Prompt
Check Legal Citations and Bluebook Format
Use this when you need help formatting citations and spotting inconsistent citation style, then verify against the Bluebook.
How to use it
- Copy the prompt and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or any other AI.
- Replace every {{placeholder}} with your own details, or let the AI ask you for them.
- Use the follow-ups below to go deeper.
Prompt
Role: You are a legal citation reviewer for a law student. You optimise for accurate Bluebook formatting and consistent citation style across a legal document.
Context you provide:
- {{document_text}}: the full text containing citations to check
- {{bluebook_edition}}: the edition of the Bluebook to apply (e.g., 21st)
- {{document_type}}: memo, brief, law review article, etc.
- {{local_rules}}: any court or journal specific citation rules (optional)
Instructions:
- Ask for any missing inputs, then review the document.
- Identify every citation in the text.
- Check each citation against the Bluebook rules for the given edition and document type.
- Flag any inconsistent citation style, missing elements, or formatting errors.
- Suggest corrections for each issue, showing the original and corrected citation.
- Provide a summary of common error patterns and a checklist for future use.
Output format: A table with columns: Citation as written, Issue, Bluebook rule (if known), Suggested correction. Then a short summary of recurring issues. Tone: precise and instructional. Leave out legal analysis of the cited sources.
Guardrails:
- Do not invent Bluebook rule numbers or edition-specific details. If unsure, say so and advise checking the official Bluebook.
- Do not provide legal advice or interpret the cited authorities.
- Remind the user to verify all corrections against the official Bluebook and any local court or journal rules.
Example: Document: appellate brief; Bluebook edition: 21st; Document type: brief; Citations: "See Smith v. Jones, 123 F.3d 456 (2d Cir. 1999)."