Guide
Rhode Island Index of Authorities: Supreme Court Rule 16
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A Rhode Island Supreme Court full appellant’s brief requires an alphabetical index of authorities under Article I, Rule 16(a)(6). Identify the page or pages where each authority is cited. The appellee’s brief generally conforms through Rule 16(b). This is different from the shorter Rule 12A statements used before or on the show-cause calendar.
Prepare an authorities index in standard format, review every citation and printed page, then export editable Word text. There is no Rhode Island-specific preset. Confirm the actual court/settings, because detected courts or a loaded sample may override the entry selection.
The exact index requirement
“An index of authorities arranged alphabetically indicating at what page or pages of the brief each authority is cited.” — Rhode Island Supreme Court Rules, Article I, Rule 16(a)(6)
The wording covers authorities, not just case decisions. Include statutes, rules, constitutional provisions and other sources actually cited in the brief rather than reducing the index to a favorite-cases list. The rule says alphabetically but does not, in this clause, prescribe a category-by-category design, a particular dot-leader style or a passim policy. Whatever organization you use, keep alphabetization and the required page references apparent. Do not manufacture a mandatory front-matter sequence from the numbering of the substantive contents listed in Rule 16(a); use the clerk’s current checklist and instructions for assembly.
Regular-calendar briefs and Rule 12A statements
Rule 12A provides for statements of the case, counter-statements, single-justice conferences and show-cause supplemental statements. The single justice may order regular-calendar full briefing, among other dispositions. Rule 16(a)’s full brief obligation follows the assignment to that regular calendar. Rule 12A has separate content, length and appendix provisions and incorporates Rule 18 for form. Do not assume that every document containing legal argument is a Rule 16 full brief, or that a document’s informal label changes what the court ordered.
Rule 16(b) requires the adverse party’s brief to conform to (a), except for the stated treatment of errors and the statement of the case. Those exceptions do not remove the index. Rule 16(c) permits replies but does not repeat the index-content language; consult the current checklist and any order for the reply rather than infer either a universal exemption or an additional requirement.
| Document or task | Primary rule | Preparation implication |
|---|---|---|
| Appellant’s regular-calendar full brief | Rule 16(a)(6) | Include an alphabetical authorities index with this brief’s page references. |
| Appellee’s full brief | Rule 16(b) | Prepare its own index through the incorporated requirements. |
| Reply brief | Rule 16(c), (f) | Check the current clerk checklist and order; do not simply copy the opening index. |
| Rule 12A statement | Rule 12A(1), (6) | Use its separate content requirements and Rule 18 form, not an assumed full-brief template. |
| Word count | Rule 18(b) | The authorities table is excluded; headings, footnotes and quotations count. |
| Filing review | Rule 16(f) | Complete and sign the prescribed Checklist for Filing Briefs. |
Form is separate from index extraction
Rule 18(b) generally requires 8½-by-11-inch papers, double spacing, Times New Roman of at least 14 points, and at least one-inch margins on all four sides. Footnotes are single spaced but retain the same font and minimum size. Pages are consecutively numbered at the bottom center. Unless a court order authorizes otherwise, check these requirements in the assembled document rather than relying on a table export. Rule 16(f) sets brief length and cover/checklist requirements, while Rule 18(b) identifies the parts excluded from word count. A table’s exclusion from the count is not permission to insert substantive argument into it.
These are Supreme Court appellate rules. They do not establish the required contents of every Superior Court, Family Court or other trial-court memorandum. Use the rule and order for that court and filing.
From PDF to a reviewed editable index
- Save the intended draft as PDF. Keep its matching DOCX if you want insertion into Word. Check printed page numbers rather than equating the PDF viewer’s sheet number with the brief page.
- Use standard format. Open the Table of Authorities generator. Confirm the actual court and the desired index heading; Rhode Island has no dedicated preset.
- Review citations and coverage. Check each full citation, short form, Id. link and non-case authority, including footnotes. Merge only entries that actually represent the same authority.
- Review destinations. Confirm every printed brief-page reference against the PDF. Reporter pinpoints and appendix references are not the index’s destination pages.
- Export and insert. A PDF alone downloads an editable Word table. A matching Word file plus text-layer PDF can insert ordinary table text. Then check the index’s presentation against the actual clerk instructions.
- Re-export after assembly. Insertion and subsequent edits can shift pagination. Compare the final PDF with all index references before completing the brief checklist.
DOCX-only uses a different route: Word fields built and updated in Word for Windows. The PDF routes provide ordinary editable table text. The app does not rewrite citation style, format the whole brief, add e-filing bookmarks or supply the clerk’s certification.
Frequently asked
Does Rhode Island call this an index or a table?
Rule 16(a)(6) calls the required component an index of authorities. Rule 18(b) says table of authorities in its word-count exclusion. Use a clear authorities heading and meet the alphabetical and page-reference requirements.
Does the appellee need an index?
Yes. Rule 16(b) incorporates (a)’s requirements, with exceptions that concern errors and the statement of the case, not the authorities index.
Is a Rule 12A statement a full Rule 16 brief?
Not automatically. Rule 12A governs the statement and show-cause process and permits a later regular-calendar assignment. Follow the document actually ordered and its applicable rule.
Can I use passim?
The cited index clause contains no express passim policy. Specific page references are straightforward to verify. Do not treat silence as permission; consult the current checklist or order if considering shorthand.
Does the table count toward the brief’s word limit?
Rule 18(b) excludes the table of authorities from word count while including headings, footnotes and quotations. The brief’s certification and Rule 16(f) limits remain your responsibility.
Official source and verification
- Rhode Island Supreme Court Rules, Article I: Appellate ProcedureOfficial PDF revised February 17, 2026; read Rules 1, 12A, 16 and 18 on 2026-10-14. The governing text was accessible.courts.ri.gov
- Rhode Island Judiciary: Supreme Court rules directoryRendered directory read in a browser on 2026-10-14 to locate the official Article I PDF. The completed clerk checklist is a separate filing step; no checklist wording is quoted here.courts.ri.gov
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