Introduction to Basic Legal Citation by Professor Peter W. Martin.
This work first appeared in 1993, and was most recently revised on July 11, 2003.
This downloadable student resource includes the whys (pronounced "wh-eyes") and hows of citation, is loaded with explanations and examples, and is "accessible" to beginning students.
For example, one of the first questions many new students ask ("What degree of mastery of this language should one strive for – as a student, legal assistant, or lawyer?") is answered directly and clearly.
Consider the source: Peter W. Martin is the Jane M.G. Foster Professor of Law at Cornell Law School where he has been a member of the faculty since 1971 and was dean from 1980 to 1988. Professor Martin is a past president of the Center for Computer Assisted Legal Instruction and past chair of the Association of American Law Schools Section of Law and Computers.
Would your first-year students benefit from this resource? (djt)
Peter Martin’s guide for citations
Thanks to the Law School Academic Support Blog for reminding me about Prof. Peter Martin’s Introduction to Basic Legal Citation. Most citation guides tell you the rules, but don’t tell you the reasons behind the rules. Prof. Martin cures that