Civil Appellate Practices and Procedures for the Self-Represented

This manual describes in simple terms the civil appellate process and the related California Rules of Court that are in effect as of November 1, 2016. The manual is intended for persons who represent themselves (also called “self-represented litigants” and those “in pro per” or “in pro se”) and attorneys with little or no appellate experience who are bringing civil appeals to the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, which has jurisdiction over appeals from Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barabara and San Luis Obispo counties. This manual does not cover criminal or juvenile dependency appeals.

The materials included here are not legal advice and may not be used as legal authority. The primary legal authority for the practices described in this manual is the California Rules of Court. (The California Rules of Court are sometimes referred to in this manual as "CRC," for example, "CRC rule 8.108.") The manual does not replace or supersede the California Rules of Court. It is merely a general summary of the applicable rules. The rules themselves are subject to change, and you should consult them directly. In the event the information here differs from the California Rules of Court, you must follow the California Rules of Court.

All of the forms referred to in this manual are included along with instructions for filling them out. Many of the sample forms in this manual are also available online in PDF format and may be filled out electronically for free. A more abbreviated description of the civil appeal process (form APP-001) is also available.

You may download the entire manual or you may view individual sections below.

Chapters

• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• Chapter 1 - Filing the Notice of Appeal
• Chapter 2 - Designating the Record
• Chapter 3 - Civil Case Information Statement and Certificate of Interested Entities or Persons
• Chapter 4 - Briefing the Case
• Chapter 5 - Motions, Applications, Stipulations, Abandonment, and Online Case Information
• Chapter 6 - Oral Argument
• Chapter 7 - What you Can Do After The Court Files Its Opinion

Forms

• Notice of Appeal (APP-002)
• Notice of Entry of Judgment (CIV-130)
• Proof of Service (2DCA-15)
• Information Sheet on Waiver of Appellate Court Fees (Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, Appellate Division (APP-015-INFO/FW-015-INFO)
• Notice Designating Record on Appeal (2DCA/APP-003)
• Civil Case Information Statement (2DCA/APP-004)
• Certificate of Interested Entities or Persons (APP-008)
• Sample Brief
• Motion to Augment Record on Appeal (Documents Attached)
• Motion to Augment Record on Appeal (Documents Requested)
• Motion to Augment Record on Appeal with Reporter's Transcript
• Stipulation to Extend Time to File Brief
• Application for Extension of Time to File Brief (2DCA-04)
• Abandonment of Appeal (Unlimited Civil Case) (APP-005)
• Request for Dismissal of Appeal (Civil Case) (APP-007)

Appendices

• Appendix 1 - Timeline
• Appendix 2 - Courts and Public Law Libraries
• Appendix 3 - Citing Your Sources of Information
• Appendix 4 - Glossary (Definition of Terms)
• Appendix 5 - Summary Judgment and Demurrer

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