| name | appellant-brief |
| title | Appellate Brief — Appellant |
| description | Drafts the appellant's opening brief challenging a lower court decision in federal or state appellate courts. Covers issue selection, standard of review framing, record citation, argument structure, and procedural compliance under FRAP 28/32 or state equivalents. Use when preparing an appellant's opening brief, selecting appellate issues, structuring appellate arguments, or demonstrating reversible error on appeal. |
| author | CaseMark |
| author_url | https://github.com/CaseMark/skills/tree/main/skills/legal/appellant-brief |
| license | Apache-2.0 |
| version | 0.1.0 |
| execution_mode | open |
| jurisdiction | us |
| practice | litigation |
| language | en |
| tags | ["brief","drafting"] |
Appellate Brief — Appellant
Drafts the appellant's opening brief demonstrating reversible error through the record while overcoming deference to the court below.
Prerequisites
- Lower court decision — opinion, order, or judgment being appealed
- Trial record — transcripts, exhibits, motions, and orders
- Preservation map — where each issue was raised and ruled on below
- Appellate rules — FRAP 28/32 or state equivalent, local rules, word limits
- Filing deadline — from notice of appeal or court order
Output Structure
Front Matter
| Element | Notes |
|---|
| Cover page | Appellant typically red under FRAP 32 [VERIFY] |
| Corporate disclosure | If applicable |
| Table of Contents | Use argumentative headings |
| Table of Authorities | Include pin cites |
| Jurisdictional statement | Basis, finality, timeliness |
Statement of Issues
- Frame 1–3 issues as questions suggesting reversal
- Each must have been preserved below
- Order strongest to weakest
Statement of the Case
Procedural history: filing, key motions, rulings, judgment, post-trial motions.
Statement of facts:
- Narrate from the record favoring reversal
- Cite record extensively (transcript pages, exhibit numbers)
- Include facts the lower court overlooked or mischaracterized
- Be scrupulously accurate — misrepresenting the record destroys credibility
Summary of Argument
1–2 pages; each paragraph maps to a major argument heading.
Argument
For each issue:
| Step | Content |
|---|
| Standard of review | Identify and cite controlling authority |
| Preservation | Where raised and ruled on below |
| Legal framework | Governing rule with controlling authority |
| Error identification | What the lower court got wrong |
|
