A brief can be any type of legal document filed within a court of law, as it applies to criminal law. However, the most common type of brief has to do with the appeal process. A brief is a written document that is presented to the appellate court by both sides of the case that states their specific views and concerns with the case. At this point, the appellate court will look at the record of the case from the documentation of the court proceedings and then reads the brief provided by each side of the appeal. This information is then used to make a decision on whether the appeal should be granted or affirmed based on the collective information in hand.