Appellate Practice: Pulling Back the Curtain – What Law Clerks and Staff Attorneys Wish You Knew

What happens to your case after you hit "file"? Before an opinion is drafted, and often before a judge has meaningfully engaged with the briefs, appellate law clerks and staff attorneys are already at work: reading, analyzing, researching, and framing the issues that will help shape the court’s decision.

This program examines the critical, but often overlooked, role these attorneys play in how cases are evaluated and resolved. Drawing on their experience reviewing briefs, conducting legal analysis, and advising judges, panelists will offer a candid look at the “inside baseball” of appellate practice – from the first read of the briefs to internal memoranda and recommendations to the court.

Along the way, panelists will share practical insights into what stands out (for better or worse), common advocacy missteps, and the choices that can influence how arguments are received in chambers. Designed for appellate practitioners, this session offers concrete guidance to help ensure your arguments land the way you intend.

– Liz Keating; Chief Staff Attorney, MN Court of Appeals
– Jodie L. Carlson; Deputy Chief Staff Attorney, MN Court of Appeals
– Amy Hill Cosimini; Faegre Drinker; Former law clerk to the Hon. Matthew E. Johnson from 2024-2025
– Lauren Pockle; Hennepin County Adult Representation Services
– Tara Reese Duginski; Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Appeals Division