# Free Table of Authorities Template (.docx) With Dot Leaders

> Free table of authorities template (.docx): category headings, dot-leader tab stops, hanging indents, real sample entries. Use it in Word, Pages or Docs.

*Updated: 2026-09-24*

**The short answer:** [Download the free table of authorities template (.docx)](/downloads/table-of-authorities-template.docx). It is a Letter-size Word file with 1" margins, a centered “TABLE OF AUTHORITIES” heading, a right-aligned “Page(s)” label, and headings for Cases, Constitutional Provisions, Statutes, Rules and Other Authorities. Every entry already has a right-aligned tab stop with a dot leader and a hanging indent, so you type the citation, press Tab, and type the pages. The sample entries are real authorities you replace with your own. No sign-up is needed.

It works best in Word (Windows or Mac) and Pages; Google Docs opens it but has no dot-leader setting of its own. A template does not find your citations or page numbers for you; for a long brief a generator is faster. Formatting help, not legal advice; your court's rules control.

*Last verified: 2026-09-24.*

**What's in the file**

- Letter size (8.5 × 11 in), 1-inch margins on all sides — FRAP 32(a)(4)'s minimum.
- Century Schoolbook, 14 pt (FRAP 32(a)(5)). If it is not installed, Word substitutes; switch to New Century Schoolbook, Century or another serif your court accepts.
- Right-aligned tab stop at 6.5" with a dot leader on every entry, a 0.5" hanging indent and a 0.75" right indent so wrapped citations clear the page column.
- Five category headings with 2–3 real sample entries each, from *Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc.*, 477 U.S. 242 (1986) to Wright & Miller.
- Footer page number in lowercase roman numerals (starting at ii), as front matter usually is.
- A bracketed instructions paragraph at the top, to delete before filing.
- File: table-of-authorities-template.docx, about 38 KB. Free, no email required.

## How to fill in the template

- **Finish the brief first.** Page numbers are only final once the text, headings and front matter stop changing.
- **List every authority** by searching the final brief (or its PDF) for “v.”, “U.S.C.”, “§”, “Const.”, “R.” and “Id.”, and record the printed page number of each cite.
- **Replace the sample entries.** Put each authority's full citation on its own line, press Tab once, and type its pages, lowest first, commas between.
- **Add lines by copying an existing entry** (click in it, copy the whole paragraph, paste, then overwrite), so the tab stop and indents come along.
- **Credit short forms, *Id.* and *supra*** to the full entry instead of adding lines for them. See [Id. and supra](/id-supra-table-of-authorities).
- **Delete unused headings** and re-order the categories your court requires. See [table of authorities order](/table-of-authorities-order).
- **Match the brief's font and size**: select all and change it — 12 pt Century for Supreme Court booklet briefs (Rule 33.1(b)), at least 13 pt in [California](/california-table-of-authorities-rules) (rule 8.204(b)).
- **Delete the bracketed instructions**, paste the table into the brief after the table of contents, and spot-check pages against the filed PDF.

## Using it in Word, Pages and Google Docs

| App | Opens the .docx? | Dot leaders | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Word for Windows | Yes | Yes — kept from the file | To change a stop: Home › Paragraph dialog launcher › Tabs. Word can also build a TOA automatically from marked citations. |
| Word for Mac | Yes | Yes — kept from the file | Format › Tabs to adjust. Microsoft says automatic TOAs aren't supported in Word for Mac, so a template like this is the usual manual route. |
| Pages (Mac) | Yes (File › Open, then save as .pages or export to Word) | Pages supports leaders; check them after import | Adjust in Format sidebar › Layout › Tabs, Leader column. Fonts may substitute if Century Schoolbook is missing. |
| Google Docs | Yes (upload, then open with Google Docs) | No leader setting in Docs; imported dots may not display | Tab stops align the page numbers either way. If your court expects dots, finish the TOA page in Word or Pages. |
| LibreOffice Writer | Yes | Yes | We rendered the template in LibreOffice to check layout: page numbers align and wrapped entries indent. |

The layout choices behind the file — why a right indent, why leaders instead of typed dots, where roman numerals start — are explained on [table of authorities format](/table-of-authorities-format). Three finished samples in this layout are on [table of authorities examples](/table-of-authorities-example).

Where your court allows it, many offices switch to [*passim*](/passim-table-of-authorities) at five or more page references — that threshold comes from Microsoft Word's built-in "Use passim" option. The U.S. Supreme Court's [Rule 34.2](/supreme-court-table-of-authorities) says a table of authorities should not use passim (added in the 2023 rules and kept in the rules effective March 16, 2026), and the D.C., Tenth and Eleventh Circuits bar it too (D.C. Cir. R. 28(a)(2); 10th Cir. R. 28.3(C); 11th Cir. R. 28-1(d)). Follow your court's rule.

## Template or generator: which is faster?

| Situation | Template | Generator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Short brief, under ~15 authorities, final text | Fast enough; 30–60 minutes by hand | Optional |
| Long brief, 40+ authorities, many short forms and *Id.* | Slow; every page must be found and typed | Much faster; it finds the citations and pages |
| Edits after the TOA is built | Every page number must be rechecked | Re-run on the new version |
| Brief is a PDF someone else wrote | Search the PDF by hand | A PDF-based generator reads the pages as filed |
| Drafting in Pages or Google Docs | The practical manual route | Needs a tool that does not rely on Word |

Two browser tools cover the generator side [without uploading](/table-of-authorities-without-uploading) the brief. **[BriefMark](/briefmark-alternative)** is live today for Word .docx files: it writes Word's own TA field codes into the document so Word builds the table (free up to 8 authorities, $99 one-time, as published on its site). **BriefAuthority** is pre-launch: it is designed to build the table from your [final PDF](/table-of-authorities-from-pdf) — [page numbers](/table-of-authorities-page-numbers) from the pages you file, no Word needed — or from the .docx. See the [table of authorities generator](/table-of-authorities-generator) page.

> **Common mistake:** filling in the template while the brief is still being edited, then forgetting to recheck the page numbers. **Correct approach:** build the table last, from the final paginated version, and spot-check five random references against the PDF you will file.

> **Where BriefAuthority fits:** BriefAuthority, in development, is built to fill this table for you from your final PDF or .docx, in the browser, without uploading the brief. Planned: free up to 8 authorities, $19 per brief, $149 per year. [Join early access](/early-access).

## Frequently asked

**Is there a free table of authorities template for Word?**

Yes. [This .docx template](/downloads/table-of-authorities-template.docx) is free with no sign-up. It has the heading, category headings, dot-leader tab stops and hanging indents set, with real sample entries to replace.

**Does the template create the table of authorities automatically?**

No. It gives you the layout; you supply the authorities and page numbers. Word for Windows can build a TOA from marked citations, and generator tools can find citations for you.

**Will the dot leaders work on a Mac?**

Yes in [Word for Mac](/word-for-mac-table-of-authorities) and in Pages, which both support tab leaders. Adjust them in Word under Format › Tabs, or in Pages under Format sidebar › Layout › Tabs.

**Can I use the template in Google Docs?**

You can open and edit it, and the tab stops keep the page numbers aligned, but Google Docs has no dot-leader setting, so the dots may not display. Finish the page in Word or Pages if your court expects them.

**What font should I use?**

The same as your brief. The template uses 14-point Century Schoolbook for federal appellate briefs (FRAP 32(a)(5)). Supreme Court booklet briefs use 12-point Century (Rule 33.1(b)); California requires at least 13-point (rule 8.204(b)).

**Can I use passim in the template?**

Only if your court allows it. Supreme Court Rule 34.2 and the D.C., Tenth and Eleventh Circuits bar it. Where allowed, type *passim* in place of the page list after the Tab.

**Are the sample cases real?**

Yes. The sample entries are real authorities, such as *Celotex Corp. v. Catrett*, 477 U.S. 317 (1986), but the page numbers are placeholders. Replace both with the authorities and pages from your brief.

**Keep reading**

- [Table of authorities examples](/table-of-authorities-example) — Three annotated samples in this layout.
- [Table of authorities format](/table-of-authorities-format) — Every formatting choice explained.
- [Table of authorities in Word](/table-of-authorities-in-word)
- [Table of authorities order](/table-of-authorities-order)
- [Table of authorities page numbers](/table-of-authorities-page-numbers)
- [Table of authorities generator](/table-of-authorities-generator)

**Sources**

- [Cornell LII — Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, Rule 28. Briefs](https://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/frap/rule_28)
- [Cornell LII — Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, Rule 32. Form of Briefs](https://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/frap/rule_32)
- [Supreme Court of the United States — Rules of the Court (effective March 16, 2026, PDF)](https://www.supremecourt.gov/filingandrules/2026RulesoftheCourt_WEB.pdf)
- [California Rules of Court, rule 8.204](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/eight/rule8_204)
- [Microsoft Support — Insert or add tab stops](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/insert-or-add-tab-stops-06969e0f-2c81-4fe0-8df5-88f18087a8e0)
- [Microsoft Support — Create a table of authorities](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/create-a-table-of-authorities)
- [Apple Pages User Guide for Mac — Set tab stops](https://support.apple.com/guide/pages/set-tab-stops-tan39ebf390a/mac)
- [Google Docs Editors Community — How do I put dots into a tab stop](https://support.google.com/docs/thread/271103642/how-do-i-put-dots-into-a-tab-stop?hl=en)
- [BriefMark (as published on its site)](https://briefmark.oddwell.tech)