(a) A party in a proceeding presided over by an Administrative Law Judge, except a party who failed to file an answer, may appeal to the Judicial Officer by filing exceptions in a brief on appeal within 15 days from the receipt of the Administrative Law Judge's written initial decision.

(b) A party in a proceeding presided over by the Judicial Officer, except one who has failed to file an answer, may file exceptions within 15 days from the receipt of the Judicial Officer's written tentative decision.

(c) When an initial or tentative decision is rendered orally at the close of the hearing, the presiding officer may then establish and orally give notice to the parties participating in the hearing of the time limit within which exceptions must be filed.

(d) Upon receipt of the brief on appeal from an initial decision of an Administrative Law Judge, the Recorder shall promptly transmit the record to the Judicial Officer. The date for filing the reply to a brief on appeal or to a brief in support of exceptions to a tentative decision by the Judicial Officer is 10 days after the receipt thereof. No additional briefs shall be received unless requested by the Judicial Officer.

(e) Briefs on appeal or in support of exceptions and replies thereto shall be filed in triplicate with the Recorder, and contain the following matter in the order indicated:

(1) A subject index of the matters presented, with page references; a table of cases alphabetically arranged; a list of statutes and texts cited, with page references.

(2) A concise abstract or statement of the case.

(3) Numbered exceptions to specific findings of fact or conclusions of law of the presiding officer.

(4) A concise argument clearly setting forth points of fact and of law relied upon in support of, or in opposition to, each exception taken, together with specific references to the pertinent parts of the record and the legal or other authorities relied upon.

(f) Unless permission is granted by the Judicial Officer, no brief on appeal or in support of exceptions shall exceed 50 printed or 100 typewritten pages double spaced.

(g) The Judicial Officer will extend the time to file briefs only upon written motion for good cause found. The Recorder shall promptly notify the movant of the Judicial Officer's decision on the motion. If a brief is not filed within the time prescribed, the defaulting party will be deemed to have abandoned the appeal or waived the exceptions, and the initial or tentative decision shall become the final decision of the Postal Service.

[39 FR 33213, Sept. 16, 1974, as amended at 63 FR 66052, Dec. 1, 1998]