Rule 53.2: Contents of Petition

The petition for review must, under appropriate headings and in the order here indicated, contain the following items:

• (a) Identity of Parties and Counsel. The petition must give a complete list of all parties to the trial court’s final judgment. The petition must also give a complete list of the names of all counsel appearing in the trial or appellate courts; their firm or office name at the time of the appearance; and, for counsel currently appearing, their mailing address, telephone number, and email address. If new counsel appears or if any counsel currently appearing changes firm or office affiliation during the pendency of the appeal, lead counsel for the party must notify the clerk by filing a supplemental disclosure.

• (b) Table of Contents. The petition must have a table of contents with references to the pages of the petition and must be bookmarked to assist in locating each item. The table of contents must indicate the subject matter of each issue or point, or group of issues or points.

• (c) Index of Authorities. The petition must have an index of authorities arranged alphabetically and indicating the pages of the petition where the authorities are cited.

• (d) Statement of the Case. The petition must contain a statement of the case that should seldom exceed one page and should not discuss the facts. The statement must contain the following:

• • (1) a concise description of the nature of the case (e.g., whether it is a suit for damages, on a note, or in trespass to try title);
• • (2) the name of the judge who signed the order or judgment appealed from;
• • (3) the designation of the trial court and the county in which it is located;
• • (4) the disposition of the case by the trial court;
• • (5) the parties in the court of appeals;
• • (6) the district of the court of appeals;
• • (7) the names of the justices who participated in the decision in the court of appeals, the author of the opinion for the court, and the author of any separate opinion;
• • (8) the citation for the court of appeals’ opinion; and
• • (9) the disposition of the case by the court of appeals, including the disposition of any motions for rehearing or en banc reconsideration, and whether any motions for rehearing or en banc reconsideration are pending in the court of appeals at the time the petition for review is filed.

• (e) Statement of Jurisdiction. The petition must state, without argument, the basis of the Court’s jurisdiction.

• (f) Issues Presented. The petition must state concisely all issues or points presented for review. The statement of an issue or point will be treated as covering every subsidiary question that is fairly included. If the matter complained of originated in the trial court, it should have been preserved for appellate review in the trial court and assigned as error in the court of appeals.

• (g) Introduction. The petition must contain an introduction summarizing the reasons the Court should grant review.

• (h) Statement of Facts. The petition must affirm that the court of appeals correctly stated the nature of the case, except in any particulars pointed out. The petition must state concisely and without argument the facts and procedural background pertinent to the issues or points presented. The statement must be supported by record references.

• (i) Summary of the Argument. The petition must contain a succinct, clear, and accurate statement of the arguments made in the body of the petition. This summary must not merely repeat the issues or points presented for review.

• (j) Argument. The petition must contain a clear and concise argument for the contentions made, with appropriate citations to authorities and to the record. The argument need not address every issue or point included in the statement of issues or points. Any issue or point not addressed may be addressed in the brief on the merits if one is requested by the Court. The argument should explain the reasons why the Supreme Court should exercise jurisdiction to hear the case with specific reference to the factors listed in Rule 56.1(a). The petition need not quote at length from a matter included in the appendix; a reference to the appendix is sufficient. The Court will consider the court of appeals’ opinion along with the petition, so statements in that opinion need not be repeated.

• (k) Prayer. The petition must contain a short conclusion that clearly states the nature of the relief sought.

• (l) Appendix.

• • (1) Necessary Contents. The appendix must be bookmarked to assist in locating each item and, unless voluminous or impracticable, must contain a copy of:
• • • (A) the opinion and judgment of the court of appeals;
• • • (B) the judgment or other appealable order of the trial court from which relief in the court of appeals was sought;
• • • (C) the jury charge and verdict, if any, or the trial court’s findings of fact and conclusions of law, if any; and
• • • (D) the text of any rule, regulation, ordinance, statute, constitutional provision, or other law on which the argument is based (excluding case law), and the text of any contract or other document that is central to the argument.
• • (2) Optional Contents. The appendix may contain any other item pertinent to the issues or points presented for review, including copies or excerpts of relevant court opinions, statutes, constitutional provisions, documents on which the suit was based, pleadings, and similar material. Items should not be included in the appendix to attempt to avoid the page limits for the petition.