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Appellate Law

Effective appellate practice requires different skills than trial practice.  At trial the focus is on developing and proving facts whereas on appeal the focus is on legal rules and standards that apply to the facts and decide the case.  Effective appellate advocacy also requires special skills to frame the legal issues involved in the case and then prepare appellate briefs and arguments designed to persuade a panel of several judges who will decide the case.  The importance of the special skills needed to frame the legal issues, conduct research, and prepare persuasive briefs and arguments cannot overstated.

The attorneys at Clayton-Little have extensive appellate experience and have represented clients on appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, the Tennessee Supreme Court, and the Tennessee Court of Appeals.  The attorneys at Clayton-Little have prepared multiple appellate briefs and argued multiple times before these courts.