Appellate Advocacy Guide
This guide is intended to be a reference for lawyers and non-lawyers who do not routinely practice before the New Hampshire Supreme Court. It is our hope that the guide will simplify the process of writing and assembling briefs and take some of the anxiety out of preparing for and appearing at oral argument. We refer to the Rules of the Supreme Court of the State of New Hampshire throughout this guide. Those references appear here in bold, as in, for example, “Rule 16(3).” The guide is not a substitute for the Rules themselves, though, so practitioners should be sure to familiarize themselves with the Rules, which are found on the New Hampshire Judicial Branch website.
The appendix has a number of useful resources, including references that provide in-depth analyses of writing and argument strategies. Appellate advocacy can be daunting, but the New Hampshire Supreme Court is a wonderful court in which to practice law. We hope that this guide helps to make the experience of litigating there a productive and fulfilling one.
Lisa Wolford
New Hampshire Department of Justice
Criminal Justice Bureau
Stephanie Hausman
Appellate Defender Program
New Hampshire Public Defender