Researching Secondary Sources in Law

American Law Reports contain two kinds of material: articles and cases. Articles cover a topic through cases that focus on a particular point of law.  These articles collect the cases from a variety of state and federal courts or jurisdictions and arrange them according to how the courts have ruled.

American Law Reports are great to use for researching narrow topics, doing a survey of existing law, identifying trends in the law, and finding persuasive case law.

The ALR consists of several different series.

• Seven address primarily state topics (A.L.R., A.L.R. 2d, A.L.R. 3d, A.L.R.4th, A.L.R. 5th, A.L.R. 6th, and  A.L.R. 7th 
• Three are specific to federal issues (A.L.R. Fed., A.L.R. Fed. 2d, and A.L.R. Fed. 3d)
• One is for subjects pertaining to international law (A.L.R. Int'l)

ALR Complete Series Index

ALR Quick Index

ALR Digest

ALR Table of Laws, Rules and Regulations

ALR Table of Cases

ALR Article Index

ALR Article Outline

Table of Jurisdictions

All ALR series continue to be updated, though not on a regular schedule.

• ALR - If you are working with the print (our library no longer has), you can search each volume of the ALR Blue Book of Supplemental Decisions
• ALR 2d - If you are working with the print (our library no longer has), you can search in the appropriate volume and pocket part of the ALR2d Later Case Service
• ALR 3rd - 7th, ALR Fed series - If you are working with the print (our library no longer has), you can search the pocket part of the same volume

Available to Law Students only (see a reference librarian if you do not have a CALI activation code).

Bluebook

Rule 16.7.6 of The Bluebook (22nd ed. 2025) covers how to cite ALRs. 

Elements

The citation should contain:

• Author
• the word "Annotation"
• Title (italicized or underlined)
• ALR volume
• ALR series
• Page number or article number (newer ALRs use articles). If pinpoint citing use the page number or the section for newer ALRs.
• Copyright date of volume and supplement if appropriate

Examples

William B. Johnson, Annotation, Use of Plea Bargain or Grant of Immunity as Improper Vouching for Credibility of Witness in Federal Cases, 76 A.L.R. Fed. 409 (1986 & Supp. 2025).

Linda Sharp, Annotation, Definition of "Sex" Under Title VII of Civil Rights Act, 42 U.S.C.A. §§ 2000e et seq., Concerning Discrimination on Basis of Sexual Orientation, Gender Conformance, or Transgender Status—Post-Bostock, 67 A.L.R. Fed. 3d Art. 14, § 10 (2022).

ALWD

Rule 22.5 of The ALWD Citation Manual (7th ed.) covers the citation of ALRs.

Elements

The citation should contain:

• Author
• the word "Annotation"
• Title (italicized or underlined)
• ALR volume
• ALR series -- See Chart 22.2 for abbreviations
• Page number or article number (newer ALRs use articles). If pinpoint citing use the page number or the section for newer ALRs.
• Copyright date of volume and supplement if appropriate
  • If you are using an ALR on Westlaw, rather than the copyright date provide the database and the month, day, and year you accessed it.

Examples

William B. Johnson, Annotation, Use of Plea Bargain or Grant of Immunity as Improper Vouching for Credibility of Witness in Federal Cases, 76 A.L.R. Fed. 409 (1986 & Supp. 2025).

Linda Sharp, Annotation, Definition of "Sex" Under Title VII of Civil Rights Act, 42 U.S.C.A. §§ 2000e et seq., Concerning Discrimination on Basis of Sexual Orientation, Gender Conformance, or Transgender Status—Post-Bostock, 67 A.L.R. Fed. 3d Art. 14, § 10 (2022).

Linda Sharp, Annotation, Definition of "Sex" Under Title VII of Civil Rights Act, 42 U.S.C.A. §§ 2000e et seq., Concerning Discrimination on Basis of Sexual Orientation, Gender Conformance, or Transgender Status—Post-Bostock, 67 A.L.R. Fed. 3d Art. 14, § 10 (Westlaw through June 18, 2025).