On February 20, 2020, EOIR updated its Immigration Court Practice Manual to require that the body of a pre-hearing brief be limited to 25 pages.  Previously, the 25-page limit was encouraged, but not required.  The Practice Manual does not provide details regarding what counts as “the body” of the brief.

NIJC has always encouraged attorneys to limit their briefs to 25 pages in order to ensure that immigration judges have sufficient time to review them.  If an attorney believes that a client’s claim requires that a brief be longer than 25 pages, the attorney can file a motion to exceed the filing limit in conjunction with the brief – however, NIJC strongly encourages attorneys to consult with their NIJC point-of-contact before doing so.  As always, NIJC requires all NIJC pro bono attorneys to submit their briefs to NIJC for review at least five business days before filing.

The Immigration Court Practice Manual is available on the EOIR website here.