Guide
Alabama Table of Authorities: Rule 28 Brief Guide
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Alabama appellate briefs need a table of authorities under Ala. R. App. P. 28(a)(4). List cases alphabetically, include statutes and other authorities, and identify the brief pages where each is cited. Appellee/respondent briefs retain that requirement under Rule 28(b), and Rule 28(c) expressly requires a table in reply briefs. A short reply is not exempt.
Generate an Alabama table of authorities from your brief using the generator's standard format, not an Alabama-specific preset. Review every entry and page before exporting to Word. This guide concerns appellate briefing, not a universal requirement for trial-court motions or memoranda.
What Rule 28 actually requires
“A table of authorities, including cases (arranged alphabetically), statutes, and other authorities with reference to the pages of the brief where those cases, statutes, and other authorities are cited” — Ala. R. App. P. 28(a)(4).
The rule governs appellant briefs and petitioner merits briefs after certiorari is granted and the writ issues. It does not make every certiorari petition a Rule 28 merits brief. Rule 28(b) incorporates subdivision (a)(1)–(12) for appellees and respondents with specified exceptions for narrative statements, not the authorities table. For replies, Rule 28(c) lists a table of contents, table of authorities, summary of argument, argument and certificate of service. Check the separate rules and any order for rehearing, mandamus or other specialized papers rather than reusing a merits-brief template indiscriminately.
The pagination trap: old Roman-number templates
The October 2024 amendment matters when assembling the table. Rule 28(j)(1) now requires Arabic numbering beginning with the cover, with the cover's number hidden. The committee comment expressly describes replacing lower-case Roman numerals in the initial sections so the PDF page numbers match the printed numbers. Do not let a recycled template restart the statement of the case at 1 after front matter numbered ii, iii and iv.
Adding a three-page table can move all later references. Export the complete brief, not just its argument section, and check that a table reference to page 12 reaches the page labeled 12. Reporter pinpoints, record pages and brief pages do different jobs: a citation's reporter page is not its table locator, and a “C.” or “R.” record reference under Rule 28(g) is not the brief page either.
| Brief component | Rule-based requirement | Practical review |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | Alphabetical arrangement, Rule 28(a)(4) | Combine full and short forms of the same decision; preserve distinct decisions with similar names. |
| Statutes and other authorities | Include cited authorities with brief pages | Check jurisdictional authorities, rules and constitutional provisions, not just argument cases. |
| Front matter | Arabic pagination from the cover, Rule 28(j)(1) | Remove inherited Roman numbering and restart settings before generating locators. |
| Reply | Table expressly required, Rule 28(c) | Generate from the reply itself; do not copy the opening brief's authority list or page references. |
| Word/page count | Table excluded, Rule 28(j) | Keep the exclusion separate from the document's continuous numbering. |
Citations still need their own legal review
Rule 28(a)(10) permits citation under the latest Bluebook, the ALWD Citation Manual, or the style and form used in Alabama Supreme Court opinions. It also requires specific pages related to the proposition for which a case is cited. Those citation choices are distinct from alphabetizing the table. The generator does not rewrite citations into any of these styles or verify that an authority supports your argument.
Review footnotes and short-form references as carefully as full citations. Merge duplicate entries only when they identify the same authority. The cited table provision does not supply a passim threshold; explicit page references are the safer working approach unless applicable court guidance says otherwise.
From Alabama brief PDF to editable Word table
- Finalize the draft's numbering first. Export a PDF of the complete brief and retain the matching Word file. Confirm the cover counts as page 1 and subsequent printed pages track the PDF.
- Open the standard-format generator. Use the contextual link above and confirm the actual court/settings. Court detection or loading a sample can replace the starting selection; there is no Alabama preset.
- Review the extracted authorities. Check complete case identities, statutes and rules, duplicate short forms, footnote citations and every brief-page reference against the PDF.
- Export the appropriate route. PDF-only downloads an editable Word table. A matching Word file plus a text-layer PDF can insert ordinary table text into the Word brief. DOCX-only instead creates Word fields that Word for Windows builds and updates.
- Re-export after assembly. Check pagination and table references again after insertion or later edits. Separately inspect the entire brief's form, certificates and filing requirements; the table tool does not format the whole brief or add PDF bookmarks.
Frequently asked
Does an Alabama reply brief need a table?
Yes. Rule 28(c) expressly includes a table of authorities in the reply's required contents. Build it from the reply's own citations and pagination.
Are Roman numerals still correct for the table pages?
Not under the Rule 28(j)(1) pagination text amended effective October 1, 2024. The cover counts as Arabic page 1 without displaying the number, and the following page displays 2.
Does the criminal-case jurisdictional-statement exception remove the table?
No. Rule 28(a)(3) excludes specified briefs from the jurisdictional statement. The separate table requirement is in (a)(4); do not treat the narrative exception as a table exemption.
Must every trial-court memorandum contain this table?
This guide establishes the appellate Rule 28 requirement only. For a trial filing, consult the applicable procedural rules, local requirements and judge's order rather than importing the appellate checklist.
Does the generator have an Alabama preset?
No. This page opens standard format. You must review the heading, categories, citations and pages for your Alabama filing; the tool does not restyle the brief's citations.
Primary source and access note
- Alabama Judicial System — Rule 28, BriefsRule 28(a)–(c), (g) and (j), including the October 1, 2024 pagination amendment and comment, read October 14, 2026. Direct PDF access timed out; the official PDF's full extracted text was read through a text-fetch proxy. The check date is not an amendment date. Check current rules and case-specific orders before filing.judicial.alabama.gov
Sources
- Alabama Rules of Appellate Procedure, Rule 28judicial.alabama.gov
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