Lawyers Can Write Shorter, But It’ll Cost Them

By Noah Feldman, Bloomberg View

It may not seem that significant to a civilian. But a rule-change that will lower the maximum length of appellate briefs from 14,000 words to 13,000 words, effective Dec. 1, is getting plenty of pushback from the lawyers who specialize in federal appeals. To the readers, a 7 percent reduction in legalese is definitely good news. Yet to the writers, it could mean a 7 percent reduction in billable hours — and in revenue. That’s no small matter. The economics of appellate law are already pretty tenuous from the standpoint of managing partners who employ appellate ...