The Appellate Law Journal
Volume 2 | Issue 5 | 2014

The Appellate Law Journal focuses exclusively on rules, practices and procedures of federal and state appellate courts nationwide. Edited by the appellate experts at Counsel Press, The Appellate Law Journal is designed to provide a forum for creative thought about the procedural aspects of appellate practice and to disclose best practices, strategies and practical tips.
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Inside This Issue:

Petitions and Briefs in the Supreme Court of Virginia and the Court of Appeals of Virginia: Technical Pitfalls to Avoid
In this article, we go over some of the most common errors we see in petitions and briefs to the Supreme Court of Virginia and the Court of Appeals of Virginia. We will also cover some of the rule amendments that the Supreme Court of Virginia introduced on May 16, 2014, allowing previously fatal procedural errors to be corrected.

Maryland Court of Appeals Defers Implementation of New Md. R. 1-322.2 from July 1 to September 1, 2014
The original effective date of Md R. 1-322.2 was set for July 1, 2014. However, on June 17, following strong opposition from district and circuit court clerks, The Maryland Court of Appeals issued an order deferring the effective date until September 1, 2014. Moreover, the Rules Committee met on June 19 to consider possible amendments or clarifications to the scope of Rules 1-322.1 and 1-322.2.

Maryland Rule Changes Effective January 1, 2014: Appellate Practitioners to Take Note of Title 8 Changes
Maryland’s Standing Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure offers several proposed changes each year to the Court of Appeals, which then reviews those suggestions and issues an order adopting many of them. Those changes frequently address rules that wouldn’t directly impact the appellate practitioner, but, in the latest Rule Order (180), there are several changes to Title 8 that the counsel should note.

Appellate Tips: 15 Critical Steps to Effective Brief Writing
The appellate brief is unquestionably the most important element in an appeal – presuming the record has been properly preserved and prepared. Nothing will be more persuasive than a cogent, well-written, legal argument, applying precedents to the facts before the court. The purpose of this article is to share our extensive knowledge in this field and to provide appellate practitioners with guidelines for effective brief writing.

Appellate Forum: LinkedIn Group Powered by Counsel Press – Why You Should Join and Participate
About three months ago, Counsel Press launched a new group on LinkedIn named Appellate Forum. More than 3,000 appellate practitioners joined the group since then, and the Forum keeps adding members on a daily basis. If you still have not joined, below is a quick overview of why you should do so today.

Video: 516 Volumes – Business as Usual
Take a look at this short video we put together to have some fun after we filed an enormous 516 volume appeal. From the smallest to the largest projects, the CP Team always delivers!

Tagged: Appellate Practice, Appellate Services, Appellate Procedure, Supreme Court of Virginia, Court of Appeals of Virginia, CP Legal Research Group, The Maryland Court of Appeals, Litigation