URL for Legal cases

Through the firefox plugin , I have built a collection of law cases in my library, and these include URL reference links to the case in Google Scholar . When I build the bibliography, the cases appear, but without that URL link reference. If I included the case as a web page, then the link would appear. But then the citation in the body yext format is incorrect for a legal case.

Ideally all references with a URL would be hyperlinked to that reference which I understand would be a new feature.

Instead, I would like to edit the csl style format so that it includes the url in the bibliography. Then I can run a macro to convert that url into a link.

Is there an easy way to force zotero to include the URL field in the bibliography for a given style in the category legal case? Thanks.



  • This is controlled by your citation style. What style are you using?
  • edited November 20, 2021
    I've tried various styles and none of them attach a URL for a legal case citation in the bibliography. I could include the legal case as a web page or blog but then the legal citation in the paper would be the wrong format.

    So as II understand it, the URL is in the record (in the library's collection), but the style does not show the url as the style dictates otherwise. SO I'm guessing that I must edit the style to show the right cite format AND to include the uurl in the biblio ?

    For example, in the JM Indigo book for Juris M for webpage cites the xml is:

    <choose>
    <if match="none" position="near-note">
    <choose>
    <if type="post post-weblog article-magazine webpage">
    <group delimiter=" ">
    <text variable="URL"/>
    <choose>
    <if type="webpage">
    <text variable="references" prefix="(" suffix=")"/>
    <group delimiter=" " prefix="(" suffix=")">
    <text value="last visited"/>
    <date variable="accessed" form="text" date-parts="year-month-day"/>
    </group>
    </if>
    </choose>
    </group>
    </if>




    this is telling the style to include the url


    this snippet below defines something for the category legal-case:


    <macro name="citation">
    <choose>
    <if>
    <conditions match="all">
    <condition match="any" type="legal_case legislation bill hearing report regulation patent"/>
    <condition match="all" variable="jurisdiction"/>
    </conditions>
    <text macro="jurism"/>
    </if>




    if someone knows about editing the style xml, can I just insert the 'legal-case' type into the first code so that it turns on the url in the biblio?

    thank u..
  • moderator, please delete the above two comments. My pasted xml code content does not show up.

    the example is from htttps://juris-m.github.io/styles/

    I can use any zotero only style if it gives a proper legal citation and a url in the biblio.

    thank u.
  • Use APA style. It includes the URL for legal cases
  • The APA cite will be enclosed in parentheses (incorrect format), but if I build the biblio. with that style , i will get the url, then I can reformat with the now available link, and then return to a legal citation style. This will work.

    Thank you.




  • Rather than changing your style, you can always just modify your existing style to include the URL (or really, anything else you need to customise). Just upload your existing style to the Visual CSL Editor (https://editor.citationstyles.org/visualEditor/) and modify the style there. For example, my legal citation style has a macro called 'URL' and one of the conditions is that it doesn't display if it is a legal case - if you remove that condition, your style will work as you want. Then you just need to save and install your updated style locally.
  • @crestetson You said any style with the URL would be fine.

    I’d you have other style requirements, please say so. What style generally do you want to use? We can tell you how to edit it to include the URL.
  • Retrying this againwithJuris M , IndigoBook (for law reviews),

    and IndigoBook (for legal memoranda)

    cls files are downloadable links from this site

    https://juris-m.github.io/styles/

    It looks like the this would allow a URL if I could understand the logic.

    ' choose>
    ' if>
    ' conditions match="all">
    ' condition type="legal_case" match="any"/>
    ' condition match="none" variable="archive container-title collection-' 'number"/>
    ' /conditions>
    ' text variable="URL"/>
    ' /if>

    But I don't see those fields, eg archive, in the legal case input fields?

    BTW there are so many law cases on google scholar now that this would be extremely useful to the entire law community.

    alternatively, Anyone know how to contact the author Frank Bennett?

    thank you.
  • re: joycekwc

    The JurisM csl Indigo Book Law Review csl

    at https://juris-m.github.io/styles/

    had the following error:

    Citeproc initialisation exception: TypeError: CSL.Attributes[attrname] is undefined

    when uploading to https://editor.citationstyles.org/visualEditor/
Sign In or Register to comment.