Practice Areas

No matter the result in the trial court, many disputes are decided at the appellate level.  Often, the counsel you retain will make or break your chance of success on appeal because getting the right result requires specific appellate skills.  These include: insightful analysis of the issues; thorough research of the law; careful review of the factual record; persuasive brief writing; cogent oral argument; and knowledge of the rules.  McDonald Carano’s appellate team has the abilities in each of these areas to place it among the most experienced and qualified in Nevada.

McDonald Carano handles appeals – simple to complex – at all levels of appellate court and administrative agency review.  Our success spans the Nevada Supreme Court, California’s Court of Appeals and the Federal Court of Appeal, in particular the Ninth Circuit.  McDonald Carano played an instrumental role in the formation of Nevada’s Court of Appeals and the concurrent overhaul of the Nevada Rules of Appellate Procedure.  Our attorneys also served as lead editor and chapter authors for the Nevada Appellate Practice Manual (2016 ed.).

The practice of appellate law demands intellectual acuity and discipline to develop precision briefs and compelling arguments. Our appellate team consistently delivers the exceptional writing, analytical acumen and oral advocacy skills needed to present our clients’ position in the most persuasive way possible. We also use our extensive and collective experience as judicial law clerks in the Nevada Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and other state and federal courts to develop appellate strategy and provide the highest caliber representation.

Our services include:

  • APPEALS: We handle all aspects of appeals, starting from post-judgment motion practice in the trial court through issuance of the appellate court mandate and at every step in between;
  • WRIT PETITIONS: We draft, argue and defend petitions that seek immediate writ relief from pre-judgment trial court errors;
  • TRIAL COURT SUPPORT: We provide strategic support and analysis in the trial court by reviewing motions, jury instructions and proposed court orders to ensure that a proper record is made and issues are effectively preserved for future appeal;
  • COACHING: We assist other counsel in the appeal process, including consulting on appeal strategy, providing input on briefs and conducting moot court sessions to prepare for oral argument;
  • AMICUS REPRESENTATION: We identify pending cases with major policy implications, assemble amicus coalitions, draft amicus curiae briefs and present oral argument on highly relevant topics that have the potential to alter the legal landscape;
  • ADMINISTRATIVE APPEALS: We represent clients in proceedings before regulatory agencies, municipal and county governing entities, professional disciplinary boards and in the judicial review process that may follow.

Practice Area News

Nevada Supreme Court Accepts Certified Question From the Ninth Circuit Regarding Application of Public Trust Doctrine to Adjudicated Water Rights

August/September, 2018, Western Water Law & Policy Reporter, Pages 301-303 — In the long-running dispute over the waters of the Walker River, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently certified…

Trial By Video

September 1, 2018, The Writ, “Appellate Briefs” — Video conference meetings have become routine.  Video conference depositions are rarer, but are becoming more and more common occurrences.  However, I think…

CAP 100 – History of the Children’s Attorneys Project

August 1, 2018, Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, “Pro Bono Project” A  task force of Clark County commissioners, judges, social workers, attorneys, and children’s advocates recognized the need to provide abused…

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