Iowa appeal brief requirements

Format, length, required sections and appendix rules — and a brief formatted to them for $299.

In Iowa, most appeals are decided by the Iowa Court of Appeals, and the Iowa Supreme Court is the court of last resort. Each court has its own rules for how a brief must look and what it must contain.

At a glance

Court	Type	Margins	Opening brief	Reply	Appendix
Iowa Court of Appeals	Times New Roman 14 pt, double-spaced	1-inch margins	13,000 words	6,500 words	None (appendix eliminated) · A12
Iowa Supreme Court	Times New Roman 14 pt, double-spaced	1-inch margins	13,000 words	6,500 words	None (appendix eliminated) · A12

Rules profiles reviewed September 2026. Court rules change — confirm the current rules with the clerk.

Required parts of the brief, court by court

Iowa Court of Appeals

Intermediate appellate court — hears appeals from cases transferred by the Iowa Supreme Court

TABLE OF CONTENTS · TABLE OF AUTHORITIES · STATEMENT OF ISSUES PRESENTED FOR REVIEW · ROUTING STATEMENT · NATURE OF THE CASE · STATEMENT OF THE FACTS · JURISDICTIONAL STATEMENT · ARGUMENT · CONCLUSION · REQUEST FOR ORAL (OR NONORAL) SUBMISSION · CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE (Form 7) · Signature block · Attachment: judgment/order appealed from

Full rules Format my brief for this court

Iowa Supreme Court

Court of last resort — hears appeals from district court and agency appeals (retained cases) and further review of Court of Appeals decisions

Full rules Format my brief for this court

Questions

What are the brief format requirements in the Iowa Court of Appeals?

Times New Roman 14 pt, double-spaced; 1-inch margins; opening brief limit 13,000 words.

Does the Iowa Court of Appeals require an appendix?

None (appendix eliminated): not used — the court relies on the record prepared by the clerk.

How long can a brief be in the Iowa Supreme Court?

Opening brief: 13,000 words; reply brief: 6,500 words.

Can AppealDraft format my Iowa appeal brief?

Yes. Upload your draft and record documents, choose the court, and pay once ($299). You get the brief and appendix in Word and PDF, formatted to that court’s rules.

Have a draft for a Iowa appeal?

Upload it with your record documents. We put it in the court’s required form and build the appendix — Word and PDF, $299.

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