appellate
Court of review
Appellate describes courts or proceedings that review decisions made by lower courts: appellate court, appellate jurisdiction, appellate judge.
An appellate court doesn't retry cases—it examines whether legal errors occurred in the original trial.
The word appears almost exclusively in legal contexts.
Judicial decision-making body
- benchShared seating surface
- judgesLegal proceeding overseers
- panelDistinct flat section
- circuitClosed electrical pathway
judiciary · jurisdiction · docket · hearing · opinion · dissent · concurrence · mandate
Critical written assessment
- reversalComplete change of direction
- affirmationPositive statement of truth
- remandReturn for further proceedings
- overturnReverse or invalidate
vacate · certiorari · petition · briefing · oral argument · record · de novo · preservation
Short in duration
- argumentReasoned case or dispute
- memorandumFormal internal correspondence
- replyVerbal or written answer
- motionChange in position
filing · appendix · citation · standing · mootness · ripeness · jurisdiction · merits
Prior authoritative example
- holdingMaintaining physical possession
- dictumAuthoritative formal statement
- bindingLegally or morally required
- persuasiveAble to convince others
distinguish · overrule · landmark · test · doctrine · rule · reasoning · rationale
One who formally requests
- respondentOne who gives answers
- appelleeParty against whom appeal is brought
- counselExpert guidance offered
- attorneyLicensed legal representative
tribunal
Judicial decision-making body
circuit · judiciary · jurisdiction · docket · hearing · opinion · dissent · concurrence · mandate · ruling
review
Critical written assessment
- reversalComplete change of direction
- affirmationPositive statement of truth
- remandReturn for further proceedings
overturn · vacate · certiorari · petition · briefing · oral argument · record · de novo · preservation · interlocutory
brief
Short in duration
- argumentReasoned case or dispute
- memorandumFormal internal correspondence
- replyVerbal or written answer
motion · filing · appendix · citation · standing · mootness · ripeness · jurisdiction · merits · disposition
precedent
Prior authoritative example
- holdingMaintaining physical possession
- dictumAuthoritative formal statement
- bindingLegally or morally required
persuasive · distinguish · overrule · landmark · test · doctrine · rule · reasoning · rationale · published
petitioner
One who formally requests
- respondentOne who gives answers
- appelleeParty against whom appeal is brought
- counselExpert guidance offered
attorney · advocate · solicitor general · public defender · intervenor
- legal termstrial, legal, lawsuit, law, verdict
- Federal Courtsfederal court, federal courts, district court, district courts, circuit court
- jurisdictionjurisdiction, legal jurisdiction, federal jurisdiction, state jurisdiction, court jurisdiction
- courtroomjudge, jury, oath taking, lawyer, bench
- constitutionsbill of rights, constitutional amendment, constitutional reform, clause, clauses
- court termscourt, courts, judge, judges, trial
appellatetrial
Judicial examination of claims
original · lower · inferior · district · trial court
appellateoriginal jurisdiction
Court's power to hear cases first
first instance · fact-finding · initial · evidentiary · de novo
appellatetrial
Judicial examination of claims
trial court · lower court · original · district court · circuit court
- appellate decisionHigher court's judgment
- appellate courtTribunal reviewing lower decisions
- appellate briefWritten legal argument for review