John Derrick,
appellate specialist

A different type of lawyer,
for a different type of battle.

John Derrick is a California lawyer whose statewide practice is devoted exclusively to appeals and related matters. He is certified as a Specialist in Appellate Law by The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. He handles appeals throughout California. He prefers to work on flat fees and offers clients highly skilled services at reasonable rates.

The skills and knowledge to bring and defend appeals differ from those required in trial courts. An appeal should not be viewed as the final phase in a drawn-out struggle between trial court-weary lawyers. Whichever side of the appeal you are on, the best decision is usually to hire an appellate specialist who will bring experience and a new mind to a different type of battle.

There are some types of appeals John Derrick does not handle — please review the list here.
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 “[T]rial attorneys who prosecute their own appeals… may have ‘tunnel vision.’ Having tried the case themselves, they become convinced of the merits of their cause. They may lose objectivity and would be well served by consulting and taking the advice of disinterested members of the bar, schooled in appellate practice.” (Estate of Gilkison (1998) 65 Cal.App.4th 1443, 1449-1450.)