Footnotes

Bench & Bar Kentucky, Vol. 68, No. 2, pp. 41-50, March 2004

2 Pages Posted: 8 Aug 2006

See all articles by Richard A. Bales

Richard A. Bales

Ohio Northern University - Pettit College of Law

Abstract

Academics footnote everything. Brief writers footnote nothing. Each has something to learn from the other. Overusing footnotes can distract the reader; lengthy or "walking" footnotes cause the reader to lose the point of the main text before the footnote ends. On the other hand, excessive textual citation makes prose very difficult to read; textual citations often substitute for transitions and make for poorly-written paragraphs. This essay offers tips for helping writers strive for a happy medium.

Keywords: Footnote, cite, citation, transition, legal writing

JEL Classification: K00

Suggested Citation

Bales, Richard A., Footnotes. Bench & Bar Kentucky, Vol. 68, No. 2, pp. 41-50, March 2004, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=922328

Richard A. Bales (Contact Author)

Ohio Northern University - Pettit College of Law ( email )

525 South Main Street
Ada, OH 45810
United States
419-772-2205 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://law.onu.edu/node/3073

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