On February 17, 2015, WLF filed formal comments with the Judicial Conference of the United States’s Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure, urging it to reject proposed amendments to the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure that would reduce word limits on briefs filed in the federal appeals courts. In particular, the proposal would reduce word limits on principal party briefs from 14,000 words to 12,500 words, and on amicus curiae briefs from 7,000 words to 6,250 words. WLF stated that it agreed with those who believe that many briefs are “much too long” and would be more effective if more concise. But, WLF argued, those who file unnecessarily long briefs are only harming themselves (e.g., judges need not waste their time reading poorly drafted, overly long briefs), and a word-limit reduction would cause real harm in those instances in which the complex nature of the case requires a longer brief in order to fully develop the major arguments.
