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

...
multi-colored dragon
  08/21/05
I thought it was the standard for everythign?
Cerise house
  08/21/05
Apparently, it isn't. In fact, I see one space most places.
multi-colored dragon
  08/21/05
I always use two because that's what we were taught in typin...
Cerise house
  08/21/05
This is what I thought.
Startling rambunctious forum digit ratio
  08/22/05
Depends on the professor/partner. I always use 2, unless to...
sable station
  08/21/05
Everywhere? Or just for legal writing?
multi-colored dragon
  08/21/05
Yes. Formal papers
Pearly state
  08/21/05
I'm sorry. Are you using a TYPEWRITER? Didn't think so.
disrespectful duck-like tank orchestra pit
  08/21/05
It seems like the correct way should either be two spaces or...
Abusive Domesticated Native
  08/21/05
wtf are you talking about?
disgusting den round eye
  08/21/05
my head just exploded.
concupiscible address
  08/21/05
Is there a BLUEBOOK or ALWD rule on this? Anyone know?
chest-beating contagious garrison selfie
  08/21/05
No bluebook or ALWD as far as I know. also never seen court...
spectacular nursing home
  08/21/05
Most legal writing classes encourage using a style manual al...
dark thriller theatre fat ankles
  08/21/05
This is wrong. The most commonly used style manual in legal...
self-absorbed sick coffee pot
  08/22/05
1 is, per the BB and the CMS.
plum trailer park
  08/21/05
Where in the BB? I assume BB = Bluebook.
multi-colored dragon
  08/21/05
Yea.
plum trailer park
  08/21/05
On EVERY PAGE of the BB. Seriously. Open it. Look for a...
self-absorbed sick coffee pot
  08/22/05
Why would you use two spaces? Every word processing program ...
opaque unholy double fault
  08/21/05
2 spaces is not unheard of.
Fear-inspiring Cream Stain
  08/21/05
I've seen people use it and it always looks terrible. It's a...
opaque unholy double fault
  08/21/05
Okay, in my job, at a big NYC bank, when we wrote up contrac...
Cerise house
  08/21/05
I'm sure there are times where a period doesn't indicate the...
Abusive Domesticated Native
  08/21/05
kill youself for asking this.
canary party of the first part
  08/21/05
I decline to. But if I were you, I would definitely off mys...
multi-colored dragon
  08/21/05
Word gives you a little green squiggle if you don't use two ...
Racy Theater
  08/21/05
No, it only does that if you have it set to require two spac...
lime razzle police squad
  08/21/05
I didn't set my Word that way, and it requires two spaces.
Cerise house
  08/21/05
It may not come standard, but you can set it to require one ...
lime razzle police squad
  08/21/05
Its the default.
Racy Theater
  08/21/05
Yeah, but that doesn't mean it's mandatory. If you fiddle wi...
lime razzle police squad
  08/21/05
Your comment made me laugh. That would be funny if MSWord m...
Rebellious disturbing preventive strike
  08/21/05
Yeah, but I took the original post on this subject to be an ...
lime razzle police squad
  08/21/05
No, no, I didn't mean you did anything wrong. I agreed with...
Rebellious disturbing preventive strike
  08/21/05
Okay, I misinterpreted your post.
lime razzle police squad
  08/21/05
Why are you shivering?
Rebellious disturbing preventive strike
  08/21/05
It's set that way be default. Indeed, it only *doesn't* do ...
dark thriller theatre fat ankles
  08/21/05
That is a holdover from when people first switched to word p...
Rebellious disturbing preventive strike
  08/21/05
Two spaces after the period has always been standard and is ...
bat shit crazy institution alpha
  08/21/05
agreed.
Rebellious disturbing preventive strike
  08/21/05
I'm used to it, so I still do it. If I had to, it'd be a lo...
Trip Shitlib
  08/21/05
I'm surprised so many people seem to adhere to this outdated...
opaque unholy double fault
  08/21/05
Um, HTML displays multiple spaces as just one space. In fac...
Trip Shitlib
  08/21/05
it's not possible to use 2 spaces on here, so you wouldn't n...
excitant ultramarine resort
  08/21/05
Classic thread on this topic: http://www.xoxohth.com/thre...
orchid erotic step-uncle's house
  08/21/05
What the fuck so there is no standard?
chest-beating contagious garrison selfie
  08/21/05
nope. Old school texts even have like 5 spaces sometimes. ...
concupiscible address
  08/21/05
My menu at Ruth's Chris had at least four spaces between sen...
Rebellious disturbing preventive strike
  08/21/05
Do the 2 spaces in between my two front teeth count?
chest-beating contagious garrison selfie
  08/21/05
I have this old version of Don Quixote from like the 40's. ...
concupiscible address
  08/21/05
Does any one use the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Pa...
Pearly state
  08/21/05
Not I.
chest-beating contagious garrison selfie
  08/21/05
Apparently, neither do you use a grammar book.
Provocative apoplectic bawdyhouse hissy fit
  08/21/05
Apparently, you do not use grammar books either. tootles.
geriatric abode
  08/21/05
That's true; I don't. But my sentence looks all right to ...
Provocative apoplectic bawdyhouse hissy fit
  08/21/05
Your sentence was worse than his.
geriatric abode
  08/21/05
My sentence looks all right to me.
Provocative apoplectic bawdyhouse hissy fit
  08/21/05
Keep telling yourself that until you believe it.
geriatric abode
  08/22/05
I believe it.
Provocative apoplectic bawdyhouse hissy fit
  08/22/05
I read in some prominent place (perhaps the Chicago Manual o...
swashbuckling metal stage
  08/22/05
It's pretty clear that most print and electronic media use a...
Provocative apoplectic bawdyhouse hissy fit
  08/22/05
The Michigan Law Review only uses one space.
sexy passionate liquid oxygen messiness
  08/22/05
Almost all good law reviews use only one space. This is bec...
self-absorbed sick coffee pot
  08/22/05
I thought you clerked in CA. It's 5AM there.
Topaz Heady Electric Furnace Blood Rage
  08/22/05
wow, it's been hammered into my head for at least 10 years
stirring chapel idiot
  08/22/05


Poast new message in this thread





Date: August 21st, 2005 6:39 PM
Author: multi-colored dragon



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





Date: August 21st, 2005 6:40 PM
Author: Cerise house

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: multi-colored dragon

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: Cerise house

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: Startling rambunctious forum digit ratio

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: sable station

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: multi-colored dragon

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: Pearly state

Yes. Formal papers

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





Date: August 21st, 2005 6:42 PM
Author: disrespectful duck-like tank orchestra pit

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: Abusive Domesticated Native

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: disgusting den round eye

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: concupiscible address

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: chest-beating contagious garrison selfie

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: spectacular nursing home

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: dark thriller theatre fat ankles

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: self-absorbed sick coffee pot

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: plum trailer park

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: multi-colored dragon

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: plum trailer park

Yea.

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





Date: August 22nd, 2005 7:54 AM
Author: self-absorbed sick coffee pot

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: opaque unholy double fault

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: Fear-inspiring Cream Stain

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: opaque unholy double fault

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: Cerise house

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: Abusive Domesticated Native

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: canary party of the first part

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: multi-colored dragon

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: Racy Theater

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: lime razzle police squad

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: Cerise house

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: lime razzle police squad

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: Racy Theater

Its the default.

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





Date: August 21st, 2005 9:43 PM
Author: lime razzle police squad

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: Rebellious disturbing preventive strike

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: lime razzle police squad

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: Rebellious disturbing preventive strike

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: lime razzle police squad

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: Rebellious disturbing preventive strike

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: dark thriller theatre fat ankles

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: Rebellious disturbing preventive strike

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: bat shit crazy institution alpha

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: Rebellious disturbing preventive strike

agreed.

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





Date: August 21st, 2005 9:42 PM
Author: Trip Shitlib

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: opaque unholy double fault

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: Trip Shitlib

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: excitant ultramarine resort

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: orchid erotic step-uncle's house

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: chest-beating contagious garrison selfie

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: concupiscible address

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: Rebellious disturbing preventive strike

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: chest-beating contagious garrison selfie

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: concupiscible address

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: Pearly state

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: chest-beating contagious garrison selfie

Not I.

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





Date: August 21st, 2005 11:41 PM
Author: Provocative apoplectic bawdyhouse hissy fit

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: geriatric abode

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: Provocative apoplectic bawdyhouse hissy fit

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: geriatric abode

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: Provocative apoplectic bawdyhouse hissy fit

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: geriatric abode

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: Provocative apoplectic bawdyhouse hissy fit

I believe it.

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





Date: August 22nd, 2005 12:16 AM
Author: swashbuckling metal stage

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: Provocative apoplectic bawdyhouse hissy fit

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: sexy passionate liquid oxygen messiness

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: self-absorbed sick coffee pot

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: Topaz Heady Electric Furnace Blood Rage

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: stirring chapel idiot
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)