Pacific Rim Law & Policy Journal
Style
Guide
2005-2006
Additional
Resources for Improving Writing and Citation
The Bluebook (18th ed.).
The Chicago Manual of Style
(14th ed.).
William Strunk Jr. & E.B. White,
The Elements of Style (3d ed. 1979).
William Zinsser, On Writing Well
(3d ed. 1985).
Elizabeth Fajans & Mary R. Falk,
Scholarly Writing for Law Students, Seminar Papers, Law Review Notes, and Law
Review Competition Papers (1995).
Heather Meeker, Stalking the Golden Topic: A Guide to Locating and
Selecting Topics for Legal Research Papers,
3 Utah L. Rev. 917 (1996).
Eugene Volokh, Writing a Student Article,
J. Legal Ed. (1998).
This Style Guide was last revised
in September 2005.
Table
of Contents
I. Introduction........................................................................................................................... 6
Using
this Style Guide........................................................................................................................ 5
II. General
Comment Guidelines...................................................................................... 6
Formal
Comment Requirements......................................................................................................... 5
Approach............................................................................................................................................ 6
General
Format................................................................................................................................... 6
III. Abstract..................................................................................................................................... 7
IV. Body
Text.................................................................................................................................... 7
Paper
Title.......................................................................................................................................... 7
Paper
Headings.................................................................................................................................. 8
Text
Formatting.................................................................................................................................. 9
V. Comment
Language............................................................................................................. 9
Acronyms........................................................................................................................................... 9
Adverbs............................................................................................................................................ 10
Gender-Neutral
Language................................................................................................................ 10
Pronouns.......................................................................................................................................... 10
Using
Verbs..................................................................................................................................... 11
Commonly
Misused Words............................................................................................................. 11
Conjunctions.................................................................................................................................... 13
VI. Punctuation........................................................................................................................... 11
Commas........................................................................................................................................... 13
Apostrophes..................................................................................................................................... 14
Using
Colons................................................................................................................................... 15
Ellipses............................................................................................................................................. 15
Quotation
Marks.............................................................................................................................. 16
Placement
of Quotation Marks......................................................................................................... 16
Semicolons....................................................................................................................................... 17
Capitalization.................................................................................................................................... 18
Numerals.......................................................................................................................................... 18
Using
Dashes................................................................................................................................... 19
VII. Footnotes................................................................................................................................. 16
Generally.......................................................................................................................................... 19
Citing
to Cases Generally................................................................................................................. 21
Abbreviating
Reporters Generally.................................................................................................... 22
Order
of Authority........................................................................................................................... 23
International...................................................................................................................................... 24
Citing
Statutes.................................................................................................................................. 24
Citing
Periodicals............................................................................................................................. 25
Cross-Referencing............................................................................................................................ 26
Citing
to Internet and Other Hard-to-Find Sources.......................................................................... 28
Using
Parentheticals in Footnotes.................................................................................................... 28
Hereinafter........................................................................................................................................ 29
Id. and Cross-Referencing................................................................................................................ 30
Using
Signals................................................................................................................................... 30
This Style Guide was created to assist student writers and editors in
preparing Articles and Comments for publication in the Pacific Rim
Law & Policy Journal, with an eye
towards maintaining accuracy and consistency in both format and style. This Style Guide focuses on substantive mechanics: what a Comment
should contain, how it should be structured, and what it should actually look
like. Ultimately, student writers
are responsible for ensuring that their Comments comply with the rules included
in this Style Guide, as well as
applicable Bluebook rules. The
rules herein supercede any conflicting rules found within the Bluebook, The Chicago Manual of Style, The Elements
of Style or any other guide, but they are
not exhaustive.
In addition to understanding the
structural and stylistic requirements presented in this Style Guide, it is also important to understand the JournalÕs Comment writing process. Understanding the Comment writing process on a macro level
is vital in order to ensure writers stay on schedule, understand what is
expected of them along the way, and work as efficiently as possible. It also keeps everyoneÕs stress levels
down and, hopefully, results in the best Comment possible. Be sure to read Life of a Pac
Rim Comment to get an idea of what this
process is all about.
Comment Size
While
the Journal does not adhere to strict
word counts, student Comments should be about 25 to 30 pages in length, including
all footnotes. It is important that your Comment be within this range when
it goes to your Primary Editor. Be
sure to talk to your Primary Editor or one of the Executive Comments Editors if
you have questions or doubts about the length of your Comment.
Number of Footnotes
Student Comments in the Pacific
Rim Law & Policy Journal generally
should contain at least 200 footnotes.
As a general rule, every proposition or fact in your Comment should be
cited to a relevant authority.
This means that every sentence in your Comment should be footnoted
before you get to your analysis section.
Number of Sources
Student Comments should be original
works presenting new and unique ideas; not restatements or summaries of
existing works. It is therefore
important that Comments synthesize a broad range of different sources. Generally, student-written Comments
rely on a broad range of different sources, including primary sources such as
statutes, translations of statutes, cases, or international treaties. Although there are no strict numerical
requirements, a well-researched Comment will have between 85 to 100 different
sources. If you have questions
or doubts about the breadth or depth of your materials, or about the
availability of certain materials, you should consult one of your editors as
soon as possible.
Audience
Student Comments in the Pacific
Rim Law & Policy Journal should be
written for a general audience of law-trained readers. Because many Journal readers practice in other countries or may otherwise
be unfamiliar with various aspects of American law, any terms of art, technical
language, or concepts particular to a specialized area of law must be
adequately explained and defined.
International Voice
Bear in mind that a large number
of Journal readers are not Americans and
may not even practice in the United States. It is important to maintain an international voice that
avoids unfounded criticism of foreign systems and institutions and refrains
from overly American-centric prescriptions.
Example:
Securities laws in the United States are more effective
than JapanÕs because X, Y, Z.
NOT: Our
securities laws are far better than JapanÕs.
Use Active Voice
Avoid using passive voice, in
which the verb precedes the subject. Sentences usually can be restructured
using subject-verb-object order with active verbs that make writing clearer and
stronger.
Example 1:
The Court held x.
NOT: It
was held by the Court . . .
Example 2:
The Law Review will publish that article in the fall
book.
NOT: That
article is going to be published in the fall book.
Employ Active Verbs
Writing can often be strengthened
by using active verbs rather than forms of the verbs Òto beÓ and Òto have.Ó
Active verbs often can make adjectives unnecessary and redundant.
Example:
Adam possessed a strong work ethic and completed his
work on time.
NOT: Adam
was a good, hard worker, and his project was finished in a timely way.
Margins
Student Comments should have left
and right margins of 1.25Ó. Top
and bottom margins should be 1.0Ó.
Indenting
Indent the first line of paragraphs
0.5Ó.
Page Numbers
Page numbers should consist of
numerals contained in a footer and should be center justified. The first page should not be numbered.
Type Face
We use Times New Roman
Font Size
14 pt
Please use the template
supplied by the Production Editors in order to ensure that your Comment meets
these format requirements.
Format
The word ÒabstractÓ is capitalized
and italicized. The colon is not
italicized. The abstract is fully
justified and indented 0.5Ó from both left and right margins. It should be in 10-point Times New
Roman font. The word ÒabstractÓ is
further indented 0.3Ó from the 0.5Ó abstract indention, and there is a tab stop
after the colon at 0.8Ó from the abstract indention. The abstract is fully
justified and should generally not exceed approximately 20 lines or two brief paragraphs.
Substance
The abstract is a brief summary of
your Comment that should get the readerÕs attention. It should present the issue of your Comment, lay out
essential background information and present your thesis. Look at previous Comments and reflect
back on all of the journal abstracts you have read in the past when considering
how to structure your abstract.
Example:
Abstract: The
abstract of your paper should be a small-scale version of your paper on the
macro level. Use the abstract in
two ways. First, write the
abstract in the beginning to test whether your thesis is compelling and
interesting. Second, go back to
the abstract through-out the writing process, and especially at the end of the
writing process, to test whether the organization and set-up of your paper is
logical and effective.
Paper Title
The title of your Comment should
capture the essence of your paper and give a potential reader an idea of what
the Comment is about. It should be
in 16 point, Times New Roman font, bold, ALL LARGE CAPS (NOT Small
Caps), center justified, and no more than three or four lines. Keep in mind that each of your
headings, text, and thesis should relate back to your title. Look back at past volumes of the Journal
to get an idea of what a good title might look like. If you canÕt think of an appropriate title, take a step back
to reconsider your understanding of the thesis of your Comment.
Example:
REFORMING THE JAPANESE COMMERCIAL CODE: A STEP
TOWARDS AN AMERICAN-STYLE EXECUTIVE OFFICER SYSTEM IN JAPAN?
Format
All roman numeral headings should
be in large and small capitals in 14 point Times New Roman font and two or
fewer lines. Sub-headings are not indented and should be italicized and three
or fewer lines. There must be at
least two of every type of heading: a ÒIÓ must be followed by a ÒIIÓ, and an
ÒAÓ must be followed by a ÒB,Ó etc.
Headings should not end with periods.
Example:
I. Introduction
II. The
Amendment is an Important Early Step in Reforming JapanÕs Corporate Governance
Practices, but Will Fall Short of Instituting Systemic Reform
A. Legal
and Cultural Obstacles Will Limit the AmendmentÕs Impact
1. Persistent
Cultural Norms Emphasizing Hierarchy Will Limit the AmendmentÕs Effectiveness
a.
The sub-sub-subheading
in my comment would be formatted like this
b.
Remember that
every ÒaÓ must be followed by a ÒbÓ
* * *
Substance
Headings should be clear, and
declaratory, giving the reader a clear sense of what information is contained
in that section. A reader skimming
a Comment should be able to get a sense of what it contains by looking at the
headings.
Case Names in Headings
Case names in italicized headings
should not be italicized.
Example:
A.
The Court
Correctly Interpreted Mule v. Horse
Capitalization in Headings
Capitalize the initial word, the
last word, any word immediately following a colon, and all other words except
articles (the, a, an, etc.), conjunctions (and, but, while, yet, etc.), and
prepositions of four letters or fewer (at, in, on, over, from, etc.).
Headings Should Advance Argument
In the analysis section, headings
should advance the CommentÕs argument and the sectionÕs thesis, and also should
be parallel and consistent.
Example:
B. The
Court Relied on Outdated Case Law and Failed to Reconcile the Comprehensive
Plan and Development Regulations
1. The
Court's Failure to Clarify Represents a Missed Opportunity
2. The
Growth Management Act Indicates that Comprehensive Plans Can Be the Exclusive
Basis for Some Permitting Decisions
Auto-Formatting
Turn off auto-formatting on
Microsoft Word before writing. For example, writers should not have superscript
ordinal numbers.
Example:
9th Cir.
NOT: 9th
Cir.
Emphasizing Words in Text
There should be no bolding, underlining, italics or ALL
CAPS anywhere in the text or footnotes (except for identified acronyms and the
names LEXIS and WESTLAW, which are all caps).
Spacing Between Sentences
Use two spaces between sentences.
The following grammar and language
rules apply to all writing in the abstract, body, and footnote text of student
Comments.
Use of Acronyms
Acronyms should be used sparingly.
Once you have introduced an acronym, use it throughout the Comment unless for
some reason it would be confusing to not use the full name.
Acronym Format
Once the
full name has been given, acronyms may be used. Acronyms should be abbreviated using capital letters with
quotation marks in parentheses on first
reference, and all capital letters with no periods or quotation marks
on subsequent references.
Example:
The Environmental Protection Agency (ÒEPAÓ) enforces
regulations for dump sites. By enforcing these regulations, the EPA . . .
Adverbs in Argument
Avoid weak and argumentative
adverbs like ÒclearlyÓ and Òobviously.Ó
Adverb Placement
Make sure adverbs are properly
placed to modify the intended word.
Examples:
Lara quickly picked up her bluebook and began working.
Lara picked up her bluebook and quickly began working.
Lara picked up her bluebook and began working quickly.
General Rule
Other than when referring to a
specific person, always use gender-neutral language. See Scholarly Writing
for Law Students for more information.
Plural Nouns
Using plural nouns can help avoid
sexist language.
Example:
Judges should try to prevent their personal biases from
influencing their decisions.
NOT: A
judge should try to prevent his personal bias from influencing his decisions.
NOT: A
secretary should do her best to help her boss.
Eliminating Extraneous Pronouns
Minimizing the use of unnecessary
pronouns or, as a last resort, using both gender-specific pronouns are also
good ways to minimize use of sexist language.
Example 1:
A judge must set personal biases aside.
Example 2:
A judge should try to prevent his or her personal bias
from influencing his or her decisions.
Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
Pronouns and their antecedents
(the words they replace) must agree.
Example:
The jury rendered its verdict.
NOT: The
jury rendered their verdict.