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LAW-2518 Appellate Practice and Advocacy
Ms. Melissa Allen Celli, Hon. William J. Meade,
3 credits day; 3 credits evening.
This seminar type course has two aims:
1. To provide an understanding of appellate law (court structure and jurisdiction, rules of
appellate practice, and standards of review); and
2. To develop persuasive advocacy skills, both written and oral.
The course will begin with a discussion of the structure and jurisdiction of both Massachusetts
and federal courts and the post-conviction interplay between those courts. We will also examine
rules of appellate practice, including pre-appeal preservation of rights and record preparation,
and how those pre-appeal factors affect the standards of review.
We will then proceed to the core of the appeal: the brief and oral argument. We will discuss
elements of persuasive written advocacy and tactics for effective oral argument. To this end,
there will be short written assignments throughout the course, which will be discussed and
critiqued as a group. The course will culminate in the drafting of an appellate brief and a mock
oral argument. The final appellate brief may be used to satisfy the student’s Legal Writing
Requirement.
Elective Course
Meets Skills Menu Requirement
Meets Civil Litigation Concentration Requirements
May Fulfill Legal Writing Requirement
Meets Experiential Learning Requirement
Final Paper Required
<<Course Updated: March 24, 2016>>