better.

[ph14]

^^Thanks.
I dunno about you guys but the bluebook is the most confusing piece of book i have ever read. Those table of contents are the front and back pages do not do a good job of elucidating much. You would think after 19 editions, the ppl at harvard would think of something better.

You'll get used to it. I'm willing to write a guide on how to Bluebook and common FAQs and such if there isn't already one and if enough people would be interested.

[Lacepiece23]

^^Thanks.
I dunno about you guys but the bluebook is the most confusing piece of book i have ever read. Those table of contents are the front and back pages do not do a good job of elucidating much. You would think after 19 editions, the ppl at harvard would think of something better.

You'll get used to it. I'm willing to write a guide on how to Bluebook and common FAQs and such if there isn't already one and if enough people would be interested.

definitely interested i suck at it...

[joetheplumber]

^^Thanks.
I dunno about you guys but the bluebook is the most confusing piece of book i have ever read. Those table of contents are the front and back pages do not do a good job of elucidating much. You would think after 19 editions, the ppl at harvard would think of something better.

You'll get used to it. I'm willing to write a guide on how to Bluebook and common FAQs and such if there isn't already one and if enough people would be interested.

Yea, it would be great. We have way too many guides on how to prepare for 1L and taking notes and exams, supplements, you name it. But I have never seen a guide on bluebooking on TLS

[A. Nony Mouse]

This is not remotely a guide - I defer wholly to ph14 - but something I found helpful: shelling out the $25 or so for a subscription to the online version of the Bluebook. Keyword searching can be easier than negotiating the TOC and so on, though I agree you get used to it. (If you've done this already - well, never mind!)

[ph14]

This is not remotely a guide - I defer wholly to ph14 - but something I found helpful: shelling out the $25 or so for a subscription to the online version of the Bluebook. Keyword searching can be easier than negotiating the TOC and so on, though I agree you get used to it. (If you've done this already - well, never mind!)

This is highly credited. I didn't realize how useful this was until I had access to the online version. The search function isn't that great, it's very spotty, but it's much easier to navigate by click and have multiple windows open than have to physically flip through the Bluebook.

[BarcaCrossesTheAlps]

ph14-

I'd still like you to make your FAQ bluebook guide. I'm a 1L but I'd like it as a resource.

Thanks.

[thsmthcrmnl]

Lexis has interactive quizzes if you want to practice.

[ph14]

ph14-

I'd still like you to make your FAQ bluebook guide. I'm a 1L but I'd like it as a resource.

Thanks.

I have a lot on my plate, but i'll try and put something together before people take their writing competitons (with an eye toward handling the writing competition).