IN RE AMENDMENT OF RULES 531, 215 (Pa. 10-3-2011)

IN RE: AMENDMENT OF RULES 531, 2113 AND 2185 OF THE PENNSYLVANIA RULES OF APPELLATE PROCEDURE.

No. 215.Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.
October 3, 2011.

Appellate Procedural Rules Docket.

ORDER
PER CURIAM.

AND NOW, this 3rd day of October, 2011, upon the recommendation of the Appellate Court Procedural Rules Committee; the proposal having been published for public comment at 40 Pa. B. 7209 (December 18, 2010):

IT IS ORDERED pursuant to Article V, Section 10 of the Constitution of Pennsylvania that Rules 531, 2113 and 2185 of the Pennsylvania Rules of Appellate Procedure are amended in the attached form.

This ORDER shall be processed in accordance with Pa.R.J.A. No. 103(b), and shall be effective in thirty days.

Rule 531. Participation by Amicus Curiae.

(a) Briefs. — Anyone interested in the questions involved in any matter pending in an appellate court, excluding Petitions for Allowance of Appeal, although not a party, may, without applying for leave to do so, file a brief amicus curiae in regard to those questions.

(1) Unless otherwise ordered by the court, any amicuscuriae shall file and serve its brief in the manner and numberrequired and within the time allowed by these rules with respect tothe party whose position as to affirmance or reversal the amicusbrief will support, or with respect to the appellant, if the amicusbrief does not support the position of any party.
(2) In an appeal proceeding under Rules 2154(b), 2185(c)and 2187(b), any amicus curiae shall file and serve its brief withinthe time allowed by these rules for service of the advancetext of the brief by the party whose position as to affirmance orreversal the amicus brief will support or, if the amicus brief doesnot support the position of any party, within the time allowed bythese rules for service of the advance text by theappellant. Alternatively, the amicus curiae may, but is not requiredto, serve an advance text and then file and serve a definitive copyof its brief. If the amicus curiae chooses to serve an advance copyand then file and serve a definitive copy, its deadlines for eachare the same as for the party whose position as to affirmance orreversal the amicus brief supports or, if the amicus brief does notsupport the position of any party, as for the appellant.

(b) Oral argument. — Oral argument may be presented by amicus curiae only as the appellate court may direct. Requests for leave to present oral argument shall be by application and will be granted only for extraordinary reasons.

Official Note

The 2011 amendment to the rule clarified when those filingamicus curiae briefs should serve and file their briefs when theappellant has chosen or the parties have been directed to proceedunder the rules related to large records (Rule 2154(b)), advancetext (Rule 2187(b)) and definitive copies (Rule 2185(c)). Underthose rules, the appellant may defer preparation of the reproducedrecord until after the briefs have been served. The parties serve onone another (but do not file) advance texts of their briefs withinthe times required by Rule 2187. At the time they file their advancetexts, each party includes certified record designations forinclusion in the reproduced record. The appellant must then prepareand file the reproduced record within 21 days of service of theappellee’s advance text (Rule 2186(a)(2)). Within 14 days ofthe filing of the reproduced

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record, each party that served a brief in advance text may fileand serve definitive copies of their briefs. The definitive copymust include references to the pages of the reproduced record, butit may not otherwise include changes from the advancetext other than correction of typographical errors. Those filingamicus curiae briefs may choose to serve an advance text and thenfile and serve definitive copies according to the procedure requiredof the parties or they may choose to file a definitive briefwithout citations to the reproduced record.

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Rule 2113. Reply Brief.

(a) General rule. — In accordance with Rule 2185(a) (time for serving [service] and filing [of] briefs), the appellant may file a brief in reply to matters raised by appellee’s brief or in any amicus curiae brief and not previously addressed in appellant’s brief. If the appellee has cross appealed, the appellee may file a similarly limited reply brief.

(b) Response to draft or plan. — A reply brief may be filed as prescribed in Rule 2134 (drafts or plans).

(c) Other briefs. — No further briefs may be filed except with leave of court.

Official Note:

The 2011 amendment to subdivision (a) authorized an appellantto address in a reply brief matters raised in amicus curiae briefs.Before the 2011 amendment, the rule permitted the appellant toaddress in its reply brief only matters raised in the appellee’sbrief. The 2011 amendment did not change the requirement that thereply brief must not address matters previously addressed in theappellant’s principal brief.

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Rule 2185. Time for Serving and Filing Briefs.

(a) Time for serving and filing briefs.

(1) General rule. — Except as otherwise provided by this rule, the appellant shall serve and file appellant’s brief not later than the date fixed pursuant to Subdivision (b) of this rule, or within 40 days after the date on which the record is filed, if no other date is so fixed. The appellee shall serve and file appellee’s brief within 30 days after service of appellant’s brief and reproduced record if proceeding under Rule 2154(a) (generalrule). A party may serve and file a reply brief permitted by these rules within 14 days after service of the preceding brief but, except for good cause shown, a reply brief must be served and filed so as to be received at least three days before argument. In cross appeals, the second brief of the deemed or designated appellant shall be served and filed within 30 days of service of the deemed or designated appellee’s first brief. Except as prescribed by Rule 2187(b) (advance text of briefs), each brief shall be filed not later than the last day fixed by or pursuant to this rule for its service. Briefs shall be deemed filed on the date of mailing if first class, express, or priority United States Postal Service mail is utilized.

(2) Children’s fast track appeals.

(i) In a children’s fast track appeal, the appellant shall serve and file appellant’s brief within 30 days after the date on which the record is filed, if no other date is so fixed. The appellee shall serve and file appellee’s brief within 21 days after service of appellant’s brief and reproduced record. A party may serve and file a reply brief permitted by these rules within 7 days after service of the preceding brief but, except for good cause shown, a reply brief must be served and filed so as to be received at least 3 days before argument. In cross appeals, the second brief of the deemed or designated appellant shall be served and filed within 21 days of service of the deemed or designated appellee’s first brief. Briefs shall be deemed filed on the date of mailing if first class, express, or priority United States Postal Service mail is utilized.

(ii) In a children’s fast track appeal, the provisions of Subdivisions (b) and (c) of this Rule shall not apply.

(3) Multiple briefs for appellants orappellees. — If the time for filing a brief is established byreference to service of a preceding brief and more than one suchpreceding brief is filed, the deadline for filing the subsequentbrief shall be calculated from the date on which the last timelyfiled preceding brief is served. If no such preceding brief isfiled, the deadline for a subsequent brief shall be calculated fromthe date on which the preceding brief should have been filed.

(b) Notice of deferred briefing schedule. — When the record is filed the prothonotary of the appellate court shall estimate the date on which the matter will be argued before or submitted to the court, having regard for the nature of the case and the status of the calendar of the court. If the prothonotary determines that the matter will probably not be reached by the court for argument or submission within 30 days after the latest date on which the last brief could be filed under the usual briefing schedule established by these rules, the prothonotary shall fix a specific calendar date as the last date for the filing of

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the brief of the appellant in the matter, and shall give notice thereof as required by these rules. The date so fixed by the prothonotary shall be such that the latest date on which the last brief in the matter could be filed under these rules will fall approximately 30 days before the probable date of argument or submission of the matter. (c) Definitive copies. — If the record is being reproduced pursuant to Rule 2154(b) (large records) the brief served pursuant to Subdivision (a) of this rule may be typewritten or page proof copies of the brief, with appropriate references to pages of the parts of the original record involved. Within 14 days after the reproduced record is filed each party who served briefs in advance form under this subdivision shall serve and file definitive copies of his or her brief or briefs containing references to the pages of the reproduced record in place of or in addition to the initial references to the pages of the parts of the original record involved (see Rule 2132 (references in[the] briefs to the record)). No other changes may be made in the briefs as initially served, except that typographical errors may be corrected.

Official Note:

The addition of paragraph (a)(3) clarified practice in anappeal in which there is more than one appellant or appellee and allappellants or all appellees do not file their briefs on the samedate. For example, if there are two appellants and one files earlyor one is granted an extension of time to file, the two briefs forappellants will not be filed or served on the same date. Withoutparagraph (a)(3), it was not clear when the appellee’s 30-day periodto file its brief began. The same issue can arise with respect tothe appellant’s time for filing its reply brief when there are twoor more appellees. New paragraph (a)(3) clarified the point bystarting the period on the date on which the latest, timely filedpreceding brief is served.

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