Appealing a case decided by a trial court to the Illinois appellate courts or the Illinois Supreme Court requires a specialized comprehension of the rules and procedures of the court to which the appeal is being made. Successful appeals require the abilities to correctly identify the legal issues involved, thoroughly analyze the area of law being addressed, and succinctly and persuasively present the client’s case in written briefs and during oral argument.
However, a successful appeal does not begin with the trial court’s ruling in a particular case. In fact, the success or failure of any given appellate case will likely depend on how issues were framed and presented to the original trial court and the record made in the trial court with respect to those issues.
Churchill, Quinn, Hamilton & Van Donselaar, Ltd. has represented clients in appeals to the appellate court districts for the State of Illinois, the Illinois Supreme Court, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court. Our trial and appellate attorneys combine their experience and acumen to ensure the highest level of representation for our clients at the trial and appellate court level.
Our attorneys have:
- Represented a client before the Supreme Court of the United States and secured a
reversal in favor of the client in State Oil Co. v. Kahn, 522 U.S. 3. - Obtained a reversal for an appellant whose case had been dismissed pursuant to the
ecclesiastical abstention doctrine. - Obtained a favorable ruling by the appellate court affirming a large defamation
judgment for a client that was being challenged under the First Amendment. - Handled appeals and drafted briefs for clients who were represented by other law firms
in trial courts.