4/28/2017 TheReplyBrief:Turning"GettingtheLastWord"into"GettingtheWin"Lexology

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The Reply Brief: Turning "Getting the Last Word" into "Getting the Win"

USA December 16 2015

Whenyouaretheappellant,youalwayshavetheburdenofpersuasioninseekingareversal.Evenonadenovoreview,youarestartingat
leastastepbehind,psychologically.

Areplybriefmaybethelastwordandthelastchanceatpersuasionintheappealif,asincreasinglyoccurs,nooralargumentisgranted.It
certainlyisthelastwordwhileinitialconclusionsarebeingdevelopedbythejudgesbeforetheyhearoralargument,andtheliterature
suggestsitistherareoccasionthatoralargumentchangesthoseinitialconclusions.

Soneverpassupachancetofileareplybrief.Notonlywillitgiveyouthelastwordatthebriefingstageitwillforceyoutofocusonthe
truecoreissuesintheappealanddetermineyourbestargumentsonthoseissuesforanyoralargumentthatmaybeheld.Hereareafew
tipsonhowtonailthereply.

First,justasimportantasknowingwhattodoisknowingwhatnottodo.Manyattorneysappeartoviewthereplybriefasnothingmore
thanavehicletorepeattheirargumentsfromtheinitialbrief.Donotsquanderthisopportunitytorefuteyouropponentspoints,and
therebybringthecourttoyourpointofview,byfallingintothisalltoocommontrap.Beyondjustawasteofyourclientsmoneyandthe
courtstime,areplybriefthatmerelyreprisesyourinitialbrieftelegraphstothecourteitherthatyoudonotunderstandthepurposeofthe
replybriefor,worse,thatyoudonothaveanymeritoriousresponsestotheargumentsraisedinyouropponentsanswerbrief.

Andmuchlikepurerepetitionofargumentsalreadymadeinyourinitialbrief,needlessbloatcanwaterdownyourreply.Asisalwaysthe
caseinbriefwriting,bebrief.Shortsentences.Shortparagraphs.

Shorteralwaysisbetter.Themorestraightforwardyourpresentation,thebetteryourchancesatpersuasion.Considerlumpingsomeofthe
othersidesargumentsorcasesintoacategoryyoucandismissinitsentirety,allowingyoutofocusonthepointsthatcarryyouacrossthe
finishline.

Beginbyreviewingyouropeningbrief,whichyoumaynothaveseeninmonths,andcollectingthethemesinit.Youwantthatthemeto
flavoryourreplybriefaswell.Inaddition,seewhat(ifany)arguments,cases,orevidencetheothersidefailedtoaddress.Thatabsence
maybeaneffectivewaytostartyourreply:

Inourinitialbrief,wedemonstrated1,2,and3.Appelleeisunabletorespondtothethirdpointatall,anditsresponsetotheother
pointsisunavailing.

....

Initsanswerbrief,appelleefailstoaddressourpoints1,2,and3.

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4/28/2017 TheReplyBrief:Turning"GettingtheLastWord"into"GettingtheWin"Lexology

Althoughyoudonotwantyourreplybrieftobeamerereiterationofyourinitialbriefarguments,youalmostalwayswillwanttostart
withaquickrecapoftheargumentsadvancedinyourinitialbriefpreferablyasingleopeningparagraphbeforeyoubeginyourreply.
Somejudgessaytheyreadthereplybrieffirst,asitframestheissuestobedecided.Althoughyourrecapshouldbeshortandsweet,be
surethereisenoughcontextforthatjudgetounderstandyourcomebacktotheappelleesresponsetoyourargument.

Iftheothersidemadeasignificantconcession,youalmostcertainlywanttoincludethatconcessionattheoutset,perhapsinabrief
Introduction.Thiscanbeespeciallyeffectiveifyouwouldnotreachtheconcessionuntillateinyourreplyifyoufollowedthesame
organizationofissuesthatwasinyourinitialbrieforiftheopponenthasrespondedinadifferentorderoftheissues.

Inallevents,concessionorno,youdonotneedtoadheretothesameorderaseitheroftheprecedingbriefs,especiallyifyourreplyis
short.Startwiththedecisivepointonwhichyouwin.Succinctlyrestatethepointyouadvancedandthenexplainwhytheresponsetoit
fails.Itgoeswithoutsayingthatyoudosoinaprofessionalway,withoutpersonalattacksorslursontheothersideorcounsel.

Avoidabriefcomposedofhesaid,shesaidparagraphs.ItbecomesboringtoreadabriefinwhicheveryparagraphbeginsAppellee
argues....Mixupyouropeningsentences.

Istheothersideraisinganargumentthatisnotpreservedintherecordbelow?Considermakingthataseparatesectionofyourreply
perhapstheopeningsection,iftheargumentcomestoolittle,toolate.Evenifthecourtisnotprecludedfromaffirmingonthatgroundas
rightforanyreason,itmaybehelpfultoshowthattheappelleespositionhaschangedfromtrialtoappeal.

Donotbeafraidtochangeyourheadingstobeadvocacypiecesinrebuttal.Makeyourheadingswhichwill,ofcourse,besetforthin
thetableofcontents,wheretheywillbereadasawholeattheverybeginningreadasapersuasivereplyinthemselves.Anarticlethat
discussesthisinmoredetailisBryanA.GarnersPointedAdviceonPointHeadings:GoodHeadingsShowYouveThoughtOutYour
ArgumentsWellinAdvance,andTheyHelpMakeYourCase,A.B.A.J.,Sept.2015.

Iftheothersidedemonstratedaconflictinthecaselaw,presentprincipledreasonswhyyourcasesshouldbefollowed.Youobviously
wanttowintheappeal,butthecourtisinterestedintheruleoflaw,thejurisprudenceofthejurisdiction,andthefuturecasestowhichthe
ruleadoptedinyourappealwillbeapplied.Givethecourtsolidreasonswhyitshouldfollowtherulethat,incidentally,allowsyouto
win.

Istheresomeextraordinaryfactinyourcasethat,inorderforthecourttodojusticeandreachtherightresultunderthefactsofyourcase,
requiresapplicationofadifferentrulethantheruleintheappelleescases?Hastheruleinthosecasesbeencriticizedinscholarly
writings?Aretherepowerfuldissentsyoucanembrace?

Itisnotenoughtosaytheothersideiswrongyoumustpersuadethejudgesthatthisisthecase.Thiscanonlybedonewithlogicand
principledreasoning,nothyperbole.

Onoccasion,theappelleewillfailtoadvanceanargumentinaneffectiveway.Oreveninanunderstandableway.Theconcernthenarises
thatyouwillbeframingtheargumentinabettermannerfortheappelleewhenyourespondtoitinyourreply.

Thereisnoonesizefitsallanswertothisconundrum.Asageneralmatter,however,erronthesideofcautionandaddressthepointthe
appelleeistryingtomake.Thejudgeswillworktofigureitoutanyway,andbetteryourespondtoitheadon,ratherthanprovideno
responsetoitandhopetheymissitintheweeds.

Whatiftheappelleehasmissedacontrollingcaseoratleastonesquarelyonpointtoitsargument?Ifitistrulycontrolling,thenyou
needtobringittothecourtsattentiontosatisfyyourdutyofcandor.Butnothingsaysyoucannotalsoadvanceanygoodfaithargument
youhavethatitismateriallydistinguishableorshouldnototherwisebefollowedinyourcase.Thecourt(andyouropponent)willrespect
youforyourforthrightness.

Whatiftheappelleehascaughtyouinsomemistake,perhapsevenaconclusivemistake,ononeoftheargumentsinyourinitialbrief?
Considerconfessingerrorinastraightforwardwayandmovingontoyourotherarguments.SeeSylviaH.Walbolt&NickA.Brown,
PracticalandEthicalConsiderationsinConfessingErroronAppeal,AppellatePractice,Spring2015.Bettertoacknowledgetheerror,
offeryourapologiestothecourtandcounselinacivilway,andmoveontoshowwhyyouwinanyway.

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4/28/2017 TheReplyBrief:Turning"GettingtheLastWord"into"GettingtheWin"Lexology

Howcanyoumosteffectivelyshowthat?Onceyougetyourdraftonpaper,editandeditagainuntilitcrisplyandclearlyrespondsto
theothersidesarguments.Eliminateanyhyperbolethathascreptinasaresultofyourangstinreadingtheanswerbrief.Itmadeyoufeel
betteratthetimebutnowneedstodisappear.

JohnMcPheerecentlywroteanarticleintheNewYorker(Sept.14,2015)calledOmission:ChoosingWhattoLeaveOut.Hisadvice
oneditingwhichhecallsgreeningisnotonlyfunnyitisspotonevenforeditinglegalbriefs.Wewerestruckbythissuggestionto
hisstudentsthatgreening

doesnotmeanlopofffourlinesatthebottom,Itellthem.Theideaistoremovewordsinsuchamannerthatnoonewouldnotice
thatanythinghasbeenremoved.Easierwithsomewritersthanwithothers.Itsasifyouwereremovingfreightcarshereandthere
inordertoshortenatrainorpruningbitsandpiecesofaplantforreasonsofaestheticsorplantpathology,nottomentionsize.

Sayseasybutdoeshard!Onefavoriteeditingtrickistoassume,attheveryendofthewritingprocess,thatyoumusteliminatesome
specificnumberofwordstocomplywiththecourtsrules,evenifyoudonotreallyhavetodoso.Workseverytimetomakeabetterfinal
product.

Onceyouhavedoneallofyoureditingandthinkthebriefisfinallyreadytofile,havesomeonecoldtothecasereadit.Thenaskyour
readerifheorshehasenough,justonthisonecompactdocument,toruleforyou.Ordoesyourreaderhavequestionsandwanttoknow
moreaboutsomeargumentorissue,eitherfromyourstandpointinreplyorfromthestandpointoftheotherside?

Themosteffectivereplybriefisonethatallowsthereadertoruleforyoubasedonthatbriefalone.Ifsomethingisnotclearorpersuasive
toyourcoldreader,fixitbeforeyoufile.

Whatifyoucannotcomeupwithanythingtosayinresponsetothepointssetforthintheanswerbrief?Theappelleesreallynailedyou,
perhapswithanew,deadon,controllingcasedecidedafteryousubmittedyourinitialbrief,anditdestroysyourappellateargument
altogether.(Yes,wehadthathappenonce,whentheFloridaSupremeCourtdisapprovedthedecisionwehadreliedonintheinitialbrief,
yearsafterthedecisionhadbeenrendered.Itisstillapainfulmemory.)

Youcannot,ofcourse,presentnewargumentsinareplybrief.Canyou,however,createconflictforpossiblefurtherappellatereview?
Doesthedecisionrestonagroundnotarguedbytheothersidebelow?

Putyourbestshotonpaper,andifitdoesntpassthelaughtertest,considerdismissingyourappeal.Afterall,youdontwanttoendup
beingsanctionedbytheappellatecourtandhavingtopayyouropponentsattorneyfees.Nordoyouwanttoseeyournameinan
appellatedecisionchastisingyouforadvancingafrivolousappeal.Nordoyouwanttohavetofinallyconfesserroratanoralargumentin
responsetoadirectquestionthatcannotbedodged.

Butthatis,happily,theextraordinaryappeal,andmostofthetime,youshouldhaveplentytosayinreply.Therulesgiveyou,the
appellant,theinvaluableopportunitytohavethelastwordthetrickisdoingthatsuccinctlyandeffectively.Itishopedthesetipswill
helpyoudoso.

RepublishedwithpermissionbytheAmericanBarAssociation

AppellatePractice,ABASectionofLitigation,December2015.2015bytheAmericanBarAssociation

Carlton Fields - Sylvia H. Walbolt and Nicholas A. Brown

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4/28/2017 TheReplyBrief:Turning"GettingtheLastWord"into"GettingtheWin"Lexology

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