What is a “certificate of compliance” in a Texas appellate filing?

A certificate of compliance is required to be included in any document subject to the Texas appellate word count limits (e.g., a brief being filed in a Texas court of appeals, a petition for review being filed in the Texas Supreme Court, a petition for writ of mandamus). The certificate of compliance must state the number of words (in the document) that are subject to the word count limits. See Texas Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.4(i)(3). There is another type of certificate of compliance that is applicable only to mandamus proceedings. Specifically, a petition for writ of mandamus is required to include a certification that the person filing the petition has reviewed the petition and has concluded that every factual statement in the petition is supported by competent evidence included in the appendix or record. See Texas Rule of Appellate Procedure 52.3(j).

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