The Atlantic Reporter is a West regional reporter that publishes state court decisions from Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The series has progressed through three iterations: A. (1886--1938), A.2d (1938--2010), and A.3d (2010--present).
Under Bluebook Rule 10.3.1, when citing a case from a state court in a document submitted to a court of that state, you generally cite to the official state reporter. However, in all other contexts — including law review articles, academic papers, and briefs filed in other jurisdictions — the Bluebook requires or permits citation to the regional reporter. When citing the Atlantic Reporter, you must include the state and court abbreviation in the date parenthetical so the reader knows which court decided the case.
Each state within the Atlantic Reporter's coverage has its own court hierarchy and abbreviation conventions. For example, the highest court in New York (covered by N.E. and N.Y.S., not the Atlantic Reporter) uses different conventions than the highest court in Pennsylvania (Pa.) or New Jersey (N.J.). Always check Bluebook Table T1 for the correct court abbreviation.
Pennsylvania Supreme Court
Commonwealth v. Smith, 215 A.3d 1 (Pa. 2019)
New Jersey Supreme Court
State v. Henderson, 27 A.3d 872 (N.J. 2011)
Connecticut Supreme Court
Sheets v. Teddy's Frosted Foods, Inc., 427 A.2d 385 (Conn. 1980)
Maryland Court of Appeals
Owens-Illinois, Inc. v. Zenobia, 601 A.2d 633 (Md. 1992)
The Atlantic Reporter covers Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Yes. Unlike U.S. Reports, regional reporters cover multiple states, so you must identify the deciding court. For a state's highest court, use the state abbreviation alone (e.g., Pa.). For lower courts, include the full court abbreviation.
The transition from A.2d to A.3d occurred in 2010. Cases decided before that date should be cited to A.2d.
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Master Bluebook citation format for cases reported in U.S. Reports, the official reporter of the Supreme Court of the United States.
Format citations for U.S. Courts of Appeals decisions published in the Federal Reporter series, from the original F. through the current F.4th.
Format citations for state court decisions from Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
Format citations for state court decisions from Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas.
Format citations for state court decisions from Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
Format citations for state court decisions from Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Format citations for state court decisions from Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
Format citations for state court decisions from Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio.
Format citations for decisions from all levels of the New York state court system, including the Court of Appeals, Appellate Division, and Supreme Court.
Format citations for California Court of Appeal and Supreme Court decisions published in the California Reporter series.
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.