Appellate Practice

Sreenan & Cain, P.C. has extensive experience in criminal and civil appeals at both the federal and state court level.  The law firm's appellate practice is headed by Attorney Peter B. Nolte, who began his career exclusively as an appellate attorney, and has spent many years perfecting the skills necessary to provide excellent appellate advocacy. 

There are numerous reasons for retaining our appellate attorneys even for clients who were ably represented by other trial counsel.  Our appellate attorneys are well versed in the important deadlines and the substantially different procedural rules that apply once a case is pending on appeal.  Our appellate lawyers are adept at arranging arguments effectively, structuring sentences and paragraphs persuasively, and using persuasive words to enhance legal propositions.  Our attorneys have a thorough grasp of the legal principles pertinent to a case and an understanding of the subtle distinctions and emerging trends of law.  We believe the written brief should not be a scholarly, objective discourse on a specific area of the law.  Rather the brief must be a forceful and eloquent argument presented in a fair and accurate manner. Our appellate counsel are intimately familiar with what issues and arguments are likely to be most successful on appeal through an understanding of the patterns in appellate decisions and the "hot" issues pending before the Supreme Court and appellate courts.  Finally, our appellate counsel can bring a fresh perspective to a case.  Because their knowledge of the case comes primarily from the record on appeal,  they are able to view the case in the same light the Appellate Court will. This is particularly important since the Appellate Court decides cases based on what is in the record, not facts or arguments that "might have been" presented in the trial court.