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:

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

Filing Deadlines

| Context | Deadline | Authority | |---|---|---| | Federal civil | 30 days from entry | FRAP 4(a)(1)(A) | | Federal civil (US party) | 60 days from entry | FRAP 4(a)(1)(B) | | Federal criminal | 14 days from entry | FRAP 4(b)(1)(A) | | Post-judgment motion pending | 30 or 60 days from disposition, matching party-status deadline | FRAP 4(a)(4)(A), 4(a)(1)(A)-(B) | | State courts | Varies — confirm rule | [VERIFY] jurisdiction-specific |

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