Appeals

While in law school, George Murphy was selected to clerk for the Chief Justice of the Alaska Supreme Court. After graduating from law school in 1980, George began his career as an attorney by serving as the Judicial Attorney for an Associate Justice of the California State Court of Appeal in Sacramento. Upon leaving the California Court of Appeal for private practice, he joined a large Sacramento firm and started that firm’s appellate department.

George has been involved in over 100 appeals, with approximately 45 published decisions establishing important legal precedent in many areas of the law, including: public entity liability, employment, insurance coverage and bad faith, complex business transactions, personal injury, product liability, family law, real estate, professional liability, and contract disputes.

Often working with trial counsel prior to filing an appeal, George can complement and enhance the efforts of trial counsel in a team approach to obtain the best possible result for the client.

In appellate law, the written legal brief is crucial. Facts are limited to what was already presented in the trial court, in almost every case. The process involves identifying potential arguments, researching and analyzing applicable law, and designing and writing a cogent, powerful and well-organized appellate brief.

Whereas oratorical skills are optimized in trial court, effective appellate counsel should have exceptional research and writing skills. Most cases on appeal are won or lost on the written briefs. George Murphy takes pride in producing the highest quality and most persuasive appellate briefs possible.

Whether the party won or lost at trial, it is usually a good idea to consult an attorney experienced and skilled in appellate practice when the case is headed to the court of appeal and beyond. And, remember, the deadlines for filing a notice of appeal in federal or state court are short and absolutely critical.

George is admitted to practice in the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the California Supreme Court, and all districts of the California State Court of Appeal.