Students enter law school and spend three years venturing to learn theories behind cases, statutes, regulations, ordinances, etc. They debate, reason and argue as to the legitimacy of Court rules and Judges’ rulings. After passing the Bar Exam, they discover a new reality: no matter how well they did in Civil or Criminal Procedure as a first year law student, there is one law that reigns supreme – Clerk’s Law.
This holds true at all stages of the judiciary, but in particular, at the appellate level. And for good reason too. While the rules of appellate procedure delineate a multitude of requirements, they do not (and cannot) cover every contingency.
Attorneys who do not file many appeals and/or do not follow the appellate courts closely may have difficulty staying current with the ever-changing Clerks’ Requirements. The last thing you want to have happen, after spending all of your time and resources ensuring you have a winning legal argument, is to have your brief rejected because you were not aware of a particular requirement.
Nearly all appellate attorneys or appellate counsel enjoy and benefit from working with experienced appellate consultants at appellate service providers. Given that appellate service providers serve many attorneys on a daily basis, they typically have the most current knowledge of the appellate landscape. An experienced appellate consultant can guide you through the sometimes unexpected requirements of the various clerks of the Courts.
Many clients do not think about hiring or consulting an appellate services provider until right before perfecting an appeal. Sometimes that is too late. Bear in mind that many critical deadlines occur soon after the entry of a final judgment or appealable order, and thus it would be wise to consult an appellate services provider as soon thereafter as possible. In addition to expert appellate consultants and paralegals confirming that all appellate documents are in compliance with the rules and internal operating procedures of the appellate courts, they alert you of time-sensitive deadlines (including but not limited to e-filing requirements), help you to meet them, and prepare all forms necessary for the service and filing of your appeal.