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RULE 28-1 | BRIEFS – CONTENTS

Each principal brief shall consist, in the order listed, of the following:
(a) Cover Page. Elements to be shown on the cover page include the court of appeals docket number centered at the top; the name of this court; the title of the case [see FRAP 12(a)]; the nature of the proceeding [e.g., Appeal, Petition for Review]; the name of the court, agency, or board below; the title of the brief, identifying the party or parties for whom the brief is filed; and the name, office address, and telephone number of the attorney. See FRAP 32(a)(2).

(b) Certificate of Interested Persons and Corporate Disclosure Statement. A Certificate of Interested Persons and Corporate Disclosure Statement (“CIP”) is required of every party and amicus curiae. The CIP shall comply with FRAP 26.1 and the accompanying circuit rules, and shall be included within each brief immediately following the cover page.

(c) Statement Regarding Oral Argument. Appellant’s brief shall include a short statement of whether or not oral argument is desired, and if so, the reasons why oral argument should be heard. Appellee’s brief shall include a similar statement. The court will accord these statements due, though not controlling, weight in determining whether oral argument will be heard. See FRAP 34(a) and (f) and 11th Cir. R. 34-3(c).

(d) Table of Contents. The table of contents shall include page references to each section required by this rule to be included within the brief. The table shall also include specific page references to each heading or subheading of each issue argued.

(e) Table of Citations. The Table of Citations shall show the locations in the brief of citations, and shall contain asterisks in the margin identifying the citations upon which the party primarily relies. The Table of Citations should not use the “passim” notation, but should instead list every page on which an authority is cited. Page ranges may be used if the authority is cited on every page in the range (e.g., “7-10” instead of “7, 8, 9, 10”).

(f) Statement Regarding Adoption of Briefs of Other Parties. A party who adopts by reference any part of the brief of another party pursuant to FRAP 28(i) shall include a statement describing in detail which briefs and which portions of those briefs are adopted.

(g) Statement of Subject-Matter and Appellate Jurisdiction. The jurisdictional statement must contain all information required by FRAP 28(a)(4)(A) through (D).

(h) Statement of the Issues.

(i) Statement of the Case. In the statement of the case, as in all other sections of the brief, every assertion regarding matter in the record shall be supported by a reference to the record, as described in 11th Cir. R. 28-5. The statement of the case shall briefly recite the nature of the case and shall then include:
(i) the course of proceedings and dispositions in the court below. IN CRIMINAL APPEALS, COUNSEL MUST STATE WHETHER THE PARTY THEY REPRESENT IS INCARCERATED;

(ii) a statement of the facts. A proper statement of facts reflects a high standard of professionalism. It must state the facts accurately, those favorable and those unfavorable to the party. Inferences drawn from facts must be identified as such;

(iii) a statement of the standard or scope of review for each contention. For example, where the appeal is from an exercise of district court discretion, there shall be a statement that the standard of review is whether the district court abused its discretion. The appropriate standard or scope of review for other contentions should be similarly indicated, e.g., that the district court erred in formulating or applying a rule of law; or that there is insufficient evidence to support a verdict; or that fact findings of the trial judge are clearly erroneous under Fed.R.Civ.P. 52(a); or that there is a lack of substantial evidence in the record as a whole to support the factual findings of an administrative agency; or that the agency’s action, findings and conclusions should be held unlawful and set aside for the reasons set forth in 5 U.S.C. §706(2).
(j) Summary of the Argument. The opening briefs of the parties shall also contain a summary of argument, suitably paragraphed, which should be a clear, accurate and succinct condensation of the argument actually made in the body of the brief. It should not be a mere repetition of the headings under which the argument is arranged. It should seldom exceed two and never five pages.

(k) Argument and Citations of Authority. Citations of authority in the brief shall comply with the rules of citation in the latest edition of either the “Bluebook” (A Uniform System of Citation) or the “ALWD Guide” (Association of Legal Writing Directors’ Guide to Legal Citation). Citations shall reference the specific page number(s) which relate to the proposition for which the case is cited. For state reported cases the national reporter series should be cross referenced (e.g., Southern Reporter, Southeast Reporter).

(l) Conclusion.

(m) Certificate of Compliance. The certificate described in FRAP 32(g), if required by that rule.

(n) Certificate of Service. The certificate described in FRAP 25(d), if required by that rule.
Congratulations! You're now booked up on Local Rule 28-1 11th Cir. R.!

You'll probably need to reference it during your pursuit of justice (within the federal system).

As always, please get the justice you deserve.

Sincerely,



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