The North Carolina Bar Association’s Appellate Rules Committee has a long tradition of not only making recommendations regarding the Appellate Rules, but of also producing publications designed to help North Carolina attorneys comply with the Appellate Rules. The Appellate Style Manual, Oral Argument Guides, Oral Argument Comparison Chart, and a Guide to Interlocutory Appeals are just a few of the popular publications produced and regularly updated by our committee.

However, if there is one appellate filing that must be perfect, it is the Notice of Appeal.  Our courts can be forgiving in a post-Dogwood era for many mistakes, but an insufficient, late, or improperly filed Notice of Appeal can deprive the appellate courts of jurisdiction–torpedoing an appeal before it even starts.

Keeping up with the changing authorities governing your Notice of Appeal can be daunting. To help practitioners in their efforts, the Appellate Rules Committee recently published a “Notice of Appeal Tip Sheet.”  This seven-page, free tip sheet provides quick guidance on some of the most common questions asked at this critical juncture of a civil case.  Of course, there is no substitute for reading the Appellate Rules and the cases decided thereunder, but the tip sheet can serve as a useful reminder of the key contours of this essential filing.

The Committee hopes you find its newest product helpful.

As always, the committee appreciates the advice and comments of those who use the tip sheet. Send your suggestions via email to [email protected], or by conventional mail to the Appellate Rules Committee, NC Bar Association, P.O. Box 3688, Cary NC 27519.

March 8, 2016/by NCBARBLOG