What Difference Does an Appellate Judge Make: Ideology, Orientation, and Temperament in the Intermediate Appellate Courts of California
Jeff Calkins, a recently-retired senior research attorney with the Court of Appeal, talks with appellate attorneys Jeff Lewis and Tim Kowal about what it is like working at an appellate court (“like a monastery,” in a good way), about how the writ panel works, cultural differences in the different district Courts of Appeal, and why the California appellate courts may tend to go easier on trial courts than federal appellate courts. Jeff also shares his theory on why California appeals are not as much “fun” as federal appeals (hint: it has to do more with the legislatures than the judges), and disagrees with Tim’s proposal that Rule of Court 8.1115 be amended to allow parties to cite unpublished opinions.
