APPELLATE
PRACTICE
SECTION

Jenn French - Chair

Michelle Pena - Vice Chair

Josh Patashnik - Member at Large

Pauline Villanueva - Member at Large

Kevin Green-Member at Large

Laurel Garcia- 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.

View the Replay »

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

Pauline Villanueva
Staff Attorney
Apellate Defenders Inc.

The Appellate Practice Section (“APS”) is pleased to spotlight Pauline Villanueva, a criminal appellate attorney who has built her career on research, writing, and a well-honed instinct for spotting the issues others might miss.

Pauline has been a member of APS for several years, initially as a passive participant and becoming more actively involved over the past two to three years.  Like many in the field, she has experienced how isolating appellate work can feel—particularly in her earlier years practicing solo and before joining ADI.  She saw APS as an opportunity to connect with like-minded practitioners working in the same niche, whether in civil or criminal appeals, and as a way to build community in what could be a lonely practice.

Her favorite part of being involved is the opportunity to meet and speak with other appellate attorneys, justices, and judges.  She especially enjoys events such as the APS reception and the State of the Appellate Courts, where members gather, exchange ideas, and help demystify appellate work for attorneys interested in the field.  Pauline values not only the networking opportunities, but also the educational aspect—learning more about appellate practice while helping others see that this work is both accessible and rewarding.

Pauline’s path to appellate law was not a traditional one.  In law school, she had limited exposure to appellate practice and began her career as a public defender in Ventura and Fresno.  Over time, she realized that trial work was not the right fit and that she was on the path to burnout.  After returning to San Diego, she took time to reflect on what she most enjoyed about practicing law: research, writing, and argument before a judge.  At a California Attorneys for Criminal Justice conference, she heard an appellate attorney speak and followed up afterward.  That connection led to a mentor, new opportunities, and an immediate sense that appellate work was the right fit.

What Pauline enjoys most about appellate practice is the opportunity to engage deeply with the law.  The work allows her to encounter a wide range of legal issues that many practitioners may never see.  She especially enjoys research and issue-spotting—recognizing when an issue triggers her “spidey senses,” diving into the research rabbit hole, and treating the law like a puzzle waiting to be solved.

While most of her work has focused on appointed criminal appeals, she has also handled civil appeals by referral in the past.  Most recently, Pauline litigated a case before the California Supreme Court, with the Court issuing its opinion in People v. Morris (S284751) on May 4th—a significant milestone in her appellate career.

Outside of work, Pauline enjoys reading fiction entirely unrelated to the law—avoiding mysteries, suspense, and thrillers—and practices strength training and weightlifting as a way to clear her head.  By her own description, she is a “massive introvert,” a trait that suits the thoughtful and analytical nature of appellate practice well.

APS is grateful for Pauline’s involvement and contributions and looks forward to her continued impact on the appellate community.

Previous APS Member Spotlights

In case you missed a spotlight, we are re-posting all past member spotlights below:
 

Josh Patashnik
Lynelle Hee
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