\
  The most prestigious law school admissions discussion board in the world.
BackRefresh Options Favorite

Is 2 spaces after a period the standard for legal writing?

...
transparent vivacious generalized bond stock car
  08/21/05
I thought it was the standard for everythign?
Exciting messiness codepig
  08/21/05
Apparently, it isn't. In fact, I see one space most places.
transparent vivacious generalized bond stock car
  08/21/05
I always use two because that's what we were taught in typin...
Exciting messiness codepig
  08/21/05
This is what I thought.
orchid sneaky criminal
  08/22/05
Depends on the professor/partner. I always use 2, unless to...
claret know-it-all feces dysfunction
  08/21/05
Everywhere? Or just for legal writing?
transparent vivacious generalized bond stock car
  08/21/05
Yes. Formal papers
razzle-dazzle stage immigrant
  08/21/05
I'm sorry. Are you using a TYPEWRITER? Didn't think so.
Pea-brained Talented Boiling Water
  08/21/05
It seems like the correct way should either be two spaces or...
Lascivious lemon hospital
  08/21/05
wtf are you talking about?
Supple Buck-toothed Marketing Idea Kitchen
  08/21/05
my head just exploded.
Chest-beating regret rigor
  08/21/05
Is there a BLUEBOOK or ALWD rule on this? Anyone know?
floppy obsidian love of her life personal credit line
  08/21/05
No bluebook or ALWD as far as I know. also never seen court...
mildly autistic lilac people who are hurt
  08/21/05
Most legal writing classes encourage using a style manual al...
Plum sanctuary
  08/21/05
This is wrong. The most commonly used style manual in legal...
Smoky step-uncle's house yarmulke
  08/22/05
1 is, per the BB and the CMS.
contagious narrow-minded theater stage travel guidebook
  08/21/05
Where in the BB? I assume BB = Bluebook.
transparent vivacious generalized bond stock car
  08/21/05
Yea.
contagious narrow-minded theater stage travel guidebook
  08/21/05
On EVERY PAGE of the BB. Seriously. Open it. Look for a...
Smoky step-uncle's house yarmulke
  08/22/05
Why would you use two spaces? Every word processing program ...
Coiffed Double Fault Area
  08/21/05
2 spaces is not unheard of.
sadistic peach telephone hell
  08/21/05
I've seen people use it and it always looks terrible. It's a...
Coiffed Double Fault Area
  08/21/05
Okay, in my job, at a big NYC bank, when we wrote up contrac...
Exciting messiness codepig
  08/21/05
I'm sure there are times where a period doesn't indicate the...
Lascivious lemon hospital
  08/21/05
kill youself for asking this.
Electric Address Knife
  08/21/05
I decline to. But if I were you, I would definitely off mys...
transparent vivacious generalized bond stock car
  08/21/05
Word gives you a little green squiggle if you don't use two ...
Brass Preventive Strike Fortuitous Meteor
  08/21/05
No, it only does that if you have it set to require two spac...
vigorous erotic brunch volcanic crater
  08/21/05
I didn't set my Word that way, and it requires two spaces.
Exciting messiness codepig
  08/21/05
It may not come standard, but you can set it to require one ...
vigorous erotic brunch volcanic crater
  08/21/05
Its the default.
Brass Preventive Strike Fortuitous Meteor
  08/21/05
Yeah, but that doesn't mean it's mandatory. If you fiddle wi...
vigorous erotic brunch volcanic crater
  08/21/05
Your comment made me laugh. That would be funny if MSWord m...
aggressive big-titted field
  08/21/05
Yeah, but I took the original post on this subject to be an ...
vigorous erotic brunch volcanic crater
  08/21/05
No, no, I didn't mean you did anything wrong. I agreed with...
aggressive big-titted field
  08/21/05
Okay, I misinterpreted your post.
vigorous erotic brunch volcanic crater
  08/21/05
Why are you shivering?
aggressive big-titted field
  08/21/05
It's set that way be default. Indeed, it only *doesn't* do ...
Plum sanctuary
  08/21/05
That is a holdover from when people first switched to word p...
aggressive big-titted field
  08/21/05
Two spaces after the period has always been standard and is ...
Glittery Den Mood
  08/21/05
agreed.
aggressive big-titted field
  08/21/05
I'm used to it, so I still do it. If I had to, it'd be a lo...
high-end topaz depressive
  08/21/05
I'm surprised so many people seem to adhere to this outdated...
Coiffed Double Fault Area
  08/21/05
Um, HTML displays multiple spaces as just one space. In fac...
high-end topaz depressive
  08/21/05
it's not possible to use 2 spaces on here, so you wouldn't n...
Apoplectic insane foreskin theater
  08/21/05
Classic thread on this topic: http://www.xoxohth.com/thre...
Stirring hairy legs
  08/21/05
What the fuck so there is no standard?
floppy obsidian love of her life personal credit line
  08/21/05
nope. Old school texts even have like 5 spaces sometimes. ...
Chest-beating regret rigor
  08/21/05
My menu at Ruth's Chris had at least four spaces between sen...
aggressive big-titted field
  08/21/05
Do the 2 spaces in between my two front teeth count?
floppy obsidian love of her life personal credit line
  08/21/05
I have this old version of Don Quixote from like the 40's. ...
Chest-beating regret rigor
  08/21/05
Does any one use the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Pa...
razzle-dazzle stage immigrant
  08/21/05
Not I.
floppy obsidian love of her life personal credit line
  08/21/05
Apparently, neither do you use a grammar book.
Tripping magical casino ape
  08/21/05
Apparently, you do not use grammar books either. tootles.
Ebony Anal Office
  08/21/05
That's true; I don't. But my sentence looks all right to ...
Tripping magical casino ape
  08/21/05
Your sentence was worse than his.
Ebony Anal Office
  08/21/05
My sentence looks all right to me.
Tripping magical casino ape
  08/21/05
Keep telling yourself that until you believe it.
Ebony Anal Office
  08/22/05
I believe it.
Tripping magical casino ape
  08/22/05
I read in some prominent place (perhaps the Chicago Manual o...
Salmon Degenerate
  08/22/05
It's pretty clear that most print and electronic media use a...
Tripping magical casino ape
  08/22/05
The Michigan Law Review only uses one space.
insecure elastic band organic girlfriend
  08/22/05
Almost all good law reviews use only one space. This is bec...
Smoky step-uncle's house yarmulke
  08/22/05
I thought you clerked in CA. It's 5AM there.
canary toilet seat
  08/22/05
wow, it's been hammered into my head for at least 10 years
thriller tanning salon water buffalo
  08/22/05


Poast new message in this thread





Date: August 21st, 2005 6:39 PM
Author: transparent vivacious generalized bond stock car



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3647324)





Date: August 21st, 2005 6:40 PM
Author: Exciting messiness codepig

I thought it was the standard for everythign?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3647329)





Date: August 21st, 2005 6:41 PM
Author: transparent vivacious generalized bond stock car

Apparently, it isn't. In fact, I see one space most places.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3647345)





Date: August 21st, 2005 6:44 PM
Author: Exciting messiness codepig

I always use two because that's what we were taught in typing class. One space after comma, two after period. I assumed it was like this for all types of formal writing.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3647372)





Date: August 22nd, 2005 5:18 AM
Author: orchid sneaky criminal

This is what I thought.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3650913)





Date: August 21st, 2005 6:40 PM
Author: claret know-it-all feces dysfunction

Depends on the professor/partner. I always use 2, unless told otherwise.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3647333)





Date: August 21st, 2005 6:41 PM
Author: transparent vivacious generalized bond stock car

Everywhere? Or just for legal writing?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3647346)





Date: August 21st, 2005 10:14 PM
Author: razzle-dazzle stage immigrant

Yes. Formal papers

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3648729)





Date: August 21st, 2005 6:42 PM
Author: Pea-brained Talented Boiling Water

I'm sorry. Are you using a TYPEWRITER? Didn't think so.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3647353)





Date: August 21st, 2005 6:51 PM
Author: Lascivious lemon hospital

It seems like the correct way should either be two spaces or either one or two spaces, but not one space.

Too many people have two spaces ingrained.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3647408)





Date: August 21st, 2005 9:13 PM
Author: Supple Buck-toothed Marketing Idea Kitchen

wtf are you talking about?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3648277)





Date: August 21st, 2005 9:17 PM
Author: Chest-beating regret rigor

my head just exploded.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3648301)





Date: August 21st, 2005 6:53 PM
Author: floppy obsidian love of her life personal credit line

Is there a BLUEBOOK or ALWD rule on this? Anyone know?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3647420)





Date: August 21st, 2005 7:10 PM
Author: mildly autistic lilac people who are hurt

No bluebook or ALWD as far as I know. also never seen court rules that say one or two. two is fine for everything, including legal writing.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3647488)





Date: August 21st, 2005 9:54 PM
Author: Plum sanctuary

Most legal writing classes encourage using a style manual along with the Bluebook. As far as I know, all the style manuals say two spaces after a period.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3648570)





Date: August 22nd, 2005 7:53 AM
Author: Smoky step-uncle's house yarmulke

This is wrong. The most commonly used style manual in legal writing is the Chicago Manual. While it doesn't have a rule one way or the other, the CMOS uses one space after a period, which suggests that you should too. Oh, and the Bluebook does too.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3650973)





Date: August 21st, 2005 7:53 PM
Author: contagious narrow-minded theater stage travel guidebook

1 is, per the BB and the CMS.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3647746)





Date: August 21st, 2005 7:54 PM
Author: transparent vivacious generalized bond stock car

Where in the BB? I assume BB = Bluebook.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3647756)





Date: August 21st, 2005 7:57 PM
Author: contagious narrow-minded theater stage travel guidebook

Yea.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3647771)





Date: August 22nd, 2005 7:54 AM
Author: Smoky step-uncle's house yarmulke

On EVERY PAGE of the BB.

Seriously. Open it. Look for a period. See how many spaces are after the period. There's your answer.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3650974)





Date: August 21st, 2005 8:21 PM
Author: Coiffed Double Fault Area

Why would you use two spaces? Every word processing program from the last 20 years has intelligent spacing built-in. Hit the spacebar one, unless you're using a typewriter or you've been asked specifically to make the document look like strange.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3647925)





Date: August 21st, 2005 8:23 PM
Author: sadistic peach telephone hell

2 spaces is not unheard of.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3647934)





Date: August 21st, 2005 8:25 PM
Author: Coiffed Double Fault Area

I've seen people use it and it always looks terrible. It's a holdover from the typewriter days -- some people don't realize it's not necessary on computer word processors.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3647944)





Date: August 21st, 2005 8:25 PM
Author: Exciting messiness codepig

Okay, in my job, at a big NYC bank, when we wrote up contracts for our clients, I KNOW we used 2 spaces.

I didn't know people didn't use 2 spaces. As I said above, this is what we were specifically taught in typing class (on a computer, not a typewriter).

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3647946)





Date: August 21st, 2005 9:12 PM
Author: Lascivious lemon hospital

I'm sure there are times where a period doesn't indicate the end of a sentence and two spaces would get rid of that ambiguity.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3648267)





Date: August 21st, 2005 9:17 PM
Author: Electric Address Knife

kill youself for asking this.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3648294)





Date: August 21st, 2005 9:23 PM
Author: transparent vivacious generalized bond stock car

I decline to. But if I were you, I would definitely off myself.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3648349)





Date: August 21st, 2005 9:27 PM
Author: Brass Preventive Strike Fortuitous Meteor

Word gives you a little green squiggle if you don't use two spaces.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3648383)





Date: August 21st, 2005 9:39 PM
Author: vigorous erotic brunch volcanic crater

No, it only does that if you have it set to require two spaces.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3648450)





Date: August 21st, 2005 9:40 PM
Author: Exciting messiness codepig

I didn't set my Word that way, and it requires two spaces.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3648458)





Date: August 21st, 2005 9:41 PM
Author: vigorous erotic brunch volcanic crater

It may not come standard, but you can set it to require one space and it will give you a green squiggle if there are two.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3648471)





Date: August 21st, 2005 9:41 PM
Author: Brass Preventive Strike Fortuitous Meteor

Its the default.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3648470)





Date: August 21st, 2005 9:43 PM
Author: vigorous erotic brunch volcanic crater

Yeah, but that doesn't mean it's mandatory. If you fiddle with the settings, it asks specifically if you want one space or two. I have it set for one.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3648486)





Date: August 21st, 2005 9:47 PM
Author: aggressive big-titted field

Your comment made me laugh. That would be funny if MSWord mandated things like this. "If you want to use our program you must always use two spaces after a period and you must never begin a sentence with but or because."

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3648521)





Date: August 21st, 2005 9:49 PM
Author: vigorous erotic brunch volcanic crater

Yeah, but I took the original post on this subject to be an argument for two spaces after periods. I'm just saying that you can easily set the program to do something else, so it proves nothing.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3648534)





Date: August 21st, 2005 9:51 PM
Author: aggressive big-titted field

No, no, I didn't mean you did anything wrong. I agreed with your post. I just thought it raised a very funny point and I thought maybe you had done it on purpose.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3648543)





Date: August 21st, 2005 9:53 PM
Author: vigorous erotic brunch volcanic crater

Okay, I misinterpreted your post.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3648562)





Date: August 21st, 2005 9:53 PM
Author: aggressive big-titted field

Why are you shivering?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3648564)





Date: August 21st, 2005 9:55 PM
Author: Plum sanctuary

It's set that way be default. Indeed, it only *doesn't* do that if you change the settings.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3648578)





Date: August 21st, 2005 9:41 PM
Author: aggressive big-titted field

That is a holdover from when people first switched to word processing software. People were too confused by the apparently sudden need to only space once. You can fix it in your spelling & grammar options, the same place you can choose whether to have a comma before the and in a list (i.e. a bat, a ball, and a glove). I found out about this earlier in the summer and after researching it online, one space appears to be the rule for all normal documents unless, of course, you are actually typing them on a typewriter. As for the contracts at the NYC bank, contracts are sometimes different from normal documents. On the other hand, there is an element of preference. Some people always use full-justified and some people always use left-justified, which is correct?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3648474)





Date: August 21st, 2005 9:42 PM
Author: Glittery Den Mood

Two spaces after the period has always been standard and is standard for legal writing. HOWEVER, all word processing programs make the space slightly larger after a period, which was intended to eliminate the need to add an extra space. HOWEVER, people were so used to adding two spaces that the practice is still common, which has made the "correct" way to do it impossible to determine.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3648477)





Date: August 21st, 2005 9:43 PM
Author: aggressive big-titted field

agreed.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3648482)





Date: August 21st, 2005 9:42 PM
Author: high-end topaz depressive

I'm used to it, so I still do it. If I had to, it'd be a lot easier to turn all the double spaces into single ones than the other way around.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3648479)





Date: August 21st, 2005 10:10 PM
Author: Coiffed Double Fault Area

I'm surprised so many people seem to adhere to this outdated convention, yet nobody ever uses two spaces on here. If there really was a "right" way to it or a difference in legibility, why wouldn't people use two spaces in everything they wrote?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3648685)





Date: August 21st, 2005 11:44 PM
Author: high-end topaz depressive

Um, HTML displays multiple spaces as just one space. In fact I just used two spaces after that last period. You can see this if you view the source HTML for this page. I'm also not the only person who did this.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3649461)





Date: August 21st, 2005 11:45 PM
Author: Apoplectic insane foreskin theater

it's not possible to use 2 spaces on here, so you wouldn't notice even if people were typing them.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3649466)





Date: August 21st, 2005 9:47 PM
Author: Stirring hairy legs

Classic thread on this topic:

http://www.xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=26343&mc=121&forum_id=2

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3648525)





Date: August 21st, 2005 10:12 PM
Author: floppy obsidian love of her life personal credit line

What the fuck so there is no standard?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3648708)





Date: August 21st, 2005 10:13 PM
Author: Chest-beating regret rigor

nope. Old school texts even have like 5 spaces sometimes. Its weird.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3648719)





Date: August 21st, 2005 10:14 PM
Author: aggressive big-titted field

My menu at Ruth's Chris had at least four spaces between sentences.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3648722)





Date: August 21st, 2005 10:15 PM
Author: floppy obsidian love of her life personal credit line

Do the 2 spaces in between my two front teeth count?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3648737)





Date: August 21st, 2005 10:15 PM
Author: Chest-beating regret rigor

I have this old version of Don Quixote from like the 40's. Sometimes there will be like 6 spaces inbetween sentences.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3648745)





Date: August 21st, 2005 10:17 PM
Author: razzle-dazzle stage immigrant

Does any one use the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (5th/6th edition)?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3648762)





Date: August 21st, 2005 10:18 PM
Author: floppy obsidian love of her life personal credit line

Not I.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3648770)





Date: August 21st, 2005 11:41 PM
Author: Tripping magical casino ape

Apparently, neither do you use a grammar book.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3649424)





Date: August 21st, 2005 11:42 PM
Author: Ebony Anal Office

Apparently, you do not use grammar books either.

tootles.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3649438)





Date: August 21st, 2005 11:43 PM
Author: Tripping magical casino ape

That's true; I don't.

But my sentence looks all right to me.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3649452)





Date: August 21st, 2005 11:47 PM
Author: Ebony Anal Office

Your sentence was worse than his.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3649487)





Date: August 21st, 2005 11:51 PM
Author: Tripping magical casino ape

My sentence looks all right to me.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3649521)





Date: August 22nd, 2005 12:00 AM
Author: Ebony Anal Office

Keep telling yourself that until you believe it.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3649578)





Date: August 22nd, 2005 12:03 AM
Author: Tripping magical casino ape

I believe it.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3649597)





Date: August 22nd, 2005 12:16 AM
Author: Salmon Degenerate

I read in some prominent place (perhaps the Chicago Manual of Style) that one space is appropriate. Two spaces harken back to the days of typewriters.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3649676)





Date: August 22nd, 2005 12:17 AM
Author: Tripping magical casino ape

It's pretty clear that most print and electronic media use at most one full space.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3649680)





Date: August 22nd, 2005 6:47 AM
Author: insecure elastic band organic girlfriend

The Michigan Law Review only uses one space.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3650955)





Date: August 22nd, 2005 7:55 AM
Author: Smoky step-uncle's house yarmulke

Almost all good law reviews use only one space. This is because almost all professional publications and presses use only one space.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3650975)





Date: August 22nd, 2005 8:04 AM
Author: canary toilet seat

I thought you clerked in CA. It's 5AM there.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3650979)





Date: August 22nd, 2005 8:23 AM
Author: thriller tanning salon water buffalo
Subject: wow, it's been hammered into my head for at least 10 years

for two spaces. i've gone back into documents and added spaces to mine and even others while editing.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=244569&forum_id=2#3650984)