Over the first seven decades of the 20th century, justices were drawn from a variety of backgrounds: United States senators, U.S. Attorneys General and other top Department of Justice officials, state supreme court justices, and governors. While service as a federal appellate judge was also a common qualification, there was a stretch of nearly 40 years in which not a single one of the 24 justices appointed during that period was serving as a federal appellate judge when he was appointed.
In sharp contrast, of the past 14 justices who have been appointed to the Court—beginning with Antonin Scalia in 1986—13 of them (all but Elena Kagan) were serving on a federal court of appeals at the time of their appointment.
Chambers USA rankings are out today. See CA Appellate lists here: Litigation: Appellate, California, USA | Chambers Rankings
Appellate cases of note: here's an unpub about appellate attorney fees and here's an unpub dismissal for non-appealability in the expungement context ("because the expungement order is not appealable, the order denying appellants’ motion to vacate the expungement is likewise not appealable"; "Denial of a motion to vacate a nonappealable order is not itself appealable.").