APPENDIX 4 COURT ABBREVIATIONS This appendix contains abbreviations for federal courts. Abbreviations for state courts can be developed by consulting Appendix 1 and Rule 2 concerning abbreviations and spacing. In addition, abbreviations for state courts and territorial courts can be located at www.alwd.org. If you cannot find an entry for the court you wish to cite, consult Appendix 3, which contains general abbreviations. A. State s The listed state courts include each state s court of last resort, any intermediate appellate court, and trial courts of general jurisdiction. s are listed hierarchically, with the highest court in the state appearing first. For appellate courts, follow item 2 in Rule 12.6(b) about adding departments or divisions whenever possible. Alabama Supreme Alabama of Civil Appeals Alabama of Criminal Appeals Alabama Circuit Alaska Supreme Alaska of Appeals Alaska Superior Arizona Supreme Arizona of Appeals Arizona Superior Arkansas Supreme Arkansas of Appeals Arkansas Circuit Arkansas Chancery California Supreme California of Appeal California Superior Colorado Supreme Colorado of Appeals Colorado District Connecticut Supreme Connecticut Appellate Connecticut Superior Connecticut Circuit Ala. Ala. Civ. App. Ala. Crim. App. Ala. Cir. Alaska Alaska App. Alaska Super. Ariz. Ariz. App. Ariz. Super. Ark. Ark. App. Ark. Cir. Ark. Ch. Cal. Cal. App. Cal. Super. Colo. Colo. App. Colo. Dist. Conn. Conn. App. Conn. Super. Conn. Cir. 431
Delaware Supreme Delaware Superior Delaware of Chancery Delaware Family District of Columbia of Appeals District of Columbia Superior Florida Supreme Florida District of Appeal Florida Circuit Georgia Supreme Georgia of Appeals Georgia Superior Hawaii Supreme Hawaii Intermediate of Appeals Hawaii Circuit Idaho Supreme Idaho of Appeals Idaho District Illinois Supreme Illinois Appellate Illinois Circuit Indiana Supreme Indiana of Appeals Indiana Superior Iowa Supreme Iowa of Appeals Iowa District Kansas Supreme Kansas of Appeals Kansas District Del. Del. Super. Del. Ch. Del. Fam. D.C. App. D.C. Super. Fla. Fla. Dist. App. Fla. Cir. Ga. Ga. App. Ga. Super. Haw. Haw. App. Haw. Cir. Idaho Idaho App. Idaho Dist. Ill. Ill. App. Ill. Cir. Ind. Ind. App. Ind. Super. Iowa Iowa App. Iowa Dist. Kan. Kan. App. Kan. Dist. SIDEBAR A4-1 THE STRUCTURE OF STATE COURT SYSTEMS For more details about each court such as the number of judges or justices and for diagrams of each state s judicial system, consult the most recent annual edition of Federal-State Directory (Robert S. Want ed., Want Pub. Co.) or of BNA s Directory of State and Federal s, Judges, and Clerks (Judith A. Miller ed., BNA). In addition, the National Center for State s has compiled a list of state and federal court Web sites that can be accessed at http://www.ncsc.dni.us. 432
Kentucky Supreme Kentucky of Appeals Kentucky Circuit Louisiana Supreme Louisiana of Appeal Louisiana District Maine Supreme Judicial Maine Superior Maryland of Appeals Maryland of Special Appeals Maryland Circuit Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Massachusetts Appeals Trial of the Commonwealth Michigan Supreme Michigan of Appeals Michigan Circuit Minnesota Supreme Minnesota of Appeals Minnesota District Mississippi Supreme of Appeals of the State of Mississippi Mississippi Circuit Mississippi Chancery Missouri Supreme Missouri of Appeals Missouri Circuit Montana Supreme Montana District Nebraska Supreme Nebraska of Appeals Nebraska District Nevada Supreme Nevada District New Hampshire Supreme New Hampshire Superior New Jersey Supreme New Jersey Superior, Appellate Division New Mexico Supreme New Mexico of Appeals New Mexico District New York of Appeals New York Supreme, Appellate Division New York Supreme North Carolina Supreme North Carolina of Appeals North Carolina Superior Ky. Ky. App. Ky. Cir. La. La. App. La. Dist. Me. Me. Super. Md. Md. Spec. App. Md. Cir. Mass. Mass. App. Mass. Cmmw. Mich. Mich. App. Mich. Cir. Minn. Minn. App. Minn. Dist. Miss. Miss. App. Miss. Cir. Miss. Ch. Mo. Mo. App. Mo. Cir. Mont. Mont. Dist. Neb. Neb. App. Neb. Dist. Nev. Nev. Dist. N.H. N.H. Super. N.J. N.J. Super. App. Div. N.M. N.M. App. N.M. Dist. N.Y. N.Y. App. Div. N.Y. Sup. N.C. N.C. App. N.C. Super. 433
North Dakota Supreme N.D. North Dakota of Appeals N.D. App. (Note: The North Dakota of Appeals was a temporary court, effective July 1, 1987 through January 1, 2000.) North Dakota District N.D. Dist. Ohio Supreme Ohio Ohio of Appeals Ohio App. Ohio of Common Pleas Ohio Com. Pleas Oklahoma Supreme Okla. Oklahoma of Criminal Appeals Okla. Crim. App. Oklahoma of Appeals Okla. App. Oklahoma District Okla. Dist. Oregon Supreme Or. Oregon of Appeals Or. App. Oregon Circuit Or. Cir. Pennsylvania Supreme Pa. Pennsylvania Superior Pa. Super. Pennsylvania Commonwealth Pa. Cmmw. Rhode Island Supreme R.I. Rhode Island Superior R.I. Super. South Carolina Supreme S.C. South Carolina of Appeals S.C. App. South Carolina Circuit S.C. Cir. South Dakota Supreme S.D. South Dakota Circuit S.D. Cir. Tennessee Supreme Tenn. Tennessee of Appeals Tenn. App. Tennessee of Criminal Appeals Tenn. Crim. App. Tennessee Circuit Tenn. Cir. Tennessee Criminal Tenn. Crim. Tennessee Chancery Tenn. Ch. Texas Supreme Tex. Texas of Criminal Appeals Tex. Crim. App. Texas of Appeals Tex. App. Texas District Tex. Dist. Texas Criminal District Tex. Crim. Dist. Utah Supreme Utah Utah of Appeals Utah App. Utah District Utah Dist. Vermont Supreme Vt. Vermont Superior Vt. Super. Vermont District Vt. Dist. Virginia Supreme Va. Virginia of Appeals Va. App. Virginia Circuit Va. Cir. Washington Supreme Wash. Washington of Appeals Wash. App. 434
Washington Superior West Virginia Supreme West Virginia Circuit Wisconsin Supreme Wisconsin of Appeals Wisconsin Circuit Wyoming Supreme Wyoming District Wash. Super. W. Va. W. Va. Cir. Wis. Wis. App. Wis. Cir. Wyo. Wyo. Dist. United States Supreme B. Federal s U.S. United States s of Appeals First Circuit Second Circuit Third Circuit Fourth Circuit Fifth Circuit Sixth Circuit Seventh Circuit Eighth Circuit Ninth Circuit Tenth Circuit Eleventh Circuit D.C. Circuit Federal Circuit 1st Cir. 2d Cir. 3d Cir. 4th Cir. 5th Cir. 6th Cir. 7th Cir. 8th Cir. 9th Cir. 10th Cir. 11th Cir. D.C. Cir. Fed. Cir. United States District s Middle District of Alabama Northern District of Alabama Southern District of Alabama District of Alaska District of Arizona Eastern District of Arkansas Western District of Arkansas Central District of California Eastern District of California Northern District of California Southern District of California District of the Canal Zone (Note: The D.C.Z. ceased to exist on March 31, 1982.) District of Colorado District of Connecticut District of Delaware M.D. Ala. N.D. Ala. S.D. Ala. D. Alaska D. Ariz. E.D. Ark. W.D. Ark. C.D. Cal. E.D. Cal. N.D. Cal. S.D. Cal. D.C.Z. D. Colo. D. Conn. D. Del. 435
District of D.C. D.D.C. Middle District of Florida M.D. Fla. Northern District of Florida N.D. Fla. Southern District of Florida S.D. Fla. Middle District of Georgia M.D. Ga. Northern District of Georgia N.D. Ga. Southern District of Georgia S.D. Ga. District of Guam D. Guam District of Hawaii D. Haw. District of Idaho D. Idaho Central District of Illinois C.D. Ill. Northern District of Illinois N.D. Ill. Southern District of Illinois S.D. Ill. Northern District of Indiana N.D. Ind. Southern District of Indiana S.D. Ind. Northern District of Iowa N.D. Iowa Southern District of Iowa S.D. Iowa District of Kansas D. Kan. Eastern District of Kentucky E.D. Ky. Western District of Kentucky W.D. Ky. Eastern District of Louisiana E.D. La. Middle District of Louisiana M.D. La. Western District of Louisiana W.D. La. District of Maine D. Me. District of Maryland D. Md. District of Massachusetts D. Mass. Eastern District of Michigan E.D. Mich. Western District of Michigan W.D. Mich. District of Minnesota D. Minn. Northern District of Mississippi N.D. Miss. Southern District of Mississippi S.D. Miss. Eastern District of Missouri E.D. Mo. Western District of Missouri W.D. Mo. District of Montana D. Mont. District of Nebraska D. Neb. District of Nevada D. Nev. District of New Hampshire D.N.H. District of New Jersey D.N.J. District of New Mexico D.N.M. Eastern District of New York E.D.N.Y. Northern District of New York N.D.N.Y. Southern District of New York S.D.N.Y. Western District of New York W.D.N.Y. Eastern District of North Carolina E.D.N.C. Middle District of North Carolina M.D.N.C. Western District of North Carolina W.D.N.C. District of North Dakota D.N.D. District of the Northern Mariana Islands D.N. Mar. I. Northern District of Ohio N.D. Ohio Southern District of Ohio S.D. Ohio Eastern District of Oklahoma E.D. Okla. Northern District of Oklahoma N.D. Okla. 436
Western District of Oklahoma District of Oregon Eastern District of Pennsylvania Middle District of Pennsylvania Western District of Pennsylvania District of Puerto Rico District of Rhode Island District of South Carolina District of South Dakota Eastern District of Tennessee Middle District of Tennessee Western District of Tennessee Eastern District of Texas Northern District of Texas Southern District of Texas Western District of Texas District of Utah District of Vermont Eastern District of Virginia Western District of Virginia District of the Virgin Islands Eastern District of Washington Western District of Washington Northern District of West Virginia Southern District of West Virginia Eastern District of Wisconsin Western District of Wisconsin District of Wyoming Military s United States of Appeals for the Armed Forces W.D. Okla. D. Or. E.D. Pa. M.D. Pa. W.D. Pa. D.P.R. D.R.I. D.S.C. D.S.D. E.D. Tenn. M.D. Tenn. W.D. Tenn. E.D. Tex. N.D. Tex. S.D. Tex. W.D. Tex. D. Utah D. Vt. E.D. Va. W.D. Va. D.V.I. E.D. Wash. W.D. Wash. N.D.W. Va. S.D.W. Va. E.D. Wis. W.D. Wis. D. Wyo. Armed Forces App. SIDEBAR A4-2 DISSECTING A DISTRICT COURT ABBREVIATION The abbreviation for District is D. Many states have more than one district; these districts are designated by geography. The choices may be Central (C.), Eastern (E.), Middle (M.), Northern (N.), Southern (S.), or Western (W.). To formulate the abbreviation for a United States District, put the geographic designation before D, and then add the state abbreviation. For state abbreviations, see Appendix B. Consult Rule 2 for information about how to space the abbreviation. 437
United States of Veterans Appeals United States Air Force of Criminal Appeals United States Army of Criminal Appeals United States Coast Guard of Criminal Appeals United States Navy-Marine Corps of Criminal Appeals Vet. App. A.F. Crim. App. Army Crim. App. Coast Guard Crim. App. Navy-Marine Crim. App. Bankruptcy s Each United States District has a corresponding bankruptcy court. To cite a bankruptcy court, add Bankr. to the district court abbreviation. Examples: Bankr. N.D. Ala. Bankr. D. Mass. Other Federal s of Federal Claims of Customs and Patent Appeals of Claims Claims of International Trade Tax Fed. Cl. Cust. & Pat. App. Ct. Cl. Cl. Ct. Ct. Intl. Trade Tax 438