Notice of Appeal

Notice of Appeal

Drafts a jurisdictional Notice of Appeal that invokes appellate review and preserves the appellant's right to challenge a trial court ruling. The notice contains no substantive arguments — it invokes jurisdiction only.

Quick Start

Gather before drafting:

1. Appealable judgment/order — final judgment, FRCP 54(b) partial judgment, 28 U.S.C. § 1292(b) interlocutory order, or collateral order
2. Exact docket entry date — date entered on docket (not signed or received)
3. Party names — full legal names with trial designations and appellate designations (appellant/appellee)
4. Case numbers — trial court number; appellate number if assigned
5. Court names — trial court and appellate court
6. Filing deadline — confirmed per deadline table below
7. Attorney info — name, bar number, firm, address, phone, email

Filing Deadlines

Warning: Deadlines are jurisdictional and non-waivable. Confirm before drafting.

Document Template

[APPELLATE COURT NAME]

[PARTY NAME(S)],
    Appellant(s) / [Trial Designation],

  v.                                    Case No. [Trial Court No.]
                                        Appellate Case No. [if assigned]
[PARTY NAME(S)],
    Appellee(s) / [Trial Designation].

                    NOTICE OF APPEAL

[Appellant name], by and through [undersigned counsel / pro se],
hereby appeals to the [Appellate Court Name] from the
[judgment/order — describe with specificity] entered on
[exact entry date] by the [Trial Court Name] in the
above-captioned matter.

[If multiple orders, list each separately:]
1. [Description of order/judgment] entered [date]
2. [Description of order/judgment] entered [date]

Respectfully submitted,

_______________________________
[Attorney Name] (Bar No. [#])
[Firm Name]
[Address]
[Phone]
[Email]
Counsel for Appellant [Party Name]

Date: [Date]

              CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I certify that on [date], a copy of this Notice of Appeal was
served on the following by [method of service]:

[Name, Address of each party/counsel served]

                        _______________________________
                        [Attorney Name]

Completion Checklist

• [ ] Dual caption (trial court + appellate court)
• [ ] All party names with trial and appellate designations
• [ ] Trial court case number (and appellate number if assigned)
• [ ] Specific identification of judgment/order appealed
• [ ] Exact docket entry date for each order appealed
• [ ] Signature block with bar number and full contact info
• [ ] Certificate of service with date, method, and recipients
• [ ] Jurisdiction-required attachments (cover sheet, docketing statement)

Common Pitfalls

• Wrong date — use docket entry date, never the signing or receipt date
• Substantive arguments — never include reasons for appeal or assignments of error
• Interlocutory appeals — describe the order specifically enough to distinguish from other rulings
• Service gaps — serve all parties and trial court clerk per local rule
• Format noncompliance — check local rules for margins, font, spacing, e-filing requirements, and cover sheets
• Pro se appellants — include appellant's own address and contact info in signature block
• Multiple appellants — name each; a single notice may cover all if local rule permits