Appeals

Appellate practice is a specialized area of law with its own rules and procedures, and can be a very expensive endeavor.  The basis of an appeal may only be based on evidence introduced during the trial.  The appellate attorney must employ convincing arguments in crafting the appeal to prove that the District Court’s ruling should be affirmed, or that District Court ruling should be overturned.

Joe’s experience extends to all aspects of appellate practice, including:

• Evaluating a case to determine if an appeal is an appropriate remedy
• Review the trial record to determine if there were issues, such as: Sufficiency of the evidence; Improper legal interpretation; Improperly admitted testimony; Expert admission; Procedural errors, and Faulty jury instructions
• Counseling on State appellate practice and procedure
• Working with trial counsel to brief critical legal issues, preserve issues for review, and resolve potential problems before they arise
• Tracking Iowa appellate decisions for trends and developments
• Pursuing and defending state administrative appeals, including school district and other specialized appeals
• Prepare and successfully Orally argue in front of the Iowa Appellate Court numerous times

 

As an appellate lawyer, Joe is also a litigator, and Joe understand the many demands on counsel during trial, including the decisions that must be made in the effort to win the case in the trial court, while also striving to preserve the record in case of appeal.  Joe’s job is not to second-guess those judgment calls of the trial counsel, but to work with trial counsel and the client to find the best arguments on appeal in order to overcome an unsuccessful outcome, or to preserve a victory at trial.