The process in which the vertebrate retina is organized into three laminae: the outer nuclear layer (ONL), which contains photoreceptor nuclei; the inner nuclear layer (INL), which contains amacrine, bipolar and horizontal cells; and the retinal ganglion cell (RGC) layer. Between the inner and outer nuclear layers, the outer plexiform layer (OPL) contains connections between the photoreceptors and bipolar and horizontal cells. The inner plexiform layer (IPL) is positioned between the INL and the ganglion cell layer and contains the dendrites of RGCs and processes of bipolar and amacrine cells. Spanning all layers of the retina are the radially oriented Mueller glia.