Committee on Appellate Courts - California Lawyers Association

To join the committee, fill out this application.

For COVID-19 related materials, please click here.

Chair: Jocelyn Sperling
Vice Chair: Julia C. Shear Kushner
Treasurer: Jennifer Hansen
Secretary: Carl Chamberlin

Immediate Past Chair: Bryce Young

About the Committee:

Established by the State Bar in 1970 and made a State Bar standing committee in 1973, the Committee on Appellate Courts is now a standing committee of CLA’s Litigation Section. Its members are drawn from diverse sources including law firms, solo practitioners, defense, and prosecution offices handling criminal appeals, appellate court research staff, and law school faculty. In furtherance of the administration of justice, the charge of the committee is as follows:

provide members of the State Bar of California with quality continuing education on appellate practice, including programs that meet the standards for the State Bar’s appellate specialization requirements;
comment on proposed changes to court rules in state and federal courts that affect appellate practice in California; and
when possible, initiate or support programs for providing pro bono appellate assistance, mentoring inexperienced appellate attorneys, helping pro se litigants on appeal, and making legal education programming affordable for all attorneys, and other special projects.

We are committed to including attorneys from a broad range of subject areas and practice types, including civil and criminal appellate practitioners, large firm attorneys and solo practitioners, government, court, and non-profit attorneys, and academics. In selecting new members, the Committee also seeks diversity in terms of practice area, geographic location, ethnicity, and gender/gender identity.

Committee Oversight: The Litigation Section Executive Committee

Members:
Ari Stiller
Ashley Boulton
Basil Williams
Benjamin Shatz
David de Jesus
Gary A. Watt
Glenn Danas
Jacqueline Young
Johanna Schiavoni
Josh Patashnik
Katelyn Leeviraphan
Kevin Green
Matthew Scherb
Melanie Gold
Philip Johnson
Ryan Wu
Steven Finell
Shuray Ghorishi
Thaila Sundaresan

Member Terms: Three years. Terms begin and end on the last day of the CLA Annual Meeting.

Meetings: We typically meet by phone once per month and in person once per year.

Expectations: The Committee expects each member to help with at least one of the following projects per year:

organize or help organize an MCLE program (either a webinar or a live panel);
write an article for California Litigation journal;
prepare a written MCLE test;
draft and finalize the committee’s comments on a proposed rule change;
assist in the organization of the Appellate Summit;
assist the executive committee as requested.

In addition, each member is expected to participate in all Committee meetings and the selection of new members. Applicants must be current members of the Litigation, Criminal, or Family Law Section, or must join one of these sections once selected for membership on the Committee. If joining one of these sections would present a problem, an applicant may explain the problem in a cover letter, and an exception to the requirement will be considered.

Appellate Practice Network

The mission of the Appellate Practice Network is to promote excellence, professionalism, and civility among appellate practitioners; to keep members informed about current developments in appellate practice; to connect members for the exchange of information, ideas, and tips on practicing in the state and federal appellate courts; and to provide high-quality appellate specialization education.

Learn More About Appellate Practice Network

CALIFORNIA APPELLATE MENTORSHIP PROGRAM (CAMP)

The Litigation Section’s Committee on Appellate Courts has a new mentorship program that connects lawyers aspiring to appellate practice with experienced appellate practitioners in diverse fields with diverse backgrounds. It is a rewarding opportunity for mentees to pursue career growth and professional development in a confidential and collegial setting. It is a rewarding opportunity for mentors to share their experiences and to assist the next generation of California’s appellate lawyers. Click here for more information about CAMP, here for the mentor application, and here for the mentee application. The application deadline is December 10, 2024 for our programming running from approximately January to July 2025. If you have any questions, please email committeeonappellatecourts@gmail.com.

PRO BONO APPELLATE OPPORTUNITIES

The Committee has compiled a list of nonprofit organizations throughout California that need pro bono appellate assistance on an ongoing basis. Interested attorneys should contact the organizations directly. If you are a nonprofit organization that would like to be included on the list, please email the Chair of the Committee on Appellate Courts. See the list of opportunities.

Past Webinars

Dealing with Challenging Standards of Review (October 2018)
Top Appellate Malpractice Mistakes and How to Avoid Them (October 2018)
Dispositions: Getting What you Really Want (October 2017)
What Every Litigator Should Know About Attorney Fee Appeals (September 2017)
An Inside Look at Ninth Circuit (March 2017)
Protecting and Presenting the Record on Appeal (October 2015)

Past Events

2023 LITIGATION AND APPELLATE SUMMIT

CLA Committee on Appellate Courts is excited to be facilitating the return to an in-person Litigation and Appellate Summit, occurring May 4-5, 2023, in San Francisco. Further details to come and registration available here: .https://calawyers.org/event/2023-litigation-and-appellate-summit/