Customer Reviews

On Appeal: Courts, Lawyering, and Judging

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Judge Frank M. Coffin has written a book that provides insight to the workings of the appellate process in our legal tradition. He peppers it with historical perspectives of the European foundations from which our legal system evolved. It was enjoyable, easy to read and enlightening. For the novice attorney writing his first appeal, it should be required reading. For the experienced attorney in the field, the book is a clear candid reference source. For the citizen who wants knowledge of the mysteries of legal process beyond the trial court, it is must reading. I unequivocally recommend the book to all with the further comment that the book is not a law book per se, but rather a rich resource to understanding the appellate process and its function in the Anglo-American legal system.

Judge Coffin gives an insider's view of the appellate process in the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. He tells exactly how his court processes an appeal from receipt of the briefs, through oral argument and on to the final decision. Along the way he tells what works and what does not in brief-writing and oral argument. Read this book before you sit down to write a brief, and then read it again the day before you appear for oral argument