Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-31-2021
Abstract
This essay discusses the "conclusion" section of an appellate brief and its relationship to problems of argument ordering in multi-issue appeals. The essay first reviews the relevant federal appellate rules--Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 28(a)(9) and Supreme Court Rule 24.1(j)--and explains the author's preference for short, precise, remedy-oriented conclusions, shorn of repetitive argument. It illustrates these points with examples from recently filed appellate briefs. The essay then turns to problems of argument ordering in multi-issue appellate briefs, with an emphasis on ending with a bang not a whimper, while sticking with the short, non-argumentative conclusion. The argument-ordering discussion is also illustrated with examples from real-life briefs.
Publication Citation
Legal Communication & Rhetoric: JALWD, Vol. 20, Fall 2023, Pp. 119-126.
Scholarly Commons Citation
Wolfman, Brian, "How to Conclude a Brief" (2021). Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works. 2472.
https://scholarship.law.georgetown.edu/facpub/2472