Lawyer for appeals in Cleveland

Cleveland Appeals Attorneys

The Cleveland appellate lawyers at Bolek Besser Glesius LLC have one simple goal when representing clients on appeal: win. If you need an appellate attorney in Ohio, your search is over.

Experienced Ohio Appellate Lawyers

The appellate attorneys at Bolek Besser Glesius have served as counsel in cases before the Ohio Supreme Court, the Ohio courts of appeals, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. We have the experience to win on appeal when the stakes are at their highest.

Spearheading the appeals practice at Bolek Besser Glesius is Matthew D. Besser, a former law professor of appellate advocacy at Case Western Reserve University School of Law. An experienced appellate lawyer, Matt has also worked as a law clerk for a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

With an emphasis on cases that protect the rights of individuals and defend the public interest, we can handle appeals across a wide range of legal areas, including:

  • Employment law.
  • Personal injury and medical malpractice.
  • Workers’ compensation.
  • First Amendment free speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of religion.
  • Fourth Amendment unlawful searches and seizures.
  • Equal Protection and Due Process.
  • Constitutional law issues in general.
  • Habeas corpus ineffective assistance of counsel claims.
  • Criminal law.
  • Fair trial issues.
  • Regulatory administrative appeals.
  • Women’s rights.
  • LGBT rights.

Winning important cases in Ohio appellate courts

Results matter when choosing an appeals lawyer. Bolek Besser Glesius attorneys have won several landmark appellate victories in the Ohio and federal courts of appeals. These cases have helped establish or reaffirm critical legal rights for individuals in civil rights and other public-interest cases. Some of our successes include:

  • A seminal victory by Cathleen Bolek in a disability discrimination case at the Sixth Circuit, which helped establish the right of individuals with disabilities to protected medical leave under Americans with Disabilities Act. Courts have cited the case’s central holding nearly 100 times.
  • Having a tainted defense verdict thrown out in an age discrimination case because the jury foreman lied during jury selection.
  • Defending a plaintiff’s verdict in a wrongful death and intentional tort case in the Ohio Court of Appeals for the Eighth District.
  • Drafting an amicus brief to the Ohio Supreme Court in a case about when Ohio public employers can be sued for workplace torts. In a 4-3 decision, the Supreme Court adopted the reasoning of our brief.
  • Winning reversal of a trial court order to produce a plaintiff’s obstetrics and gynecology records in a pregnancy discrimination case where there was no evidence they were actually relevant.
  • Obtaining reversal of the grant of summary judgment in an employment retaliation case at the Sixth Circuit, despite a panel of three conservative judges.
  • Overturning an order dismissing a wrongful discharge claim against a Cuyahoga County public employer.
  • Defeating employer motions to compel arbitration in numerous employment discrimination cases, requiring the employers to defend their actions in open court rather than in private arbitration.
  • Drafting an amicus brief to the Ohio Supreme Court on behalf of four women’s advocacy nonprofit groups in a sex discrimination case. The Supreme Court’s decision in the case reinstated a verdict in excess of a million dollars.
  • Obtaining a decision by the Sixth Circuit to vacate and remand a district court order denying habeas corpus relief due to ineffective assistance of counsel.

How to write a great appellate brief

Going the extra mile to win tough appeals

Experience is great, but to win on appeal, nothing is more important than the quality of the legal brief. Unfortunately, most legal writing is not very good. If you ask nearly any appellate judge, they will tell you that the vast majority of briefs are too long, poorly organized, contain irrelevant arguments, and are generally not helpful.

Bad appellate briefs don’t win tough cases. Sometimes, they lose cases a party should win. Because the rate of reversal on appeal is so low, a bad—or even mediocre—appellate brief is especially disastrous for litigants who lost at the trial court.

But at Bolek Besser Glesius we hold ourselves to the highest standards of legal writing:

We pride ourselves on writing clear, concise, easy-to-read appellate briefs that hit the reader squarely between the eyes.

We understand the need to tell a captivating story that grabs the judges’ attention and taps into their sense of fairness, justice, and common sense.

And we strive to make creative, cutting-edge legal arguments—arguments that win.

Helping attorneys and their clients win on appeal

Sometimes a fresh set of eyes yields big results on appeal. Besides just briefing and arguing cases, our appellate attorneys can also help attorneys and their clients prepare to win their own appeals. We offer a full range of appellate services, including:

  • Reviewing trial court proceedings for possible successful appellate issues.
  • Taking interlocutory appeals from court orders compelling discovery, or from other orders requiring emergency appeal.
  • Drafting appellate or amicus briefs.
  • Reviewing and consulting on appellate briefs drafted by others.
  • Oral argument.
  • Mock oral arguments and oral argument preparation.
  • Drafting memoranda in support or opposing jurisdiction at the Ohio Supreme Court.
  • Drafting petitions for certiorari at the U.S. Supreme Court or briefs in opposition to certiorari.
  • Drafting writs of mandamus or prohibition.
  • Consulting on appellate jurisdiction issues.
  • Consulting at the trial-court level to ensure preservation of the record for appeal.

Your Cleveland appellate lawyers

If you won in the trial court, securing that victory on appeal is critical. If you lost in the trial court, the appeal is your last chance for justice.

Either way, the Cleveland appellate lawyers at Bolek Besser Glesius might be able to help you win when the stakes are at their highest.