2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 25. Civil Procedure › Chapter 21. Rules of Appellate Procedure › Part 1. Rules › Rule 12. Briefs

Rule 12. Briefs.
(1) Brief of the appellant. The brief of the appellant shall contain under appropriate headings and in the order here indicated:
(a) A table of contents, with page references, and a table of cases (alphabetically arranged), statutes and other authorities cited, with references to the pages of the brief where they are cited;
(b) A statement of the issues presented for review. Parties are encouraged to limit the number of issues to 4 or fewer;
(c) A statement of the case. The statement shall first indicate briefly the nature of the case and its procedural disposition in the court below. Only that procedural background which is relevant to the issue or issues raised shall be included in the statement of the case;
(d) A statement of the facts relevant to the issues presented for review, with references to the pages or the parts of the record at which material facts appear;
(e) A statement of the standard of review as to each issue raised, together with a citation of authority;
(f) A summary of the argument. The summary shall contain a succinct, clear, and accurate statement of the arguments made in the body of the brief and not be a mere repetition of the argument headings.
(g) An argument. The argument shall contain the contentions of the appellant with respect to the issues presented, and the reasons therefor, with citations to the authorities, statutes, and pages of the record relied on;
(h) A short conclusion stating the precise relief sought; and
(i) An appendix that includes the relevant judgment, order(s), findings of fact, conclusions of law, jury instruction(s), ruling(s), or decision(s) from which the appeal is taken together with any written memorandum or rationale of the court, and those pages of the transcript containing any oral ruling in support. This appendix shall include a table of contents and plain paper tabs and may be a separately-bound document if the volume of the required attachments makes this necessary.
(2) Answer brief of the appellee. The answer brief of the appellee shall conform to the requirements of section (1)(a) through (h) of this rule, except that a statement of the issues or of the case need not be made unless the appellee is dissatisfied with the statement of the appellant.
(3) Reply brief. The appellant may file a brief in reply to the brief of the appellee, and if the appellee has cross-appealed, the appellee may file a brief in reply to the response of the appellant to the issues presented by the cross-appeal. The reply brief must be confined to new matter raised in the brief of the appellee. Only one reply brief may be filed, regardless of the number of appellees' briefs filed, and the rule 11(4) word or page limit for reply briefs applies even if the reply brief also contains a response to a cross-appeal. No further briefs may be filed except with leave of court.
(4) Briefs in cases involving cross-appeals. If a cross-appeal is filed, the party who first files a notice of appeal, or in the event that the notices are filed on the same day, the plaintiff in the proceeding below, shall be deemed the appellant for the purposes of this rule and rules 11 and 13, unless the parties otherwise agree or the court otherwise orders. The brief of the appellee shall conform to the requirements of section (1)(a) through (i) of this rule. The cross-appellant shall file the cross-appeal brief combined in a single document with the answer brief, the appellant shall file the cross-appeal answer brief combined in a single document with the reply brief, and the cross-appellant shall file the cross-appeal reply brief within 14 days after service of the cross-appeal answer brief. Word limitations in combined briefs that raise or respond to cross-appeals shall not exceed those word limitations set forth in rule 11(4).
(5) Appendix. If desired, and in addition to the documents required under subsection (1)(i) of this rule, the appellant or the appellee may file a separate appendix containing additional documents or materials that are referenced in the brief or may, otherwise, be of assistance to the supreme court in its review of the brief. The parties may file a joint appendix. If separate appendices are filed, materials included in the appellant's appendix should not be duplicated in the appendix of the appellee. Given that the court has available to it the entire record, parties are advised that a supplemental appendix is not required. If one is filed, it shall include only those documents essential to the arguments. Any supplemental appendix shall include a table of contents, and each document shall be tabbed using plain paper tabs and not plastic-coated tabs.
(6) Notice of supplemental authorities. When pertinent and significant authorities come to the attention of a party after the party's brief has been filed, or after oral argument but before decision, a party may promptly advise the clerk of the supreme court, by "Notice of Supplemental Authority," with copies to all parties, setting forth the citation(s) without argument. The notice shall reference either the page of the brief or the point argued orally to which the citation(s) pertain.
(7) Brief of amicus curiae. A brief of an amicus curiae may be filed only upon invitation or leave of the supreme court granted on motion. A motion for leave shall identify the interest of the applicant, state the reasons why a brief of an amicus curiae is desirable, identify the party whose position amicus supports, provide the date upon which the brief can be filed, and indicate whether the other party consents to the request.
(8) References in briefs to parties. Subject to the requirements of rule 10(6) and rule 14(5)(b)(v), references to parties by formal designations such as "appellant," "appellee," "petitioner," "respondent," "plaintiff," or "defendant" are discouraged and the use of names or descriptive terms such as "John," "Sue," "the employer," "the taxpayer," "father," or "mother" are encouraged.
(9) References in briefs to the record. Whenever a reference is made in the briefs to the record, the reference must be to particular parts of the record, suitably designated, and to specific pages of each part, e.g., Answer, p. 7; Motion for Summary Judgment, p. 3; Transcript, p. 231. Intelligible abbreviations may be used. If reference is made to an exhibit, reference shall be made to the pages of the transcript on which the exhibit was identified, offered, and received or rejected.
(10) Over-length and supplemental briefs and costs. Motions to file over-length and supplemental briefs will not be routinely granted. Motions to file such briefs must be supported by an affidavit demonstrating extraordinary justification.
(11) Disk copy of briefs and appendices. Original briefs filed under this rule and under rule 14 shall include a digital copy prepared on a Read Only Digital Video Disk (DVD-R), in Portable Document Format (PDF) which shall be redacted of all confidential information in accordance with rule 10(7). This rule shall not apply to hand-written briefs or to those typed on a typewriter. Failure to include the DVD-R with the original brief shall not be grounds for dismissal or for refusal to file the brief. In accordance with rule 10(7)(g), the appendix or attachments submitted on the DVD-R need not be redacted.
History: En. Sup. Ct. Ord. No. AF 07-0016, July 3, 2007, eff. October 1, 2007; amd. Sup. Ct. Ord. No. AF 07-0016, May 6, 2009, eff. October 1, 2009; amd. Sup. Ct. Ord. No. AF 07-0016, April 26, 2011, eff. October 1, 2011; amd. Sup. Ct. Ord. No. AF 07-0016, Feb. 17, 2015, eff. October 1, 2015.