Quick Reference: Appendix Requirements in the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

March 2023 Page 1 

Note: This quick reference guide is provided by the Clerk’s Office for the convenience of counsel and litigants for reference purposes 

only and does not constitute legal advice. Counsel and litigants remain responsible for independently reviewing and complying with 

the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure and the Federal Circuit Rules.

FORMAT REQUIREMENTS

Requirements Explanation Authority

Legibility/Clarity Must appear as clear black image on light paper; text must equal or exceed 

output of laser printer; photographs, illustrations, and tables must result in good 

copy of original

FRAP 32(a)(1); 

FRAP 32(b)

Paper Size 8 1⁄2 by 11 inches or another size in order to facilitate inclusion of odd-sized 

documents FRAP 32(b)(3) 

Volume Size Individual appendix volumes must not exceed 800 electronic pages (equating 

to 400 pages when bound double-sided) 

FCR 30(a)(4);

Practice Notes to Rule 30 

(Appendix Volumes)

Ordering of Contents The appendix must appear in the following order: (1) Cover; (2) Table of 

Contents; (3) any protective order or statute imposing confidentiality; (4) 

orders, judgments, or decisions appealed from including rehearing orders; (5) 

relevant docket entries; (6) other parts of the record appearing 

chronologically

FCR 25.1(e)(1)(A);

FRAP 30(d);

FCR 30(b)(2)(B);

FCR 30(c)(1)

Pagination • Bates numbering in “Appx” or “SAppx” format

• Page numbers must correspond to designated material (protective 

order or statute imposing confidentiality, if required under FCR 

25.1(e)(1)(A), may be paginated with Roman numerals)

• Page numbers centered in bottom margin

• Pages must be in numerical order by assigned page number

• Other marks must be redacted to avoid confusion with page numbers

• Omission of pages need not be noted

• Page numbers must be at least 14 pt. font

FCR 30(b)(2); 

FCR 30(c)(1);

FCR 30(c)(2)

Electronic Appendix 

Material Unable to Be 

Produced in Paper

When record has been perpetuated in whole or in part in an electronic format 

and cannot be reproduced in a nonelectronic format, those portions may be 

supplied to the court on physical media, and the appendix must include slip 

sheets identifying where this material would appear

FCR 30(i)

Combined Brief and 

Appendix

Appendices not exceeding 100 pages to be combined with brief; if the 

designated material does not exceed 100 pages, it may be combined with 

the opening brief as the appendix

FCR 30(d)(2)

Testimony The court encourages the use of condensed, columnar transcripts of testimony 

to reduce bulk

Practice Notes to Rule 30 

(Testimony in Appendix)
Quick Reference: Appendix Requirements in the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

March 2023 Page 2 

COVER REQUIREMENTS

Requirements Explanation Authority

Case Number Must be centered at the top and include all consolidated case numbers FRAP 32(a)(2)(A);

Practice Notes to Rule 32 

(Filings in Companion 

Cases) 

Volume Number and 

Page Range (if multiple 

volumes)

Must be centered at the top; volume numbers must be in Roman numerals; do 

not include a volume number or page range if the appendix is only one 

volume

FCR 30(a)(4)

Name of the Court May be in a sans-serif typeface FRAP 32(a)(2)(B);

FRAP 32(a)(5)(A)

Formal Caption If lengthy, please continue the caption on a second page to avoid pushing 

other required cover information off the front cover

FCR 32(a)(1);

Practice Notes to Rule 32 

(Filings in Companion 

Cases)

Nature of Proceeding 

and Name of Underlying 

Court/Tribunal

The court prefers that the name of the judge or individual who issued the 

underlying decision be included

FRAP 32(a)(2)(D);

Practice Notes to Rule 32 

(Preferred Cover 

Content)

Title and Party Filer(s) Other information may also be required in the title:

• “corrected” – see FCR 25(i)(2)

• “confidential” or “nonconfidential” – see FCR 25.1(e)(1)(A)–(B)

• if combined with brief – see FCR 30(d)

FRAP 32(a)(2)(E)

Counsel Name(s) and 

Contact Info

The contact information must match the attorney’s information included on 

the entry of appearance and in the user account FRAP 32(a)(2)(F)

Confidentiality Expiration If applicable, must identify the date confidentiality will expire FCR 25.1(e)(1)(A)
Quick Reference: Appendix Requirements in the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

March 2023 Page 3 

CONFIDENTIALITY/PRIVACY REQUIREMENTS

Requirements Explanation Authority

Personal Information PII must be redacted FCR 25.1(b)

Two Versions of 

Appendix (appendix 

filed containing 

material permitted by 

FCR 25.1(d)) 

Confidential version must include:

• pertinent excerpts of protective order or statute imposing confidentiality 

placed first (i.e., directly after the table of contents and before the 

judgments/orders appealed from)

• confidential material bracketed or highlighted

FCR 25.1(e)(1)(A);

Practice Notes to Rule 

25.1 

Nonconfidential version must include:

• in the table of contents, a general description of redacted material with 

identified page numbers

• legends on pages containing redactions (may appear in the margins)

FCR 25.1(e)(1)(B);

Practice Notes to Rule 

25.1 

Cover Letter re: Access If applicable, appendix must include a cover letter identifying any parties or 

counsel in the case who are not permitted access to the confidential material FCR 25.1(a)(2)
Quick Reference: Appendix Requirements in the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

March 2023 Page 4 

APER COPY REQUIREMENTS

Requirements Explanation Authority

Cover Color White FRAP 32(b)(1)

Red (separate or supplemental appendix filed by Appellee/Intervenor) FCR 30(e)(3)

Timing During initial merits consideration: after requested by the court

During en banc consideration: within 5 business days after filing FCR 25(c)(3) 

Number During initial merits consideration: 6 copies

During en banc consideration: 26 copies

FCR 25(c)(3);

FCR 30(a)(3)

Binding Must be securely bound on left-hand side and in a manner that lies reasonably 

flat when opened and does not obscure text; exception for oversized record 

material

FRAP 32(a)(3);

FRAP 32(b)(3); FCR 

32(h); 

Practice Notes to Rule 

32 (Copies of Patent 

Documents)

Printing Double-sided printing encouraged FCR 30(c)(3); 

FCR 32(d)

Individual volume limit of 400 printed sheets of paper (equates to 800-page 

appendix filed electronically if printed double-sided)

FCR 30(a)(4);

Practice Notes to Rule 

30 (Appendix 

Volumes)
Quick Reference: Appendix Requirements in the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

March 2023 Page 5 

Note: The below required contents only apply to appendices designated and compiled by the parties. Separate or supplemental 

appendices authorized by FCR 30(e) do not have stated content requirements beyond the record material cited by the filer. Refer to 

FCR 30(h) for informal appendix requirements for an unrepresented party.

REQUIRED CONTENTS (for joint appendices)

Requirements Explanation Authority

Table of Contents The complete table of contents must be included in each appendix volume; 

only provide the table of contents for the appendix, not the designated 

materials (the appendix table of contents should not list items removed from 

the appendix after initial designation following the conclusion of briefing)

FRAP 30(d);

FCR 30(a)(4)

Decisions Appealed The first pages of the appendix, including from consolidated appeals or crossappeals, must be all judgments, orders, agency actions, or other decisions 

appealed from and any opinions, memoranda, or findings and conclusions 

supporting them, including any rehearing opinions orders; 

FRAP 30(a)(1)(C);

FCR 30(b)(2)(B);

FCR 30(c)(1) 

Docket Sheet, Index, or

Certified List

The entire docket sheet, certified list, or index must be included in the 

appendix FCR 30(a)(1)(A)(i)

Jury Charge, Verdict, 

and Responses to 

Interrogatories

These items must be included in an appeal from a jury case

FCR 30(a)(1)(A)(ii)

Patent(s) If the appeal involves a patent or patent application, the appendix must 

include any patents applications at issue on appeal in their entirety; any other 

patents in the record included in the appendix must be included in their 

entirety

FCR 30(a)(1)(A)(iii)

Rejected Claims The appendix must include all rejected claims in an ex parte patent appeal FCR 30(a)(1)(C)(i)

Patent Interference 

Counts or Derivation 

Claims

The appendix must include all counts in patent interference appeals and all 

claims in derivation proceedings FCR 30(a)(1)(C)(ii)

Trademark and 

Registration

In trademark appeals, the appendix must include the trademark sought to be 

registered or cancelled and any registration relied on to refuse or oppose 

registration or cancellation

FCR 30(a)(1)(C)(iii)

Relevant Docket Entries, 

Pleadings, and Other 

Record Material

The appendix must include relevant docket entries and relevant portions of the 

pleadings (i.e., record material the parties are citing in the briefs)

FRAP 30(a)(1)(A);

FRAP 30(a)(1)(B);

FRAP 30(a)(1)(D)

Proof of Service

(Form 30)

Proof of service is only required when the appendix cannot be served by 

CM/ECF

FRAP 25(d);

FCR 25(e)

 
Quick Reference: Appendix Requirements in the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

March 2023 Page 6 

PROHIBITED CONTENTS (for all appendices)

Requirements Explanation Authority

Superfluous Designated 

Material

(i.e., Unnecessary 

Pages)

Parts of the designated material may only be included in the appendix if the 

material is required in the appendix, cited in the briefing, or otherwise 

permitted to be included to provide context (such as for a cited transcript 

excerpt); inclusion of unnecessary pages in the appendix is prohibited

FCR 30(a)(1)(B)

Non-Record Material Material not in the record may not be included in the appendix unless required 

or permitted by a Rule or permitted with leave of the court

FRAP 30(a)(1);

FCR 30(b)(1)

Briefs and Memoranda Briefs and memoranda may not be included except as permitted by FCR 

30(a)(1)(F)

FCR 30(a)(1)(E)

Notices Notices of appeal are permitted by FCR 30(a)(1)(F); other notices must not be 

included

Subpoenas Subpoenas may only be included if enforcement or validity is at issue

Summonses Summonses are only permitted in appendices for appeals from the Court of 

International Trade

Motions to Extend Time Motions to extend time are not permitted

Jury Lists Jury lists are not permitted