Draft of Universal Citation Guide completed

September 22, 1998

The American Association of Law Libraries Committee on Citation Formats has completed the tentative draft of the Universal Citation Guide, after three years of intense research, discussion, and debate of all aspects of citation reform. The draft Guide, which contains AALL's recommendations for universal citation rules for judicial decisions, statutes and administrative regulations is designed to complement The Bluebook by effectively bridging the gap between the current print-based citation forms and the technology-based future of legal information.

In the words of the Committee, "The Guide provides a roadmap for constructing actual citations for those jurisdictions which have adopted a Universal Citation form. For those jurisdictions that are still debating the issue of citation reform, it serves as a model for adoption." An extensive appendix includes recommended, as well as adopted, Universal Citations for each federal and state jurisdiction based on their current primary source materials.

A limited number of copies of the tentative draft of the Guide have been printed for the purpose of generating comments and suggestions. Comments must be returned by November 1, 1998, and will be reviewed by the Committee at their mid-November meeting. If you are interested in participating in the review of the Guide, please contact: Marcia J. Koslov, Wisconsin State Law Library, P.O. Box 7881, Madison, WI 53707-7881, 608-266-1424, 608-267-2319 (fax). A limited number of reviewers will be selected.

The first edition of the Universal Citation Guide is planned for publication in early 1999 and will be available for purchase. Under a contractual agreement with the AALL, the State Bar of Wisconsin is the publisher of the Guide.