"Appellate practice" means providing legal representation in connection with appeals. When lawsuits are filed, the litigation starts in trial court. After judgments are entered by trial courts, parties who are unhappy with the judgment, or some part of the judgment, may appeal to higher courts, which are generally known as "appellate courts." Each appellate court has its own set of rules, the violation of which can result in the dismissal of an appeal or in the waiver of issues that could have been presented on appeal. Clients can gain a significant advantage, therefore, by hiring attorneys who are well versed in the rules of appellate procedure.

An important part of appellate practice is identification of the issues to pursue on appeal. After the issues that will be pursued on appeal are identified, the parties to an appeal provide the appellate court with written submissions known as "briefs." Preparation of thorough and well researched briefs that are also well written and persuasive is critical, as the opportunity to appear before the judges of appellate courts for oral argument is limited. Because the opportunity for oral argument in appellate courts is limited, preparation before oral argument is also extremely important, as is the delivery of the argument itself.

Appellate practice is complex, and effective appellate advocacy requires attorneys to master a skill set that is different from the skills that are often used by attorneys to good effect in trial practice. The attorneys at Iliff, Meredith, Wildberger & Brennan, P.C. have extensive experience in appellate practice and have represented clients in many cases that contributed to the development of the law through reported opinions from state and federal courts. If you are interested in pursuing an appeal in Maryland or Washington, D.C. please contact Iliff, Meredith, Wildberger & Brennan, P.C. by telephone (410) 685–1166 or online for a free consultation.