Source: http://www.jdporterlaw.com/285-2/can-appeal-partial-judgment-order-federal-court/
Timestamp: 2019-04-21 02:30:43+00:00

Document:
Frequently in litigation, because a lawsuit often involves multiple claims alleged on different bases for relief, claims in the lawsuit can get dismissed as it progresses. Specifically, there are multiple points during the course of a lawsuit where a party can move to dismiss claims in the lawsuit or move for judgment on those claims before trial. Accordingly, claims in a lawsuit may get dismissed or otherwise resolved during the progression of a lawsuit while other claims are allowed to continue.
Examples of procedural points in the lawsuit where parties may move to dismiss or otherwise resolve claims at issue in the lawsuit include at the very beginning where parties may move to dismiss claims under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure (“Fed. R. Civ. P.”) 12(b) before an Answer is due. Similarly, after an Answer is filed and the lawsuit proceeds into the discovery stage, parties may move for judgment on the pleadings under Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(c). And, after parties have had a chance to conduct discovery and where discovery determines that there are no issues of material fact, a party may move for summary judgment to be entered on those claims under Fed. R. Civ. P. 56.
Moreover, in addition to procedural mechanisms that allow for parties to have claims dismissed or judgment entered before trial, there are also federal abstention doctrines whereby the presiding federal court may have to stay certain claims until other courts, typically state courts, have a chance to hear related claims or interpreted related statutes.
All in all, this leaves a scenario where claims in a lawsuit can be split up whereby certain claims may be dismissed, stayed, or judgment entered on them while other claims are allowed to proceed to trial. Accordingly, if a party believes a claim was wrongly dismissed or a judgment wrongly entered while other claims are still pending, this can create an issue as to whether the party needs to appeal the trial court’s order before waiting for the resolution of the remaining claims, which could be months or even years down the road.
The immediate appeal of rulings during the progression of the case are called “interlocutory appeals” and are typically disfavored by courts. Due to courts not wanting to bifurcate legal proceedings, interlocutory appeals are rarely granted.
While interlocutory appeals are possible, in general parties must wait for a “final decision” of the trial court before appealing. This final decision is a ruling or judgment entered in the trial court that resolves all of the claims in the action such that there is nothing left “for the court to do but execute the judgment.” See 28 U.S.C. § 1291; Cunningham v. Hamilton Cnty., Ohio, 527 U.S. 198, 204 (1999); Catlin v. United States, 324 U.S. 229, 233 (1945).
Accordingly, under the rule, a decision that does not adjudicate all of the claims, right, or liabilities of all the parties in the action is not considered “final” and therefore not appealable. Thus, in circumstances where the trial court dismisses or enters judgment on some of the claims but other claims remain pending, the trial court’s decision is not considered a final judgment for appeal and, thus, cannot be immediately appealed.
Instead, parties will have to wait until all of the claims are litigated before appealing unless the dismissal or judgment is exceptional enough to qualify it for interlocutory review. See Williams v. Alabama Department Industrial Relations, 4:13-cv-1825-KOB (N.D. Ala., Middle Division, Nov. 13, 2014) (discussing the general policy of trial courts disfavor piecemeal litigation in the form of interlocutory appeals).
– (3) The decision is effectively unreviewable on appeal from the final judgment in the underlying action.
See Hallock v. Bonner, 387 F.3d 147 (2d Cir. 2004).This test is called the collateral order doctrine and, at its simplest, requires that the dismissed claims or judgment entered must be separate from the remaining claims in order to qualify for interlocutory appeal.
– Second, determine that there is no just reason for delay in certifying the judgment as final and immediately appealable.
See Williams v. Alabama Department Industrial Relations, 4:13-cv-1825-KOB (N.D. Ala., Middle Division, Nov. 13, 2014). In making the determination of whether to certify a judgment as final under Fed. R. Civ. P. 54(b), the trial court should exercise discretion and consider strongly the judicial and policy interests in avoiding piecemeal litigation.
Accordingly, under the statute, where a trial court makes a ruling with respect to a controlling question of law, and there is room for disagreement as to application of the law and the ruling can affect how the lawsuit proceeds, then parties to the action may file an application for appeal within 10 days of the ruling. The appellate will then have discretion as to whether it will hear the appeal. Additionally, a stay in the action may be issued by either the trial court or appellate court until resolution of the interlocutory appeal. See Tony Weigand, Discretionary Interlocutory Appeals Under 28 U.S.C. § 1292(b): A First Circuit Survey and Review, Roger Williams U. L. Rev. Vol. 19:183 (2014).

References: § 1291
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 § 1292