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McGill Style Guide (10th ed).

Footnotes

Footnotes are the most common form of citation in legal assignments, but professors may ask you for in-text citations in memoranda and facta. This guide shows examples for footnotes, so refer to your professor when in-text citations are required for your assignment. Footnotes appear at the bottom of each page any time you quote, summarize, or paraphrase from another source. A summary of footnote guidelines is provided in section 1.3 of the McGill Guide: 

In-Text Footnotes: 

  • Use superscript numbers within your sentences to cite sources. 
    • Example: Johnson explains that "insert quote".¹
  • Use superscripts at the end of sentences and after punctuation: 
    • Example. The authors' definition indicates²

Footnotes: 

Add footnotes at the bottom of the page near the cited text. For example: 

¹Patricia S. Knight, Ethics and Professional Practice for Paralegals, 5th ed (Toronto: Emond, 2020) at 10.

Combine footnotes when you refer to multiple sources in the same text using a semi-colon:

¹Patricia S. Knight, Ethics and Professional Practice for Paralegals, 5th ed (Toronto: Emond, 2020) at 10; Law Society of Ontario, Paralegal Rules of Conduct (Ontario: Law Society of Ontario, 2007) 3.01(1).

 

Bibliography

In addition to your footnotes, your professor may ask you to include a Bibliography in your assignment. Here are a few details to help you organize your paper: 

  • The bibliography appears on the final page of your assignment
  • Title your page "BIBLIOGRAPHY", and then centre the title
  • Divide your bibliography into sections such as Legislation, Jurisprudence, Secondary Materials, and Other Materials (if needed)
  • Divide sections into subsections (if appropriate) like Legislation: Canada, and Secondary Materials: Books
  • Section headings and subheadings appear centered on the page and capitalized
  • List your sources within each section in alphabetical order
  • Use a hanging indent for citations comprised of multiple lines
  • Single-space the page

Review section 1.1 for complete details of how to create bibliographies in McGill Style.

Your professor may have different citing expectations than library staff. Always check at the beginning of term and before starting assignments that the citing rules you are using are appropriate for your class.

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