The petitioner’s brief on the merits must be confined to the issues or points stated in the petition for review and must, under appropriate headings and in the order here indicated, contain the following items:
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(a) Identity of Parties and Counsel. The brief must give a complete list of all parties to the trial court’s final judgment. The brief 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.
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(b) Table of Contents. The brief must have a table of contents with references to the pages of the brief and 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.
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(c) Index of Authorities. The brief must have an index of authorities arranged alphabetically and indicating the pages of the brief where the authorities are cited.
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(d) Statement of the Case. The brief 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:
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- (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);
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- (2) the name of the judge who signed the order or judgment appealed from;
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- (3) the designation of the trial court and the county in which it is located;
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- (4) the disposition of the case by the trial court;
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- (5) the parties in the court of appeals;
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- (6) the district of the court of appeals;
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- (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;
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- (8) the citation for the court of appeals’ opinion, if available, or a statement that the opinion was unpublished; and
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- (9) the disposition of the case by the court of appeals.
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(e) Statement of Jurisdiction. The brief must state, without argument, the basis of the Court’s jurisdiction.
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(f) Issues Presented. The brief 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. The phrasing of the issues or points need not be identical to the statement of issues or points in the petition for review, but the brief may not raise additional issues or points or change the substance of the issues or points presented in the petition.
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(g) Statement of Facts. The brief must affirm that the court of appeals correctly stated the nature of the case, except in any particulars pointed out. The brief 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.
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(h) Summary of the Argument. The brief must contain a succinct, clear, and accurate statement of the arguments made in the body of the brief. This summary must not merely repeat the issues or points presented for review.
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(i) Argument. The brief must contain a clear and concise argument for the contentions made, with appropriate citations to authorities and to the record.
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(j) Prayer. The brief must contain a short conclusion that clearly states the nature of the relief sought.