Introductory.

• Jurisdiction: United States

Section 20. Introductory.—An appellate brief is a written argument in support of or in opposition to the order, decree, or judgment below. This part of the book explains how to write a good appellate brief. The subject may seem at first blush to be as dull as last night's dishwater, but it is a very important one indeed. When the appellate court, as frequently happens, reads briefs in advance of argument, your brief is the first step in persuasion. When a court reads briefs only after oral argument, then, if it is persuaded to decide the case your way after hearing the oral presentations, your brief becomes the peg on which it can hang its collective judicial hat. And in a close case, where the issue is uncertain and where the legal materials must be studied at considerable length, the brief...