This style guide identifies the rules, conventions, usage, and preferred spellings that are commonly used in University of Wisconsin Law School publications. The style guide is intended to provide stylistic consistency by choosing among various correct but alternative rules of spelling, capitalization, hyphenation, punctuation, etc., and by documenting those choices. Stylistic consistency enables writers and editors to work more efficiently, and it helps readers to concentrate on content without being distracted by variations in how rules and conventions are applied from one page to the next and from one publication to another.
We hope that you find this style guide useful. Remember that the guidelines below are not rigid rules and that, like the English language itself, this style guide will change over time. When the guidelines assist you, use them. When they present problems, make judicious but consistently applied exceptions.
Related:
General Style Matters
In general, follow The Associated Press Stylebook and Merriam-Webster dictionary.
Introduce abbreviations as follows: Legal Education Opportunities (LEO). Note that there are no quotation marks around the abbreviation.
Style Guide (1)‡
A
For most references, use law degree, bachelor's degree, master's degree, or doctorate in place of degree abbreviations. Bachelor of arts degree or master of fine arts degree is also acceptable. Use abbreviations only when necessary to distinguish the specific type of degree or when the use of full terms would prove cumbersome, such as in a list: She received her J.D. from Marquette and an LL.M. in taxation from Georgetown. He has an M.D. as well as a Ph.D. in biochemistry. Use commonly accepted abbreviations such as J.D., LL.B., LL.M., LL.D., B.A., M.A., M.S., Ph.D., etc. (note the periods). The word degree should not follow a degree abbreviation. See honors concerning terms of academic distinction used with degrees; see majors for referring to degrees in specific subjects.
Capitalize name of department and the words department, college, office, and school only when they appear as part of official name. Words such as department can be omitted on second reference, but if the department is still referred to by its official name, it should be capitalized. On the other hand, casual references to a department, where department is used as a descriptor, usually don't need to be capitalized: Department of Political Science; but a political science committee, the political science department. Do not capitalize department names when they are used to indicate the subject a professor teaches: Department of Anthropology, Dave Brown of Anthropology; but Dave Brown, professor of anthropology. Do not capitalize the words college, school, university, or department on second reference: College of Letters and Science, Law School, UW-Madison; but the college, the school, the university.
academic staff
Use only for employees officially designated as academic staff: Members of the academic staff, academic-staff member Jane Black.
Academic Staff Executive Committee (ASEC)
The executive arm of the Academic Staff Assembly.
academic titles
Capitalize and spell out formal titles such as professor, dean, president, chancellor, professor emeritus, and chairman only when they precede a name; lowercase when used in apposition: Dean Davis; Professor Julian Pleasants. But history professor Julian Pleasants; Julian Pleasants, professor of history; department chair Jon Roosenraad.
Do not capitalize ad hoc epithets that denote a person's duties: photographer Ann Wilson (not Photographer Ann Wilson).
See named professorships for the exception regarding formal named professor titles. See also emeritus.
according to
Use only when citing documents or other nonhuman sources.
acknowledgment
acronyms
Acronyms may be used to refer to an organization on second and subsequent references. In the first reference to the organization, set out the acronym parenthetically: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF). If an organization's acronym is widely known, use the acronym for all references: IRS, FBI, CIA, CBS. (For further examples, see specific headings.) In general, use capital letters without periods for acronyms that are composed of the first letter of each word in the official name: NAACP, NLRB. If the acronym is a combination of words, capitalize only the first letter of each word: WiscInfo.
Acceptable in all references for the college entrance exam American College Test. See also LSAT; SAT.
acting
Always lowercase, but capitalize any formal title if it comes before a name: acting Dean Peter Barry.
Use street addresses only for off-campus events and for announcements of events to off-campus audiences. Use the abbreviations Ave., Blvd. and St. only with a numbered address: 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Spell them out and capitalize when part of a formal street name without a number: Pennsylvania Avenue.
Lowercase and spell out when used alone or with more than one street name: Massachusetts and Pennsylvania avenues.
All similar words (alley, drive, road, terrace, etc.) always are spelled out. Capitalize them when part of a formal name without a number; lowercase when used alone or with two or more names.
Always use figures for an address number: 9 Morningside Circle. Spell out and capitalize First through Ninth when used as street names; use figures for 10th and above: 7 Fifth Ave., 100 21st St.
Abbreviate compass points used to indicate directional ends of a street or quadrants of a city in a numbered address: 222 E. 42nd St., 562 W. 43rd St., 600 K St. NW. Do not abbreviate if the number is omitted: East 42nd Street, West 43rd Street, K Street Northwest. No periods in quadrant abbreviations — NW, SE — unless customary locally.
adjunct
Title used for faculty with limited-term appointments. Although the University uses the term adjunct professor, the Law School does not. Use adjunct, lecturer or member of the adjunct faculty.
admission, admittance
Use admittance for physical entry to a specific place: no admittance to Ogg Hall. Use admission for figurative entry (admission of evidence) or, when physical entry is involved, in the further sense of right or privilege of participation: admission to law school, the price of admission to Mitchell Theatre.
Admissions, admissions office
Acceptable on second reference for the Law School Admissions Office.
Admitted Students Weekend
Use the plural students.
adviser
Not advisor.
affect, effect
Each is a verb and a noun. Affect is almost always a verb and effect most often a noun: drugs that affect the nervous system; the effect of drugs on the nervous system; his complaint had no effect on the dean. Effect as a verb means to bring about a change; affect as a noun signifies a feeling or emotion.
afterward
Not afterwards.
African-American Acceptable for an American black person of African descent. Black is also acceptable. The terms are not necessarily interchangeable. People from Caribbean nations, for example, generally refer to themselves as Caribbean-American. Follow a person's preference. See nationalities and races and race.
agreed-upon
As adjective.
AIDS
all right
Never alright. Hyphenate only as unit modifier: he is an all-right student.
alma mater
ALS
Acceptable in all references to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, otherwise known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
These are often interchangeable. Although is most often the first word of a concessive clause: Although she was tired, she accepted. Though does not always come first: Tired though she was, she accepted. Though is more commonly used to link single words or phrases: wiser though poorer.
alumni association
Acceptable on second reference for the Wisconsin Alumni Association or for alumni associations of specific schools or colleges: the Law School's alumni association. See Wisconsin Alumni Association.
alumnus, alumni, alumna, alumnae
Use alumnus (alumni in the plural) when referring to a man who has attended a school. Use alumna (alumnae in the plural) for similar references to a woman. Use alumni when referring to groups of men and women. In most informal uses, alum is an acceptable alternative. These terms can be used for people who attended and did not graduate.
a.m., p.m.
Amendment
Capitalize when referring to amendments of the U.S. Constitution. Spell out the numbers one through nine; use numerals for 10 and above: Fourth Amendment; 14th Amendment. See also Constitution, U.S.
American College Test
ACT is acceptable on all references.
American Indian
See Native American.
American Indian Studies Program
America's Dairyland
ampersand
Use only as part of an official name (Eli Lilly & Co.) or abbreviation (L&S). Do not use as a substitute for and.
among
See between.
antidiscrimination
antitrust, antitrust law
anybody, any body, anyone, any one
One word for an indefinite reference: anyone can do it. Two words when the emphasis is on singling out one element of a group: any one of them can do it.
armed forces
Armory/Gymnasium
See Red Gym.
Journal articles, stories in a newspaper or magazine, book chapters, and other portions of a published work should be enclosed in quotation marks. See also composition titles.
as
See like.
Preferred term for Americans of Asian descent. Hyphenate as adjective or noun. As with term African-American, we are following New York Times style, to clearly distinguish Asian from Asian-American.
Asian/Pacific Islander
Asian Pacific-American Law Students Association (APALSA)
assembly
Use assembly on second reference to refer to the Wisconsin State Assembly. If there may be confusion, use state assembly for the state legislative body.
assure, ensure, insure
A person assures (makes promises to, convinces) other persons and ensures (makes certain) that things occur or that events take place. Insure means to establish a contract for insurance of some type. Any predicates beginning with that should be introduced by the verb ensure, if the verb is in the active voice. [Garner, Dictionary of Modern American Usage]
at-will, at will
Hyphenate before noun, not after.
Attorney
Capitalize as title before person's name.
attorney-client
Adjective, as in attorney-client privilege.
attorney fees
Not attorney's fees.
attorney-in-fact
All opinions, predictions, interpretations, and statements derived from a speaker's expertise should be attributed through direct or indirect quotation to the speaker. In most cases, a form of to say is the best form of attribution; present tense (says) is preferred to past (said). According to should not be used to attribute thoughts to a speaker. See quotations for additional rules on quoting speakers.
audio-visual
bachelor's degree
Use instead of abbreviations for most references. See academic degrees.
back pay
Two words, no hyphen, as noun and adjective.
backup
bad faith
As adjective, two words, no hyphen.
Badgers
Official team name of UW men's and women's athletic teams. Acceptable as a substitute for UW on second reference for athletic teams or athletes: the Badgers host Minnesota, Badger athletes. Do not use to refer to other parts of the university or the state.
Benchers Society
No apostrophe. On second reference, can use Benchers.
benefit
Not benefits as adjective: employee benefit issues.
benefiting, benefited
Use between to show relationship between two objects; use among when more than two objects are involved.
Big 10
Use Big 10 to refer to the 11 schools that make up the athletic conference by the same name (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, and Wisconsin). Using Big 10 in academic references is acceptable in some cases: Chancellors of Big 10 universities; other schools in the Big 10. However, some UW-Madison peer groups include more than just Big 10 schools (see CIC, for example). Be sure to include other schools if this is the case.
BioStar Initiative
Capital S.
black
Acceptable for quotes or names of organizations. Use African-American for all other references.
Black Law Students Association (BLSA)
black-letter
A 17-member panel that oversees the UW System. Use UW System Board of Regents on first reference and regents or board on second reference. Regents are appointed by the governor and are led by a president.
book titles
In general, set in italics.
See composition titles.
braille
Lowercase.
breach-of-contract
As an adjective, use hyphens.
burden-of-proof
As an adjective, use hyphens.
Bucky Badger
Use only for specific references to the UW's mascot.
buildings
Capitalize official names of campus facilities. On second reference, lowercase when proper name is not used: the Mosse Humanities Building; but the building. Include street addresses only when citing the location of an off-campus event or for an event for off-campus audiences. In some cases, building may be used to prevent confusion with the academic department of the same name; do not capitalize building in these cases (Law School, Law School building), but in most cases building names can stand alone (Grainger Hall, School of Human Ecology).
business, firm names
As of 2014, we no longer include entity type (PC, LLC, etc.); this is inline with common formatting standards. For example, use Smith & Jones, not Smith & Jones, LLC.
- The phrase and title “of counsel” is lowercase.
bylaws
by-product
calendar-year
Adjective. Use hyphen.
Camp Randall
Camp Randall, located on campus west of Randall Avenue, was used as a training ground, hospital, and stockade during the Civil War. The university's athletic facilities are located on the site of Camp Randall, along with a park and a memorial arch. Be sure to distinguish Camp Randall Stadium, the UW football stadium, from Camp Randall.
campus
Resist the temptation to use campus as a substitute for UW-Madison. The word is best used where it refers to the physical setting of the university: construction on campus, but not drinking on campus unless you mean within the physical bounds of campus; advising at UW-Madison, but not advising on UW-Madison's campus.
Campus Assistance and Visitors Center (CAVC)
Housed in the Red Gym, the CAVC runs the visitors center, as well as other services such as campus tours, group visits, and information requests. When directing people to its visitor offices, use visitors center.
can, may
Can is used to indicate ability to do something, may to ask, grant, or deny permission to do it.
cancelled, cancelling
cannot
One word.
Capital is the city in which the seat of government is located. It is also used to describe money, equipment, or property: Capital Square; capital budget; The state capital is Madison. Capitol is the building in which state or federal government is housed. See capitol.
Capital Square
capitalization
In general, avoid unnecessary capital letters. Use a capital letter only if you can justify it by one of the principles listed here. Many words and phrases, including special cases, are listed separately. If there is no relevant listing for a particular word or phrase, consult a dictionary.
Proper nouns: Capitalize nouns that identify a specific person, place, or thing: Heather, Atlanta, Africa.
Proper names: Capitalize common nouns such as party, river, street, west, college, and university when they are an integral part of the full name for a person, place, or thing: Democratic Party, Potomac River, Fleet Street, West Virginia, College of Letters and Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Lowercase when they stand alone in subsequent references: the party, the river, the street, the college, the university. In general, capitalize common nouns when used in the plural if they would be capitalized in singular form for all proper names: Mississippi and Missouri Rivers; Mounts McKinley, St. Helens, and Rainier; Main and State Streets; National and Warner Theaters.
Titles: Capitalize formal titles when used immediately before a name. Lowercase formal titles when used alone or in constructions that set them off from a name by commas. Governor McCallum, Mayors Giuliani and Dinkins; Tammy Baldwin, congresswoman from Wisconsin.
See also academic titles.
capitol
The building in which state or federal government is housed. Use lowercase for state houses; capitalize for the building in Washington, DC: The state budget debate will head to the capitol. The Capitol was closed because of the anthrax scare. Also, Capitol Hill; but Capital Square (in Madison). See also capital.
casebook
case file
case law
caseload
case work
Celsius
See temperatures; see also metric system.
Center for Patient Partnerships
Formerly the Patient Advocacy Project. Law School clinic, jointly run with Medical and Nursing Schools.
centers
Use lowercase when not referring to the full name of an academic or research center: the Campus Assistance Center; but the center.
central daylight time, central standard time
When spelled out, use lowercase. CDT and CST are also acceptable.
century
See days, months, years. Spell out first through ninth centuries and use numbers for 10th and above, with century in lowercase: fourth-century technology; the 20th century.
CEO
Acceptable on first reference for chief executive officer.
chair
Alternative to chairman or chairwoman: department chair.
chancellor
Capitalize as a formal title preceding a name or part of a formal office or committee name. Lowercase second reference: Chancellor John Wiley, the Chancellor's Office; but the chancellor will attend. Use just last name on second reference, no title.
child care
As adjective, no hyphen.
child support
As adjective, no hyphen.
In general, include state names with cities outside Wisconsin. The following major cities do not require state names:
Atlanta
Baltimore
Boston
Chicago
Cincinnati
Cleveland
Dallas
Denver
Detroit
Honolulu
Houston
Indianapolis
Las Vegas
Los Angeles
Miami
Milwaukee
Minneapolis
New Orleans
New York
Oklahoma City
Philadelphia
Phoenix
Pittsburgh
St. Louis
Salt Lake City
San Antonio
San Diego
San Francisco
Seattle
Washington
(Add DC if it would be confusing not to do so:
Washington, DC
For some cities in Wisconsin, a state name may not be necessary if it is obvious that the city is in the state: The UW System Board of Regents will meet on the River Falls campus. Faculty touring the state visited a Portage farm. In publications distributed to an in-state or primarily in-state audience, the following cities can stand alone: Appleton, Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Green Bay, Kenosha, La Crosse, Madison, Milwaukee, Oshkosh, Platteville, Racine, and Wausau.
class action
As adjective, no hyphen.
classes
A class is a single meeting of students enrolled in a course. See course titles.
class years for students and alumni
Capitalize Class if it is used, with graduation year in full: She is a member of the Class of 1985.
For identifying people by class when they are known to be students or alumni: Joan Smith '85, Peter Jones '02 (no comma, no parentheses).
classroom
clean up, cleanup
Use clean up (two words) as a verb; use cleanup (one word) as a noun or adjective.
clerk of court
Not clerk of courts.
close, near
Close is preferred when immediate proximity is meant: the ball came close to hitting you; but the demonstration was near Library Mall.
co-author
co-defendant
coed
Coed residence halls house students of both sexes. Never use to refer to a female college student.
co-employee
collectible
Not collectable.
collective bargaining
As adjective, no hyphen.
collective nouns
Collective nouns, such as committee, group, faculty, and staff can be used in singular and plural senses. Use singular when the term refers to the whole unit: The French faculty meets regularly with the other language faculties. The committee is scheduled to vote Thursday. Use plural form when the term refers to individual members within the collective: The faculty are divided. The staff sometimes disagree among themselves.
college
Capitalize only as part of a formal title on first reference. See academic departments.
College of Letters and Science (L&S)
Colleges
Use UW Colleges on all collective references to these 13 two-center campuses. See UW Colleges.
committee
Capitalize names of specific committees and task forces: The Committee on Undergraduate Education met yesterday. Lowercase second references: The task force selected the guest speakers.
In general, use italics for the following: titles of books, pamphlets, movies, plays, and works of art; newspapers, journals, and other periodicals; and operas and long musical compositions.
In addition, use italics for titles of televison programs that are continuing series; use quotation marks, however, to refer to a nonseries program or a single episode: Her favorite episode of The Simpsons is "Marge vs. the Monorail."
In general, use quotation marks for titles of poems, songs, and unpublished works such as lectures and speeches. But, use italics for titles of poetry collections and long poems published separately: Paradise Lost; "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," from Prufrock and Other Observations.
Use plain roman type for references to the Bible.
Capitalize the first and last words and all principal words (nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs) of a title. In addition, capitalize all subordinating conjunctions (if, because, as, that, etc.). Capitalize prepositions of five or more letters; use lowercase for prepositions of four or fewer letters. Use lowercase for articles, coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, for, nor), and the to in infinitives: Of Mice and Men; All's Well That Ends Well; "Everybody's Got Something to Hide (Except for Me and My Monkey)."
Translate a foreign title into English unless a work is known to the American public by its foreign name: Vivaldi's The Four Seasons; but Verdi's La Traviata.
See also course titles, articles, and lectures for more guidelines.
conclusory
Acceptable to use in sense of "expressing a mere conclusion of fact without stating the specific facts upon which the conclusion is based." [Garner]
conflict of interest
As a noun, no hyphens. Use hyphens as an adjective: The partner raised several conflict-of-interest concerns.
conflict of law
As a noun, no hyphens. Use hyphens as an adjective.
Constitution, U.S.
Capitalize all subparts: Article I, Section 8, Clause 17. [Bluebook Rule 8]
See also Amendment.
Constitution, Wisconsin
Lowercase all subparts: article VII, section 2 [implied by Bluebook Rule 8]
Consumer Law Litigation Clinic
Law School clinical program.
contact, call
Use contact when describing how to get in touch with a specific person or office: Contact Helen Jones, 262-8000, hjones@facstaff.wisc.edu. Contact the office at 262-8000. Use call when only a phone number is listed: Call 262-8000 for information.
Continuing Legal Education for Wisconsin (CLEW)
Lowercase when referring to multiple courses or courses in general: a fine-arts class; business classes. Uppercase if referring to specific name of a class or the class uses a proper noun or numeral: Psychology 200; History 205: Early American History; the professor teaches Introduction to Political Theory and a section of Government Affairs.
course work
In general, do not use the courtesy titles Miss, Mr., Mrs., or Ms. with first and last names of the person: Betty Ford; Jimmy Carter. Do not use Mr. in any reference unless it is combined with Mrs.: Mr. and Mrs. John Smith; Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Do not use titles such as Professor, Chancellor, Doctor, or Dr. on second reference. [Chicago does not address this issue; this rule is a departure from AP style, which suggests using Dr. with medical doctors.]
co-worker
Criminal Appeals Project
Clinical program in the Law School's Remington Center.
criminal justice
As adjective, no hyphen: criminal justice issues.
currently, presently
Often can delete these words because verb tense makes meaning clear. Currently means now; presently means in the very near future.
curriculum
Curricula in plural form.
curriculum vitae
Academic equivalent of a résumé. Do not use CV or vita. Plural is curricula vitae. Note that both singular and plural include form vitae.
cutlines
Use parentheses to denote position of persons in cutlines. For large groups use from left before the first name: James Lawson (center), professor of history, answers a question posed by Tina Swanson (right); Band members (from left) Julie Thomas, Bill Davis, etc.
D
dashes
Long dashes—called em dashes—can be used to interject a clause into an otherwise complete sentence: He looked for an answer—working days and nights—without finding one.
- For web and email, follow AP Style: no spaces between the em dash and the text that precedes and follows it.
- For print projects, follow Chicago Style: insert a space before and after the dash.
Use en dashes to indicate inclusive numbers, dates, etc.: Orientation week runs from August 25-29
dates
Spell out months and days of the week, except in closely set matter such as tables and lists: Tuesday, August 9; September 15, 1991. Never use a comma between the month and year when a specific day is not mentioned; the same applies for seasons: September 2001; fall 1991. The year should be set off by commas when a complete date is given: He always said that February 8, 1990, was the most important day of his life.
See also days, months, years.
daycare
daylight saving time
Not savings. When spelled out, use lowercase. DST is also acceptable.
days, months, years
Do not use on with dates when its absence would not lead to confusion: the program ends December 15 (not on December 15).
To describe sequences or inclusive dates or times use an en dash instead of to: Apply here May 7-9, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Use numerals rather than words or ordinal numbers (such as 10th, 11th, and 12th) when referring to specific dates: Submit applications by October 14 (not October 14th).
Spell out references to centuries, spelling out the numbers one through nine and using numerals for 10 and above; century is lowercased: the fourth century; the 19th century. For decades, use figures and add an s with no apostrophe to make the plural: 1960s; the 1890s. Use an apostrophe to substitute for the current century when citing class years or for other short references to a decade: She belonged to the Class of '72. Her father was a young man in the '40s.
See also dates.
days of the week
Do not abbreviate, except when needed in a tabular format.
See also time element.
de novo
Use roman type, not italics. See Latin words.
dean
Capitalize as part of title: Dean Kenneth B. Davis, Jr. Do not capitalize when general: All the deans and directors agreed.
decades
See days, months, years.
degrees
See academic degrees. For weather usage, see temperatures.
department
Capitalize only as part of a formal title on first reference. See academic departments.
Department of Corrections (DOC)
Department of Workforce Development (DWD)
descendant
Not descendent.
dimensions
Spell out the numbers one through nine; use numerals for 10 and above. (See numbers for further guidance.) Spell out terms such as inches, feet, yards, meters, kilometers, etc., to indicate length, width, depth, height, and acreage. However, 5K and 10K are acceptable on first reference when describing walks, runs, bike rides, etc. Hyphenate adjectival forms before nouns: a pipe measuring four inches; but a four-inch pipe. The elephant is 12 feet, 12 inches at the shoulder. But a 12-foot-12-inch elephant.
See also weights.
director
Lowercase unless part of a formal title preceding a name.
disk
Not diskette.
DNA
No need to spell out.
doctor
Professor is preferred. Use Dr. as a formal title only in quotes or when one's academic background is at issue. See courtesy titles; titles.
doctorate
Not doctorate degree. Use doctorate instead of abbreviations for most references. See academic degrees.
DoIT
Acceptable on second reference for the Division of Information Technology, the centralized computing-services organization for UW-Madison.
dollars
Always use lowercase. Spell out the numbers one through nine; use numerals for 10 and above. (See numbers for further guidance.) If an amount is spelled out, spell out dollars; if the amount is expressed in numerals, use the dollar sign: The book cost four dollars. I owe you $25. For specified amounts, use a singular verb: He said $500,000 is what they want. For very large round numbers, spell out units of millions or billions, accompanied by the dollar sign and numerals up to two decimal places. Do not link the numerals and the unit word by a hyphen, even as a compound modifier: He is worth $4.35 million. She is a $6 million woman. But He is worth $4,234,234.
do's and don'ts
drop/add
Use a slash (/) with no spaces when referring to the official drop/add period.
due process
As adjective, no hyphen: due process issues.
E
East Asian Legal Studies Center
eastern daylight time, eastern standard time
When spelled out, use lowercase. EDT and EST are also acceptable.
Economic Justice Institute, Inc.
Formerly the Center for Public Representation, Inc. (CPR). Public interest law firm that, among other things, provides clinical experience for UW law students.
effect
See affect, effect.
e.g.
Use only in parenthetical matter.
ellipsis ( . )
Use an ellipsis to indicate the deletion of one or more words in condensing quotations from people, texts, and documents. Treat an ellipsis as a three-letter word, using a space before and after the group of periods. To prevent splitting an ellipsis when typesetting, do not use spaces between the periods, or use a thin-space (or hard-space) option, if available.
Acceptable on all references for electronic mail. When typing email addresses, do not use capital letters or parentheses, slashes, or any other punctuation to set email addresses apart from other text. List name, phone, and email when appropriate and separate with commas: Contact JoAnne Baker, 262-1234, jbaker@facstaff.wisc.edu. Avoid dividing email addresses between lines, but if division is necessary, do so at a period or the @ sign, and do not use a hyphen.
Note: we purposefully make an exception to the Chicago rule and use "email" instead of "e-mail" for all print projects, including the Gargoyle.
emeritus
Used to denote individuals who have retired but retain their rank or title. Use emeritus when referring to a male professor and emerita for a female professor. Use professors emeritus when referring to groups of men and women. Place after the formal title: Professor Emeritus Samuel Eliot Morison; Deborah Hancock, professor emerita of history. Not all retirees receive emeritus status; consult a current list (one is printed in the campus directory) to be certain. Some retirees may retain named professorships. See named professorships; see also academic titles.
ensure, insure, assure
Ensure means to guarantee. Insure means to establish a contract for insurance of some type.
entitled, titled
Entitled means one has the right to something (She is entitled to the inheritance.); use titled to introduce the name of a publication, musical composition, seminar, etc.
estate planning
As adjective, no hyphen.
etc.
Use only in parenthetical matter and separate with commas. Do not use and in the clause that includes etc.: (Books, journals, manuscripts, etc., are available at the library.)
ethical, ethics
Ethical can mean either "conforming to ethics" or "relating to ethics." Distinguishing which sense is intended, however, is not always clear. To avoid this confusion, use ethical for the former sense: conforming to ethics. E.g.: ethical authorization, breach, conduct, considerations, duty, limitation, prohibition, qualification, requirements (in the general sense), restriction, stricture, violation, etc. For the second sense--relating to ethics--use ethics as a modifier: ethics rule, opinion, provision, code, commission, guidelines, clearinghouse, project, requirements (relating specifically to continuing legal education requirements), etc.
excludable
Not excludible or exclusible. [Garner]
See includable, includible.
F
facsimile transmission
Use fax.
fact-finder
Hyphenate. [Garner]
fact gathering
No hyphen.
faculty
Can stand alone on most references; use member in conjunction with faculty only when stating a person's membership among the faculty: The faculty voted down the proposal. Smith was on the faculty for 30 years. Smith, a member of the faculty, voted against the proposal. Like other collective nouns (group, staff, committee), faculty can be used in singular and plural senses. Use singular when the term refers to the whole unit: The law faculty has regular monthly meetings. Use plural form when the term refers to individual members within the collective: The faculty are divided.
fall
See seasons.
Family Law Clinic
Law School clinic.
Family Law Project
Clinical program in the Law School's Remington Center.
fax
Not facsimile transmission.
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
To refer to a specific rule in text, use Federal Rule of Civil Procedure xx. For short references, use rule xx. (Note: do not use italics.)
fewer, less
In general, use fewer for individual items, less for bulk or quantity: I had less than $50 in my pocket. But I had fewer than 50 one-dollar bills in my pocket.
Field House
Official name of the gymnasium at the corner of Randall Avenue and Monroe Street. For external publications, use UW Field House to clarify its connection with campus. Formerly the home court for UW basketball games, the Field House is used for volleyball, wrestling, and other campus events.
focused, focuses, focusing
One s.
foreign words
Use foreign words and abbreviations if they are commonly known by readers. Foreign words that have been assimilated into the English language (e.g., rendezvous, alumnus) do not need to be translated or italicized. Similarly, Latin legal terms should not be italicized. Example: pro bono. See Latin words.
Use italics for foreign words that are not part of the English language but whose meaning is commonly known: je ne sais quoi; hasta la vista.
Avoid using foreign words or phrases that are not commonly known; use them only in special applications such as medical terminology. In these cases, italicize the words and provide a translation.
forgo, forego
Forgo means "to go without." Do not confuse with forego, which means "to go before."
formulas
Not formulae. This is an exception to the style for pluralizing Latin words.
Fort
Do not abbreviate for cities or military installations: Fort Lauderdale; Fort Myers; Fort Bragg; Fort Mose.
forums
Not fora. This is an exception to the style for pluralizing Latin words.
14th Amendment
Fourth Amendment
fractions
Spell out common fractions: one-half; two-thirds; three-fourths; three and one-half miles. Use numerals to express quantities consisting of whole numbers and fractions: 8½-by-11-inch paper.
Frank J. Remington Center
Full name is Frank J. Remington Center for Education, Research, and Services in Criminal Justice. Houses the following clinical programs at UW Law School: Legal Assistance to Institutionalized Persons Project (LAIP), Criminal Appeals Project, Family Law Project, Wisconsin Innocence Project, Restorative Justice Project, Neighborhood Law Project, Prosecution Project, Public Defender Project.
freshman
See student classifications.
fund-raiser, fund-raising
G
Gargoyle
Capitalize and italicize for name of Law School alumni magazine. Although we say "the Gargoyle" when referring to this magazine, the word "The" is not part of its title. When referring to the sculpted figure standing near the 2nd floor entrance, use lowercase: We gave the speaker a gargoyle.
good, well
Good is an adjective that means something is as it should be or is better than average: The soup smells good. The music sounds good. When used as an adjective, well means suitable, proper, healthy. When used as an adverb, well means in a satisfactory manner or skillfully: I hope you are well. He did well on his entrance exam.
good faith
As an adjective, do not hyphenate.
goodwill
Noun. One word.
governmental
Rather than government as a modifier: governmental policy.
governor
Capitalize and spell out when used as a formal title before one or more names in regular text; lowercase and spell out in other references: Governor Scott McCallum shook the senator's hand. "Governor Thompson will sign," said the press secretary. The governor refused to sign the bill.
GPA
Spell out grade point average on first reference. GPA is acceptable on second reference. UW grade point averages are based on a 4.0 scale.
grades
Use capital letters with articles when referring to letter grades: He received an A. It was a C paper. For plural of grades, add 's: She received four A's and two AB's.
graduate
As an adjective, lowercase except as part of an official formal title.
graduate school
Capitalize reference to the official Graduate School; lowercase informal references to post-undergraduate education: The Graduate School released transcripts. She attended graduate school at UW-Madison.
grant-in-aid
Plural is grants-in-aid.
GRE
Acceptable on first reference for the Graduate Record Examination.
Greenwich mean time
Spell out as shown above. GMT is also acceptable.
H
health care
Two words. Hyphenate as a compound adjective: health-care provider.
Hemsley Theatre
This theater is in Vilas Hall, along with the Mitchell Theatre. University Theatre productions are often staged here.
historical periods
Capitalize names of historical periods, such as the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. Many period designations, however, are lowercased except for proper nouns and adjectives: baroque music; romantic period; Hellenistic period.
Spell out first through ninth centuries and use numbers for 10th and above, with century in lowercase: fourth-century technology; the 20th century.
HIV
No need to spell out.
HMO
No need to spell out.
Hmong
Preferred name for descendants of the Hmong population in Southeast Asia. Wisconsin has one of the largest populations of Hmong people in the United States; most Hmong populations came to the United States as refugees from Laos and Thailand during the Vietnam War. Best used as an adjective, not a noun: Hmong customs; students of Hmong descent; She is Hmong. Not The Hmong have lived A Hmong enrolled
Ho-Chunk
Preferred name of the Native American tribe also known as the Winnebago tribe: a Ho-Chunk student; She is Ho-Chunk. Use Ho-Chunk nation when referring to the tribe as a whole.
home page
Two words.
Homecoming
Capitalize when referring to the annual event.
Honorable
Only use "the Honorable" in a direct quote, or in a list of individuals with honorifics, such as in a conference program. In the latter case, the abbreviation Hon. is traditionally used before a full name when the does not precede the title (Hon. Jane Doe). With the, such titles should be spelled out (the Honorable Jane Doe).
honors
Capitalize only if used as part of an official name: the College of Letters and Science Honors Program; but an honors student. In general, UW-Madison does not use Latin terms (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) for academic distinction. The Law School, however, does use these terms. Use cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude without italics when referring to terms of distinction earned for UW law degrees or other non-UW degrees.
hopefully
Hopefully means in a hopeful manner. Do not use it in place of it is hoped or let us hope.
Hospital
See University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics.
I
i.e.
Use only in parenthetical matter.
in pari delicto
Use italics.
includable, includible
Includable is the preferred spelling in most contexts. When referring to estate planning, includible is the usual spelling. [Garner]
See excludable.
income tax
As an adjective, do not hyphenate.
Indian
In general, use Indian for people who are native to India. Use Native American for people of tribes indigenous to the United States; Indian in this context should only be used in official titles and certain terms of art, such as Indian gaming and Indian law. When possible, be precise and use the name of the tribe: Native American students; She is Navajo. But Indigenous Law Students Association; Great Lakes Indian Law Center. See also Native American.
Indigenous Law Students Association (ILSA)
inferior
Persons and things are said to be inferior to others, not inferior than.
initials
In general, do not use middle initials unless the person is commonly known to include an initial: P.T. Barnum, John F. Kennedy, actor Craig T. Nelson. Use periods and no space when an individual uses initials instead of a first name: H.L. Mencken. [Chi. 7.6, 14.2, modified by Bluebook to delete the space between two initials]
Innocence Project
See Wisconsin Innocence Project.
inpatient
instructor
A non-tenure-track faculty rank.
insure, ensure, assure
See assure, ensure, insure.
intermural, intramural
Intermural signifies competition among units of different institutions or communities. Intramural signifies competitive units within the confines of a single community or institution.
Internet
The decentralized network of computers linked by high-speed lines. Capitalize in all references to the specific network. For general references to connections of networks, internet can be used: surfing the Internet; but an internet connecting several sites. Do not use Net or other abbreviations unless part of a formal name.
interrelation, interrelationship
intra-office, interoffice
Intra-office refers to several areas within one office or area. Hyphenate to avoid ao combination. Interoffice, meaning between offices, is one word.
IRS
No need to spell out.
IT
Abbreviation for information technology; IT is acceptable on second reference.
J
John Nolen Drive
journals, magazines
Italicize the names of journals, magazines, and other periodicals. Capitalize journal or magazine if it is part of the periodical's official title but not as a descriptor. Do not italicize or capitalize initial articles, such as the: an article in the Journal of Economics; an article in the journal Lingua Franca; an article in Time magazine; the New Yorker writer.
See composition titles for additional guidelines.
Judicial Commission
Capitalize.
Judicial Intern Program
Law School intern program.
Jr., Sr.
Do not precede with a comma (Joe Johnson Jr.) except in business correspondence. Roman numerals never take comma: Joe Johnson III. Exception: Kenneth B. Davis, Jr.
junior
See student classifications.
K
L
L&S
Acceptable on second reference for the College of Letters and Science.
La Follette School of Public Affairs
Space after La. Used to be La Follette Institute.
Labor Law Clinical Program
Law School intern program.
Lakefront Cafeteria
land grant
UW-Madison was designated a land-grant institution in 1866 by the Wisconsin Legislature, making it one of the oldest land-grant institutions in the nation. The Morrill Land Grant College Act of 1862 was designed to encourage states to establish agricultural and mechanical arts universities. Since then, the definition of land grant has broadened to mean a philosophy of education that provides research-based education, extension services, and teaching devoted to helping people solve problems. Hyphenate when used as a compound adjective, but not as part of the official name of the Morrill Act.
Latin words
Many Latin words and phrases, such as alumnus, cum laude, emeritus, and curriculum vitae, are common to academic life and do not need to be translated for audiences familiar with academia. Similarly, Latin legal words and phrases are familiar to the law school community and thus need not be translated. Do not use italics for these familiar words and phrases.
Consult a dictionary when using the plural form of Latin words. In general, for words that end in -us, substitute -i to form the plural (alumnus, alumni); for words ending in -um, substitute -a (colloquium, colloquia); and for words ending in -a, substitute -ae (alumna, alumnae). Exceptions to this are formulas (not formulae), forums (not fora), and syllabuses (not syllabi).
Many Latin words, such as alumnus and emeritus, have female senses: alumna, alumnae; emerita, emeritae.
See foreign words for further guidance. See also honors for use of Latin terms of academic distinction, such as cum laude.
Latino
Latino Law Students Association (LLSA)
law firms
Do not include business types in firm names (i.e., use Smith & Jones, not Smith & Jones, LLC).
law in action
Style is Law in Action (capitalized and no hyphens).
When used as adjective, add hyphens: law-in-action tradition.
Law School
Capitalize when referring specifically to the UW Law School: He graduated from the Law School in 1996 (He graduated from UW Law School in 1996). But use lowercase for more general references: She decided to attend law school; Our law school is nationally ranked. Generally, do not capitalize "School' when used alone: The school is participating in a survey. See also University of Wisconsin Law School.
Law School Student Bar Association (SBA)
layperson, laypersons
lectures
If using the full citation of an officially titled lecture, enclose the title in quotes and capitalize key words: the professor's lecture, "How to Get Ahead in Business." In most cases, using the exact title of a lecture should be avoided in favor of a general reference: a lecture on how to get ahead in business. Some lectures carry honorific titles that should be capitalized: She delivered the William Noll Lecture in Bacteriology.
See also composition titles.
Legal Assistance to Institutionalized Persons Project (LAIP)
Clinical program in the Law School's Remington Center.
Legal Defense Program (LDP)
Law School clinical program.
Legal Education Opportunity (LEO) Program
legislature
Use legislature on second reference to refer to the Wisconsin State Legislature.
less
See fewer.
like, as
Use like as a preposition to compare nouns and pronouns. It requires an object: Jim blocks like a pro. The conjunction as is the correct word to introduce clauses: Jim blocks the linebacker as he should.
login, logon, logoff
But use as two words in verb form: I log in to my computer.
long-standing
Adjective. Hyphenate.
lower campus
Refers to the east end of campus at the foot of Bascom Hill. Lower campus is bounded by Lake Street on the east, Lake Mendota on the north, Dayton Street on the south, and Park Street on the west. Do not capitalize except as part of an organization's name.
LSAT
Acceptable in all references for the Law School Admissions Test. See also ACT; SAT.
-ly
Do not connect adverbs ending in -ly with the words they modify: newly diagnosed (not newly-diagnosed).
M
Madison
Use Madison to refer to the city, not the UW-Madison campus. The Madison campus is acceptable when it is clear that the UW System is at issue. See cities for rules regarding use of state names with cities.
magazines
See journals, magazines.
majors
Do not capitalize majors, programs, specializations, or concentrations of study when they are not part of an official department name or title: She received a bachelor's degree in history. She majored in economics. See academic degrees; academic departments.
master's degree
Use instead of abbreviations for most references. See academic degrees.
media
Singular form is medium. When used as a subject, media always takes a plural verb: The media are often the target of public criticism.
Memorial Union
Memorial Union is the building that houses dining rooms, theaters, lounges, and student organization offices. Memorial Union houses the Porter Butts, Class of 1925, and Theater Galleries. To avoid confusion with Wisconsin Union or Union South, do not use Union as a substitute. See Wisconsin Union for more rules concerning the student unions and their activities.
metric system
Spell out meter, kilometer, etc., though 5K, 10K, etc., are acceptable on first reference for running and walking events. Metric measurements are used commonly in scientific research. Specify the scale of measurement (meters, liters, degrees Celsius) and provide equivalent values in units widely known to American readers only when metric units are likely to be misunderstood. References to well-known situations or examples, such as room temperature or lengths of common objects, may also prove helpful: The car will reach a top speed of 100 kilometers per hour (about 60 miles an hour). The temperature of the mixture was recorded at 20 degrees Celsius, about room temperature.
midnight
Stands alone. Do not include 12 or a.m. or p.m.: The play runs from 10 p.m.-midnight.
millions, billions
Use with numbers. Spell out the numbers one through nine; use numerals for 10 and above. (See numbers for further guidance.) Do not go beyond two decimals: The nation has one million citizens. Officials found 34 million spores. General revenues increased by $4.5 million. Do not drop the word million or billion in the first figure of a range: He is worth from $2 million to $4 million (not $2 to $4 million, unless $2 is really intended).
Mitchell Theatre
This theater is in Vilas Hall, along with the Hemsley Theatre. University Theatre productions are often staged here.
Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center
Monona Terrace is acceptable on second reference.
months
See dates.
more than
See over.
Mosse Humanities Building
Use Mosse Humanities for the Humanities Building, 455 North Park Street, which was renamed to honor George Mosse.
multicultural
multidisciplinary
multifamily
N
named professorships
Capitalize formal titles of named professorships on all references: Jan Smith has been named the Bascom Professor of Law. Jan Smith, Bascom Professor of Law, received the award. Some emeritus professors may retain named professorships.
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
National Guard
Native American
No hyphen. Preferred term for people of tribes indigenous to the United States. See also Indian.
near
See close.
Neighborhood Law Project
Clinical program in the Law School's Remington Center.
newsgroup
One word.
newspaper titles
Italicize the names of newspapers, but do not italicize initial articles such as the: She reads the New York Times every day. The Capital Times is an afternoon daily.
See composition titles for further guidelines.
no-fault
Adjective. Hyphenate.
Nolen
Use full name for John Nolen Drive.
nonpriority
nonprofit
nonstock
noon
Stands alone. Do not include 12 or a.m. or p.m.: The class runs from 10 a.m.-noon.
note-taking
Noun. Hyphenate.
notice-of-motion
As adjective. Hyphenate.
numbers
Spell out whole numbers less than 10; use numerals for 10 and higher: The woman has three sons. They had 10 dogs and four cats. Spell out a number at the beginning of a sentence; in the case of numerals identifying a calendar year, spell out or, better yet, recast the sentence: The year 1976 was memorable for fashion. When large numbers must be spelled out, use a hyphen to connect a word ending in -y to another word; do not use commas between other separate words that are part of one number: Twenty-one students took the class. One hundred forty-five people demonstrated outside the U.S. Capitol. For ordinal numbers (first, second, etc.), the same general rules apply: Spell out first through ninth and use numerals for 10th and above.
Exceptions: Addresses use numerals in all cases. See addresses. Some geographic, military, and political forms use numerals for all ordinal numbers. Direct references to a numeral should use the numeral rather than spell it out: the number 4; numbers 1 through 10; figures less than 1. For additional exceptions, see topic-specific listings.
O
office
Capitalize only as part of a formal title on first reference. See academic departments.
old age
Adjective. No hyphen.
on
Do not use before a date or day of the week when its absence would not lead to confusion: The meeting will be held Monday (not on Monday). Classes start January 15.
on campus, on-campus
On-campus is an adjective: Students live in on-campus housing. On campus (no hyphen) is an adverb: She has a job on campus.
online
One word.
over, more than
Over refers to spatial relationships, more than to numbers or amounts: The shelf is over my head. The group raised more than $60.
overly broad
Not over broad.
P
Patient Advocacy Project
See Center for Patient Partnerships.
people, persons
People is preferred to persons in all plural uses: people of all races; nine people gathered. Use persons only in quotes or official names.
percent
One word. Spell out the word percent and always use figures. For figures less than 1 percent, precede the decimal with a zero: 0.5 percent. Repeat percent with each figure in a range: He figures that 40 percent to 50 percent of the class will pass.
Ph.D.
Use doctorate for most references. See academic degree.
plaintiff
In referring to a plaintiff, use masculine or feminine pronouns, as appropriate, rather than it or its, unless it's clear that the plaintiff is an entity.
pleaded
Past tense. Not pled or plead. [Garner]
postconviction
postgraduate
Also postdoctoral.
postjudgment
post-trial
We hyphenate post-trial to avoid the double t.
Praxis
Law School literary magazine, published by a student organization of the same name.
preelection
preeminent
preempt
preexist, preexisting
prelaw
One word.
premed, premedical
One word.
preprofessional
One word. But pre-pharmacy.
Pres House
One s. (Origin is from Presbyterian.) Address is 731 State Street, for use in event announcements.
president
Title for both the administrative head of the UW System and the leader of the governor-appointed UW System Board of Regents: Katharine Lyall is president of the UW System. San Orr is president of the UW System Board of Regents. Use system president and regent president on second reference.
pretrial
private sector
As adjective, no hyphen.
products liability
Note the s.
professor
Capitalize only before a name. Do not capitalize a subject, however, unless it is a proper noun. Do not abbreviate: He studied under history Professor Bob Jones. Bob Jones is a professor of history. See also named professorships for exception regarding formal named professor titles.
programs
Capitalize only when referring to the formal name of the program. See academic departments; majors.
pros and cons
Prosecution Project
Clinical externship in the Law School's Remington Center.
protectible
Not protectable [Garner]
Public Defender Project
Clinical externship in the Law School's Remington Center.
public interest law
No hyphens
public sector
As adjective, no hyphen.
Q
quotations
Surround the exact words of a speaker or writer when reporting in a story: "I have no intention of staying," he said. Never alter quotations even to correct minor grammatical errors or word usage. Casual minor tongue slips may be removed using ellipses, but even this editing should be done only when absolutely necessary to prevent confusion. If there is a problem with a quote, do not use the quote or ask the speaker to clarify it.
Do not routinely use abnormal spellings such as gonna to convey dialect or pronunciation. Such colloquial treatment may be used occasionally in features to add regional or personal flavor. Avoid partial or fragmented quotes, but be sure that all indirect quotations or paraphrased opinions are attributed to the speaker. See attribution for more details.
R
race
Capitalize names of races (Caucasian, Hispanic, etc.), lowercase black and white when used to refer to races. See individual entries (African American, Asian American, Native American, etc.) for rules regarding proper references to races.
radio stations
UW-Extension operates WHA-AM, a public radio station serving the state. WSUM-FM is a student-run radio station that has operations on the Internet, but it has not yet begun broadcasting on the airwaves. See WHA-AM; WSUM-FM.
Rathskeller
In Memorial Union.
record keeping , record-keeping
The noun is record keeping (two words); the adjective form is record-keeping.
Red Gym
Acceptable on all references for the Armory and Gymnasium, the campus building constructed in 1894 that now houses student-services offices, the Student Organizations Office, and the visitors center.
regents
See Board of Regents.
regent president
Acceptable on second reference for the president of the UW System Board of Regents.
registrar
Use Office of the Registrar or the registrar's office when not referring specifically to the university registrar.
residence halls
Preferred to dormitories. Student housing also acceptable for general reference to on- and off-campus housing. Residence halls are managed by University Housing.
respondeat superior
No italics. See Latin words.
Restorative Justice Project
Clinical program in the Law School's Remington Center.
résumé
Note accent on both e's.
room
Capitalize in such uses as Union South Room 214, although in most cases Room can be omitted and the number placed in front of the building name: 214 Union South.
ROTC
Acceptable on first reference for Reserve Officer Training Corps.
rules of evidence
Use lowercase in general references. But Wisconsin Rules of Evidence.
Rules of Professional Conduct
S
salable
Not saleable.
Scholastic Aptitude Test
SAT acceptable on all references. Use only the initials in referring to the previously designated Scholastic Aptitude Test or the Scholastic Assessment Test. See also ACT; LSAT.
school
Capitalize only as part of a formal title on first reference. See academic departments.
SCR xx.xx
Format for references to Wisconsin Supreme Court Rules, in text (or citations).
seasons
Lowercase for fall, winter, spring, and summer, and all derived words such as springtime: fall semester, spring 1998. Capitalize only when part of a formal name: Winter Olympics.
semester
Lowercase in general: fall semester; spring semester. Use uppercase for official name of semester when a course was given: Fall 2002.
senate
Use senate on second reference to refer to the Faculty Senate or the Wisconsin Senate. If there may be confusion, use state senate for the state legislative body. Use Senate on second reference to refer to the U.S. Senate.
senator
Use senator or member of the senate to refer to members of the Faculty Senate. Use uppercase as formal titles for members of the state senate and U.S. Senate; lowercase when used without a name or in apposition to a name: Senator Herb Kohl; Senator Chuck Chvala; Chuck Chvala, a state senator.
senior
See student classifications.
series comma
Use commas to separate elements in a series, but do not put a comma before the conjunction in a simple series: They bought apples, oranges and pears.
sesquicentennial
UW-Madison opened in 1848. Classes started in February 1849.
Social Security
Capitalize.
sophomore
See student classifications.
Southeast Asia
Refers to the countries of the Indochine Peninsula and the islands southeast of it: Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Papau New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Do not confuse it with South Asian studies, which include study of India, Pakistan, and other countries in the southern part of Asia.
spokesman, spokeswoman
Preferable to spokesperson.
spring
See seasons.
state
Do not capitalize state unless part of a formal title: Wisconsin State Senate; but in state courts.
State Bar of Wisconsin Minority Clerkship Program
State Historical Society of Wisconsin
Old name, as of 2001, for the Wisconsin Historical Society.
states
Spell out state names when they stand alone in textual material. In mailing addresses or closely set matter as lists or tables, use the standard two-letter postal abbreviations for the state names.
When included with city names, offset state names by commas and use the following abbreviations (with the exception of Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas, and Utah, which are not abbreviated in datelines or text):
| Ala. Ariz. Ark. Calif. Colo. Conn. Del. Fla. Ga. Ill. |
Ind. Kan. Ky. La. Md. Mass. Mich. Minn. Miss. Mo. |
Mont. Neb. Nev. N.C. N.D. N.H. N.J. N.M. N.Y. Okla. Ore. |
Pa. R.I. S.C. S.D. Tenn. Va. Vt. Wash. W.Va. Wis. Wyo. |
See cities for more information about when to include state names with city names; see also addresses.
statewide
statute of limitation
Not statute of limitations. Use hyphens for the adjectival form: a statute-of-limitation case.
street addresses
See addresses.
stricken
Use struck. [Garner]
student classifications
Do not capitalize freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior when referring to a single student. (Plural of freshman is freshmen.) Similarly, do not capitalize when referring to the class as a whole or collective group: He is a senior communications major. The senior class sponsored the lecture.
Supreme Court Rules, Wisconsin
When referring to the rules as a unit, use Supreme Court Rules. When referring generically to a rule, use the supreme court rule. See also SCR xx.xx for references to specific rules in text.
System
Acceptable on second reference for UW System. Capitalize at all times. See UW System.
System president
Acceptable on second reference for the president of the UW System. See also president.
systemwide
T
TDD
Telephone device for the deaf.
teenager
One word.
telephone numbers
If a publication is strictly for on-campus use, omit the area code: 262-0186. If the publication may or will be sent off campus use 608-262-0186. If including more than one extension, use a slash between the numbers: 608-262-0186/0188. Do not use five-digit on-campus extensions, such as 2-0186, for any publication. When listing toll-free numbers, do not list the initial 1-: 800-222-4000.
temperature
Spell out or use numerals according to the rules governing numbers. See numbers. Spell out degrees when referring to specific temperatures. Use the word minus instead of a minus sign for temperatures below zero. Use Fahrenheit or Celsius if scale is not made clear otherwise: 90 degrees Fahrenheit; zero degrees Celsius; a low of minus nine degrees. [Chi. 8.12]
Terrace
Use Union Terrace or Memorial Union Terrace to avoid confusion with Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center.
that, which
Use that to introduce restrictive clauses and which to introduce nonrestrictive clauses. A restrictive clause provides essential information about the preceding noun. Such clauses are not set off by commas. E.g.: The growth program includes a tax credit for businesses that add workers. Nonrestrictive clauses provide supplemental, nonessential information and are set off by commas. E.g.: Miniature pigs make better pets than full-size swine, which can weigh more than 1,000 pounds.
theatre, theater
Use theater except when Theatre is used in a formal title: University Theatre; Department of Theatre and Drama; Hemsley Theatre; Mitchell Theatre. But Wisconsin Union Theater; Theater Gallery. Hemsley and Mitchell Theatres are in Vilas Hall. Theater Gallery is in Memorial Union.
then
As an adjective meaning "being so at that time," then is not attached to the noun it modifies by a hyphen: Professor Remington appealed to then Governor Tony Earl.
though
See although.
time element
Use Monday, Tuesday, etc., for days of the week within seven days before or after the date of publication: The lecture on Tuesday was very informative. Use the day of the week, the month, and numeral for dates beyond this range: Classes start Tuesday, September 1, 2002. See days, months, years for guidance on punctuation and abbreviation. Note: With material published on the World Wide Web, it is often difficult to know the date the story was posted; for that reason, use figure dates if story will appear on the Web.
Do not use redundant phrases such as last Tuesday or next Tuesday. The past, present, or future tense of the verb in most cases provides sufficient clarification: The committee met Tuesday and will meet again Thursday.
times
Use figures except for noon and midnight. Use a colon to separate hours from minutes and a.m. or p.m. (always lowercase with no space). Do not include a colon or minutes if the time is exactly on the hour: 11 a.m.; 3:30 p.m. Avoid such redundancies as 10 a.m. this morning. When expressing a range of times use from to introduce the range and an en dash between the times, with no spaces separating the characters from the en dash. If both times are a.m. or p.m., include a.m. or p.m. only with the later time: The concert lasts from 9 a.m.-noon. The course will meet Tuesdays from 1-5 p.m.
titled
See entitled.
titles
In general, capitalize only formal titles directly before an individual's name. Do not separate the name from the title with a comma. For rules regarding use of formal job titles, see academic titles; see also courtesy titles and composition titles.
toward
Not towards.
trailblazer, trailblazers
One word (not trail blazer).
transfer
When referring to students who have transferred from other institutions, use transfer students, not transfers.
traveling
One l.
TTY
Teletypewriter.
U
U.N.
Used as an adjective, but not as a noun, for United Nations.
under way
Two words.
underrepresented
Unemployment Appeals Clinic
Law School intern program.
Union
Acceptable on second use for Wisconsin Union. Do not use as a substitute for Memorial Union or Union South to prevent confusion between the two. See Wisconsin Union.
university
Capitalize only as part of a formal title on first reference. Always lowercase on second reference: a discussion of university matters. See academic departments.
University of Wisconsin Colleges
Use UW Colleges on all collective references to these 13 two-year campuses. To avoid confusion with UW-Madison's colleges, do not use Colleges. For references to specific campuses, use UW College-[campus location]: UW College-Marathon County.
University of Wisconsin Law School
The law school on the Madison campus is the only one in UW System; UW-Madison is not necessary in references. Use UW Law School, UW Law or Law School on second reference.
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Note use of the en dash (rather than a hyphen). Official name of the UW System branch in Madison. Spell out for external publications or publications that will be read widely off campus; UW-Madison is acceptable on all references for internal communication. See UW-Madison for additional rules regarding use of the institution's name.
URLs
When typing URLs (World Wide Web addresses), do not use capital letters or parentheses, slashes, or any other punctuation to set URLs apart from other text. Avoid dividing URLs between lines, but if division is necessary, do so at a period or slash, and do not use a hyphen. When instructing readers to go to a Web address, use visit . at . or go to .: Visit the university's website at wisc.edu. Go to wisc.edu for more details.URL is acceptable on all references for Uniform Resource Locator, the technical term for a World Wide Web address. See also World Wide Web.
U.S.
Used as an adjective, but not as a noun, for United States.
UW-Madison
Note use of the en dash (rather than a hyphen). Acceptable on second reference for external publications and all references for internal communication for the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In most cases, the is unnecessary when using UW-Madison: research at UW-Madison; a faculty member at UW-Madison. To prevent confusion with other UW System units, do not use UW in place of UW-Madison, except in cases where the unit is officially named University of Wisconsin instead of University of Wisconsin-Madison: UW Hospital and Clinics; UW Credit Union; UW Athletics.
V
vice president
No hyphen.
vice versa
No hyphen.
visitors center
Acceptable on all references to the visitor information area in the Red Gym. Do not use apostrophes or make it singular. The visitors center is run by and is a part of the Campus Assistance and Visitors Center. Do not confuse either with the Visitor and Information Place run by the Office of Transportation Services, which distributes maps, parking information, and bus tickets.
vitamins
Lowercase vitamin, but use a capital letter and figure for the type: vitamin A; vitamin B-12.
W
WAA
Acceptable on second reference for the Wisconsin Alumni Association.
WARF
Acceptable for Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation on second reference or on first reference to the building that houses the foundation and other university offices. Use WARF building to prevent confusion with the organization.
Web
Acceptable for references to the World Wide Web. Capitalize in all such uses. See World Wide Web.
website
One word.
(When giving an address, always drop http://)
webmaster
weights
Spell out the numbers one through nine; use numerals for 10 and above. (See numbers for further guidance.) E.g.: The baby weighed six pounds, nine ounces. She had a six-pound, nine-ounce baby. The boxer weighed in at 165 pounds.
See also dimensions.
well
See good.
which
See that, which.
-wide
In general, words formed with this suffix are closed (i.e., no hyphen). For example, campuswide, citywide, countywide, statewide, nationwide, systemwide, and worldwide. But university-wide.
willful
Not wilful.
WiscInfo
Official name for UW-Madison's World Wide Web home page and the hierarchy of information resources linked to it. Do not confuse with WiscWorld, a suite of Internet software sold by the Division of Information Technology.
Wisconsin
Spell out in running text, including with city names that require a state name. In closely set matter, such as tables or lists, abbreviate as WI. See cities for additional rules.
Wisconsin Alumni Association (WAA)
The official alumni organization of UW-Madison.
Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Use full name on first reference to the foundation itself. WARF is acceptable on first reference to the building that houses the foundation and other university offices. Use WARF building to prevent confusion with the organization.
Wisconsin District Attorneys Association (WDAA)
No apostrophe in Attorneys.
Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission (WERC)
Acronym reference should be to the WERC.
Wisconsin Environmental Law Journal
Wisconsin Historical Society
New name, as of 2001, of the former State Historical Society of Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Hoofers
Outdoor sports club made up primarily of UW-Madison students. As part of the Wisconsin Union, the club is open to anyone and offers activities in sailing, skiing, climbing, and horseback riding. There are seven individual Hoofer clubs, which collectively form the Hoofers. Hoofer (or Hoofers if the reference is to the whole organization) is acceptable on second reference or in event listings where abbreviated form is used to save space. Hoofer is acceptable for use as an adjective, but do not use Hoofer's: Hoofer activities; a Hoofer expedition; a meeting of the Hoofer club. Seven individual clubs make up the overall Hoofer Council. The seven are scuba, sailing, outing, gliding, riding, ski and snowboard, mountaineering, and youth instruction program.
Wisconsin Idea
Use capital letters and no quotation marks when referring to the tradition of university outreach elucidated during the administration of President Charles Van Hise: in the spirit of the Wisconsin Idea.
Wisconsin Innocence Project
Clinical program in the Law School's Remington Center.
Wisconsin International Law Journal
Wisconsin Law Review
Wisconsin Public Radio, Wisconsin Public Television
See WHA-AM; WHA-TV.
Wisconsin Rules of Evidence
Wisconsin State Public Defender
Wisconsin Union
Use Wisconsin Union to refer to the organization that manages Memorial Union, Union South, and other Union activities. Use Memorial Union or Union South when referring to these physical locations. Union is acceptable only when referring in general to activities sponsored by the Wisconsin Union, not to specific locations. Wisconsin Union is a private entity organized separately from UW-Madison; do not use UW-Madison Union or UW Union.
Wisconsin Union Theater
Do not confuse this theater, which hosts plays, films, and dance companies, with groups that produce plays on campus. Also do not confuse with Memorial Union's March Play Circle.
Wisconsin Journal of Law, Gender & Society
work product
As adjective, two words, no hyphen: work product privilege.
workday
workplace
workweek
Y
years
Use figures, without a comma following the thousands place: 1986. Use a year only when referring to a year other than the present one. For academic years, use four digits, an en dash, then two digits: 1998-99; 2000-01. But 1999-2000. If a sentence begins with a year reference, spell out the year or, better yet, recast the sentence: The year 1976 was memorable for fashion. In some alumni publications, graduation years may be abbreviated by replacing 19 with an apostrophe (the Class of '85). Most references are clearer without this arrangement, but if it is used, do not abbreviate graduation years from any but the 20th century. For guidance on decades, centuries, and other year-related issues, see days, months, years.
Guidelines for formal print publications
Most of our publications follow the AP Stylebook except Admissions (Viewbook, Fact Card) employ the Oxford comma.
Gargoyle Alumni Magazine
As of 2023, the Gargoyle alumni magazine follows AP Style as well; please note:
- Name: when possible, omit "the" when referring to UW Law School. Use "UW Law School" or "UW Law.".Back to Top
