AJEI Nov. conference registration now open / BASF View

“250 Years Later: The Courts Continue the Conversation; Commemorating America’s 250th Anniversary with the Nation’s Appellate Judiciary.” Registration is now open for the 2026 Appellate Judges Education Institute Summit, which is taking place in Philadelphia (November 12-15).

Also in November: Bar Association of San Francisco is holding its bi-annual View from the Appellate Bench on November 5, 2026: six hours of appellate law specialization MCLE credit (including one hour of ethics) featuring justices from the 1st DCA and California Supreme Court justice Marvin Jenkins. There’s also a wine and cheese reception.

CLA webinar on Appealability Basics

CLA presents a webinar: Appealability Basics: What Trial Lawyers Need to Know
June 11 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
1 Participatory MCLE Credits | 1 Legal Specialization in Appellate Law
Led by Jeff Gurrola and Hayley MacMillen, seasoned appellate lawyers at Greines, Martin, Stein & Richland LLP who both have significant trial experience, this program covers critical issues relating to appealability. You’ll get insight on how to avoid traps, protect the record, and discern appealable orders from non-appealable ones.

Family Law appellate mcle

LACBA's Appellate Courts and Family Law Sections present a one-hour Zoom Webinar: Family Law Appeals: Initial Quick Decisions, Nov. 4, 2026 at noon. The speakers are Claudia Ribet and Greg Ellis of CALG. 

2026 SCOCA Roundup

UC Berkely Law's California Constitution Center presents its 2026 SCOCA Roundup Feb. 27 from noon to 1, featuring the Davids (Ettinger and Carrillo), who will discuss significant recent cases and developments at the California Supreme Court. Hosted by the California Supreme Court Historical Society.  

2025 Appellate Year in Review program

CEB's annual appellate year-in-review webinar has dropped: Key Developments in Appellate Practice 2025 

Justices Adams, D.Kim, and Weingart (and appellate specialist Ben Shatz) discuss the year that was for California appellate practice, focusing on new rules, new practices, appellate news of note, and cases on appealability and appellate ethics. Counts for 1.75 hours of Appellate Specialization CLE credit.

BHBA program

The BHBA Appellate Law section presents How to Avoid Sinking Your Civil Appeal Before It Sets Sail, a Zoom webinar presented by certified appellate specialist Brendan Begley of Weintraub Tobin, on Feb. 4 at 12:30 to 1:30.

Free appellate mcle

ADR Services presents:

Behind the Curtain: Appellate Strategy for High-Profile Litigation
Complimentary CLE Program Tuesday, December 2, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m. - 1:00p.m.
Webinar | $0 - Complimentary Program
1 Hour CLE Credit
Appellate strategy doesn’t begin after trial—it begins the moment a case is filed. In high-profile disputes, where the stakes are amplified by media coverage, public perception, and evolving areas of law, careful planning is critical at every stage. This program will highlight how trial lawyers can collaborate effectively with appellate specialists to shape litigation strategy, preserve issues for review, and prepare for appellate challenges long before the record is finalized. Through discussion of nationally recognized cases—the panel will explore how appellate courts engage with emotionally charged issues, what happens behind the scenes at the Court of Appeal, and how trial and appellate counsel can work together to influence outcomes in today’s most watched legal battles.
Speakers
Hon. Thomas Goethals (Ret.) – ADR Services, Inc.
Hon. Patricia Benke (Ret.) – ADR Services, Inc.

Neel Chatterjee, Esq. – King & Spalding LLP

See also at Law.com King & Spalding Appellate Attorney Dies While Climbing New Zealand's Tallest Mountain -- Kellam Conover, 44, had practiced for almost three years with the Am Law 50 firm after moving in early 2023 from Gibson Dunn & Crutcher. "He began his law career in November 2013 with Gibson Dunn and later clerked for Judge Raymond C. Fisher of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He returned to Gibson Dunn for more than six years before joining King & Spalding."

2/6 to hold ACE session

Court of Appeal to Hold Education Program for High School Students -- On Thursday, the Second Appellate District, Division Six (Ventura), will hold a special oral argument outreach session for high school students.

Also, the Bar Association of San Francisco’s Appellate and Criminal Justice Sections are hosting an in-person CLE program on the US Supreme Court Criminal Law Roundup. Speakers are Professors Jeffrey Fisher, from Stanford, and Kate Weisburd, from UC Law SF. One hour of appellate specialization credit. It’s the Monday after Thanksgiving, December 1, from 5:00 – 6:15 p.m., at the McGuire Woods firm in San Francisco. Stick around to network after the program.

Learn the new SOD process

Alameda County Bar Assn Appellate Section presents Kelly Woodruff and Claudia Ribet's zoom program:
Navigating the Complex Statement of Decision Process in the Trial and Appellate Courts
Wednesday, November 19, 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM

When a case tried as a bench trial is on appeal, the most important document to the court of appeal is the trial court’s statement of decision. Yet as anyone who has ever dealt with the rules governing statements of decision knows, the process is exacting and the rules are confusing and in some ways contradictory. The panelists will walk you through each subdivision of California Rule of Court 3.1590 and provide a roadmap of how best to navigate the rule to best protect your client’s interests. They will also talk about appellate consequences when a party fails to comply with the rule.

Appellate MCLE programs

CLA Litigation Section Committee on Appellate Courts presents What Every Solo and Small Firm Lawyer Needs to Know About Appeals a 1-hour webinar on December 5 at noon:

Appellate specialists and appellate court staff attorneys offer essential information that solo and small firm trial attorneys should know about appeals. Topics include briefing and argument tips, record preservation, standards of review, and other crucial points that can be implemented both in the trial and appellate courts.
• Brandon Hamparzoomian, Appellate Court Attorney (5th District)
• Ariel J. Stiller-Shulman, Certified Appellate Specialist
• Allison Ehlert, Supervising Deputy City Attorney

Also, BHBA presents Before the Appeal: A California Litigator's Pre-Appeal Checklist on November 13 at 11 a.m. (1-hour webinar) by Laura Lim and Kent Toland of Greines, Martin, Stein & Richland LLP. They will discuss critical pre-appeal steps for trial lawyers and their clients in the California Court of Appeal.

J.Groban on PFRs & Depubs

LACBA's Appellate Courts Section presents An Insider's Look at Petitions for Review and Requests for Depublication featuring Justice Josh Groban and Supreme Court Criminal Central Staff Director Jessica Barber, moderated by David Ettinger on Oct. 14 at noon.

The DJ has Liu and Evans drive surge in Supreme Court dissents over criminal review denials -- California Supreme Court Justices Goodwin H. Liu and Kelli M. Evans dissented more than 60 times each in the 2024-25 term over the court's refusal to review criminal cases, fueling a sharp rise in recorded dissents and spotlighting concerns about sentences for younger convicts.

Chemerinsky's Annual SCOTUS Review

FBA-LA presents its annual U.S Supreme Court Review by Dean Chemerinsky on Oct. 16 at noon at the DoubleTree in DTLA. Details here.

Embedded Appellate Attys program

 

On July 9 at 12:30 to 1:30 BHBA's Litigation Section presents Kirk Jenkins on Embedding Appellate Attorneys on Trial Teams

Join us for a dynamic CLE that unveils how integrating an appellate specialist into your trial team—early and strategically—can be the game-changer your case needs. This session explores the essential role appellate attorneys play throughout the litigation lifecycle and at trial. From shaping persuasive motions, preserving the record of your opponent’s errors at trial (and preventing yours), to crafting post-verdict strategies and navigating complex interim appellate interventions. Learn how appellate insight sharpens trial themes, strengthens records, and anticipates developments to maximize outcomes at every stage of litigation and trial.

AJEI registration begins

Registration is now open for the 2025 Appellate Judges Education Institute Summit November 13 – 16, 2025 Renaissance Minneapolis Hotel, The Depot Minneapolis, MN Register here Register now for the 2025 AJEI Summit, the nation’s premier appellate educational event. Typically attended by almost 400 appellate judges and practitioners, the Summit will feature 20+ panel discussions on emerging trends, challenges, and legal issues affecting appellate practitioners and the judiciary. Speakers Include: Former Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar Hon. Alan Page (Ret.), Minnesota Supreme Court Hon. David R. Stras, United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, U.C. Berkeley Law Dr. Karen Korematsu, Founder and President, Fred T. Korematsu Institute Prof. Stephen I. Vladeck, Agnes Williams Sesquicentennial Professor of Federal Courts, Georgetown Law Summit Topics Include: The Death of the Chevron Doctrine: The Future of Regulatory Power and Litigation Life of an Appeal in the Age of AI: From Trial Court to Appellate Decision Returning to the Rule of Law in a Politicized Environment Writing Like the Greats: A Hands-On Appellate Writing Workshop Concur and Dissent: When Great Minds Don't Think Alike Do Something! Ethical Responses to Judicial and Lawyer Misconduct Military Criminal Justice: What You Should Know To Defer or Not to Defer: Evolving Standards of Review in a Digital Age The Ethical and Practical Challenges of Amicus Participation What about US? The Role of State Constitutional Rights Following Recent US Supreme Court Decisions Summit Webpage Please visit the AJEI 2025 Summit webpage for more information, including hotel accommodations and how to become a Summit sponsor. There are discounts for early bird registration and ABA Members (automatically applied during registration). The Judicial Division of the ABA will be sending its members an additional promo code. Register early to take advantage of early bird pricing - save $100. Additional discount for ABA Members (please have your bar number ready during registration). The $100 early bird discount will be applied automatically until Oct 1, 2025.)

BASF program: Trailblazing Women on California’s Courts of Appeal

On July 29 at noon, BASF presents Trailblazing Women on California’s Courts of Appeal
Celebrating Seven Historic Female Firsts on California’s Courts of Appeal: Diversity, Representation, and the Judicial Appointments Process

Date	Tuesday, July 29, 2025
MCLE Registration	11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
In-Person Program	12:00 - 1:15 p.m.
MCLE	1 Hour of Elimination of Bias
Location	BASF Offices 50 Fremont Street, Suite 1700 San Francisco, CA

Speakers

Justice Shama Hakim Mesiwala Third District Court of Appeal	Deputy Appointments Secretary Adam Hofmann Office of California Governer Gavin Newsom

This program highlights the groundbreaking contributions of seven trailblazing female justices who were the first to serve on California’s Courts of Appeal. Justice Shama Hakim Mesiwala will share insights into their historic achievements and the broader impact of representation in the judiciary. The program will also feature a Q&A with Deputy Appointments Secretary Adam Hofmann, who will discuss the judicial appointments process and the importance of cultivating a diverse and inclusive applicant pool. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how diversity enhances the fairness and credibility of California’s justice system. 

Trailblazing Female Firsts
Annette Abbot Adams: First California Female Justice
Arleigh Woods: First California African American Female Justice
Sheila Prell Sonenshine: First California Jewish American Female Justice and youngest California Intermediate Appellate Court Justice
Joyce Kennard: First California Asian American Female Justice, First California Immigrant Female Justice, First California. non-native English-speaking Female Justice, and First California disabled Female Justice
Ramona Godoy Perez: First California Hispanic Female Justice
Eileen Moore: First and only California Female Military Veteran Justice
Therese Stewart: First California openly Lesbian Justice