TIps on not fu**ing up citations on objective memo Forum

[LionelHutzJD]

So, here are my resources:
(1) I have 5 cases in total to cite, one statute, and one regulation.
(2) I have the proper way to cite to these in pincite form.
(3) I have general overview information on how to properly cite i.e. when you cite to multiple cases for a rule and shortened citations.

My question is, what are some common mistakes that you guys are aware of? Also, other various tops/advice is appreciated. Thanks as always!

[kalvano]

Do your short cites last. Go through and get the memo perfectly done with full cites on everything. Then, once you're satisfied with the memo, go and short cite and "id" and all of that. Otherwise, you'll miss stuff or put it in the wrong place as you reorganize and edit.

[Lockfast]

Do your short cites last. Go through and get the memo perfectly done with full cites on everything. Then, once you're satisfied with the memo, go and short cite and "id" and all of that. Otherwise, you'll miss stuff or put it in the wrong place as you reorganize and edit.

This.

What I often do is copy and paste things from cases into a blank document that I plan on using with full cites for each (printing isn't free so this makes it all easy). I am put pieces of law into sections/issues that I plan to use them for. Then when I write my memo and include a particular piece of law or reasoning, I can copy and paste it over/restructure and I have the full cite for each with the pin cites. Then, doing what Kalvano said.

[Carlo Von Sexron]

My question is, what are some common mistakes that you guys are aware of? Also, other various tops/advice is appreciated. Thanks as always!

Worrying too much about exact correct Blue Book citation and not enough about getting the correct holding of each case and their applicability to the facts at hand.

[kalvano]

My question is, what are some common mistakes that you guys are aware of? Also, other various tops/advice is appreciated. Thanks as always!

Worrying too much about exact correct Blue Book citation and not enough about getting the correct holding of each case and their applicability to the facts at hand.

Incorrect Bluebook cites would have caused me to fail my memo.

[rinkrat19]

7 sources. That's adorable. (stares despondently at her 200-footnote, 37-source journal comment)

But seriously, the above advice is good. (A)keep the full cites in a word doc or at the end of the document for reference, and (B)use full cites all the way through until you're done, then go back and Id. and short-form it in order. It'll affect your word count, but it'll just make it shorter after you adjust all the cites.

[Carlo Von Sexron]

7 sources. That's adorable. (stares despondently at her 200-footnote, 37-source journal comment)

37 sources? 200 footnotes? Lightweight. (stares at never-published 300-footnote, 54-source journal article. stare drifts over to loaded gun lying tantalizingly in open desk drawer.)

[rinkrat19]

7 sources. That's adorable. (stares despondently at her 200-footnote, 37-source journal comment)

37 sources? 200 footnotes? Lightweight. (stares at never-published 300-footnote, 54-source journal article. stare drifts over to loaded gun lying tantalizingly in open desk drawer.)

I salute you.

This is my first draft. Who knows, it could get worse.

[Gorki]

Italicizing the comma after the citation/short form. This is not italicized

Mixing underlined cases with italicized--its one or the other.

Failing to use the Bluebook index for issues that clearly have a nice line-item in the index.

As stated above, reworking a memo and having the first citation be a shortform, and the next (originally, the first) citation be the full citation.

Not pinciting--you really should be pinciting like a mofo in 1L, even if a RL atty would never actually check the case cite. Always pincite in LS as it further illustrates you are competent versus you found holding on Wiki, never read case, cited it to be safe.

Knowing when to cite § versus §§, etc. etc. Use Bluebook.

[dixiecupdrinking]

Spacing. S.D.N.Y. but D. Mass. Etc.