Appellant

What appellant means

In short, appellant 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 appellant 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

First, read the term where it actually appears. A rule, statute or court decision may define it for its own purposes. Next, check whether your court has a local rule that uses appellant in a special way. Then look at recent decisions from courts in your jurisdiction. They show how judges apply the term today. Also, remember that state law can differ from federal law. For that reason, use our state procedures guide to find your state’s rules. Finally, confirm every source is current before you rely on it.

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.
• Appeal: a request that a higher court review a lower court's decision for legal error.
• 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.