Conn. Practice Book § 67-3A (2026)

Sec. 67-3A. Word Limitations; Time for Fil- ing Electronic Briefs and Party Appendices Except as otherwise ordered, the brief of the appellant shall not exceed 13,500 words. The brief shall be filed with the party appendix, if any, either within forty-five days after the delivery date of the initial transcript order by the appellant or forty-five days after the clerk appendix is sent to the parties, whichever is later. In cases where no transcript is required or the transcript has been received by the appellant prior to the filing of the appeal, the appellant’s brief and party appendix, if any, shall be filed forty-five days after the clerk appendix is sent to the parties. Amendments to the transcript order pursuant to Section 63-4 (a) (3) or with per- mission of the court are not considered in determining the due date for the appellant’s brief under this section. Any party whose interest in the judgment will not be affected by the appeal and who intends not to file a brief shall inform the appellate clerk of this intent prior to the deadline for the filing of the appellee’s brief. In the case of multiple appel- lees, an appellee who supports the position of the appellant shall meet the appellant’s time schedule for filing a brief.

© Copyrighted by the Secretary of the State of the State of Connecticut RULES OF APPELLATE PROCEDURE Sec. 67-4 Except as otherwise ordered, the brief of the appellee shall not exceed 13,500 words, and shall be filed with any party appendix within thirty days after the filing of the appellant’s brief or the deliv- ery date of the portions of the transcript ordered only by that appellee, whichever is later. The appellant may file a reply brief in accord- ance with Section 67-5A. Where there is a cross appeal, the brief and party appendix, if any, of the cross appellant shall be combined with the brief and party appendix, if any, of the appellee. The brief shall not exceed 18,000 words and shall be filed with any party appendix at the time the appellee’s brief is due. The brief and party appendix, if any, of the cross appellee shall be combined with the appellant’s reply brief, if any. This brief shall not exceed 16,000 words and shall be filed within thirty days after the filing of the original appellee’s brief. The cross appellant may file a cross appellant’s reply brief in accordance with Section 67-5A. Where cases are consolidated or a joint appeal has been filed, the brief of the appellants and that of the appellees shall not exceed the word limitations specified above. All word limitations shall be exclusive of party appendices, if any, the cover page, the table of contents, the table of authorities, the statement of issues, the signature block of counsel of record, certifications and, in the case of an amicus brief, the statement of the interest of the amicus curiae required by Section 67-7A. Briefs shall not exceed the word limitations set forth herein except by permission of the chief jus- tice or chief judge. Requests for permission to exceed the word limitations shall be filed with the appellate clerk, stating both the compelling reason for the request and the number of additional words sought. Where a claim relies on the state constitution as an independent ground for relief, the clerk shall, upon request, grant an additional 2000 words for the appellant and appellee briefs, which words are to be used for the state constitutional argu- ment only. (Adopted June 15, 2021, to take effect Oct. 1, 2021; amended June 27, 2023, to take effect Jan. 1, 2024; amended July 15, 2025, to take effect Jan. 1, 2026.) HISTORY—2026: Prior to 2026, the first paragraph pro- vided: ‘‘Except as otherwise ordered, the brief of the appellant shall not exceed 13,500 words. The brief shall be filed with the party appendix, if any, either within forty-five days after the delivery date of the transcript ordered by the appellant or forty-five days after the clerk appendix is sent to the parties, whichever is later. In cases where no transcript is required or the transcript has been received by the appellant prior to the filing of the appeal, the appellant’s brief and party appendix, if any, shall be filed either within forty-five days of the filing of 483 the appeal or forty-five days after the clerk appendix is sent to the parties, whichever is later.’’ COMMENTARY—2026: The purposes of these amend- ments is to clarify the time for filing electronic briefs and party appendices. Sec. 67-4. The Appellant’s Brief; Contents and Organization The appellant’s brief shall contain the following: (a) A table of contents. (b) A concise statement setting forth, in sepa- rately numbered paragraphs, without detail or dis- cussion, the principal issue or issues involved in the appeal, with appropriate references to the page or pages of the brief where the issue is discussed, pursuant to subsection (e) hereof. Such statement shall be deemed in replacement of and shall supersede the preliminary statement of issues. (c) A table of authorities cited in the brief, with references to the page or pages of the brief where the citations to those authorities appear. Citations shall be in the form provided in Section 67-11. (d) A statement of the nature of the proceedings and of the facts of the case bearing on the issues raised. The statement of facts shall be in narrative form, shall be supported by appropriate refer- ences to the page or pages of the transcript or to the document upon which the party relies and shall not be unnecessarily detailed or voluminous. (e) The argument, divided under appropriate headings into as many parts as there are points to be presented, with appropriate references to the statement of facts or to the page or pages of the transcript or to the relevant document. The argument on each point shall include a separate, brief statement of the standard of review the appellant believes should be applied. (1) When error is claimed in the trial court’s refusal to charge the jury as requested, the party claiming such error shall include in the brief of that party or the appendix thereto a verbatim statement of the relevant portions of the charge as requested and as given by the court and any relevant exceptions to the charge as given and shall recite in narrative form any evidence which it is claimed would entitle that party to the charge as requested, with appropriate references to the page or pages of the transcript. (2) When error is claimed in the charge to the jury, the brief or appendix shall include a verbatim statement of all relevant portions of the charge and all relevant exceptions to the charge. Unless essential to review of a claimed error, a verbatim statement of the entire charge to the jury should not be included in the brief or appendix. Evidence relevant to the claimed error shall be recited in

© Copyrighted by the Secretary of the State of the State of Connecticut RULES OF APPELLATE PROCEDURE