Appeal

What appeal means

In short, appeal is a term you will meet in court papers, rules and legal research. The definition above gives its usual meaning in American civil practice. However, the exact meaning can depend on the rule, statute or court decision that uses it. So it helps to read the term in context.

Where appeal comes up

For example, the term appears in these procedures:

• Notice of Appeal (Fed. R. App. P. 3, 4(a)): the filing that starts an appeal from a federal district court to a court of appeals.

How to research the term

Start with the primary source. For example, if appeal appears in a federal rule, read the rule itself and its official notes. After that, check your court’s local rules and any standing orders from the judge. In addition, search recent decisions from your own state or federal district. They show how courts read appeal in practice. Because state rules often differ, our state procedures guide links to each state’s official rules. Above all, make sure the version you read is still in force.

You can read the official rule text online for free.

Related legal terms

• Final judgment: a judgment that ends the litigation on the merits and leaves nothing for the court to do but execute it. Most appeals can be taken only from final judgments.
• Appellant: the party who appeals.
• Appellee: the party responding to an appeal.
• Standard of review: the level of deference an appellate court gives to the lower court's decision on a particular issue.
• Notice of appeal: the document that starts an appeal.

Why precise terms matter

Legal words often look like everyday words, but they can carry a precise meaning. Because of that, a small misreading can change how you understand a deadline, a duty or a right. Our glossary keeps each definition short and links it to the procedures where it matters.