[blindlaw] Bluebook

[Laura Wolk]

I understand that I may be opening Pandora's box here, but I feel
compelled to respond to this.

I am at the top of my class. I am an editor on my law review. i am
finishing up the last week of a big law firm internship. I have
procured an appellate clerkship post-graduation. I have received the
top score on one of my seminar papers. And, my goodness, i asked for
sighted help to learn the bluebook.

Though I do not usually use the list as an occasion to vaunt my
accomplishments, and my intent is not to get into a tit for tat
contest with Chris, I am utterly tired of the false and unhelpful
notion that there is one, and only one way, to be independent. I was
stripped of nothing by asking for a reader's assistance. I simply
chose the most efficient way for me, individually, to learn the
system. "stripping" would entail me giving my assignment to a reader
and saying "do this for me" not asking for assistance to learn the
skill in the best and most comprehensive way that fit my needs and
learning style. My reader didn't cite check my law review edits. my
reader didn't interview for my clerkship, my reader didn't write my
paper or fix my citations. What my reader did do was help to build up
a foundation so that I could spend my time on each of the above tasks
focused on the substance of what was in front of me rather than the
minutia of learning what to italicize and what to smallcaps.

Do what works best for you, Michal. If that happens to involve a
sighted person or, for that matter, as Chris himself offered, speaking
to a blind person who will functionally be providing the exact same
information and help, go for it. the job in law school is to figure
out the best and most efficient process that will allow you to excel.
I wish you all the best.
PS, if you don't make, or don't try for law review, the world will go
on. I promise.

Laura


On 7/20/15, Stewart, Christopher K via blindlaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Michal,
>
> If you copy and paste the Bluebook citation from the online system
> into Microsoft Word, then hit Jaws key plus F, JAWS will read the
> attributes that the online editor fails to read. This primarily only
> applies to smallcaps, which you will not use in court documents, but
> you'll likely need to know for your research/writing course. And, of
> course, you should strive to be on law review.
>
> I completely disagree with the notion that reader would assist you.
> All a reader would do is strip you of your independence in these
> matters. I'm an editor on my school's top law review, and in speaking
> with my sighted friends, the process of sourcing and citing articles
> is time-consuming and tedious for everyone. In fact, the sighted folks
> have to go through character by character as well to insure, for
> instance, that periods are not in small caps.
>
> I'm a Bluebooking nerd, and I'd be happy to discuss the online edition
> with you. By the way, the online edition is really the only useful
> way, currently, to get really specific information with 100% accuracy.
>
> Best,
> Chris
>
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-- 
Laura Wolk
Notre Dame Law Review, Federal Courts and Submissions Editor, Vol. 91
Notre Dame Law School, J.D. Candidate, 2016
(484) 695-8234