Post-Trial & Appeal Support

Appellate brief drafting

Litigify drafts civil appellate opening, response and reply briefs from the record and issues selected by appellate counsel. We organize the argument around the standard of review, trace factual statements to the appellate record, and prepare the required brief components for counsel’s approval.

See membership plans

What counsel provides.

The judgment or order under review, relevant opinions, notices and appellate docket orders.
The designated record, transcripts and appendix or excerpts with stable pagination.
Counsel’s selected issues, preservation analysis and requested appellate relief.
Trial-court briefing and rulings relevant to each appellate issue.
The court’s briefing order, local rules, length limit, required certifications and appendix instructions.

An argument built for the reviewing court

The opening structure identifies the question presented, how it was preserved, the relevant standard of review and the requested disposition. We distinguish the trial court’s ruling from the arguments made below and work within the record supplied by counsel. Missing transcripts, inconsistent page numbering or a citation to material outside the designated record are flagged before they become polished assertions.

The required components are part of the assignment

Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 28 identifies brief contents and Rule 30 addresses the appendix. Rule 32 governs form and length, with additional rules for particular briefing configurations. We confirm the circuit, party role and briefing order before preparing tables, jurisdictional and case statements, argument sections and draft compliance certifications. Counsel approves jurisdiction, timeliness and preservation.

Revision follows the record, not just the prose

A strong edit checks whether the stated error and requested remedy still match the cited ruling. We cross-check record references and authorities after structural changes, and reconcile the brief with counsel’s appendix instructions. Appendix assembly, a cross-appeal, a rehearing petition or oral-argument materials are separately identified deliverables rather than assumed additions to an opening-brief assignment.

What a strong appellate brief does.

States the question precisely

The issue, ruling under review and relief sought align with counsel’s appellate theory.

Works within the appellate record

Arguments are tied to record references, with preservation and jurisdiction questions flagged for counsel.

Applies the governing standard

The argument explains how the applicable standard of review bears on the alleged error and requested disposition.

Questions before drafting.

Can you draft state appellate briefs?

Yes. State appellate rules, department or district requirements and the specific briefing order govern that assignment. Federal brief lengths, cover requirements and record conventions are not carried over automatically.

Will you choose the issues to appeal?

Appellate counsel chooses and approves the issues. Research, issue mapping and an options memorandum may be scoped to support that decision, but Litigify does not undertake representation or determine whether an appeal should be pursued.

Can an appeal qualify for the Proof Draft?

A defined appellate assignment may qualify if it fits the 8-credit and 30-page limits. The record, deliverables and availability are reviewed first; a large appeal is not assumed to fit the free offer.