Special to the News
On Wednesday Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced major improvements to the Attorney General’s Opinions Division, including the release of a modernized online search database and, for the first time in Alabama history, the digitization and online access to historic attorney general opinions dating back more than a century.
In May 2024, after hearing concerns from public officials about longstanding difficulties with the attorney general’s online opinions database, General Marshall directed his team to modernize and improve the system.
Under the leadership of Wes Shaw, chief of the Opinions Division, the Attorney General’s Office launched an upgraded search database that is now efficient, reliable and user-friendly.
This week, Marshall also announced the release of previously unavailable historical opinions of the Alabama attorney general dating from 1894 to 1980. These opinions, never before published online by any attorney general, provide an important resource for both public officials and the public.
“Thousands of Alabama public officials depend on access to the attorney general’s opinions in order to carry out their duties under the law,” said Attorney General Marshall. “When I became attorney general, I made it a priority to ensure they had a tool they could rely on. Today, that database is more robust than ever, helping our state government operate more effectively while also making these opinions more accessible to the general public. By expanding access, we are not only supporting public officials but also strengthening government transparency for all Alabamians.”
Marshall would also like to recognize the work of the office’s Information Technology Systems specialist, Angelique Pugh, and archivist, Melisa Martin, for providing critical support to complete the opinions database modernization.
Both the modernized opinions database and the newly released historical opinions archive are available to the public at: www.alabamaag.gov/opinions.
