What is the benefit of having an appellate counsel handle pretrial and post-trial motions?
Reiter: Having an appellate lawyer prepare pretrial and post-trial motions can create the framework for the appellate review proceeding. This can eliminate potential problems that could otherwise undermine a successful jury or bench trial because the presence of an appellate lawyer may have helped identify and protect against possible errors in those motions. Editor: Doesn’t bringing in an appellate lawyer add extra expense? What if you win at trial? Reiter: Although a cost is involved in hiring another lawyer, that cost is more than offset by the benefits. By involving the appellate lawyer early it frees up the trial lawyer to have the appellate counsel do certain things that the trial lawyer might otherwise have to spend time doing. You still benefit from an appellate lawyer if you win and the other side appeals. Having an appellate lawyer already on board will help you maintain the victory. An appellate lawyer is just as important to sustaining a victory as he or she is to trying to
