Brief at Legal Glossary

What is it? A document used to submit a legal contention or argument to a court. A brief typically sets out the facts of the case and a partys argument as to why she should prevail. These arguments must be supported by legal authority and precedent, such as statutes, regulations and previous court decisions. Although it is usually possible to submit a brief to a trial court (called a trial brief), briefs are most commonly used as a central part of the appeal process (an appellate brief). But dont be fooled by the name -- briefs are usually anything but brief, as pointed out by writer Franz Kafka, who defined a lawyer as a person who writes a 10,000 word decision and calls it a brief.

Law Definition Added By: Lucas

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