The “Conclusion” May Be at the End, But that Doesn’t Mean it Isn’t Important.
Mike Skotnicki
Posted on April 16, 2012
The most useless words ever written in an appeal brief may be some form of the following: For all the foregoing reasons, the ruling of the [lower court name] should be [affirmed/reversed]. Using a single sentence like that as the Conclusion section of a brief tells the appellate court that you’re so tired of writing your client’s brief that you simply want to finally bring it to an end and you don’t care how. In his book with Bryan Garner on appellate practice, United States Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia calls such a conclusion, “hopelessly feeble.” So unless you’ve written the best brief ever and have no more room remaining in your page or word limit, you better give your conclusion a little more…
Tagged: appeal brief, Bryan Garner, Conclusion, Justice Antonin Scalia