You lost a case worth appealing
A judgment came down and you have 60 days (state) or 30 (federal). We assess the record, identify reversible error, and tell you honestly whether an appeal is worth your money.
Appellate practice
Gelb Law APC · California
The brief, the record, the argument.
A focused appellate practice handling civil and criminal appeals, writs, habeas, and high-stakes motions in California state and federal courts. We take on the work that decides a case — careful research, sharp briefing, and clean oral argument.
When clients call us
You've already tried the case. Now what?
Most of our work begins after something has gone wrong, or right, in the trial court. Appellate and motion work is a different discipline than trial — different deadlines, different standards, different writing. Here's when it makes sense to bring us in.
You won and want to keep it
Respondent's briefing is its own craft. We defend favorable trial-court rulings on appeal — anti-SLAPP fee awards, summary judgment, jurisdictional dismissals.
Respondent's appealsA motion needs to be done right
MSJs, demurrers, anti-SLAPPs, motions to compel, motions in limine. We handle dispositive and case-shaping motions on a brief-only basis, sitting alongside your trial team.
Motion practiceYou need a case run from filing to judgment
Civil litigation, plaintiff or defense. Personal injury, premises, business and contract disputes, real estate, anti-SLAPP, and serious tort claims — pleaded, briefed, and tried with the appeal already in mind.
Civil litigationYou need a writ — fast
Writs of mandate, prohibition, and supersedeas. When a discovery order, disqualification ruling, or pretrial decision can't wait for final judgment, we move quickly.
Writ practiceYour trial counsel needs a brief specialist
Some firms keep us on retainer to write the harder briefs while the trial team focuses on witnesses and strategy. We slot in cleanly, ghost-written or named.
How we work with co-counselA family-law order needs a fresh look
Custody, support, and move-away orders on appeal or reconsideration. Discrete scope, deadline-driven engagements — not full takeover of your case.
Representative mattersA criminal conviction needs to be challenged
Direct appeals from felony and misdemeanor convictions — sentencing error, instructional error, sufficiency, prosecutorial misconduct. 60 days for felonies, 30 for misdemeanors. Call before the clock runs.
Criminal appealsPost-conviction relief is on the table
State and federal habeas, resentencing under PC § 1172.6, § 1170.91, and § 745 (Racial Justice Act). When the issue is outside the trial record or the law has changed since sentencing, the petition is the vehicle.
Post-conviction work
How it works
A clear path from first call to filed brief.
No mystery, no creative billing. Every engagement starts with a fixed-fee evaluation so you can make an informed decision before signing on for a full brief.
Intake & conflict check
You submit the form or call. We confirm court, deadline, opposing parties, and conflicts within one business day.
Record review (fixed fee)
We read the operative pleadings, key orders, and — if available — relevant transcripts. You get a written assessment of issues, viability, and likely scope.
Engagement & strategy
If we move forward, you get a written engagement letter with scope, fee structure, and a working calendar tied to the court's deadlines.
Briefing & argument
Drafts circulate early. You see the brief before it's filed. Oral argument prep includes a moot if the case warrants one.
Plain English, on purpose
We write briefs the way we'd want one read to us.
Appellate writing has a reputation for being dense. It doesn't have to be. A justice reading a brief at 9pm should be able to follow the issue, see the standard of review, and understand why the trial court got it wrong without reaching for a treatise.
That's how we draft. Short sentences where they fit. Plain words where they work. Citations that actually support the proposition. And a Table of Contents that reads like an outline of the argument — because for many justices, that is the argument.
The same goes for client communication. You should be able to read your own brief and explain it back to a friend. If you can't, we haven't done our job.
Have a deadline this month?
Tell us the court, the case number, and the deadline. We'll get back to you within one business day with a clear next step — even if the answer is "this isn't a fit, here's who is."