Supreme Court of the State of South Dakota

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

Format

Type: Times New Roman 12 pt, double-spaced
Margins: Margins: top 1", right 1", bottom 1", left 1.5"
Opening brief: 10,000 words or 32 pages
Reply brief: 5,000 words or 16 pages
What counts: Greater of words or 50,000/25,000 characters; excludes TOC, table of cases, jurisdictional statement, statement of legal issues, addendum, certificates; headings, footnotes, quotations count. Page limits 32/16 proportional, 40/20 monospaced
Rules: South Dakota Rules of Civil Appellate Procedure (SDCL ch. 15-26A) — SDCL 15-26A-66(b)(1) (12-pt proportional serif or 10 cpi monospaced); SDCL 15-26A-69 (paper, margins, spacing, no right-justification, page numbers); SDCL 15-26A-66

Parts of the brief, in order

Cover — Required · SDCL 15-26A-69
TABLE OF CONTENTS — Required · SDCL 15-26A-60(1)
TABLE OF AUTHORITIES — Required · SDCL 15-26A-60(2)
JURISDICTIONAL STATEMENT — Required · SDCL 15-26A-60(3)
STATEMENT OF LEGAL ISSUES — Required · SDCL 15-26A-60(4)
STATEMENT OF THE CASE — Required · SDCL 15-26A-60(5)
STATEMENT OF THE FACTS — Required · SDCL 15-26A-60(5)
ARGUMENT — Required · SDCL 15-26A-60(6)
CONCLUSION — Required · SDCL 15-26A-60(7)
Signature block — Required · SDCL 15-26A-60(9)
CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE — Required · SDCL 15-26A-66(b)(4)
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE — Required · SDCL 15-26A
APPENDIX — Required · SDCL 15-26A-60(8)

Argument headings: Contentions on each issue with reasons and citations; each legal issue statement gives the trial court's ruling and lists the most relevant cases (up to four) and statutes

Record citations: Cite particular part of record and specific pages (SDCL 15-26A-64); common practice (SR 12), (HT 5)

Appendix

Required. Pages are numbered like App. 12. (SDCL 15-26A-60(8))

judgment/order appealed from
findings of fact and conclusions of law / memorandum decision
relevant pleadings and transcript portions

Statutes/rules needing study reproduced in brief or appendix (SDCL 15-26A-65)

Certificates

Compliance: Attorney/unrepresented party certifies brief complies with type-volume limit and states word or character count (may rely on word processor)
Service: Certificate of service

Good to know

Text must not be right-justified (15-26A-69)
Left margin 1.5 in.
Monospaced alternative: 10 cpi, 40/20 pages
References to parties/children governed by 15-26A-63, -63.1

Filing: Electronic filing with the Supreme Court clerk (system not verified)

Questions

What font and spacing does the Supreme Court of the State of South Dakota require for briefs?

Times New Roman 12 pt, double-spaced; margins: top 1", right 1", bottom 1", left 1.5" (SDCL 15-26A-66(b)(1) (12-pt proportional serif or 10 cpi monospaced); SDCL 15-26A-69 (paper, margins, spacing, no right-justification, page numbers)).

How long can an opening brief be in the Supreme Court of the State of South Dakota?

10,000 words or 32 pages (SDCL 15-26A-66). Reply brief: 5,000 words or 16 pages.

What goes in the appendix?

Appendix: judgment/order appealed from; findings of fact and conclusions of law / memorandum decision; relevant pleadings and transcript portions.