The goal of Mass. Appellate Briefs is to let readers know as soon as possible about cases that are likely to significantly affect the law in Massachusetts. The newsletter for each month therefore includes all cases entered on the full court docket in that month (i.e., having an SJC- docket number), with certain exceptions:

• First degree murders, which typically appear before the Court because of an automatic right of appeal rather than a novel area of law.
• Appeals from decisions of the single justice pursuant to SJC Rule 2:21.
• Bar discipline cases.
• Trust reformation cases.
• Impounded cases.
• Multiple appeals by frequent litigants before the Court.

While such cases are by no means unimportant to the parties involved, they are less likely to be significant to lawyers in Massachusetts generally.