APPELLATE BRIEFS

The great temptation on appeal is to try to tell everything that happened in the court below and why it was wrong (or right, if you're on the respondent's side). But appellate courts want to know one reason, or two or three at most, why the matter deserves their attention. Shorter briefs are always better—they're just harder to write.

And that goes double for writ petitions.

» View samples.