North Dakota appeal brief requirements

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

In North Dakota, most appeals are decided by the North Dakota Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court of North Dakota 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
North Dakota Court of Appeals	Times New Roman 12 pt, double-spaced	Margins: top 1", right 1", bottom 1", left 1.5"	38 pages	12 pages	None (appendix eliminated) · R12
Supreme Court of North Dakota	Times New Roman 12 pt, double-spaced	Margins: top 1", right 1", bottom 1", left 1.5"	38 pages	12 pages	None (appendix eliminated) · R12

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

Required parts of the brief, court by court

North Dakota Court of Appeals

Intermediate appellate court — hears appeals from cases assigned by the Supreme Court from its docket

TABLE OF CONTENTS · TABLE OF AUTHORITIES · JURISDICTIONAL STATEMENT · STATEMENT OF THE ISSUES · STATEMENT OF THE CASE · STATEMENT OF THE FACTS · STANDARD OF REVIEW · ARGUMENT · CONCLUSION · CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE · CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

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Supreme Court of North Dakota

Court of last resort — hears appeals from district courts (all appeals filed here; some assigned to Court of Appeals)

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Questions

What are the brief format requirements in the North Dakota Court of Appeals?

Times New Roman 12 pt, double-spaced; margins: top 1", right 1", bottom 1", left 1.5"; opening brief limit 38 pages.

Does the North Dakota 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 Supreme Court of North Dakota?

Opening brief: 38 pages; reply brief: 12 pages.

Can AppealDraft format my North Dakota 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 North Dakota 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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