Writing More Persuasive Appellate Briefs (MCLE)

This event originally aired on January 27th, 2023

A presentation about the anatomy of a winning appellate brief.
https://sandiegolawlibrary.org/wp-con...

About the Program
Do you want to improve your chances of winning on appeal? Improving the persuasive pitch in your briefs is key. In this session, hear from Melanie Gold, who brings 30+ years of experience as a former Court of Appeal research attorney, and Johanna Schiavoni, a former federal law clerk and Certified Specialist in Appellate Law with 20+ years of experience.

They will discuss the anatomy of a winning appellate brief, including:


• the differences between trial court briefing and an appellate brief,

• using effective introductions,

• improving the story told in your statement of facts,

• more effectively deploying the standard of review in your brief,

• writing persuasive legal arguments, including strategically selecting and ordering your issues and improving how you use the facts and authority,

• and re-thinking how you conclude your brief


About the Speakers
Johanna Schiavoni is a Certified Specialist in Appellate Law, and her practice at Complex Appellate Litigation Group LLP focuses on civil appeals in state and federal courts. She served as a law clerk to Ninth Circuit and Central District Court judges, was the 2020 President of the San Diego County Bar Association and serves on the board of the National Conference of Bar Presidents.

Melanie Gold practices at Complex Appellate Litigation Group LLP, handling appeals and writs in a wide range of practice areas. She recently retired from her long-time position as a lead senior attorney at the California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division One. She previously served as an attorney at the California Supreme Court.


The San Diego Law Library is a State Bar of California licensed MCLE provider. Viewing this class provides 1 hour of GENERAL self-study credit.
Provider Information: San Diego County Public Law Library, Provider #11786


The handout to this presentation can be found here: https://sandiegolawlibrary.org/wp-con...


If you enjoyed this class and would like to support us, you can donate to the Law Library Justice Foundation by following this link: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/w...

If you need subtitles, click on the closed caption button at the bottom of the video.

The information offered in this short video has been provided as a public service and is intended to provide basic information. This is not legal advice and is not intended to create an attorney-client relationship. The views expressed in this video belong to the speaker and are not a representation of the San Diego Law Library.