meretricious / meritorious
Showy and false versus deserving praise.
Meretricious means showy and cheap, or false. Meritorious means deserving praise. They are not cousins in sense. Do not use a meretricious brief if you mean a good one.
Examples
Use a meretricious display
Use a meritorious brief
Avoid a meretricious brief (If you mean the brief deserved praise.)