When a court case ends and one side wants a higher court to take another look, the case moves into the world of appeals. That world has its own vocabulary, and the first two words you will run into are appellant and appellee. If you are trying to figure out the difference between appellant vs… Read more »
Most California cases end at the Court of Appeal. That court resolves the majority of civil appeals, and its decisions usually conclude the litigation. In rare situations, a Court of Appeal decision raises an important legal issue or produces an outcome that conflicts with established law. In those cases, a party may seek review by… Read more »
Most people think of an appeal as something that happens after a case ends. However, California law allows certain appeals before a final judgment. These are called interlocutory appeals. Knowing when you can appeal early can protect your rights. It can also save time, money, and stress later in litigation. Interlocutory appeals in California follow… Read more »
Appeals Process Step-by-Step The appeals process allows a party to ask a higher court to review a trial court decision for legal error. Appeals are not a second trial, and they generally do not involve presenting new witnesses or new evidence. Instead, appellate courts review the record, written briefs, legal arguments, and applicable law to… Read more »
Many people leave a trial convinced the judge made a mistake. However, in an appeal, pointing out a mistake is not enough. California appellate courts ask a more focused question. Did the error actually affect the outcome? This is where the concept of prejudicial error in a California appeal becomes critical. If an error did… Read more »
A civil appeal in California often takes longer than most people expect. After a trial court issues a final judgment, many litigants assume the next step will move quickly. However, the appellate process follows strict procedural stages, and each stage adds time. Understanding the timeline for a California civil appeal in 2026 helps parties set… Read more »
Losing a real estate case does not always mean the matter ends there. Many parties leave court feeling that something went wrong, but an appeal does not focus on whether the result feels unfair. Instead, it focuses on whether the court made a legal error that affected the outcome. Understanding the legal errors that can… Read more »
Do you remember high school? Do those memories include eating cookies from charity bake sales held by student groups, a candy bar from the vending machine while you were waiting for the bus, or (heaven forbid) a soda after football practice? Times have changed. Recent additions to the Code of Federal Regulations require that schools… Read more »
The phrase “never let a crisis go to waste” has been attributed to various political Prop 218 thinkers over the years. The general idea behind the quote is that the people will allow the government to do all manner of things in a crisis that they might otherwise oppose. Thus, if you’re the type of… Read more »
Two weeks ago several US congressmen put forward a bill to implement a modified version of Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act. The bill is an explicit response to last year’s supreme court ruling in Shelby County v. Holder striking down Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act as unconstitutional. Given the controversy and… Read more »
