The NLJ has Single or Double Spaced? Why Judicial Opinion Formatting Matters -- Law professor Joe Fore makes the aesthetic and practical case for greater uniformity in circuit court opinion formats.
University of Virginia law professor Joe Fore is in the midst of a new research project: breaking down how each federal appeals court formats judicial opinions, from text size to font.
The topic goes beyond mere aesthetics, he said. Certain formatting can help make complex rulings more accessible and easily digestible for journalists and the broader public—something Fore said is especially needed in the age of social media.
- Font: All of the circuits use Times New Roman, except the Fifth Circuit (Equity), Federal Circuit (Century Schoolbook), First Circuit (Courier New), Second and Seventh Circuits (Palatino Linotype) and Eleventh Circuit (Dante).
- Text Size: Six circuits use 12 point size text (the First, Sixth, Seventh, Ninth, D.C. and Federal), five use 13 point (Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Tenth) and two use 14 point (Eighth and Eleventh).
- Line Spacing: Six circuits use less than 1.5 line spacing, four use about 1.5 spacing and three use double spacing or more than double spacing.
- Margins: Six circuits use 1 inch or less, three use 1.5 inches or 1.75 inches, and four use 2 inches or more.
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