---
name: notice-of-appeal
title: Notice of Appeal
description: Drafts a Notice of Appeal to initiate appellate review of a trial court judgment or order in US federal and state courts. Use when filing a notice of appeal, commencing appellate review, or preserving appellate jurisdiction after an adverse ruling.
author: CaseMark
author_url: https://github.com/CaseMark/skills/tree/main/skills/legal/notice-of-appeal
license: Apache-2.0
version: 0.1.0
execution_mode: open
jurisdiction: us
practice: litigation
language: en
---

# 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:

1. **Appealable judgment/order** — final judgment, FRCP 54(b) partial judgment, 28 U.S.C. § 1292(b) interlocutory order, or collateral order
2. **Exact docket entry date** — date entered on docket (not signed or received)
3. **Party names** — full legal names with trial designations and appellate designations (appellant/appellee)
4. **Case numbers** — trial court number; appellate number if assigned
5. **Court names** — trial court and appellate court
6. **Filing deadline** — confirmed per deadline table below
7. **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
