Appeals

In order to protect the rights of criminal defendants and civil rights plaintiffs, it is imprtant to litigate not only in the trial courts, but in the courts of appeals, both California and in the Ninth Circuit.  It is in appellate litigation that the attorney not only seeks to vindicate his position and win (or preserve the win in the court below), but helps the courts to develope the rules of law that govern future cases.  The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is the federal circuit for the states on the west coast, and is the largest federal circuit in both population and area.  The Ninth Circuit is a court that has shown concern with protection of Constitutional rights - a concern too often lacking in an increasingly regressive U.S. Supreme Court.

Our firm believes in the importance of a willingness to go all the way, including the appellate process, in order to properly represent the client.