Legal Definitions - reply brief

A reply brief is a document submitted by the respondent in response to the "opening brief" of an appellant when a case is appealed to a higher court. It is also used in the trial court context when a party files a motion and has the opportunity to file a reply brief after the other party files a brief in opposition to the motion.

For example, if a defendant is found guilty in a trial court and appeals the decision, the prosecution will file an opening brief arguing why the decision should be upheld. The defendant will then have the opportunity to file a reply brief in response to the prosecution's arguments.

In another example, if a party files a motion in a trial court and the opposing party files a brief in opposition to the motion, the party who filed the motion may file a reply brief to address any new arguments or evidence presented in the opposition brief.

These examples illustrate how a reply brief is used to respond to arguments made by the opposing party in a legal case or motion.