Appellate Law

Our team has successfully handled appeals before the Arkansas Supreme Court, the Arkansas Court of Appeals, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, and other state and federal appellate courts.

Our appellate lawyers are frequently called on to file amicus curiae, or friend of the court, briefs in matters pending before the Arkansas Supreme Court addressing significant, far-reaching legal issues. The federal district courts in Arkansas follow the practice of certifying Arkansas state-law questions to the Arkansas Supreme Court for resolution. If our firm is not directly involved in the federal court case, these certifications are an opportunity for us to present a client’s views on important legal questions. We have done this on behalf of business and trade associations.

Because the skills that make a good appellate lawyer are frequently critical at the trial level, our firm’s appellate team has an active litigation practice. In trial courts and before arbitration panels, members of the group regularly brief and argue pre-trial and post-trial motions. We consider appellate issues at the start of each case, identifying possibilities for error or prejudice, laying the foundation for legal arguments and preserving issues for review on appeal. This exceptional combination of trial and appellate experience places an unusually balanced legal perspective at your service. It includes the ability of one of our lawyers to handle both the trial and the appeal, or to work as a member of your trial team and identify issues for appeal should the outcome of your case dictate one. Our appellate team can also examine your trial record and quickly grasp the key issues on which to base an appeal after judgment has been entered.