Alabama cases are reported in the Southern Reporter series (So., So. 2d, So. 3d), published by West. Alabama discontinued its official reporters — Alabama Reports (Ala.) and Alabama Appellate Court Reports (Ala. App.) — in 1976. Under Bluebook Table T1, cite Alabama cases to the Southern Reporter and include the appropriate court abbreviation in the date parenthetical.
Alabama has a unique appellate structure with two intermediate appellate courts: the Court of Civil Appeals and the Court of Criminal Appeals. When citing Alabama Supreme Court cases, use "Ala." in the parenthetical. For the intermediate courts, use "Ala. Civ. App." or "Ala. Crim. App." respectively.
| Court | Bluebook Abbreviation | Reporter |
|---|---|---|
| Supreme Court of Alabama | Ala. | So. 3d (So. 2d, So.) |
| Court of Civil Appeals | Ala. Civ. App. | So. 3d |
| Court of Criminal Appeals | Ala. Crim. App. | So. 3d |
Alabama Supreme Court
Ex parte Bayliss, 550 So. 2d 986 (Ala. 1989)
Court of Civil Appeals
Smith v. Smith, 340 So. 3d 412 (Ala. Civ. App. 2021)
Court of Criminal Appeals
Ex parte Jenkins, 972 So. 2d 159 (Ala. Crim. App. 2005)
Cite to the Southern Reporter (So. 3d for recent cases, So. 2d or So. for older ones). Alabama discontinued its official state reporters in 1976.
Use "Ala. Civ. App." for the Court of Civil Appeals and "Ala. Crim. App." for the Court of Criminal Appeals in the date parenthetical.
No. Since Alabama discontinued its official reporters, only cite to the Southern Reporter series.
Stop formatting citations by hand. Use Briefly's AI-powered Bluebook Citation Generator to get full citations, short forms, and Id. format for Alabama cases in seconds.
Explore Bluebook citation guides for other Southeast states.
Format Bluebook citations for Arkansas Supreme Court and Court of Appeals decisions.
Format Bluebook citations for Delaware Supreme Court, Court of Chancery, and Superior Court decisions.
Master Bluebook citations for Florida Supreme Court and District Courts of Appeal decisions using the Southern Reporter.
Master Bluebook citations for Georgia Supreme Court and Court of Appeals decisions using the South Eastern Reporter.
Format Bluebook citations for Kentucky Supreme Court and Court of Appeals decisions.
Format Bluebook citations for Louisiana Supreme Court and Courts of Appeal decisions.
Format Bluebook citations for the Supreme Court of Maryland and Appellate Court of Maryland decisions.
Format Bluebook citations for Mississippi Supreme Court and Court of Appeals decisions.
Master Bluebook citations for the North Carolina Supreme Court and Court of Appeals using the South Eastern Reporter.
Format Bluebook citations for South Carolina Supreme Court and Court of Appeals decisions.
Format Bluebook citations for Tennessee Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and Court of Criminal Appeals decisions.
Master Bluebook citations for the Supreme Court of Virginia and Court of Appeals using the South Eastern Reporter.
Format Bluebook citations for the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia decisions.
Disclaimer: While this guide follows Bluebook 21st edition rules, always verify citations with official Bluebook resources or your institution's requirements. This content is for educational assistance only.
Our generator handles the formats you use most, but legal writing courses grade you against the rule itself — and professors ask you to defend a citation by number. Check which edition your school requires before ordering; it's the one book where the wrong edition genuinely costs you points.
As an Amazon Associate, Briefly earns from qualifying purchases. Some links on this page are affiliate links — if you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This never affects what we recommend.