Rule 2321 Order and Content of Argument

When two sides argue before an appeals court, the appellant goes first. The appellant is the person who brought the appeal, meaning they are the one asking the court to change an earlier decision. The court may also allow the appellant to speak again at the end to respond to what the other side said.

When presenting an argument, a speaker should not simply read long passages out loud from documents, case files, or legal sources. The expectation is that the lawyer will speak to the judges directly rather than read word for word from prepared materials.