Maine Supreme Judicial Court, Sitting as the Law Court

Format

Type

Times New Roman 14 pt, double-spaced

Margins

1-inch margins

Opening brief

10,000 words or 40 pages

Reply brief

4,500 words or 15 pages

What counts

Greater of pages or words. Excludes cover, TOC, TOA, certificate of service, and appendix bound with appellant's brief. Cross-appeal: appellee 50 pp/13,000 words; appellant reply 30 pp/9,000 words.

Rules

Maine Rules of Appellate Procedure — M.R. App. P. 7A(g); M.R. App. P. 7A(f)

Parts of the brief, in order

1. Cover — Required · M.R. App. P. 7A(g)
2. TABLE OF CONTENTS — Required · M.R. App. P. 7A(a)
3. TABLE OF AUTHORITIES — Required · M.R. App. P. 7A(a)
4. INTRODUCTION — Optional · M.R. App. P. 7A(a)
5. STATEMENT OF FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY — Required · M.R. App. P. 7A(a)
6. STATEMENT OF THE ISSUES — Required · M.R. App. P. 7A(a)
7. SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT — Optional · M.R. App. P. 7A(a)
8. ARGUMENT — Required · M.R. App. P. 7A(a)
9. CONCLUSION — Required · M.R. App. P. 7A(a)
10. Signature block — Required
11. CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE — Required

Argument headings: Argument for each issue including the applicable standard of appellate review; issues set out in the statement of issues.

Standard of review: Within the argument for each issue (7A(a)).

Record citations: Appendix page, conventionally (A. 12); transcript by page

Appendix

Required. Pages are numbered like A. 12. (M.R. App. P. 8)

• table of contents
• all docket entries
• each trial court decision, ruling, or judgment addressed on appeal
• complaint/indictment/petition/motion initiating the proceeding
• pre- or post-judgment motions subject to an order
• other relevant record items

Spiral/comb bound; pages numbered sequentially from cover; max 150 sheets (double-sided) per volume. Up to 3 pages of trial court documents may be attached to a brief.

Certificates

• Service: Certificate of service

Good to know

• Paper briefs bound on left with comb or spiral binding so pages lie flat.
• Brief may not include documents outside the trial court file, images of minors, or confidential material (7A(a)).
• Appellee may omit issues, standards, facts unless disputing appellant's (7A(b)); reply confined to new matters in appellee's brief (7A(c)).
• Whether a word-count certificate is required was not verified.

Filing: Electronic filing with the Law Court (since Nov. 1, 2024 amendments) plus paper copies of briefs and appendices within 7 days of electronic acceptance.