APPELLATE PRACTICE

Appellate advocacy is an entirely different skill set than trial advocacy. In a perfect world, trial attorneys would have a working knowledge of appellate work, and vice versa. However, that is not often the case. When a case is in litigation, the focus is often on proving facts through evidence and testimony. During appeals, the entire case focuses to a review of legal determinations in the underlying litigation or trial. New "facts" can not be interjected at the appellate stage of a case. The arguments must rely on the the documents, pleadings, evidence and transcripts of the trial court ("the record".) Therefore, strategic and effective appellate work will be framed through an evaluation of the legal issues, supporting them through the existing record of the case at the trial level, and weaving together different areas of law to support your position. Critical to successful appellate advocacy is the ability to analyze the possible legal issues in light of the law and policy considerations that fit in to the development of the law, and the ability to frame those issues with facts and arguments to concisely and persuasively present them to the court of appeals. Attorney Wilson has been engaged in appellate work since 2005, having argued cases at the New Hampshire Supreme Court as a Senior Assistant Attorney General, and has continued to do so for her private clients since 2015.