I am a …
Search

Appellate Advocacy

Most lawsuits that are tried before a judge or jury may be appealed to a higher court. When a case is appealed to an intermediate court (many times called the court of appeals) or the highest court in the jurisdiction (many times called the supreme court), an appellate litigator may handle the broad range of activities involved with the proceedings. This practice area, which includes brief writing and oral arguments before the court, is referred to as appellate advocacy or appellate practice.

The rules of appellate practice and procedure are quite specialized, and an appellate lawyer must construct persuasive arguments that account not only for the error(s) of law upon which the appeal is based, but also for the various standards of review that the intermediate or high court will use to determine whether the trial court committed reversible error.

To be successful appellate advocates, lawyers who work in this area must excel both at writing briefs and crafting oral arguments. They also must be detail-oriented as appeals often involve reviewing hundreds or thousands of pages of trial transcripts and associated exhibits to fully understand the trial court proceedings and make their best arguments for their clients.

Appellate lawyers may work for the government, in-house counsel and corporations, or public interest organizations. Many aspiring appellate advocates gain useful experience in the field by clerking for an appellate court judge.

Courses

Courses designated as "primary" are foundational, while those listed as "secondary" contain relevant and related content. "Co-curricular" courses are credit-bearing extra-curricular activities, while "experiential" courses are practice-based offerings. Please keep in mind that the focus of any course will vary depending on the instructor.

Primary Courses

Secondary Courses

Experiential Courses

Co-Curricular Activities

Faculty

The following faculty are knowledgeable about the topic and may be a useful resource for you.

Alyse Bertenthal

Alyse Bertenthal

Associate Professor of Law

Meghan Boone

Meghan Boone

Professor of Law

Jonathan Cardi

Jonathan Cardi

Professor of Law

Christine Coughlin

Christine Coughlin

Professor of Law

Brenda Gibson

Brenda Gibson

Professor of Legal Writing

Laura Graham

Laura Graham

Professor of Legal Writing

John H. Knox

John H. Knox

Henry C. Lauerman Professor of International Law

John Korzen

John Korzen

Associate Professor of Legal Writing

Tanya Marsh

Tanya Marsh

Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

Sarah J. Morath

Sarah J. Morath

Professor of Law

Wilson Parker

Wilson Parker

Professor of Law

Gregory Parks

Gregory Parks

Professor of Law

Abigail Perdue

Abigail Perdue

Professor of Law

Mark Rabil

Mark Rabil

Clinical Professor of Law

Audra Savage

Audra Savage

Assistant Professor of Law

Margaret Taylor

Margaret Taylor

Professor of Law

Related Pathways

Government

Learn More

In-House Counsel and Corporations

Learn More

Public Interest Organizations

Learn More

Dispute Resolution

Learn More

Judicial Clerkships

Learn More