Iowa Court of Appeals

Format

Type

Times New Roman 14 pt, double-spaced

Margins

1-inch margins

Opening brief

13,000 words

Reply brief

6,500 words

What counts

Headings, footnotes, quotations count; excludes caption/cover, TOC, TOA, statement of issues, signature blocks, certificates. Monospaced: 1,300/650 lines; handwritten: 50/25 pages.

Rules

Iowa Rules of Appellate Procedure (Iowa Ct. R. ch. 6) — Iowa R. App. P. 6.903(1); Iowa R. App. P. 6.903(1)(g)

Parts of the brief, in order

1. Cover — Required · 6.903(1)
2. TABLE OF CONTENTS — Required · 6.903(2)(a)
3. TABLE OF AUTHORITIES — Required · 6.903(2)(b)
4. STATEMENT OF ISSUES PRESENTED FOR REVIEW — Required · 6.903(2)(c)
5. ROUTING STATEMENT — Required · 6.903(2)(d)
6. NATURE OF THE CASE — Required · 6.903(2)(e)
7. STATEMENT OF THE FACTS — Required · 6.903(2)(f)
8. JURISDICTIONAL STATEMENT — If applicable · 6.903(2)(g)
9. ARGUMENT — Required · 6.903(2)(h)
10. CONCLUSION — Required · 6.903(2)(i)
11. REQUEST FOR ORAL (OR NONORAL) SUBMISSION — Required · 6.903(2)(j)
12. CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE (Form 7) — Required · 6.903(1)(g), 6.1401 Form 7
13. Signature block — Required
14. Attachment: judgment/order appealed from — Required · 6.903(2)

Argument headings: Each issue in a separately numbered division, in the same order as the statement of issues; each division begins with error preservation (with record cites) and scope/standard of review, then contentions.

Standard of review: At the start of each argument division, with error preservation (6.903(2)(h)); appellee must state agreement/disagreement (6.903(3)).

Record citations: D0023, M. New Trial at 5 (5/26/2020); transcripts: D0125, Tr. Hearing at 125:2–127:14 (6/24/2020)

None (appendix eliminated)

This court does not use a separate appendix — it relies on the record prepared by the clerk. We still build an index of your record documents if you upload them. Pages are numbered like A12. (Order of Sept. 29, 2023 (eff. Apr. 1, 2024))

Cite EDMS docket record directly; attach file-stamped judgment/order appealed from electronically.

Certificates

• Compliance: Rule 6.1401—Form 7: typeface requirements and type-volume limitation (words, typeface, size)

Good to know

• Approved proportional serif fonts: Baskerville Old Face, Bookman Old Style, Cambria, Century Schoolbook, Garamond, Georgia, Times New Roman; sans-serif OK in headings.
• Quotes over 50 words may be single-spaced if indented.
• Reply omits routing statement, issues, error preservation/scope discussion, oral argument request (6.903(4)).
• Brief word limits cut from 14,000 to 13,000 effective Apr. 1, 2024.
• All appeals are filed in the Supreme Court and captioned there; routing statement asks for retention or transfer (6.1101).

Filing: Iowa EDMS; searchable PDF required.