Louisiana cases are reported in the Southern Reporter series (So., So. 2d, So. 3d). Louisiana discontinued its official reporters — Louisiana Reports (La.) and Louisiana Courts of Appeal Reports (La. App.) — in 1972. Under Bluebook Table T1, cite Louisiana cases to the Southern Reporter.
Louisiana's intermediate appellate courts are the Courts of Appeal, organized into five circuits. When citing Court of Appeal decisions, include the circuit number: "La. Ct. App. 1st Cir.," "La. Ct. App. 2d Cir.," etc. For the Supreme Court, use simply "La." Louisiana is unique as the only U.S. state with a civil law system rooted in French and Spanish legal traditions.
| Court | Bluebook Abbreviation | Reporter |
|---|---|---|
| Supreme Court of Louisiana | La. | So. 3d (So. 2d) |
| Courts of Appeal (1st-5th Circuits) | La. Ct. App. | So. 3d |
Louisiana Supreme Court
Pitre v. Opelousas Gen. Hosp., 530 So. 2d 1151 (La. 1988)
Court of Appeal (4th Circuit)
Dugas v. Dugas, 999 So. 2d 1233 (La. Ct. App. 4th Cir. 2008)
Cite to the Southern Reporter (So. 3d for recent cases). Louisiana discontinued its official reporters in 1972.
Include the circuit number, e.g., (La. Ct. App. 4th Cir. 2008).
Louisiana is the only U.S. state with a civil law system based on French and Spanish legal traditions, rather than the English common law system used in all other states.
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