Texas appeal brief requirements

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

In Texas, most appeals are decided by the Court of Appeals for the [First-Fourteenth] District of Texas / Fifteenth Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court of Texas 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
Court of Appeals for the [First-Fourteenth] District of Texas / Fifteenth Court of Appeals	Times New Roman 14 pt, double-spaced	1-inch margins	15,000 words or 50 pages	7,500 words or 25 pages	Appendix · App. 12
Supreme Court of Texas	Times New Roman 14 pt, double-spaced	1-inch margins	15,000 words or 50 pages	7,500 words or 25 pages	Appendix · App. 12
Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas	Times New Roman 14 pt, double-spaced	1-inch margins	15,000 words or 50 pages	7,500 words or 25 pages	Appendix · App. 12

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

Required parts of the brief, court by court

Court of Appeals for the [First-Fourteenth] District of Texas / Fifteenth Court of Appeals

Intermediate appellate court — hears appeals from district and county courts (civil and non-death criminal); Fifteenth COA has exclusive jurisdiction of certain state-party appeals

IDENTITY OF PARTIES AND COUNSEL · TABLE OF CONTENTS · INDEX OF AUTHORITIES · STATEMENT OF THE CASE · STATEMENT REGARDING ORAL ARGUMENT · ISSUES PRESENTED · STATEMENT OF FACTS · SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT · ARGUMENT · PRAYER · Signature block · CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE · CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE · APPENDIX

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Supreme Court of Texas

Court of last resort — hears appeals from courts of appeals (civil) by petition for review; limited direct appeals

IDENTITY OF PARTIES AND COUNSEL · TABLE OF CONTENTS · INDEX OF AUTHORITIES · STATEMENT OF THE CASE · ISSUES PRESENTED · STATEMENT OF FACTS · SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT · ARGUMENT · PRAYER · Signature block · CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE · CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE · APPENDIX

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Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas

Court of last resort — hears appeals from courts of appeals (criminal) by petition for discretionary review; direct appeals in death-penalty cases

IDENTITY OF JUDGE, PARTIES, AND COUNSEL · TABLE OF CONTENTS · INDEX OF AUTHORITIES · STATEMENT REGARDING ORAL ARGUMENT · STATEMENT OF THE CASE · STATEMENT OF PROCEDURAL HISTORY · GROUNDS FOR REVIEW · ARGUMENT · PRAYER FOR RELIEF · CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE · CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE · APPENDIX

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Questions

What are the brief format requirements in the Court of Appeals for the [First-Fourteenth] District of Texas / Fifteenth Court of Appeals?

Times New Roman 14 pt, double-spaced; 1-inch margins; opening brief limit 15,000 words or 50 pages.

Does the Court of Appeals for the [First-Fourteenth] District of Texas / Fifteenth Court of Appeals require an appendix?

Appendix: required when applicable.

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

Opening brief: 15,000 words or 50 pages; reply brief: 7,500 words or 25 pages.

Can AppealDraft format my Texas 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.

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