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Law vocabulary · Legal Writing & Drafting

Brief

Meaning in law, with examples

/briːf/nounCommon term

In law, brief means: In the US, a written argument that a lawyer submits to a court, especially an appeal court; in the UK, the instructions and papers a solicitor sends to a barrister for a case.

In Turkish: dilekçe, layiha, dosya ve talimatlar

How it is used

US lawyers 'file a brief', 'write an appellate brief' or submit an 'amicus brief'. In the UK a barrister 'receives a brief' or 'is briefed'. In general business English, the verb 'brief someone' means to give them the key information.

Example sentences

  1. Our brief to the appeals court is due in thirty days.

  2. The barrister received the brief only two days before the hearing.

Common collocations

  • file a brief
  • appellate brief
  • amicus brief
  • brief counsel
  • memorandumA written document, often called a memo, in which a lawyer analyses a legal question and gives conclusions, usually for a colleague, a partner or a client.
  • barristerIn England, Wales and some other common law countries, a lawyer who specialises in arguing cases in court and giving expert legal opinions.
  • solicitorIn England, Wales and some other countries, a lawyer who advises clients directly, prepares documents and runs cases, but usually does not argue in the higher courts.
  • appealTo ask a higher court to review and change the decision of a lower court; also used as a noun for this request.
  • draftTo write a legal document such as a contract, letter or court submission, usually as a first version that others will review and change.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Legal Writing & Drafting

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.