Try Wonders for free
This guide will help you understand how to properly cite sources in ALWD format, the teaching-focused legal citation style that produces identical results to the Bluebook, ensuring that your legal writing meets the standards outlined in the ALWD Guide to Legal Citation, 7th edition.
Quick Overview: ALWD Citation Format
ALWD (Association of Legal Writing Directors) style is a legal citation system designed to make legal citation easier to learn and use. Created by legal writing professors, the ALWD Guide to Legal Citation provides the same citation results as the Bluebook but with clearer explanations and better organization.
The current edition is the ALWD Guide to Legal Citation, 7th Edition (2021), edited by Carolyn V. Williams and published by Aspen Publishing. Citations produced using ALWD are identical to those from the Bluebook—the difference is in how the rules are taught and explained.
Key features of ALWD:
- 40 streamlined rules covering all legal sources
- Integrated approach for both practice documents and academic writing
- "Fast Formats" pages previewing citation components
- Academic Formatting icons distinguishing scholarly from practice citations
In-Text Citations in ALWD
Legal citations in ALWD appear as citation sentences or citation clauses within your document—not as parenthetical references like in APA or MLA.
Citation sentence (supports entire preceding sentence):
The court held that the statute was unconstitutional. Smith v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397, 401 (2019).
Citation clause (supports part of a sentence):
Although the court found the search reasonable, Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1, 30 (1968), subsequent cases have narrowed this holding.
Embedded citation (woven into the sentence):
In Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966), the Court established the familiar warning requirements.
Citing Cases
Case citations include: case name, reporter information, pinpoint page, court, and year.
U.S. Supreme Court:
Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483, 495 (1954).
Federal Circuit Court:
Anderson v. Jones, 481 F.3d 303, 315 (7th Cir. 2018).
State Court:
People v. Garcia, 45 Cal. 4th 789, 795 (2009).
Key formatting rules:
- Italicize case names (preferred) or underline them
- Abbreviate "versus" to "v." (with a period)
- No spaces between consecutive single capital letters (U.S., not U. S.)
- Do not superscript ordinal numbers (7th, not 7ᵗʰ)
Citing Statutes
Statute citations include: title number, code abbreviation, section symbol, section number, and date.
Federal statute (U.S. Code):
42 U.S.C. § 1983 (2018).
State statute:
Cal. Penal Code § 187 (West 2020).
Multiple sections:
18 U.S.C. §§ 1961–1968 (2018).
Always cite to the official code when available. Include the publisher name in parentheses for unofficial codes (West, LexisNexis).
Citing Secondary Sources
Law review article:
Sarah M. Chen, Rethinking Digital Privacy, 125 Yale L.J. 1892, 1905 (2016).
Book:
Erwin Chemerinsky, Constitutional Law: Principles and Policies 245 (6th ed., Wolters Kluwer 2019).
Treatise:
5 Charles Alan Wright & Arthur R. Miller, Federal Practice and Procedure § 1216 (3d ed., Thomson Reuters 2004).
Short Citations
After citing a source in full, use short citations for subsequent references.
Id. (refers to immediately preceding citation):
Id. at 402.
Short form for cases:
Brown, 347 U.S. at 495.
Short form for statutes:
§ 1983.
Best practice: Don't use "Id." more than five times consecutively—it becomes difficult for readers to track the source.
ALWD vs. Bluebook: Key Differences
| Feature | ALWD | Bluebook |
|---|---|---|
| Organization | 40 integrated rules | Separate practitioner/academic sections |
| Teaching approach | Plain language, pedagogical focus | Reference-style, less explanatory |
| Result | Identical citations | Identical citations |
| Primary audience | Law students, practitioners | Law review editors, practitioners |
| Cost | ~$45–77 | ~$45–50 |
The citations themselves are the same—ALWD simply explains the rules more clearly.
Common ALWD Mistakes to Avoid
- Spacing errors: No spaces between consecutive single capitals (U.S., F.3d) but spaces elsewhere (S. Ct., F. Supp. 2d).
- Superscripting ordinals: Write 7th Cir., not 7ᵗʰ Cir.
- Forgetting pinpoint citations: Always include the specific page supporting your proposition.
- Inconsistent typeface: Choose italics or underlining for case names and use it consistently throughout.
- Overusing Id.: Break up long strings of Id. citations with short-form citations for clarity.
Citation Tools for ALWD
- ALWD Companion Website – Free appendices and updates at alwd.org
- Zotero – Free reference manager with legal citation support
- Westlaw/Lexis – Copy with Reference feature generates citations
- Wonders – Research workspace that helps organize legal sources
References
- Williams, Carolyn V. ALWD Guide to Legal Citation. 7th ed. New York: Aspen Publishing, 2021.
- Association of Legal Writing Directors. "About the Guide." ALWD.org. https://www.alwd.org/about-guide
- Association of Legal Writing Directors. "Guide FAQs." ALWD.org. https://www.alwd.org/guide-faqs
- Case Western Reserve University Law Library. "ALWD - Legal Citation." Research Guides. https://lawresearchguides.cwru.edu/citations/ALWD
