Want to attend this program live ? Click here to register to attend the live webinar.
All customers will receive a 40% discount coupon on Rutter’s “Federal Ninth Circuit Civil Appellate Practice Guide” – a $316 savings (which practically covers the cost of this course)! Two of the authors are speakers at your program!
COURSE SUMMARY:
We have gathered another all-star panel together for our United States 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Boot Camp, including 9th Circuit judges, two authors of Federal Ninth Circuit Civil Appellate Practice (The Rutter Group Practice Guide) and top-notch 9th Circuit appellate attorneys.
We are pleased to have the following 9th Circuit judges joining us: Hon. M. Margaret McKeown (tentative) and Hon. John B. Owens. Additional Judges to be announced (usually there are four to five judges from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals at this program). Also joining us are former judicial law clerks from the 9th Circuit.
And of course, you will hear from appellate attorneys steeped in 9th Circuit Practice, many of whom are Certified Legal Specialists in California.
This program will be a two-part webinar. Please click on the Agenda Tab above for a detailed list of what you will learn at this program.
During Part 1 you will get an overview of 9th Circuit Practice. You will then be walked through the process of initiating the appeal in civil cases. Your faculty next moves on to discuss the various forms of relief available. After that, you’ll learn about Stays and Bonds in the 9th Circuit. Lastly, today you will get a deep almost two-hour dive into appellate motion practice – which makes up a good amount of your federal court appeals work.
During Part 2 you will get a quick run-down of the 9th Circuit’s Mediation Program, then your faculty will discuss brief writing and excerpts of records. After that, you’ll get an inside look at Oral Argument, learning about the process and components, what you can expect and what the judges need from you, how to prepare, and how best to argue. Your faculty will also provide a few tips about remote/online arguments.
Your faculty on Day 2/Part 2 will then walk you through the critical post-decision practice tasks about which you must know, including Petitions for Panel Rehearing, Petitions for Rehearing en Banc, Petitions for Attorneys’ Fees and Costs, Petitions for Certiorari and essential timelines.
This is an essential program for anyone new to practicing in the 9th Circuit, or anyone wanting a refresher or an inside look from judges and former law clerks.
This program will be recorded live on September 16 & 18, 2025 and is available via On-Demand or Recorded Package Download. One person per order may view the recording.
Discounted rates are available for 2-4 attorneys watching via OnDemand at your firm or agency. Licenses are available for law firms or agencies that would like OnDemand Streaming for more than four attorneys.
OnDemand Streaming: On-Demand Streaming allows for a single person to view the seminar unlimited times until one year after the seminar is held.
Recorded Packages: Recorded Packages allow for a single person to download and view the program recording and are also available via DVD or CD. Note: All downloads must be downloaded to a computer first, before transferring them to another device.
Recorded Packages or On-Demand streaming are one per person per order and include seminar materials. They are available approximately two weeks after the live program ends. If you need access to the recording sooner than that, please let us know and we’ll provide you with a temporary zoom streaming link in the interim.
* The Video Package includes the video recording of the webinar (including sound of course). The Audio Package is a separate audio-only recorded package, for those who wish to listen to it without visuals (such as in the car).
Improve your presentation skills!
Are you interested in improving your presentation skills in or out of court? There’s no better moment than now to take action! You’ll find Faith Pincus’ book, “Being Heard: Presentation Skills for Attorneys,” published by the ABA invaluable when it comes to improving your presentation skills.
To order a signed paperback directly from us at a discounted price, including free shipping, click here. The book is also conveniently available on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback formats.
You can also order her DVDs teaching presentation skills – for attorneys or in a corporate setting – here. Faith has been training attorneys and executives in presentation skills, including coaching, since 1989. Don’t miss this opportunity to improve your presentation skills.
Be Heard. This time. Next time. Every time.
Testimonials
“Speakers were all amazing. Very impressive people. All presented well.” – Carlos Navarro. Esq.
“I found the program exceptionally specific and detailed.” – Laura Coffin, Esq.
“I’m grateful the program is over two days, offers the amount of CLE credit it does and I enjoyed each speaker – knowledgeable and clear.” – Paula Boggs, Esq.
“All of the panelists were extremely well-prepared, smooth, and seamless. Great program this year. I’ve attended many Pincus programs. I thought I already knew everything I needed to know about Ninth Circuit practice having handled 200+ appeals there. But I learned so many new tips and inside information about the mechanics of the Court and attitudes of the justices. Very glad I’m attending!” – Robert C. Little, Esq.
“Great speakers and coverage.” – Yumeng Jiang, Esq.
“Excellent program. I learned a lot and I feel much more prepared to practice before the Ninth Circuit.” – Michelle Williams, Esq.
“Well done! Great content and knowledgeable speakers.”- Linda Kollar, Esq.
“Really excellent speakers and content, a great intro for newer attorneys or refresher for experienced ones.” – Robyn Stein, Esq.
“Great detail and focus. The speakers were concise.” – Arturo Benavidez, Esq.
“Very well done; all speakers very knowledgeable and very good speakers.” – Linda Randlett Kollar, Esq.
“Helpful nuts and bolts.”- Ira Gottllieb, Esq.
“I thought this program was extremely well done. It was wonderful having insight from the Appellate Judges.” – Michelle Williams, Esq.
“Great program!” – John P Kinsey, Esq.
“Truly great Ninth Circuit Boot Camp.” – Robert Collings Little, Esq.
“Great stories from judges.” – Janice Bellucci, Esq.
“Worthwhile!” – Paula Boggs, Esq.
“Helpful content.” – Ira Gottlieb, Esq.
“Very good presentation and explanations about this complicated topic.”
“Great judges, they offered valuable insight.”
“Excellent speakers, great mix of practitioners and judges, excellent program.”
“Great program- LOVED the speakers and practical advice.”
“This was super helpful, particularly having current 9th Circuit Judge’s available and answering questions.”
“Good to have a “nuts and bolts” approach on this topic.”
“The information about briefing was especially engaging.”
“It was very helpful – especially appreciated hearing from the judges.”
“Great speakers. Lots of information, so the packet was helpful.”
“Professional, good content, and authoritative.”
“Very useful and informative.”
“Good content; excellent speakers.”
“Very helpful, learned a lot.”
“Very pleased with well outlined materials and presentations.”
“Loved the panelists and having judges with practical feedback.”
Testimonials from previous 9th Circuit Court of Appeals programs:
“I liked the variety of speakers; each had expertise in the topics covered. Having multiple speakers kept things interesting. Great job! Thank you!” – Katherine Rabago, Esq.
“The first day’s speakers were particularly outstanding.” – Stephen D. Watson, Esq.
“Great program. I especially appreciated day 2, where there was more pragmatic advice given.” – Amy Michael, Esq.
“Good program. Covered a lot of areas in a short period. Demonstrated a need for intense study to enter the field.” – Stephen J. Hansen, Esq.
“I really enjoy part 2 of the CLE today. I loved having the judges’ perspectives regarding procedure, tone and format of briefs, and other insights. It will be very helpful in my practice!”
“Excellent speakers and presentation.” – Rebecca Wilson, Esq.
“Excellent. This was perhaps the most useful MCLE I’ve attended in my 32 years of practice.”
“It was very helpful.” – Fraser Muir, Esq.
“Well done presentation.” – Joshua Stevens, Esq.
“I rarely keep course materials, but I’ve found the material accompanying several chapters worth keeping.”
“Very clear and relevant presentation.” – Brian Beckwith, Esq.
“Great program.” – Polly Estes, Esq.
“Fantastic speakers and materials. The judges’ perspectives were particularly helpful.”
“This CLE is one of the best I’ve attended. Very well organized and well-paced.”
“The speakers were all subject matter experts on their topics and the handout materials are detailed and well organized.”
“The program was very broad, yet specific enough with details to remind me of issues to look for.”
“Great, in-depth course with lots of experts and very professionally executed.”
“I loved the variety of perspectives, from the lawyers in different sectors to the judges on different panels. Thank you!”
“Loved this program. It was very helpful to me. It gave me a lot of insight into appellate practice generally as well as the 9th Circuit particularly.”
“Very knowledgeable presenters, good pace, and appreciate extensive written materials.”
“Very informative. I enjoyed the pace and being able to follow along with the handout.”
“Excellent content.”
“Very good content, I enjoyed hearing different perspectives.”
“The speakers certainly knew what they were talking about.”
“All the presenters were excellent.”
“I thought all speakers were well-qualified experts. I enjoyed the presentation very much.”
“Speakers were very knowledgeable on the topics.”
“Well done.”
“Very thorough.”
“Great panel and speakers.”
“Very efficient, good overview content.”
“Good and informative.”
“Very informative.”
“Very helpful, practical, and informative.”
“The judges’ contributions to the panels were a very good addition. The speakers were all very good.”
“It was very informative and helpful.”
“All good and helpful information.”
“Very useful for new appellate lawyers.”
“Knowledgeable and experienced speakers.”
“Great speakers.”
“Very well done and informative.”
“Loved part 2! Great judge and practitioners.”
“High quality speakers.”
“Good job overall.”
Faculty
Hon. M. Margaret McKeown
Senior Judge
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Judge Margaret McKeown was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit by President Clinton and was confirmed by the United States Senate in 1998. She has lectured and taught extensively on intellectual property, international law, international internet, human rights law, litigation, ethics, judicial administration, and constitutional law in Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
Judge McKeown is immediate past President of the Federal Judges Association and is currently Chair of the ABA Rule of Law Initiative Board. She serves on the Council of the American Law Institute, the Executive Council for the American Society of International Law, the managerial board of the International Association of Women Judges, and the Editorial Board of Litigation Journal. She is vice-chair of the Georgetown Law of Board of Visitors and has received an honorary doctorate from Georgetown.
She has been an advisor on several international projects of the American Law Institute: Intellectual Property: Principles Governing Jurisdiction, Choice of Law, and Judgements in Transnational Disputes; International Commercial Arbitration (ongoing); and Foreign Relations Law (ongoing). She is also as advisor on the Restatement of the Law for Copyright.
Judge McKeown has received a number of prestigious awards, including the ABA Margaret Brent Women of Achievement Award, the Georgetown University John Carrol Award, the Georgetown University Law Center Drinan Award for Public Service, the California Bar Intellectual Property Vanguard Award, the University of Wyoming A & S Outstanding Alumnae, the Outstanding Mentor Award from Big Sisters, the Federal Bar Association Community Service Award, and the Girl Scouts “Cool Women” Award.
Hon. John B. Owens
Judge
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
The Honorable John B. Owens serves on the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Prior to becoming a federal judge in 2014, he was a partner at Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP (where he focused on white collar investigations and appellate matters), and a federal prosecutor for more than 11 years in Washington D.C., Los Angeles, and San Diego. He served as the Chief of the Criminal Division in the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, and received two Director’s Awards for his work there. The television show American Greed featured two of his prosecutions, and he obtained the longest sentence for a white collar defendant in the history of the Southern District of California in United States v. Cao.
Judge Owens graduated first in his class from Stanford Law School in 1996, where he was an Executive Editor on the Stanford Law Review. After graduation, he served as a law clerk for the Honorable J. Clifford Wallace of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and for the Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the Supreme Court of the United States.
His written work has appeared in the California Law Review, the UCLA Law Review, the Northwestern Law Review, and other law reviews.
Peder K. Batalden, Esq.
Partner
Horvitz & Levy LLP
For many institutional clients, Peder Batalden is the go-to lawyer to handle important federal appeals. In addition to taking the lead on briefing and arguing those appeals, he often works with clients before an appeal begins, advising them to preserve issues and present evidence in the best posture for appeal. And he routinely assists clients in responding to large money judgments, drawing upon a deep knowledge of federal jurisdiction and procedure to assist in staying enforcement of judgments and preparing post-trial motions so that issues for appeal are not lost.
Peder is a partner at the firm. He has successfully petitioned for review in the U.S. Supreme Court, and he has argued and won numerous appeals in the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Ninth and Tenth Circuits.
Peder has represented many significant companies, including AutoNation, Bank of America, Chevron, Ford Motor Company, Honeywell, Hospital Corporation of America, Lyft, Media News Group, The Sherwin-Williams Company, Newell Brands, Sempra Energy, TASER International, Travelers, and Toyota Motor Sales. He has also represented government entities and employees in federal civil rights actions; major medical providers in healthcare matters; and insurers in coverage actions.
Peder is co-author of the leading treatise on civil appeals before the Ninth Circuit, the Rutter Group’s Ninth Circuit Civil Appellate Practice. He is a past Chair of the State Bar of California’s Standing Committee on the Federal Courts, which works to enhance bench-bar relations and studies proposed changes to federal rules. He also routinely comments on proposed amendments to the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure and to the Ninth Circuit rules.
Brendan J. Begley, Esq.
Shareholder / State Bar Certified Specialist in Appellate Law
Weintraub | Tobin
Brendan spearheads the Appeals and Writs group at Weintraub Tobin and is a member of his firm’s labor and employment, probate and trusts, and litigation groups. He is an Appellate Law Specialist certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization and previously was President of the Sacramento County Bar Association’s Appellate Practice Section. He has handled a number of anti-SLAPP motions and appeals, one of which resulted in a published opinion. See Vergos v. McNeal, 146 Cal. App. 4th 1387 (2007).
Brendan has delivered numerous public presentations to lawyers, executives, managers, and supervisors on the topics of anti-SLAPP motions, appellate law, and best employment practices. He is a senior contributing editor to The Rutter Group’s California Practice Guide on Employment Litigation. He is admitted to the State Bar of California, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court.
In litigation, Brendan has prevailed on numerous anti-SLAPP and dispositive motions and saw two jury trials through to successful verdicts. At the appellate stage, he has handled both briefing and oral argument before all manner of appellate courts. The U.S. Supreme Court granted Brendan’s petition for a writ of certiorari that led to the high court hearing and resolving the “Pledge of Allegiance” case in Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow, 540 U.S. 945 (2003).
Brendan received his J.D. (with honors) from the University of California at Davis, where he was a law-review writer. Prior to law school, Brendan worked as a newspaper reporter for The Sacramento Daily Recorder. While in law school, he worked as a law clerk at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii. After law school, he served as a judicial clerk to the Honorable John M. Gerrard, Associate Justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court, and later as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Connie M. Callahan, Circuit Judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Robert M. Dato, Esq.
Of Counsel
Buchalter
Robert M. Dato primarily represents clients in business litigation and employment matters, with particular emphasis on appeals and related proceedings. Mr. Dato, a Certified Appellate Specialist in California since 1996, has handled more than 400 appellate matters in state and federal courts throughout the United States and served as the national coordinating appellate counsel for two major pharmaceutical manufacturers.
Mr. Dato was previously a senior research attorney to Presiding Justice David G. Sills of the California Court of Appeal in Santa Ana, where he prepared approximately 200 appellate opinions in substantive areas ranging from family law to complex business litigation matters. He also occasionally served as the court’s writ attorney, reviewing and making recommendations regarding writ petitions filed with the court.
Mr. Dato is the author of CEB’s Handling Civil Appeals: Action Guide, a co-author of CEB’s Civil Appellate Practice treatise, and a contributor to CEB’s “Civil Procedure During Trial” treatise. He is currently a member of the Orange County Bar Association’s Professionalism and Ethics Committee. He is a past chair of the State Bar’s Committee on Administration of Justice and a past chair of the Orange County Bar Association’s Appellate Law Section. Mr. Dato is AV Preeminent rated by Martindale Hubbell. Mr. Dato was recognized as a 2016 and 2019-2021 Southern California Super Lawyer, as well as a 2013 Top Rated Lawyer in the area of Commercial Litigation by American Lawyer Media in conjunction with Martindale Hubbell.
Polly J. Estes, Esq.
Managing Partner
Estes Law Group
With 29 years of experience in state and federal courts, Polly has successfully tried numerous bench and jury trials in such diverse areas as class actions, freedom of speech and freedom of religion, securities fraud, tax regulation, riparian rights, eminent domain, professional liability, and high-dollar insurance bad faith. But it is in the appellate arena where Polly really shines. She has spent 15 years of her career working for state and federal appellate courts, where she helped judges evaluate the merits of more than 500 civil, criminal, and administrative appeals. On a daily basis, Polly defended her analysis through oral presentations, extensive memoranda and proposed dispositions, often working under intense time pressure. After debating the merits of cases with judges at all levels of the judiciary for more than two decades, Polly knows how to persuade both judges and juries successfully. She knows how judges think, what questions they want answered, and the time constraints they face.
Polly’s expertise has been recognized by the California State Bar. She is Board Certified as an expert in Appellate Law.
Before starting Estes Law Group, Polly served as the Chief Law Clerk to the Honorable Carlos T. Bea on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit for eight years. As Judge Bea’s Chief Law Clerk, Polly supervised and trained the other law clerks and externs, a position she loved because it was essentially “teaching the best law school class ever.” She was also the chief editor and “problem solver,” often called in to help the Judge and other clerks think through complex problems. She also helped evaluate cases for en banc calls and wrote speeches for the judge, all while handling a full load of cases herself.
While at the Ninth Circuit, Polly participated in all aspects of the appellate process, including drafting bench and en banc memoranda, opinions, dissents, orders, and memorandum dispositions. These cases spanned all areas of federal law, including securities fraud, antitrust, class actions, environmental, social security, and immigration, to name just a few. She also handled several state law areas through diversity jurisdiction, such as insurance law and contracts.
Polly also served as a staff attorney in the Motions Unit at the Ninth Circuit for more than three years, a position which allowed her to work with each of the judges on the court. As a motions attorney, Polly orally presented dozens of cases each month to a panel of three judges, explaining the case and the proposed disposition she had drafted. She handled emergency motions, which often required her to call judges at home after hours so they could work through the emergency together on an expedited basis. This position gave the judges on the court an opportunity to get to know Polly and to know how her mind works. It also gave Polly a vast amount of experience in presenting cases to the judges. She is therefore comfortable in oral arguments, which gives her a strong advantage over opposing counsel.
Polly also has state court experience, having served as a briefing attorney to The Honorable Catherine Stone at the Texas Court of Appeals for the Fourth Judicial District, and as an extern to The Honorable Lloyd Doggett at the Texas Supreme Court.
In addition to working for courts, Polly worked for six years for two prominent national law firms—Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld and Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal (now Dentons). While at these firms, Polly handled a number of trials and appeals, most notably high-exposure bad faith insurance trials and appeals for State Farm, USAA, and Allstate. She was often brought in to handle the appeal when another firm lost at trial. Polly won each of these appeals.
Polly has extensive experience writing amicus curiae briefs in courts around the country to help shape the law that affected the firm’s clients. Polly kept an eye on cases throughout the country and when one presented the appropriate facts, she brought it to her client’s attention and then wrote an amicus curiae brief on their behalf to assure the law developed in their favor.
Polly worked her way through college and law school. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Colorado cum laude, with a double major in Marketing and International Business, and a minor in International Economics. She received many honors during her time there, including Phi Beta Kappa and the Golden Key Honor Society. She earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Texas at Austin, where she served as an editor on the Texas International Law Journal and a recipient of the Robert S. Strauss Presidential Scholarship. She studied at the Université Libre de Bruxelles and the University of London through Duke’s study abroad program.
Polly is admitted to practice in California (2000), Texas (1993), the Northern District of California, the Western District of Texas, the Ninth Circuit, and the Fifth Circuit. She is a member of the San Francisco, Fifth Circuit, and Ninth Circuit Bar Associations, and the Texas State Bar College.
Polly’s publications include: A Legal Theory of the Use of Experts in Insurance Claim Adjustment, Vol. 23 No. 5 Ins. Litig. Rep. 140 (2001); Preservation of Error: Filing a Lawsuit Through Presentation of Evidence, 30 St. Mary’s L.J. 997 (1999); Homeowner’s Insurance: Coverage and Liability, Texas State Bar’s Advanced Ins. Law Course (1997); Handling Extra-Contractual Claims (Defense Perspective), U.T. Ins. Law Inst. (1996).
Susan V. Gelmis, Esq.
Chief Deputy Clerk, Operations
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
Susan Gelmis is the Chief Deputy Clerk for Operations at the Ninth Circuit.
She has been with the court for over 30 years, previously serving as supervisor of the Motions and Pro Se Units in the Staff Attorneys’ Office and as director of the Circuit’s Pro Bono Program for 22 years.
Susan has served on numerous Circuit wide committees and task forces relating to prisoner and pro se litigation, and as liaison to the pro se law clerks in the district courts, organizing and speaking at Circuit wide and national conferences.
Since 2015, Susan has served as Chief Deputy Clerk, overseeing all docketing and filing and calendaring systems and procedures, staffing the Circuit Advisory Rules Committee and Appellate Lawyer Representatives, and organizing and speaking at CLE programs around the Circuit. Susan is a 1987 graduate of NYU Law School and originally a native of New York.
Adam W. Hofmann, Esq.
Deputy Judicial Appointments Secretary
Office of California Governor Gavin Newsom
Adam serves in the Office of California Governor Gavin Newsom as the Deputy Judicial Appointments Secretary, supporting the work of Judicial Appointments Secretary Luis Céspedes.Adam is an Appellate Specialist, certified by the California Board of Legal Specialization.
Previously, Adam served as the Co-Chair of Hanson Bridgett’s appellate practice group. He represented both public and private clients in civil writs, appeals, and mandate proceedings. He has briefed and argued cases in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and every District Court of Appeal in California and has filed merits briefs in two U.S. Supreme Court cases.
His practice focused on representing cities, counties, and special districts in writs and appeals relating especially relating to public finance and revenue measures, as well as land use, civil rights, employee benefits, labor standards, and election law. He has represented water districts and cities in a range of disputes regarding rates, fees, and charges, including work on some of the leading cases interpreting related provisions of the California Constitution, including the California Supreme Court’s decisions in Jacks v. City of Santa Barbara and City of San Buenaventura v. United Water Conservation District.
Outside of the office, Adam has coached regionally and nationally competitive moot-court teams at UC Davis School of Law. He also speaks and writes on questions of local government authority and policy under the California Constitution and is an adjunct professor who taught courses in local government and land use law at the University of San Francisco School of Law. Prior to joining Hanson Bridgett, Adam was also an extern in the chambers of the Honorable Martin J. Jenkins.
John F. Querio, Esq.
Partner
Horvitz & Levy LLP
Large public companies, small businesses, and trial counsel, as well as significant trade associations, have benefited from John Querio’s proficiency in a wide range of practice areas, including commercial contract disputes; arbitration and class actions; defense of claims based on professional conduct (including the anti-SLAPP statute and First Amendment issues, legal malpractice, and malicious prosecution); defense of insurance coverage and bad faith litigation; products and premises liability defense; civil rights litigation defense; and punitive damages. John works with clients and trial counsel before, during, and after an appeal to preserve issues and position the case for an optimal outcome.
John is a partner at the firm, where he has worked on dozens of civil appeals in state and federal court. He has special expertise in federal civil and appellate procedure and has argued numerous appeals in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He is co-author of the leading treatise on civil appeals before the Ninth Circuit, the Rutter Group’s Ninth Circuit Civil Appellate Practice . He has also represented parties and amici curiae in numerous cases in the United States, California, and Nevada Supreme Courts.
John has counseled many significant companies on appellate matters, including Ford Motor Company, State Farm, American General Life Insurance Company, Hospital Corporation of America, QBE Insurance Corporation, Travelers, Kiewit, Dow Chemical Company, Philip Morris, and San Diego Gas & Electric Company. He has also represented cities, counties, and peace officers in federal civil rights actions; major hospitals and providers in healthcare matters; and large insurers in coverage disputes. He has worked with major trade associations to position cutting edge issues for appellate review, including the Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America, DRI-The Voice of the Defense Bar, the Washington Legal Foundation, the California Hospital Association, and the California New Car Dealers Association.
John is active in the legal community, authoring articles and making presentations at client venues, other law firms, and bar events. He has been a member of the Board of Governors of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers, which brings together plaintiff and defense lawyers with judicial officers to promote civility, collegiality, and the fair and efficient administration of civil justice. In that capacity, he served as co-editor of the ABTL Report, which is the association’s quarterly publication dedicated to legal developments and civil practice issues.
Jessica M. Weisel, Esq.
Partner
Complex Appellate Litigation Group LLP
Jessica Weisel has more than 20 years of experience handling must-win civil appeals, writs, and trial court motions for businesses and individuals.
She has litigated in nearly every federal circuit Court of Appeals and has extensive experience in the California Supreme Court and California Court of Appeal.
Jessica’s substantive appellate experience covers a vast range of subjects.
She recently obtained reversals of a million wrongful termination judgment in an employment suit, a million judgment for defamation and violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and a large attorneys’ fees award in the California Court of Appeal. She also won affirmance of a summary judgment on class action claims in meal and rest break litigation, favorable rulings in two First Amendment challenges to a transport agency’s advertising policy, and represented a major chain of retail stores in obtaining a peremptory writ of mandate reversing an order certifying a class of assistant store managers. Additionally, Jessica has prevailed in numerous cases and appeals involving California’s anti-SLAPP statute, and has significant experience with copyright, false advertising, unfair competition, defamation, employment, fraud, and breach of contract matters.
Jessica’s pro bono work has met with similar levels of success.
The U.S. Supreme Court cited an amicus curiae brief she authored in its majority opinion in Obergefell v. Hodges, the decision establishing marriage equality. Jessica also represented plaintiffs who successfully challenged Texas’s law prohibiting same-sex marriage in the district court and Fifth Circuit, and recently won a writ from the California Court of Appeal establishing the obligation of trial courts to issue findings necessary for immigrants seeking special immigration juvenile status. Jessica has represented amici curiae in pro bono challenges to the Trump administration’s Travel Ban, its rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (“DACA”) policy, and its policy permitting state and local governments to opt out of refugee resettlement. She has worked on pro bono amicus briefs with the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, Public Counsel, Lambda Legal, and the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund.
Jessica has been named a Super Lawyers “Rising Star” in appellate law five times.
She has also been honored by Equality Texas for her work on LGBTQ matters. In 2020, she received Public Counsel’s 2020 Pro Bono Award for her work on immigration appeals.
Prior to joining CALG, Jessica practiced for decades with the nationally recognized appellate team at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld.
While she was with Akin, the firm’s appellate group was repeatedly named to the National Law Journal’s “Appellate Hot List,” along with other recognition.
Jessica graduated from Yale Law School, where she was a senior editor of the Yale Law Journal.
She received her undergraduate degree, with honors, from Grinnell College in Iowa.
