Appellatology SM

Legal thinkers and writers devoted to helping lawyers write better briefs

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Nearly all appeals are won or lost on the briefs, before you ever step into the court for oral argument. Your job is to write the best, most persuasive brief possible.

So how do you know if your brief is persuasive? How do you know if it tells the judges what they need and want to know to see the case your way? How do you know if it answers the questions judges have?

Ask them.

That’s what AppellatologySM does.

AppellatologySM is a unique web-based service that puts your appellate brief in front of a panel of senior lawyers, retired judges, legal writing experts, and scholars. They’ll conference your brief, just like an appellate panel would. And you’ll learn how to make your brief better.

With an AppellatologySM panel, you’ll be able to watch the deliberation and to ask questions. You’ll learn:

  • The strengths and weaknesses of your fact section, and how to make it better
  • The strengths and weaknesses of your legal arguments, and how to make them better
  • How to make your brief more persuasive
  • How to make your brief more readable
  • How to improve the brief’s style and tone
  • Whether your brief addresses the issues and questions judges want to know.

Good trial lawyers wouldn’t think of going to trial without doing a jury focus group or a mock trial. Now appellate practitioners can use the same game plan, a mock appellate panel to assess your written presentation.

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HOW IT WORKS

  • You draft your brief, same as always.
  • AppellatologySM brings together a panel of mock judges. Panel members will be senior lawyers, retired judges, legal writing experts, or scholars. You decide how many mock judges you want on your panel. (Take a look at the bio’s of Appellatolgy’sSM mock judges. And we’re always adding qualified panelists.)
  • The panel analyzes your brief, and reviews your opponent’s brief if you wish.
  • We all log-in to a special online meeting room. You do it from the comfort of your office, or maybe from home, or maybe from your favorite coffee shop.
  • The deliberation takes place on the web. AppellatologySM facilitates the session.
  • You can interact with the panel — orally or in writing, anonymously or not — as much as you desire. Ask questions, raise issues, zero in on what you want to.
  • The conference will be digitally recorded so you and your colleagues can review it at your leisure.

We know every case doesn’t require a full panel of three to conference your brief. Maybe a two-lawyer panel would suit your case better. Or maybe you just want a one-on-one consultation to discuss and assess your brief. Or maybe you prefer to have written comments without the face-to-face. AppellatologySM will model the conference based on your needs, your desires, and your budget.

All you need to participate is an internet connection. No hassle or expense of new software.

YOU MAY BE WONDERING…

My client hired me to do the appeal. How do I explain that we should pay for a service like AppellatologySM?

As professionals, we know the value of surrounding ourselves with clear, unbiased professional advice. That’s exactly the reason top-drawer trial lawyers hire professionals to facilitate and conduct mock trials and jury focus groups. Your appeal deserves the same attention. With AppellatologySM, you get that expertise from some of the finest appellate, strategy, and legal writing professionals. AppellatologySM will tell you what positions work or don’t, and why.

I can go down the hall and ask my partner to review the brief. Why should I pay AppellatologySM to do it?

You can do that, but don’t kid yourself into thinking you’ll get the kind of tough-minded advice AppellatologySM gives. Trial lawyers don’t want people they know on their mock juries. They know they can’t get truly unbiased opinions from partners, friends, or acquaintances. You should demand the same kind of straightforward, unapologetic consultation for your appeal.

I see the value in hiring Appellatology, but I’m concerned about the price. What’s this going to cost?

Less than you think. Call me (630-579-6460) or email (merican@appellatology.com) to discuss what you and your client need and how we can price the service sensibly for your case. (Special pricing if this is your first appeal.)


AppellatologySM is a service of the law firm of Steven R Merican PC. The firm concentrates on appellate practice in state and federal courts.