The Summer 2014 issue of The Appellate Quarterly, the newsletter of the Appellate Advocacy Committee of ABA-TIPS, published today, features a lead article written by CCL’s Valerie M. Nannery regarding draft amendments to the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure that were published for public comment in August. The article, which can be downloaded or viewed here, describes the proposed changes to Appellate Rules 4, 5, 21, 26, 27, 28.1, 29, 32, 35, and 40, and Form 6, and how they would affect appellate practice. Draft amendments to Appellate Rules 32 and 28.1 would reduce the current length limits for appellate briefs, and draft amendments to Rules 5, 21, 27, 35, and 40, and Form 6 would convert page length limits to word limits in most cases, using a conversion rate of 250 words per page. Draft amendments to Rule 29 would amend the current provision, and add a new provision for amicus curiae briefs on petitions for rehearing.

The public comment period on the draft amendments is open until mid-February 2015, and the Advisory Committee on Appellate Rules invites comments from the public, bench and bar. You can review the draft amendments and submit comments online at this website: http://www.uscourts.gov/RulesAndPolicies/rules/proposed-amendments.aspx.