APPELLATE
PRACTICE
SECTION
About the Section
This group shall be concerned with matters relating to and practice before state and federal appellate courts and the Appellate Divisions of the Superior Courts, including legislation, rules of practice and procedure, and conduct before the court.
2024 Section Leadership
Jeff Michalowski - Chair
John Sylvester - Vice-Chair
Jenn French - Member at Large
Joseph Goodman - Member at Large
Michelle Peña - Member at Large
Savannah Montanez - New Attorney Member at Large
To contact section leadership, please email bar@sdcba.org..
Annual Appellate Holiday Program
On December 4, 2020 the SDCBA’s Appellate Practice Section and the San Diego Appellate Inn of Court held their Annual Holiday Program. This year’s program featured a conversation between Judge M. Margaret McKeown and Chief Judge Sidney Runyan Thomas, Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Section Resources
The below resources are for informational purposes only and are not necessarily endorsed by the SDCBA.
U.S. Supreme Court
9th Circuit Court of Appeals
Federal Circuit Court of Appeals
California Courts
4th District, Div. 1.
CalApp.blogspot.com
Get Involved
We welcome the involvement of new members. Would you like to volunteer your time? Contact bar@sdcba.org.to learn more about how you can get involved. The Appellate Section meets the fourth Wednesday of each month from 12:00pm -1:00pm. Please refer to the SDCBA Calendar to register.
Attorney Spotlight
Lynelle Hee
Executive Director
Appellate Defenders, Inc.
Growing up in the quiet suburbs of Los Angeles, Lynelle was inspired by an attorney who assisted her family. At a young age, the seed was planted that she might one day become an attorney herself.
Lynelle attended the University of California, Irvine, and initially focused on pre-law studies. But when she developed an unexpected affinity for economics, she switched her major and set her sights on becoming an economics professor. The way the economy reflected human behavior and connected us around the world fascinated Lynelle.
Upon graduating, however, she could not shake her initial dream of becoming an attorney. And by now, the seed planted when she was young had grown. She now understood the law as a means of serving those less fortunate.
From her very first year attending the University of San Diego School of Law, Lynelle pursued a career as a public defender. She interned with the offices of the Alternate Public Defender and the Public Defender in San Diego County throughout law school. And upon passing the Bar, she became a Deputy Public Defender. She served in this role for six years. To this day, she treasures the experience and the people she worked with there.
When she became a mother, Lynelle decided to shift gears and found appellate work. A panel attorney taking appointed cases from Appellate Defenders, Inc. (ADI) took Lynelle under her wing, and she loved the work right away. She became a panel attorney herself, then a staff attorney at ADI. After years of crafting appellate briefs, Lynelle’s best writing advice is to remember that a brief is not separate pieces cobbled together; it is a single piece. Practically, she suggests drafting a brief that includes all of the necessary elements, then setting it aside for a time. Revisit the brief with fresh eyes, and put a “gloss” on it that reflects one cohesive story.
In 2022, Lynelle became the Executive Director of ADI. She finds the role exciting! One major focus of hers right now is training the next generation of panel attorneys, which encourages her to get creative and innovative. Becoming Executive Director also inspired Lynelle to join APS! She has enjoyed connecting with other attorneys in the community who are similarly enthusiastic about research and writing and enhancing the profession.
Outside of being a leader in our appellate community, Lynelle enjoys several enriching hobbies, including singing with her chamber choir, learning Japanese, and nurturing her many houseplants.
Be sure to say “hi” to Lynelle at the next APS meeting or event!
Previous APS Member Spotlights
In case you missed a spotlight, we are re-posting all past member spotlights below:
Jeff Michalowski
Kathryn Karcher
Catherine Asuncion
Martin Buchanan
Arezoo Jamshidi
Rick Benes
Victoria Fuller
John T. Sylvester
Jenn French
Adrian Contreras
Prof. Ken Vandevelde
Elisabeth “Lisa” Cannon
James "Jim" Bush
Rachel Garrard
Karen Harkins