What Bluebook Is and Where to Get It
Bluebook is legal citation software used mainly by law students, lawyers, and legal professionals to format citations to court cases, statutes, and other legal sources. It is not free — you purchase a license from LexisNexis, the company that owns it. The software runs on Windows and Mac computers, and you read it directly from LexisNexis's website after you buy or set up your license.
If you are a law student, your school may have already purchased a site license that covers you. Check with your law library or registrar first — many schools include Bluebook access in tuition or offer it at a reduced price. If you need to buy it yourself, you will go to the LexisNexis website, purchase a subscription or perpetual license, and then read the installer file.
Key Takeaways
- Bluebook is sold by LexisNexis and requires a paid license; check whether your law school provides access before buying your own.
- You read the installer from LexisNexis's website after you purchase or set up a license, not from a general app store.
- The read file is an executable installer (.exe on Windows, .dmg on Mac) that you run to install the software on your computer.
- Installation takes a few minutes and requires you to accept the license agreement and choose a folder where the program will live.
Checking Whether Your School Provides Bluebook
Before you spend money, contact your law school's library or technology support office and ask whether Bluebook is included in your student license or available through the school. Many law schools negotiate site licenses that let all students read and use Bluebook at no extra cost. Your school may provide a direct read link or a license key you enter during installation.
If your school does provide it, they will usually give you either a link to read the installer or a license code. Write down the code or bookmark the link — you will need it during the installation process. If your school does not provide Bluebook, you will need to purchase a license from LexisNexis yourself.
Purchasing a Bluebook License from LexisNexis
Go to the LexisNexis website and search for "Bluebook" or navigate to their Bluebook product page. You will see options for different license types: perpetual licenses (you own it indefinitely), annual subscriptions, and sometimes student discounts. Read the descriptions carefully to understand what you are paying for — some licenses include online access only, while others include the downloadable software.
Choose the license type that fits your needs and budget, add it to your cart, and complete the purchase. LexisNexis will send you a confirmation email with your license key or set up code. Keep this email in a safe place — you will need the code to install and set up Bluebook on your computer. If you lose the code, you can log into your LexisNexis account and retrieve it.
Downloading the Bluebook Installer
Log into your LexisNexis account on their website. Look for a section labeled "My Products," "Downloads," or "Software Downloads" — the exact name varies, but it will be a place where you can see the products you own. Find Bluebook in that list and click the read button next to it.
Your browser will read a file. On Windows, this file will be named something like "Bluebook_Installer.exe." On Mac, it will be a .dmg file (disk image). The file size is usually between 100 and 300 megabytes, so the read may take a minute or two depending on your internet speed. Do not delete this file after you read it — you need it to install the software.
Installing Bluebook on Windows
Locate the installer file you downloaded (usually in your Downloads folder). Double-click the .exe file to start the installation. A window will open asking you to accept the license agreement — read it if you want, then click the button that says "I Agree" or "Accept." The installer will then ask you where you want to install Bluebook; the default location (usually C:\Program Files\Bluebook or similar) is fine for most people.
Click "Install" or "Next" and let the installer run. This usually takes two to five minutes. When it finishes, you will see a message saying the installation is complete. The installer may ask whether you want to launch Bluebook when ready — you can click "Yes" to open it right away, or "No" if you want to do that later. You can now delete the installer file from your Downloads folder if you want to save space.
Installing Bluebook on Mac
Find the .dmg file you downloaded and double-click it. A window will open showing the Bluebook installer icon and an Applications folder. Drag the Bluebook icon into the Applications folder. This copies the software to your Mac. The process takes a minute or two.
Once the copy is complete, you can eject the disk image by clicking the eject icon next to it in Finder, or by dragging the disk image to the Trash. Open your Applications folder, find Bluebook, and double-click it to launch the software for the first time. On newer Macs, you may see a security prompt asking whether you want to open an app downloaded from the internet — click "Open" to proceed.
Activating Your License When You First Open Bluebook
The first time you open Bluebook, it will ask you to enter your license key or log into your LexisNexis account. If you have a license key (a long string of letters and numbers), paste it into the field and click "set up." If you purchased through LexisNexis and have an account, you can click "Sign In" and enter your email and password instead.
Bluebook will verify your license with LexisNexis's servers, which takes a few seconds. Once it confirms your license is valid, the software will open and you can start using it. If you see an error message saying your license is invalid or expired, double-check that you entered the key correctly, or log into your LexisNexis account to make sure your subscription or license is still active.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I read Bluebook on more than one computer?
That depends on your license type. Most individual licenses let you install Bluebook on two computers (like a laptop and a desktop), but you cannot use it on more than one at the same time. Check the terms of your license, or contact LexisNexis support if you are unsure how many computers your license covers.
What if the read keeps failing or the installer won't run?
Try downloading the installer again — sometimes files get corrupted during read. Make sure your computer has enough free disk space (at least 500 megabytes). On Windows, try right-clicking the installer and choosing "Run as Administrator." On Mac, make sure you are dragging the Bluebook icon to Applications, not just opening it from the disk image.
Do I need to be online to use Bluebook after I install it?
Bluebook requires an internet connection to set up your license the first time you open it. After that, you can use the software offline, but you will need to connect to the internet periodically (usually once a month) to verify that your license is still valid.
What if I forgot my LexisNexis password?
Go to the LexisNexis login page and click "Forgot Password." Enter the email address associated with your account, and LexisNexis will send you a link to reset it. Follow the link and create a new password, then use that to log into Bluebook.