Training Guide

Citations and Bluebooking

Training Guide

Citations and Bluebooking

Topic: Motion Practice
Duration: 1 hr
Format: Remote or in person

What’s Covered

Purpose of cite checking
Bluebooking cases
Bluebooking other sources
Using signals properly

Before the Session

Prepare the Attendees

Send the attendees an invitation for the session. Include this link, which has the videos and exercise they’ll need to prepare.

https://www.hotshotlegal.com/trainings/citations-and-bluebooking/attendee

Prepare Yourself

Watch the videos and read the exercise so you’re familiar with the Hotshot material.

Course

Citations and Bluebooking

Checklist for substantive review of legal authorities in a brief, format of legal and record citations, common mistakes, and when in the drafting process to prevent errors.
Exercise

Citations and Bluebooking
PDF

During the Session

Part 1: Knowledge Check

Ask attendees these questions to ensure they understand the topic:

When should you cite check your brief, and what could go wrong if you don’t cite check until the end?
What are some things you should check when Shepardizing your cases?
If you discovered at the last minute that a case in the brief no longer stands for the proposition it’s cited for, what might you do?
When do you need a signal? When don’t you?
How are parentheticals used with signals?

Part 2: Group Exercise

Lead a group discussion based on the exercise. To encourage collaboration, divide the attendees into groups to discuss the exercise, then have a representative from each group summarize their views to the larger group. Call on people to share their thoughts and ask others to respond.

Tip for remote sessions: use your web conferencing system’s breakout room feature to divide people into groups.

Part 3: War Stories and Firm Specifics

Share your own experiences and guidance, including:

Anecdotes
General practice tips (dos and don’ts)
Firm-specific guidance and practices

After the Session

To continue their learning, attendees can check out related courses in Hotshot’s Motion Practice topic.

About Hotshot

Hotshot helps lawyers develop their legal, business, and technology skills through short videos, quizzes, and summaries, and we help law firms and law schools plan and deliver engaging training programs. Our customers include Am Law 200 firms, top law schools, and regional and international firms.