The Appellate Staff is responsible for the appellate work within the jurisdiction of the Civil Division.

The basic functions performed by the Appellate Staff include:

1. 1. Briefing and arguing cases in the United States Courts of Appeals and various state appellate courts;
2. 2. Preparation of memoranda from the Assistant Attorney General to the Solicitor General recommending for or against appeal, or for or against rehearing en banc or certiorari in cases where the government has lost in the lower courts;
3. 3. Preparation of draft merits briefs, petitions for certiorari, and briefs in opposition in Civil Division cases in the Supreme Court;
4. 4. Providing advice and assistance to persons within the Civil Division and other components of the Department of Justice, including United States Attorneys' offices, senior Department officials and client agencies.

Contacts:

A helpful source for contact information for supervisors within the Appellate Staff can be found in the routinely updated internal compendium “Expertise in the Civil Division.”

[updated April 2018]