What is true about the scope of oral arguments in appellate courts?

The scope of oral arguments in appellate courts is typically limited. In an appellate setting, attorneys have a constrained amount of time to present their arguments, often ranging from 15 to 30 minutes per side. During this time, they focus on key legal issues and arguments that emerged from the trial record, rather than re-presenting the entire case or introducing new evidence.

Appellate oral arguments do not involve witness testimonies, as these courts do not hear live evidence like trial courts do; they rely on the written record from the lower court. Moreover, oral arguments occur before a panel of judges who have already reviewed the case materials, making them less about exhaustive detail and more about clarifying specific legal questions and addressing the judges' concerns. Therefore, the limited nature of these arguments is designed to facilitate a focused discussion on the most pertinent legal issues in the case.