Source: https://lawyerslegalresearch.com/in-drafting-your-massachusetts-appellate-brief-step-1-is-know-the-audience/
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Lawyers' Legal Research & Writing Services in Massachusetts In drafting your Massachusetts appellate brief, Step 1 is know the audience
In Drafting Your Massachusetts Appellate Brief, Step 1 is Know the Audience (Appellate Brief Series, Part 1)
This article appears substantially as published in the March 3, 2014, issue of the Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. Attorney Manwaring writes the newspaper’s Appellate Issues column, which is devoted to matters arising from the appellate process.
A case before the Massachusetts Appeals Court is a high-stakes endeavor. It usually represents the appellant’s last chance to obtain a favorable result. Conversely, the appellee’s success in the trial court is worth nothing if overturned on appeal.
Common standards include, among others, de novo review, under which the appellate court accords no deference to the trial court’s decision and treats the issue as though the trial court had never ruled on it, and the highly deferential abuse of discretion standard, under which the trial court’s decision will be reversed only if characterized by arbitrary determination, capricious disposition, whimsical thinking or idiosyncratic choice, or where the appellate court is left with a definite and firm conviction that the court below committed a clear error of judgment.
Read other parts of the Appellate Brief Series:
Steps to Take Before You Write (Appellate Brief Series, Part 2), Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (2014). Learn how advance preparation pays big dividends when drafting an appellate brief.
Writing a Brief? Know the Technical Requirements (Appellate Brief Series, Part 3), Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (2014). Learn about the technical requirements for a Massachusetts appellate brief, including required sections, certifications, organization, formatting and filing.
Get Off to a Good Start With a Strong Statement of Issues (Appellate Brief Series, part 4), Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (2014). A carefully drafted statement of issues is critical to the success of your appellate brief.
Follow the Statement of Issues With a Strong Statement of the Case (Appellate Brief Series Part 5), Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (2015). Your Massachusetts appellate brief should have a strong Statement of the Case, establishing your credibility, telling a compelling story, and supporting your legal positions.
A Persuasive Argument Requires an Effective Argument Section (Appellate Brief Series Part 6), Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (2015). Learn how to draft a convincing and persuasive argument section for your Massachusetts appellate brief. It may be your only chance to present your legal positions.
More on the Effective “Argument” Section (Appellate Brief Series Part 7), Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (2015). Learn more about drafting an effective “Argument” section for your Massachusetts appellate brief. It’s your best chance to present your legal positions.
Read more about appeals here.
Learn about my appellate brief drafting services here.