Maryland Civil Appeals Lawyer

Civil litigation does not necessarily end when the trial court enters judgment. When a court misinterprets or misapplies the law, abuses its discretion, or makes clearly erroneous findings, appellate review may provide a means to challenge the ruling. A Maryland civil appeals lawyer can evaluate the record, identify preserved appellate issues, and determine how those issues should be presented to the reviewing court.

Appealing a Civil Judgment in Maryland

Jason Ostendorf has approximately 20 years of litigation experience and represents clients seeking to appeal adverse civil judgments as well as clients defending favorable judgments on appeal. Civil appeals can arise from a wide variety of disputes and may involve challenges to summary judgment, dismissal of claims, evidentiary rulings, trial-court findings, damages, statutory interpretation, and other legal or procedural rulings.

An appeal is fundamentally different from a trial. Appellate courts generally review the record created in the lower court rather than hearing the case again. Effective civil appellate representation therefore requires careful analysis of the record, identification of issues properly preserved for review, extensive legal research, and application of the appropriate standard of review.

Trial Experience & Civil Appellate Practice

Mr. Ostendorf's trial-level litigation experience provides an important perspective when handling civil appeals. Understanding how evidence was presented, how objections and arguments were preserved, and how the trial court reached its decision can be critical when determining which issues provide the strongest grounds for appellate review.

Our civil appellate practice includes matters involving consumer protection, constitutional issues, insurance disputes, foreclosure-related litigation, and other contested civil cases. Depending on the underlying dispute, an appeal may involve questions of law reviewed independently by the appellate court or rulings reviewed under more deferential standards.

Representing Appellants & Appellees

Our firm represents both appellants seeking to overturn adverse civil rulings and appellees seeking to preserve favorable judgments. In either posture, effective appellate advocacy requires identifying the issues most likely to affect the outcome, analyzing the applicable standard of review, and presenting a focused argument supported by the record and controlling authority.

Maryland Appellate Representation

Mr. Ostendorf handles appeals before the Appellate Court of Maryland and has argued before the Supreme Court of Maryland. Learn more about the firm's broader Maryland appellate representation, including our approach to appellate briefing, record review, legal research, and oral argument.

Schedule a Consultation

If you are considering an appeal from a Maryland civil judgment or need to defend a favorable judgment on appeal, use our online scheduling system to secure our earliest available consultation.