What the f**k is the blue pages and why do they exist? Forum

[09042014]

Who the fuck let law review nerds make these choices anyway.

[Bikeflip]

People in practice actually pay attention to citations?

[CyLaw]

Who the fuck let law review nerds make these choices anyway.

Basically how it was explained to me once (paraphrasing):

1. Law Review Nerd gets on Law Review to get clerkship.
2. Law Review Nerd spends entire time on Law Review obsessing over citations in the Blue Book way.
3. Law Review Nerd gets clerkship.
4. Law Review Nerd obsesses over brief citations because, hey that is how they get to clerkship.
5. Everyone else panders to Law Review Nerd who acts as gatekeeper and can't handle if brief is not in proper blue page format according to the Holy Blue Book.
6. Blue pages becomes de facto standard.

Not all clerks are like this. Most maybe are not. But in our risk adverse profession, we don't take chances and act as if all Judges and Clerks were Law Review Nerds until we know otherwise.

[09042014]

I've decided this is my paralegals problem now.

[Blumpbeef]

law clerks have to write opinions with proper formatting and citations. So make their lives easier by doing it correctly in the briefs.

[patogordo]

law clerks have to write opinions with proper formatting and citations.

lolololololololol

[Blumpbeef]

[My judge's] law clerks have to write opinions with proper formatting and citations.

lolololololololol

FTFY

I honestly assumed that it was standard practice, at least for opinions that are going to be published. Isn't it?

[Robb]

go to the MAROON pages

[A. Nony Mouse]

[My judge's] law clerks have to write opinions with proper formatting and citations.

lolololololololol

FTFY

I honestly assumed that it was standard practice, at least for opinions that are going to be published. Isn't it?

Oh, it is, but I suspect that doesn't sound like a very good reason for anyone else to have to care about citations/formatting.