Why do I need an appellate attorney?
The appellate process requires different skills from those used at trial. A trial attorney should be experienced in selecting a jury, questioning witnesses, and controlling evidence. Appellate success requires the devotion of large blocks of uninterrupted time for thoughtful, creative, and scholarly work. In a practice devoted to appeals an appellate attorney sharpens the exceptional legal research, analytical, and writing skills needed on a daily basis.
Effective advocacy before an appellate court is distinctly different from trial advocacy. Convincing a panel of appellate court judges to adopt a certain legal position is not the same as making your case to a jury. Moreover, an appellate attorney brings a fresh perspective so that your case is viewed as the appellate court views it.
Any attorney can file an appeal. However, the appellate rules regarding what can be appealed, when you can appeal, and what must be done to preserve and prosecute an appeal, are intricate. An experienced appellate attorney can protect you from the many traps waiting for the uninformed.