NFPA Paralegal Core Competency Exam (PCCE)Legal ResearchHard
A paralegal is preparing a legal memorandum that cites a specific provision from a state statute. The jurisdiction requires Bluebook citation format. The statute is located at Title 10, Section 305, Subsection (a)(2) of the state's codified laws, and the paralegal wants to refer to the entire subsection. Which of the following is the correct Bluebook citation for this statutory provision?
- A10 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 305(a)(2)
- B10 Stat. § 305(a)(2)
- C10 U.S.C. § 305(a)(2)
- D10 State Code § 305(a)(2)
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. 10 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 305(a)(2)
Bluebook Rule 12.3.1(a) requires citing state statutes by title, abbreviated state code, section, and if necessary, a specific subsection. 'Pa. Cons. Stat.' is a common Bluebook abbreviation for Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes. Without knowing the specific state, 'State Code' is not a valid Bluebook abbreviation, and 'Stat.' or 'U.S.C.' are for federal statutes or slip laws, not state codes.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. 'Stat.' refers to federal statutes at large or slip laws, not state codes.
- C. 'U.S.C.' refers to the United States Code, which contains federal statutes, not state statutes.
- D. 'State Code' is not a valid Bluebook abbreviation for a state's codified laws; specific state abbreviations are required.
Bluebook State Statute Citation
Citing state statutes under Bluebook rules involves specifying the title, the official or commonly used abbreviated name of the state's codified laws, and the section/subsection number.
- Requires specific abbreviations for state codes.
- Format: Title # Abbr. § Section #.
- Rule 12.3.1(a) governs state statutory citations.
Memory trick: Bluebook says: Title, Code, Section; then you're all set, son!