Appellate Practice

The Appellate Practice Group at ULC provides representation and advice on a wide variety of appellate matters, whether your goal is to reverse an adverse judgment or to protect a favorable judgment from reversal. ULC’s appellate attorneys have long been successful in preserving favorable trial court results and overturning unfavorable ones.

Appellate attorneys and trial attorneys have very different goals. Trial counsel must direct their energies at factual records and examining witnesses, in hopes of persuading the fact finder. Appellate counsel, in contrast, must persuade judges regarding the legal issues. Accordingly, appellate counsel focus on analytical and legal advocacy skills, based upon mastery of substantive law, appellate procedural law, and independent analysis of the trial record. Most importantly, appellate counsel must be particularly adept at written advocacy, as the great majority of appeals are decided on the parties' briefs. These unique skills allow appellate attorneys to craft arguments to maximize the client's opportunity for success on appeal.

Appellate attorneys also provide candid and objective advice to clients on the important initial question of whether to pursue or resist an appeal. Often, counsel who did not handle the trial is in the best position to identify and raise any errors, regardless of responsibility for the errors. Because appellate counsels devote themselves to appellate work, they know the kinds of errors to seek out, and how to develop or defend against such errors for success in the appellate stages.

Creative thinking, brilliant writing, superlative oral advocacy, extraordinary familiarity with the judges, these are qualities clients should expect from their appellate attorneys.

If you are facing an important appeal or simply have questions about whether or not an appeal is the best strategy to pursue, please contact us for an assessment. We will realistically evaluate the likelihood of success on appeal, then work with you to achieve your goals.

Practice Spotlight:

Strategizing appeals

Drafting Appellate Petitions and Briefs

Oral Arguments

Representing Amicus Curiae

Research, Precedents and Case Law

Review and Analyze of Trial Records