Home Table of Contents

RULE 8-503. STYLE AND FORM OF BRIEFS

West's Annotated Code of MarylandMaryland RulesEffective: April 1, 2022

West's Annotated Code of Maryland
Maryland Rules
Title 8. Appellate Review in the Court of Appeals and Court of Special Appeals
Chapter 500. Record Extract, Briefs, and Argument
Effective: April 1, 2022
MD Rules, Rule 8-503
RULE 8-503. STYLE AND FORM OF BRIEFS
Currentness
(a) Numbering of Pages; Binding. The pages of a brief shall be consecutively numbered. The brief shall be securely bound along the left margin.
(b) References. References (1) to the record extract, regardless of whether the record extract is included as an attachment to the appellant's brief or filed as a separate volume, shall be indicated as (E .......), (2) to any appendix to appellant's brief shall be indicated as (App .......), (3) to an appendix to appellee's brief shall be indicated as (Apx .......), and (4) to an appendix to a reply brief shall be indicated as (Rep. App .......), and (5) to an appendix to a cross-appellant’s reply brief shall be indicated as (Cr. Apx …….). If the case falls within an exception listed in Rule 8-501(b), references to the transcript of testimony contained in the record shall be indicated as (T .......) and other references to the record shall be indicated as (R .......).
(c) Covers. A brief shall have a back and cover of the following color:
(1) In the Court of Special Appeals:
(A) appellant's brief--yellow;
(B) appellee's brief--green;
(C) reply brief--light red;
(D) amicus curiae brief--gray.;
(E) cross-appellant’s reply brief--purple;
(F) briefs of incarcerated or institutionalized parties who are self-represented--white.
(2) In the Court of Appeals:
(A) appellant's brief--white;
(B) appellee's brief--blue;
(C) reply brief--tan;
(D) amicus curiae brief--gray;
(E) cross-appellant’s reply brief--orange.
The cover page shall contain the name of the appellate court, the caption of the case on appeal, and the case number on appeal, as well as the name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address, if available, of at least one attorney for a party represented by an attorney or of the party if not represented by an attorney. If the appeal is from a decision of a trial court, the cover page shall also name the trial court and each judge of that court whose ruling is at issue in the appeal. The name typed or printed on the cover constitutes a signature for purposes of Rule 1-311.
(d) Length.
(1) Principal Briefs of Parties. Except as otherwise provided in section (e) of this Rule or with permission of the Court, the principal brief of an appellant or appellee shall not exceed 9,100 words in the Court of Special Appeals or 13,000 words in the Court of Appeals. This limitation does not apply to (A) the table of contents and citations required by Rule 8-504(a)(1); (B) the information required by Rule 8-504(a)(10); or (C) a Certification of Word Count and Compliance with Rule 8-112 required by Rule 8-504 (a)(9).
(2) Motion to Dismiss. Except with permission of the Court, any portion of a party's brief pertaining to a motion to dismiss shall not exceed an additional 2,600 words in the Court of Special Appeals or 6,500 words in the Court of Appeals.
(3) Reply Brief. Any reply brief shall not exceed 3,900 words in the Court of Special Appeals or 6,500 words in the Court of Appeals.
(4) Amicus Curiae Brief. Except with the permission of the Court, an amicus curiae brief:
(A) if filed in the Court of Special Appeals, shall not exceed 3,900 words; and
(B) if filed in the Court of Appeals, shall not exceed 6,500 words, except that an amicus curiae brief supporting or opposing a petition for certiorari or other extraordinary writ shall not exceed 3,900 words.
(e) Briefs of Cross-Appellant and Cross-Appellee. In cases involving cross-appeals, the principal brief filed by the appellee/cross-appellant shall not exceed 13,000 words. The reply brief filed by the appellant/cross-appellee shall not exceed (1) 13,000 words in the Court of Appeals or (2) in the Court of Special Appeals (A) 9,100 words if no reply to the appellee's answer is included or (B) 13,000 words if a reply is included. The reply brief filed by the cross-appellant shall not exceed 3,900 words in the Court of Special Appeals or 6,500 words in the Court of Appeals.
(f) Incorporation by Reference. In a case involving more than one appellant or appellee, any appellant or appellee may adopt by reference any part of the brief of another.
(g) Effect of Noncompliance. For noncompliance with this Rule, the appellate court may dismiss the appeal or make any other appropriate order with respect to the case, including an order that an improperly prepared brief be reproduced at the expense of the attorney for the party for whom the brief was filed.
Source: This Rule is derived as follows:
Section (a) is derived from former Rules 831 a and 1031 a.
Section (b) is derived from former Rules 831 a and 1031 a.
Section (c) is derived from former Rules 831 a and 1031 a.
Section (d) is in part derived from Rule 831 b and 1031 b and in part new.
Section (e) is new.
Section (f) is derived from Fed. R. App. P. 28(i).
Section (g) is derived from former Rules 831 g and 1031 f.

Credits

[Adopted Nov. 19, 1987, eff. July 1, 1988. Amended Dec. 16, 1999, eff. Jan. 1, 2000; Nov. 12, 2003, eff. Jan. 1, 2004; Sept. 10, 2009, eff. Oct. 1, 2009; Sept. 8, 2011, eff. Jan. 1, 2012; Oct. 17, 2013, eff. Jan. 1, 2014; Nov. 21, 2013, eff. Jan. 1, 2014; March 2, 2015, eff. July 1, 2015; Sept. 17, 2015, eff. Jan. 1, 2016; Feb. 9, 2022, eff. April 1, 2022.]
MD Rules, Rule 8-503, MD R A CT AND SPEC A Rule 8-503
Current with amendments received through December 1, 2022. Some sections may be more current, see credits for details.
End of Document