Rule 31 Serving and Filing Briefs
VII. General Provisions
Rule Text
(a) Filing Deadlines.
(1) Appellant’s Brief. The appellant must serve and file a brief within 40 days after the record on appeal is complete.
(2) Appellee’s Brief. The appellee must serve and file a brief within 30 days after the appellant’s brief is served.
(3) Reply Brief. The appellant may serve and file a reply brief within 21 days after service of the appellee’s brief. In a case with a cross-appeal, the appellee may serve and file a reply brief in accordance with Rule 28(c) within 21 days after service of the appellant’s reply brief.
(b) Consequence of Failure To File. If an appellant does not file a brief within the time provided by this rule, or as extended, an appellee may move to dismiss the appeal. An appellee who fails to file a brief will not be heard at oral argument without Court permission.
Amendment history: Amended Feb. 17, 1977, eff. April 1, 1977; Dec. 12, 1985, eff. Apr. 1, 1986; Mar. 6, 1987, eff. Mar. 6, 1987; Nov. 9, 1987, eff. Mar. 1, 1988; Feb. 22, 1996, eff. July 1, 1996; Oct. 11, 2006, eff. Dec. 11, 2006; Feb. 5, 2008, eff. Apr. 7, 2008; May 7, 2009, eff. July 6, 2009; Mar. 14, 2012, eff. May 14, 2012; June 11, 2013, eff. Sept. 3, 2013; Sept. 20, 2017, eff. Jan. 1, 2018; July 13, 2021, eff. Aug. 17, 2021; May 9, 2022, eff. Sept. 6, 2022; Oct. 6, 2025, eff. Jan. 1, 2026.