Speaking of amendments

Here is a reminder that several amendments to the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure are now being considered. They include shortening the word limits for briefs as follows:

• Under amended Rule 32, the word limit for principal briefs would be reduced from 14,000 words to 12,500 words. The word limit for reply briefs would be reduced from 7,000 (half of 14,000) to 6,250 (half of 12,500).
• In cross-appeals, amended Rule 28.1 would shorten the limit for the appellant’s principal brief and the appellant’s response and reply brief from 14,000 words to 12,500 words. The limit for the appellee’s principal and response brief would be shortened from 16,500 words to 14,700 words. The limit for the appellee’s reply brief will be 6,250 (half of 12,500).

If you want to comment on these or other proposed amendments, click here and follow the instructions. Act fast, because the deadline for comments is February 17.