Appellate Law

Appellate lawyers are often thought of as brief writers and oral advocates who only become involved in a case after it is won or lost at the trial court level. Both the state and federal courts have avenues of appeal for civil and criminal cases. Appeals may happen in a civil or criminal case after trial, or after the dismissal of a case (such as a motion for summary judgment that the court granted). In some matters, a party may have the right to appeal. For example, a convicted criminal defendant who has exhausted appeals at the state court level is entitled to seek review through the federal court system. Not all issues may be appealed as a matter of right and when accepted for review, the appellate court applies standards of review to the case. Appellate lawyers often specialize in a practice area, such as criminal appellate work, tax, environmental, or others. An example is a lawyer who specializes in fighting death penalty verdicts.