Board of Legal SpecializationPractice Exam

The element that is not typically included in the required documentation for an appellate brief is social media posts. An appellate brief primarily focuses on written arguments, case law citations, and sometimes evidence from the trial, in order to articulate the legal issues on appeal and the basis for the court's review.

Written arguments are crucial because they present the appellant's perspective and outline the points of law being contested. Case law citations are essential as they provide legal precedents that support the arguments being made, thereby assisting the appellate court in understanding how previous rulings may influence the current case.

While evidence from the trial may occasionally be relevant, it typically needs to be part of the trial record. Appellate courts generally do not introduce new evidence; rather, they review what was already presented during the original trial. Social media posts, however, have no standard role in the documentation for an appellate brief, as they do not usually pertain to the legal arguments or established law being evaluated in the appellate process.