Court of Appeals of the State of Oregon

Brief and appendix rules we apply — State appeal, $299.

Format

Type: Times New Roman 14 pt, double-spaced
Margins: Margins: top 0.75", right 1", bottom 0.75", left 1.25"
Opening brief: 10,000 words
Reply brief: 3,300 words
What counts: Excludes indexes, excerpt of record, appendices, certificates
Rules: Oregon Rules of Appellate Procedure (ORAP) — ORAP 5.05 (Arial, Times New Roman or Century Schoolbook; margins inside 1.25, outside 1, top/bottom 0.75); ORAP 5.05

Parts of the brief, in order

Cover — Required · ORAP 5.05
INDEX OF CONTENTS — Required · ORAP 5.35
INDEX OF AUTHORITIES — Required · ORAP 5.35
STATEMENT OF THE CASE — Required · ORAP 5.40
SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT — Required · ORAP 5.40
STATEMENT OF FACTS — Required · ORAP 5.40
ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR / ARGUMENT — Required · ORAP 5.45
CONCLUSION — Required
EXCERPT OF RECORD — Required · ORAP 5.50
CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE WITH BRIEF LENGTH AND TYPE SIZE REQUIREMENTS — Required · ORAP 5.05
CERTIFICATE OF FILING AND SERVICE — Required

Argument headings: Each 'FIRST ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR' quotes/identifies the ruling challenged, followed by 'Preservation of Error' (record cite) and 'Standard of Review' subsections, then argument (ORAP 5.45).

Standard of review: Separate 'Standard of Review' subheading under each assignment of error (ORAP 5.45)

Record citations: (ER 12); transcript (Tr 45); appendix (App-3)

Excerpt of Record

Required. Pages are numbered like ER-12. (ORAP 5.50)

judgment/order on appeal
trial court register
rulings challenged
pleadings and other essential documents

Optional appendix 'App-'.

Certificates

Compliance: States brief complies with word-count limit (ORAP 5.05) and gives word count, and that type size is not smaller than 14 point for text and footnotes
Service: Certificate of filing and service

Good to know

Word limits and 14-pt from ORAP 5.05 text in 2022 ORAP Committee materials; ORAP 1.45(3) (2026 compilation) states a 13-pt minimum for proportional type generally — confirm current 5.05.
Margins/fonts per 2022 materials; verify against ORAP effective Jan. 2026.

Filing: Oregon appellate eFiling (File & Serve) mandatory for attorneys; text-searchable PDF

Questions

What font and spacing does the Court of Appeals of the State of Oregon require for briefs?

Times New Roman 14 pt, double-spaced; margins: top 0.75", right 1", bottom 0.75", left 1.25" (ORAP 5.05 (Arial, Times New Roman or Century Schoolbook; margins inside 1.25, outside 1, top/bottom 0.75)).

How long can an opening brief be in the Court of Appeals of the State of Oregon?

10,000 words (ORAP 5.05). Reply brief: 3,300 words.

What goes in the appendix?

Excerpt of Record: judgment/order on appeal; trial court register; rulings challenged; pleadings and other essential documents.