5 Ways To A Winning Appellate Brief

Law360, New York (October 21, 2009, 1:42 PM ET) -- As oral argument continues to lose favor with overworked appellate courts, appeals are increasingly being won or lost on the strength of the brief, lawyers say.

Bad brief writing can doom a case long before the hearing date is set, but if you follow these five golden rules, you'll put your best foot forward.

Honesty Is the Best Policy

The worst thing a lawyer can do is try to pull the wool over the court's eyes to advance his case, according to experienced practitioners.

Misrepresenting the...
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