Supreme Court of the United States
What is the deadline for notice of intention to file a brief supporting the petition?
The period for notice of intention to file a brief supporting the petition normally runs 20 calendar days from the date the case was placed on the docket, under Sup. Ct. R. 12.6. If the final day is a Saturday, Sunday, federal legal holiday or a day the Court is closed, Rule 30.1 carries it to the next open day.
Calculate my deadline- Period
- 20 calendar days
- Trigger
- The date the case was placed on the docket
- Rule
- Sup. Ct. R. 12.6
Rules of the Supreme Court effective July 1, 2023
Free calculator · No account needed
Calculate your deadline
Enter the date of the date the case was placed on the docket. See the date, cited rule and counting steps.
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Which date starts the 20-day period?
The period runs from the date the case was placed on the docket.
Count forward from the trigger event. Confirm the event on the docket or in the service record before entering a date.
Read Rule 12"Counsel for such respondent shall ensure that counsel of record for all parties receive notice of its intention to file a brief in support within 20 days after the case is placed on the docket."
Sup. Ct. R. 12.6
This period runs from the specific event in the cited rule. Do not substitute a nearby date such as a hearing, a courtesy copy or the day you first learned of it.
Which date do I enter?How are the 20 calendar days counted?
- Exclude the day of the trigger event.
- Count every following day, including intermediate Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays.
- If the last day is a Saturday, Sunday, federal legal holiday, or a day the Court building is closed by order or inaccessible, continue to the next day that is not one of those.
Exclude the trigger day and count calendar days under Sup. Ct. R. 30.1.
If the final day is a Saturday, Sunday, federal legal holiday or a day the Court is closed, Rule 30.1 carries it to the next open day.
Rule 30.1 lists the days that carry a deadline forward, including days on which the Court building is closed or inaccessible. Rule 30 also governs extensions, which the Court grants sparingly. The national calculation does not confirm building closures.
Read Sup. Ct. R. 30.1The calculation gives the ordinary national-rule date. Check relevant holidays, the court’s accessibility and its filing cutoff separately.
Review the filing checklistWhat does a worked calculation look like?
Fictitious example
Assume the date the case was placed on the docket on Tuesday, September 1, 2026 (the date the case was placed on the docket on this date, with no order, motion or extension affecting the period), with no order, motion, extension or local closure affecting the result. Exclude the trigger day and count calendar days under Sup. Ct. R. 30.1. The example assumes no local rule, order or closure changes the default period.
| Step | What is counted | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger | Do not count this day | September 1, 2026 |
| Day 1 | Start counting calendar days | September 2, 2026 |
| Day 20 | Ordinary deadline in this example | September 21, 2026 |
Can an order, motion or extension change the deadline?
- Extensions
- No extension provision. The rule imposes a result obligation: counsel must ENSURE that all counsel of record RECEIVE the notice within the period, not merely dispatch it.
- Orders and local rules
- A scheduling order, stipulation approved by the court, standing order or local rule can set a different period and controls over the national default.
- No extension provision. The rule imposes a result obligation: counsel must ENSURE that all counsel of record RECEIVE the notice within the period, not merely dispatch it.
- A stipulation, scheduling order, standing order or local rule can set a different period and controls over the national default.
What should I check before filing?
These checks help you review the result. They do not activate a calendar date or certify that the deadline applies.
Common questions
Find answers about when this 20-day period starts, how it is counted, what can change it and how to keep your calculation.
Starting the clock
Does the clock start on the date the case was placed on the docket, or when I first learned of it?
The period runs from the date the case was placed on the docket as the rule defines it, not from the day you read about it, received a courtesy copy or attended a hearing. Use the date shown on the docket or in the service record.
Read Rule 12Counting days and filing
Is it 20 calendar days or business days?
Calendar days. Count intermediate weekends and holidays. If the final day is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, Sup. Ct. R. 30.1 carries it forward to the next day that is not one of those.
Sup. Ct. R. 30.1Which time zone and filing cutoff apply?
The Clerk’s Office filing hours and the electronic filing system’s requirements control the cutoff. This calculator does not verify system availability.
Sup. Ct. R. 30.1What if the court is inaccessible on the last day?
Rule 30.1 carries the last day past any day the Court building is closed by order of the Court or the Chief Justice, or is otherwise inaccessible. Check the Court’s notices.
Sup. Ct. R. 30.1Extensions and local rules
Can the court extend this deadline?
No extension provision. The rule imposes a result obligation: counsel must ENSURE that all counsel of record RECEIVE the notice within the period, not merely dispatch it. A request does not itself extend the period, and no discretionary extension is calculated here.
Read Rule 12Do local rules, standing orders or a scheduling order change the date?
They can. Many courts set their own periods by local rule, standing order or case-specific order, and those control over the national default. This calculator gives the national-rule date only; compare it with any order in the case before relying on it.
Choosing the right calculator
Does this calculator decide whether the rule applies to my case?
No. It calculates a period from the date you provide under the cited rule. It does not decide whether the rule governs your filing, whether an exception applies, or whether the filing has merit. Those questions need separate review.
Can I calculate the deadline without an account?
Yes. Enter the trigger date to see the free national-rule calculation, citation, counting steps and warnings. You can add court context after the result. Missing court review keeps the result provisional.
Results, records and your case
What is included in an Evidence Record?
The retained inputs, result, cited rule, calculation working, warnings and review state. The PDF includes a payload digest and retained-data appendix, and the record can be verified against its fingerprint later. It records the calculation, not a guarantee of legal correctness.
Does saving to a case activate the calendar?
Not automatically. Provisional records remain subject to review. A separately labeled manual date does not alter the original calculation.
Official sources and review
The period and the counting method come from different provisions. The official source is the court’s published rules; the reading links open the rule text at the Legal Information Institute.
| Provision | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Sup. Ct. R. 12.6 | Trigger and period |
| Sup. Ct. R. 30.1 | Counting, legal holidays and the last day |
Rule record reviewed . Guide sources checked . Next source check .
Published by Deadline Engine. This tool calculates the ordinary period under the cited rule. It does not decide whether the rule applies, obtain an extension or file anything for you.