Citation Signal
Introductory signals are used in legal citations to present authorities and show how the authorities relate to propositions in textual statements. A legal writer uses an introductory signal to tell readers how her citation to legal authority supports, or does not support, her written proposition. Introductory signals organize the writer's citations into a hierarchy of strength and importance so that the reader can quickly determine the relative weight of the citation. For example, the introductory signal "See" tells the reader that the cited authority either (a) supports the stated proposition implicitly, or (b) contains dicta that support the proposition. "But see," on the other hand, tells the reader that the cited authority either (a) contradicts the stated proposition implicitly, or (b) contains dicta that contradict the stated proposition.
Introductory signals have different meanings in different U.S. citation style systems. The two most prominent citation manuals are The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation and the ALWD Citation Manual. Some state-specific style manuals also provide guidance on legal citation. The Bluebook citation system is both the most comprehensive and most widely used system by courts, law firms, and law reviews. Here are examples, with explanations, of the introductory signals used in legal writing under the Bluebook system:
Read more about Citation Signal: Signals That Indicate Support, Signals That Indicate Background Material, Signals That Indicate Contradiction, Signals That Indicate A Useful Comparison, Using Signals As Verbs, Signal Formatting, Order of Signals, Order of Authorities Within Each Signal, Parenthetical Information, Internal Cross-references, Supra, Infra, Compare ALWD 10 (3d) and Bluebook 3.5 (18th)
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