The brief set may contain several briefs besides the appellant's and respondent's, including reply briefs, amicus briefs, and appendixes. The content and form of appellate briefs are prescribed by court rules. Attorneys consult earlier briefs for guidance in preparing successful legal arguments to use when presenting their cases to the appellate court.
Briefs also provide an analysis of legal precedents and primary authority for legal issues.
A docket number is assigned to the case documents when the appeal is filed with the court. All materials for a specific case have that docket number and are filed together. Briefs and other filed materials do not circulate from the Clerk's Office. However, the Clerk's Office will provide basic information about a case by telephone or on-site and allows their documents to be viewed and photocopied. The Library shelves the most current briefs by docket number and retains all briefs until action is taken by the courts.