Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division

Format

Type

Times New Roman 14 pt, double-spaced

Margins

1-inch margins

Opening brief

50 pages

Reply brief

15 pages

What counts

Excludes tables of contents and citations; respondent/cross-appellant brief 75 pp.; appellant/cross-respondent brief 50 pp.; letter brief alternative max 20 pp. (R. 2:6-2(b)); relaxation of first brief only by motion for good cause

Rules

New Jersey Court Rules, Part II (Rules Governing Appellate Practice) — R. 2:6-10(a),(b) (am. eff. 9/1/2022); R. 2:6-7; R. 2:6-2(b)

Parts of the brief, in order

1. Cover — Required · R. 2:6-6
2. TABLE OF CONTENTS — Required · R. 2:6-2(a)(1)
3. TABLE OF JUDGMENTS, ORDERS AND RULINGS BEING APPEALED — Required · R. 2:6-2(a)(2)
4. TABLE OF AUTHORITIES — Required · R. 2:6-2(a)(3)
5. PRELIMINARY STATEMENT — Optional · R. 2:6-2(a)(7)
6. PROCEDURAL HISTORY — Required · R. 2:6-2(a)(4)
7. STATEMENT OF FACTS — Required · R. 2:6-2(a)(5)
8. LEGAL ARGUMENT — Required · R. 2:6-2(a)(6)
9. CONCLUSION — Required
10. Signature block — Required

Argument headings: Argument divided under distinctively printed/typed point headings ('POINT I', 'POINT II' ...), each followed in parentheses by where in the record the ruling/issue was raised, e.g. '(Raised Below: 2T14-3; Da45)' or '(Not Raised Below)'; all point headings (with those parentheticals) must be reproduced in the TABLE OF CONTENTS (R. 2:6-2(a)(1),(6)).

Record citations: Brief: Db8 / Pb8 / Prb8; appendix: Da12 / Pa8 / Ja15 / Pra7; transcript page-line: 1T8-3 (multiple transcripts numbered 1T, 2T... chronologically, with a key of dates in a footnote) (R. 2:6-8)

Appendix

Required. Pages are numbered like Da12. (R. 2:6-1(a)-(c); R. 2:6-8)

• civil: complete pretrial order and pleadings; criminal/quasi-criminal: indictment/accusation/complaint and docket entries
• judgment or order appealed from (incl. verdict sheets)
• jury charge if at issue; trial judge's opinions/findings
• statement of proceedings (R. 2:5-3(f)) if any
• notice(s) of appeal
• transcript delivery certification (R. 2:5-3(e))
• unpublished opinions cited (R. 1:36-3)
• other essential parts of the record (not the transcript)

Pages numbered consecutively with 'a' (1a, 2a...), cited with party prefix (Da12, Pa8, Ja15); volumes max 200 sheets, each volume starting with the full appendix TOC; TOC lists where exhibits were marked/offered in transcript; trial-court briefs excluded unless referenced in decision or germane (R. 2:6-1(a)(2)); summary-judgment appeals must include all motion papers except briefs; confidential docs in separate confidential appendix (R. 2:6-1(a)(3)). Joint appendix encouraged (R. 2:6-1(d)).

Certificates

• Service: Proof/certification of service on all parties
• Transcript delivery certification goes in the appendix (R. 2:5-3(e))
• Confidential-information compliance per R. 1:38-7 (redaction of confidential personal identifiers)

Good to know

• Font: Times New Roman or similar, 14 pt, character spacing expanded 0.3 pt, double-spaced; footnotes and indented quotations may be single-spaced (R. 2:6-10(a), eff. 9/1/2022). Older 65-character/26-line rule no longer applies.
• Preliminary statement optional, max 3 pages, no footnotes (R. 2:6-2(a)(7)).
• Table of Judgments, Orders and Rulings must give the appendix page of each order appealed and of the judge's opinion/oral decision (transcript cite).
• Letter-brief format permitted (max 20 pages) omitting TOA (R. 2:6-2(b)).
• Respondent's brief under R. 2:6-4; cross-appeal combined briefs R. 2:6-2(d), 2:6-4(e).
• Compressed transcripts in appendix: max 2 pages per sheet, 25 lines/55 chars, 9-pitch min (R. 2:6-10(b)).

Filing: eCourts Appellate (mandatory for attorneys); self-represented litigants may use JEDS or paper. Due: appellant 45 days after transcript delivery, respondent 30 days after service of appellant's brief, reply 14 days after respondent's brief (R. 2:6-11).