Pennsylvania appeal brief requirements

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

In Pennsylvania, most appeals are decided by the Superior Court of Pennsylvania or the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, and the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania 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
Superior Court of Pennsylvania	Times New Roman 14 pt, double-spaced	1-inch margins	14,000 words	7,000 words	Reproduced Record · 12a
Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania	Times New Roman 14 pt, double-spaced	1-inch margins	14,000 words	7,000 words	Reproduced Record · 12a
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania	Times New Roman 14 pt, double-spaced	1-inch margins	14,000 words	7,000 words	Reproduced Record · 12a

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

Required parts of the brief, court by court

Superior Court of Pennsylvania

Intermediate appellate court — hears appeals from courts of common pleas (civil, criminal, family) not within Commonwealth Court jurisdiction

TABLE OF CONTENTS · TABLE OF CITATIONS · STATEMENT OF JURISDICTION · ORDER OR OTHER DETERMINATION IN QUESTION · STATEMENT OF SCOPE AND STANDARD OF REVIEW · STATEMENT OF THE QUESTIONS INVOLVED · STATEMENT OF THE CASE · SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT · STATEMENT OF REASONS FOR ALLOWANCE OF APPEAL (discretionary aspects of sentence) · ARGUMENT · CONCLUSION · Opinions below / relevant pleadings · Statement of errors complained of on appeal (Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b)) or averment none ordered · Certificates of compliance (Rule 127 public access; Rule 2135(d) word count) · PROOF OF SERVICE

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Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania

Intermediate appellate court — hears appeals from state agencies, and common pleas in government/municipal, zoning, tax, election matters (42 Pa.C.S. 762)

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Supreme Court of Pennsylvania

Court of last resort — hears appeals from superior and Commonwealth Courts (allowance of appeal); direct appeals (e.g. capital cases)

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Questions

What are the brief format requirements in the Superior Court of Pennsylvania?

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

Does the Superior Court of Pennsylvania require an appendix?

Reproduced Record: required.

How long can a brief be in the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania?

Opening brief: 14,000 words; reply brief: 7,000 words.

Can AppealDraft format my Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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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