Illinois appeal brief requirements

Format, length, required sections and appendix rules — and a brief formatted to them for $299.

In Illinois, most appeals are decided by the Appellate Court of Illinois, and the Supreme Court of Illinois is the court of last resort. Each court has its own rules for how a brief must look and what it must contain.

At a glance

Court	Type	Margins	Opening brief	Reply	Appendix
Appellate Court of Illinois	Times New Roman 12 pt, double-spaced	Margins: top 1", right 1", bottom 1", left 1.5"	15,000 words or 50 pages	6,000 words or 20 pages	Appendix · A12
Supreme Court of Illinois	Times New Roman 12 pt, double-spaced	Margins: top 1", right 1", bottom 1", left 1.5"	15,000 words or 50 pages	6,000 words or 20 pages	Appendix · A12

Rules profiles reviewed September 2026. Court rules change — confirm the current rules with the clerk.

Required parts of the brief, court by court

Appellate Court of Illinois

Intermediate appellate court — hears appeals from circuit courts and certain agencies

POINTS AND AUTHORITIES · NATURE OF THE CASE · ISSUES PRESENTED FOR REVIEW · JURISDICTION · STATUTES INVOLVED · STATEMENT OF FACTS · ARGUMENT · CONCLUSION · CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE · NOTICE OF FILING AND CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE · APPENDIX

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Supreme Court of Illinois

Court of last resort — hears appeals from appellate Court on leave to appeal (Rule 315) and certain direct appeals (e.g., statute held invalid)

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Questions

What are the brief format requirements in the Appellate Court of Illinois?

Times New Roman 12 pt, double-spaced; margins: top 1", right 1", bottom 1", left 1.5"; opening brief limit 15,000 words or 50 pages.

Does the Appellate Court of Illinois require an appendix?

Appendix: required.

How long can a brief be in the Supreme Court of Illinois?

Opening brief: 15,000 words or 50 pages; reply brief: 6,000 words or 20 pages.

Can AppealDraft format my Illinois appeal brief?

Yes. Upload your draft and record documents, choose the court, and pay once ($299). You get the brief and appendix in Word and PDF, formatted to that court’s rules.

Have a draft for a Illinois appeal?

Upload it with your record documents. We put it in the court’s required form and build the appendix — Word and PDF, $299.

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