Fourth Circuit announces three preferred fonts
Devoted followers of the Blog know this is the place for searing hot takes on developments in appellate typography. So of course we leapt into action upon Monday’s news that the Fourth Circuit has expressly approved three fonts (Times New Roman, Century Schoolbook, and Georgia) and expressly disapproved another (Garamond).
Granted, these choices are not exactly earth-shattering. Times New Roman, though always good fodder for typographical debate, remains ubiquitous and is not falling off any court-approved list anytime soon. Century Schoolbook is the most popular of the Century fonts, anointed by the U.S. Supreme Court as the chosen typeface family there. The third, Georgia—my go-to since Book Antiqua became inexplicably disfavored—has been steadily gaining acceptance as the most practical and versatile alternative to Times New Roman hegemony.
So the announcement generally keeps with trends, including following the D.C. Circuit’s lead in rejecting Garamond as “smaller” and therefore harder to read. The general consensus on that former page-limit parlor trick is that, despite the merits of its classic style, the strain on judicial eyeballs just isn’t worth it.
Also remaining typographical taboo in the Fourth Circuit are sans-serif fonts of any kind, despite the argument that they are superior for reading on electronic devices, which is how most people read things these days. So all you Helvetica enthusiasts with briefs that look like descriptions of Crate & Barrel products will need to save them for the Supreme Court of Maryland.
Maryland Appellate Blog 