| name | appellate-formatting-certification |
| language | en |
| description | Generates appellate-brief TOC, TOA, and Certificate of Compliance with defensible word-count methodology. Triggers on TOC/TOA rebuilds, certificate of compliance drafting, FRAP 32(g) compliance, word-count certification, or final brief formatting before filing. |
| tags | ["analysis","brief","drafting","litigation"] |
Appellate TOC/TOA and Compliance Certificate
Produce filing-ready Table of Contents, Table of Authorities, and Certificate of Compliance tied to the final paginated brief and governing rules.
Quick Start
Gather before drafting:
| Input | Required | If missing |
|---|
| Court and brief type | Yes | Ask before drafting |
| Final paginated PDF | Preferred | Use [__] placeholders; label DRAFT |
| Word processor word count | Yes | Insert placeholder; require attorney count |
| Excluded sections list | Yes | Require rule text; never assume |
| Local rules / standing orders | Yes | Request rule text or cite with [VERIFY] |
Rule Anchors
Verify all cites against current rules before drafting.
| Forum | Core anchors |
|---|
| Federal courts of appeals | FRAP 28, 32(a)(5)–(7), 32(f), 32(g) [VERIFY] |
| State appellate courts | State rule text only [VERIFY] |
| U.S. Supreme Court | Sup. Ct. R. 33, 34, 33.1(g), 33.2 [VERIFY] |
Core Workflow
- Confirm rules — Identify governing rules and any court order modifying limits.
- Build heading map — Extract headings from brief; preserve exact text, capitalization, numbering.
- Generate TOC — Map headings to final page numbers. If unpaginated, use
[__] and label DRAFT - PAGE NUMBERS TBD. Include all forum-required sections (certificates, required statements). Use Roman/Arabic numbering only if the forum does so.
- Generate TOA — Extract all citations from the brief (including footnotes) and sort by category:
- Cases — alphabetical by first party name
- Constitutional Provisions — jurisdiction then provision
- Statutes — code then section
- Rules — rule number
- Other Authorities — alphabetical by author/title
- Compute word count — Document total words, excluded sections (with rule cite), excluded words, and net count.
- Draft certificate — Tie language to confirmed rules. Template:
Pursuant to [Rule cite] [VERIFY], I certify that this brief complies with the type-volume limitation of [Rule cite] [VERIFY] because it contains [____] words, excluding the parts exempted by [Rule cite] [VERIFY].
This brief complies with the typeface and type-style requirements of [Rule cite] [VERIFY] because it has been prepared in a proportionally spaced typeface using [Software] in [Font Size]-point [Font Name].
- Final QC — Run the checklist below against the final PDF.
Final QC Checklist
Pitfalls and Checks
- Never fabricate page numbers, word counts, or citations.
- Never certify compliance without a confirmed count and formatting specs.
- TOA integrity — Do not add or fix citations absent from the brief. Flag incomplete citations for attorney review. Avoid "passim" unless forum permits.
- "Rule 37 certificate" requests — Ask for the exact order or rule basis; FRAP 37 is substantive amicus interest relief, not a formatting certificate [VERIFY].
- State / Supreme Court filings — Require exact rule text or insert [VERIFY] placeholders.
- Attorney review required — All counts, citations, and certificates must be independently verified before filing.
- Confidentiality — Exclude sealed or sensitive data unless explicitly authorized.
