increasing space between text and footnotes

[Peter]

Beginner's question(s) - I'm trying to use the article class to
print a law review-style piece (WinXP, MikTeX). It's really a
two-part question:

1. (I checked the FAQ for this one): I want to increase the vertical
space between the bottom of the text and the line demarcating the
footnote section just a tiny bit. Is there a simple way?

2. (More generally): Do people use LaTeX for law review articles?
Are there standard packages out there for this?

Thanks!

[Will Robertson]

Post by Peter
1. (I checked the FAQ for this one): I want to increase the vertical
space between the bottom of the text and the line demarcating the
footnote section just a tiny bit. Is there a simple way?

The macro \footnoterule defines the line that is drawn. You can either
redefine it, or just prepend the definition with a space-adding
command, as shown below. This has the advantage of not needing to know
what's going on quite so much.

\documentclass[12pt]{article}
\usepackage[a6paper]{geometry}
\let\oldfootnoterule\footnoterule
\renewcommand\footnoterule{\vspace{2ex}\oldfootnoterule}
\begin{document}

{\ttfamily\meaning\oldfootnoterule}

here is some text\footnote{and some other words}
\def\1{filler text }
\def\2{\1\1\1\1\1}
\def\3{\2\2\2\2\par}
\3\3\3\3\3

\end{document}

Post by Peter
2. (More generally): Do people use LaTeX for law review articles?
Are there standard packages out there for this?

Sorry, I'm an engineer :)
I believe there are a couple of things around though -- have you tried
searching ctan.org?

Regards,

Will

[Donald Arseneau]

Post by Will Robertson

Post by Peter
1. (I checked the FAQ for this one): I want to increase the vertical
space between the bottom of the text and the line demarcating the
footnote section just a tiny bit. Is there a simple way?

\addtolength{\skip\footins}{a tiny bit}

Post by Will Robertson
The macro \footnoterule defines the line that is drawn. You can either
redefine it, or just prepend the definition with a space-adding
command, as shown below.

NO! Do not follow this very bad advice! \footnoterule must
occupy no space.

Post by Will Robertson
2. (More generally): Do people use LaTeX for law review articles?
Are there standard packages out there for this?

Are you looking for a The Law Review document class (I doubt there is
one), or packages for legal things? Look up "jura" on CTAN.

[Robin Fairbairns]

"Will Robertson" <***@gmail.com> writes:

(and thus provokes me to action.)

Post by Will Robertson

Post by Peter
1. (I checked the FAQ for this one): I want to increase the vertical
space between the bottom of the text and the line demarcating the
footnote section just a tiny bit. Is there a simple way?

The macro \footnoterule defines the line that is drawn. You can either
redefine it, or just prepend the definition with a space-adding
command, as shown below. This has the advantage of not needing to know
what's going on quite so much.
\documentclass[12pt]{article}
\usepackage[a6paper]{geometry}
\let\oldfootnoterule\footnoterule
\renewcommand\footnoterule{\vspace{2ex}\oldfootnoterule}

no: the spec of \footnoterule requires that it adds no vertical space.

from the kernel sources:

\skip\footins=\bigskipamount % space added when footnote is present

copy the statement, and change \bigskipamount (== 12pt plus 4pt minus
4pt) to something more congenial.

Post by Will Robertson

Post by Peter
2. (More generally): Do people use LaTeX for law review articles?
Are there standard packages out there for this?

Sorry, I'm an engineer :)
I believe there are a couple of things around though -- have you tried
searching ctan.org?

look at the catalogue bytopic --
http://www.tex.ac.uk/tex-archive/help/Catalogue/bytopic.html

it's mostly for german lawyers, afaics.

[drax]

Btw, how to set footnotes at the very bottom of the page ? I mean, by
default, footnote rule (& text) stick to the last paragraph, leaving
sometimes a huge space between foonotes and page number

[Peter Flynn]

Post by drax
Btw, how to set footnotes at the very bottom of the page ? I mean, by
default, footnote rule (& text) stick to the last paragraph, leaving
sometimes a huge space between foonotes and page number

I've never understood why this happens: it shouldn't.
But I found a fix for it some time ago:

% Fix floating footnotes (c.t.t. 22 Oct 2001 Donald Arseneau)
% Message-ID: <***@triumf.ca>, thanks Don.
%
\def\footnoterule{\kern-3\p@
\nobreak \vfill
\hrule \@width 2in \kern 2.6\p@} % the \hrule is .4pt high

///Peter

[Ulrike Fischer]

Post by drax
Btw, how to set footnotes at the very bottom of the page ? I mean, by
default, footnote rule (& text) stick to the last paragraph, leaving
sometimes a huge space between foonotes and page number

\usepackage[bottom]{footmisc}