Appellate Lawyer

Appellate Attorney

Sometimes, it takes an appeal to get things right. Our court system allows appeals for practically every decision made by the courts below. Though the basis for making an appeal varies depending on the case and the court, some form of review is a hallmark of our justice system.

 

Appeals can be made due to mistakes made by a judge or jury, or even the conduct of an attorney. Or perhaps the trial may be consistent with existing law, but the appellate courts need to clarify it. Or maybe the law needs to be changed. It takes an appeal to address any of these situations.

 

An effective appellate lawyer must necessarily have experience as a trial lawyer. The appellate attorneys at Jinks Crow are no strangers to the courtroom. And they are also familiar with the hallowed halls of our appellate courts.

 

Appellate lawyers, like attorney Frank Wilson, represent clients who are challenging a lower court's decision, or who are defending against an appeal brought by the opposing party.

Appellate briefs are often lengthy and complex, and it is crucial for lawyers to be able to write in a clear and persuasive manner. Additionally, appellate lawyers need to be skilled oral advocates. They may be called upon to argue their case before a panel of judges, and they need to be able to think on their feet and respond to tough questions. Appellate attorneys also need to have a deep understanding of the law. They need to be able to identify the key legal issues in a case and to understand how different cases and statutes interact with one another. This knowledge is essential for crafting effective arguments.

 

There are a number of important decisions that have come out of Alabama as a result of appellate rulings. For example, the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, which established the "actual malice" standard for defamation cases, originated from an appeal out of Alabama.

 

In addition to appellate attorney Frank Wilson’s success before trial courts, he is known for handling difficult cases on appeal.

This reputation for being formidable in the appellate courts, as well as in the courtroom, began over thirty years ago when, at age 32, he argued before the United States Supreme Court and obtained a unanimous 9-to-0 decision for his client. Lynn Jinks, III is also licensed before the United States Supreme Court, having appeared for the plaintiff in Greentree Financial Corporation v. Randolph, 531 U.S. 79 (2000).