YIKES! The Bluebook’s Generative AI Is Flawed – Despite its unpopularity and the availability of other citation manuals, The Bluebook remains widely used at many law schools to teach legal citation format to law students, and it is relied on by law reviews and courts. The twenty-second edition of The Bluebook was released in May …
Despite its unpopularity and the availability of other citation manuals, The Bluebook remains widely used at many law schools to teach legal citation format to law students, and it is relied on by law reviews and courts. The twenty-second edition of The Bluebook was released in May 2025. This new edition includes a new rule—Rule 18.3—that crafts a citation format for legal writers to use when citing generative artificial intelligence (“AI”). This Book Review by Prof. Jessica R. Gunder proceeds in three parts. First, it examines the purpose of citations in legal writing and identifies circumstances in which the citation of generative AI output is appropriate. Second, it considers what The Bluebook requires of authors using generative AI technology and why The Bluebook’s requirements are inappropriate, focusing on: (1) errors within Rule 18.3 itself; (2) the unreasonable burden Rule 18.3 imposes; (3) Rule 18.3’s incompatibility with how generative AI technology is actually used; and (4) how the requirements imposed by Rule 18.3 violate attorney-client confidentiality requirements and work product protections. Third, and finally, it discusses why The Bluebook’s flawed approach matters and how it might be addressed.
This semi-monthly column by Sabrina I. Pacifici highlights news, government documents, NGO/IGO papers, conferences, industry white papers and reports, academic papers and speeches, and central bank actions on the subject of AI’s fast paced impact on the banking and finance sectors. The chronological links provided are to the primary sources, and as available, indicate links to alternate free versions. Five highlights from this post: Job Cuts Driven By AI Are Rising On Wall Street; The $19.8 Billion Signal: What JPMorgan’s Tech Budget Tells Every Banking CEO; Understanding Firms’ AI Efforts and Their Economic Impact; 51% of U.S. Consumers Expect AI to Replace Financial Advisors; and Bloomberg, the OG of financial data firms, has a potent new AI agent.