School: The Bluebook Shuffle

One of the problems with going to law school (and, I suppose, college in general) is that the materials needed for class are not necessarily available throughout the U.S. Just because bookstores in your area carry a certain textbook doesn't mean you'll be able to find it several hundred miles away.

That's the conundrum that faced me when searching for "The Bluebook," a citation manual that I need for the law review write-on competition. I had used the ALWD manual in my classes, so I never picked up the Bluebook. The Bluebook is a nationally-used reference manual for lawyers, so I thought a regular bookstore might possibly carry it.

Not so. When I called Borders, the guy working there said he wasn't even sure if he could order it. Barnes & Noble gave the same story - none in stock for miles and miles. So a long trip to the FAU bookstore and $36 later, I finally have the Bluebook - and an appreciation of scarcity.