Nebraska Supreme Court

Format

Type

Century Schoolbook 12 pt, 1.15× spacing

Margins

1.5-inch margins

Opening brief

15,000 words

Reply brief

No fixed limit found

What counts

15,000 words is a COMBINED per-party total: appellant's brief + reply + answer to cross-appeal; appellee's brief + cross-appeal brief + cross-reply. 18,000 per party when a cross-appeal is asserted. Amicus 3,800.

Rules

Nebraska Court Rules of Appellate Practice — Neb. Ct. R. App. P. § 2-103(A)(3)-(4), (C)(2); Neb. Ct. R. App. P. § 2-103(C)(3)

Parts of the brief, in order

1. Cover (title page) — Required · Neb. Ct. R. App. P. § 2-103(C)(1); § 2-109(D)(1)(a)
2. TABLE OF CONTENTS — Required · Neb. Ct. R. App. P. § 2-109(D)(1)(b)
3. TABLE OF AUTHORITIES — Required · Neb. Ct. R. App. P. § 2-109(D)(1)(b)
4. STATEMENT OF THE BASIS OF JURISDICTION — Required · Neb. Ct. R. App. P. § 2-109(D)(1)(c)
5. STATEMENT OF THE CASE — Required · Neb. Ct. R. App. P. § 2-109(D)(1)(d)
6. ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR — Required · Neb. Ct. R. App. P. § 2-109(D)(1)(e)
7. PROPOSITIONS OF LAW — Required · Neb. Ct. R. App. P. § 2-109(D)(1)(f)
8. STATEMENT OF FACTS — Required · Neb. Ct. R. App. P. § 2-109(D)(1)(g)
9. SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT — Required · Neb. Ct. R. App. P. § 2-109(D)(1)(h)
10. ARGUMENT — Required · Neb. Ct. R. App. P. § 2-109(D)(1)(i)
11. CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE — Required · Neb. Ct. R. App. P. § 2-103(C)(4)

Argument headings: Assignments of error separately numbered and paragraphed; errors assigned but not specifically argued are generally not considered. Argument presents each question separately with its propositions of law.

Standard of review: Not a separately enumerated section in § 2-109(D)(1) text reviewed; Nebraska briefs customarily include it (verify).

Record citations: Transcript (T26); bill of exceptions page:line (156:12); exhibits (E5, p. 95) — § 2-109(C)

Appendix

Pages are numbered like A12.

No appendix provision found in §§ 2-103 or 2-109; the court uses the transcript and bill of exceptions.

Certificates

• Compliance: On final page: software used, typeface compliance, total word count
• Service: Certificate of service

Good to know

• Footnotes are NOT permitted (§ 2-103).
• Fonts: Century or Century Schoolbook preferred; Times New Roman, Baskerville Old Face, Book Antiqua, Palatino allowed; 12-13 point only.
• Line spacing 1.15 or 1.2; text left-aligned, not justified; 1.5-inch margins on all sides.
• Cover serves as title page; no separate title page.
• Internal hyperlinks and bookmarks permitted (§ 2-103(A)(5)).

Filing: E-filing via court-authorized service provider; fully text-searchable converted PDF (not scanned image); self-represented non-registered parties may file on paper