|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries: |
Research categories | Follow us on Twitter |
Research categories
View all topics in the newsView all reference sources at Encyclopedia.com |
|||
Brief
BRIEFA summary of the important points of a longer document. An abstract of a published judicial opinion prepared by a law student as part of an assignment in thecase methodstudy of law. A written document drawn up by an attorney for a party in a lawsuit or by a party himself or herself appearing pro se that concisely states the following: (1) issues of a lawsuit; (2) facts that bring the parties to court; (3) relevant laws that can affect the subject of the dispute; and (4) arguments that explain how the law applies to the particular facts so that the case will be decided in the party's favor. A brief may also contain a synopsis of the evidence and name the witnesses to be presented during the trial. Copies of briefs must be submitted to the court where the case will be heard and to the opposing party. An appellate brief is a writing that must be filed with an appellate court so that the court may evaluate whether the decision of the lower court should be reversed because of some error or impropriety that occurred during the trial. A statement of the issues presented for review, a summary of how pertinent laws affect the facts, and a statement of the relief being requested are essential elements of an appellate brief. The appellee's brief will argue that the lower court acted properly in its judgment and request its affirmance, while the appellant's brief will attempt to convince the court to reverse or vacate the lower court's judgment because it acted improperly. See also the Milestones in the Law and Appendix volumes for examples. |
|
|
Cite this article
"Brief." West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Brief." West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3437700623.html "Brief." West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3437700623.html |
|
brief
brief / brēf/ • adj. of short duration: the president made a brief visit to Moscow. ∎ concise in expression; using few words: introductions were brief and polite. ∎ (of a piece of clothing) not covering much of the body; scanty: Alice sported a pair of extremely brief black shorts. • n. a concise statement or summary: their comments were cribbed right from industry briefs. ∎ a set of instructions given to a person about a job or task: his brief is to turn around the country's economy. ∎ a written summary of the facts and legal points supporting one side of a case, for presentation to a court. • v. [tr.] instruct or inform (someone) thoroughly, esp. in preparation for a task: she briefed him on last week's decisions. PHRASES: hold no brief for not support or argue in favor of: I hold no brief for the president. in brief in a few words; in short: he is, in brief, the embodiment of evil the news in brief.DERIVATIVES: brief·ly adv. brief·ness n. ORIGIN: Middle English: from Old French brief, from Latin brevis ‘short.’ The noun is via late Latin breve ‘note, dispatch,’ hence ‘an official letter.’ |
|
|
Cite this article
"brief." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "brief." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-brief.html "brief." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-brief.html |
|
brief
brief1 letter of authority XIV; letter patent from the sovereign as head of the Church XVI; (leg.) summary of the facts of a case for the instruction of counsel XVII. — AN. bref, OF. brief :- L. breve (in late L., summary), n. of brevis (see next).
|
|
|
Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "brief." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "brief." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-brief.html T. F. HOAD. "brief." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-brief.html |
|
brief
brief2 of short duration. XIV. ME. bref — (O)F. bref :- L. brevis. Cf. BREVITY.
|
|
|
Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "brief." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "brief." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-brief1.html T. F. HOAD. "brief." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-brief1.html |
|
brief
brief
•aperitif, beef, belief, brief, chief, enfeoff, fief, grief, interleaf, leaf, Leif, lief, Mazar-e-Sharif, misbelief, motif, naif, O'Keeffe, reef, seif, Sharif, sheaf, shereef, sportif, Tenerife, thief
•tea leaf • fig leaf • bas-relief • flyleaf
•drop-leaf • broadleaf • cloverleaf
•massif • leitmotif
|
|
|
Cite this article
"brief." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "brief." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-brief.html "brief." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-brief.html |
|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries:
HighBeam™ Research, Inc. © Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.
The Encyclopedia.com advertising network includes:
