Supreme Court rule amendments

The U.S. Supreme Court released notice of a of revisions to brief and document preparation rules yesterday. They become effective on February 16, 2010.

The Court's announcement highlighted major changes as including:

• Reduction in the number of words allowed for a Reply Brief on the Merits from 7,500 to 6,000. This change restores the volume limit in effect for such briefs prior to the 2007 Rules revisions.


• Changes to Rules 26and 34.1 clarify what is to be included on the cover of a Joint Appendix and require that counsel of record include an e-mail address on the cover of every document filed.


• additions to Rule 34 require a descriptive index of the appendices and citations to the United States Code whenever available.


• Rule 37 revisions clarify that only an attorney admitted to practice before this Court is permitted to file an amicus curiae brief and that extensions of time for amicus curiae briefs at the merits stage will not be entertained.

Rules of the Supreme Court