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How to Pass the Appellate Specialization Exam

Learn how to study for the CA Appellate Specialization Exam

"Mr. Shatz, I just finished my second listening to your Pincus program re the appellate specialization exam. I sure do appreciate you putting the program together. It helped shape my study plan and outline and is a great refresher. Thanks for participating in it." J. Lewis, Esq.

"I just learned that I passed the August Appellate Specialist Exam. I didn't attend your course in person, I had the CD's; but the course really helped me pass the exam. You did a nice job of treating the civil and criminal sides of the exam, I thought. I found the course very useful and helpful. Thanks to you and the panel who put it on."

"I passed the August Appellate Specialization Exam. Ben Shatz, Jennifer King, and Scott Davenport gave a great program and provided very useful advice in preparing for the exam. Thank you."

"The panel's appellate experience really showed! Great advice."

"Great presentation!"

"I feel like I'm prepared to take the exam now. Thank you!"

"Good materials. The samples really help."

"Teachers were great!"

Course Summary

The CA Bar Appellate Specialization Exam is given every other year in odd years and the next exam is August 2009.

Here is your chance to spend a day preparing for the Appellate Specialization Exam with two former chairs of the Specialization Committee that writes, grades and administers the exam (and a current chair of the Committee of Bar Examiners) as well as certified civil and criminal appellate specialists.

Find out what to expect and how to prepare for the Appellate Specialization exam. Get sample exam questions. Eliminate the stress that goes with the unknown when preparing for an exam.

This specially tailored program will give you tips on how to take the exam as well as how to study for it.

Who should attend?

CA attorneys who are considering taking, or have signed up for, the CA Bar Association’s August 2009 Appellate Specialization Exam. See http://calbar.ca.gov/state/calbar/calbar_generic.jsp?cid=11584 for the Bar’s requirements regarding the exam and qualifications to be a specialist.

Information on the Appellate Specialization Exam

1. What is a California "certified" Appellate specialist?

Attorneys may advertise or identify themselves as "certified" Appellate Specialists in California only if they are certified either by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization, or an organization whose certification program has been accredited by the State Bar. Since no such organization has such a program for Appellate Specialists, you must be certified by the CA bar and take the CA Bar Appellate Specialization test.

To become a Certified Appellate Specialist, CA attorneys must take and pass a written examination. They must also demonstrate a high level of experience in Appellate practice and they must fulfill ongoing appellate specialization CLE requirements. They must also be favorably evaluated by other attorneys and judges familiar with their work.

2. Why does it benefit me to become a certified appellate specialist?

With only 242 Certified Appellate Specialists in California (as of July 2007), you become part of an elite group of practitioners and can identify yourself as such in your bios and to your potential clients.

3. I'm a lawyer. Am I eligible to become a certified specialist?

If you are an active member of the State Bar of California and have been engaged in an appellate practice during the last five years for at least 25% of the time, you may be eligible for certification.

4. How long is the exam?

The exam is divided into two sessions – the three hour and 15 minute morning session includes 75 multiple-choice questions and two essay questions; the three hour afternoon session includes six essay questions. There are no optional questions; each examinee is expected to answer all questions on the exam. Appellate Law examinees may choose to take either the civil or criminal version of the exam. (taken verbatim from the CA bar association website)

For more information, go to: http://calbar.ca.gov/state/calbar/calbar_generic.jsp?cid=11584

The Los Angeles Athletic Club offers discounted parking and hotel accommodations. Click here for parking and hotel information.

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Home Study Course

Purchase now »

How to Pass the Appellate Specialization Exam

Click above to purchase the audio recording of our How to Pass the Appellate Specialization Exam seminar.

$495 plus CA tax and $7.50 shipping

This is a live recording of our May 2009 seminar held in Los Angeles.

PDF Order Form

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Topics to be covered in this seminar include:

• How the exam is written
• How the exam is graded and on what schedule
• How best to study for the exam, including using old exam
questions we will provide
• The exam's format and content, including
      - appellate ethics
      - tricky procedural topics
      - pre-briefing issues
      - motions and briefing
      - post-briefing topics
      - writs

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CLE Specialization Credit

This seminar is not available for specialization credit due to the content and purpose (exam prep) of the program.

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MCLE Credit

This seminar is not available for CLE credit due to the content and purpose (exam prep) of the program.

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Instructors

Faculty:

Scott W. Davenport, Esq.
Partner
Manning & Marder et al LLP

Scott W. Davenport is a California State Bar Certified Specialist in Appellate Law and is a past chair of the Appellate Law Advisory Commission. Mr. Davenport is AV rated and was selected in 2004, 2005, and 2006 by Los Angeles Magazine as a "Super Lawyer," which recognizes him as one of Southern California's Top Lawyers. Throughout his career, Mr. Davenport has served as lead counsel in approximately 400 appellate matters, many of which resulted in published opinions involving cases of first impression, including a per curiam summary reversal in the United States Supreme Court.

In addition to currently serving as an Appellate Settlement Officer with the Second District Court of Appeals, Mr. Davenport has served as a judge pro tem in the San Bernardino Superior Court. Mr. Davenport is a current member of the California State Bar Committee of Bar Examiners and is the past chair of the State Bar's Appellate Law Advisory Commission. He is a regular contributor to the Los Angeles Daily Journal and has recently been featured in the State Bar's Ad Campaign, "What Kind of Lawyer Becomes a Certified Specialist?" Prior to joining Manning & Marder, Kass, Ellrod, Ramirez LLP, Mr. Davenport served as a Deputy Attorney General in the California Department of Justice, Appeals, Writs & Trials Section. More recently, he was the senior partner at a San Diego based firm, which specialized in trial and appellate litigation.

Mr. Davenport has also served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Donald Work of the California Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division One, and to the Honorable Leland Nielsen of the United States District Court, Southern District of California.

In 2006, Mr. Davenport was involved in three United States Supreme Court matters and one matter before the California Supreme Court. In 2007, Mr. Davenport was back in front of the High Court, this time obtaining a summary reversal in Rettele v. County of Los Angeles..

Mr. Davenport heads both the Orange County Appellate Department and the Workers' Compensation Appellate Department at Manning & Marder, Kass, Ellrod, Ramirez LLP.

Benjamin G. Shatz
Partner
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
Instructor Portrait

Mr. Shatz is certified as an appellate law specialist by the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization and is a member of the Appellate Practice Group in the Los Angeles office of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP. He has briefed hundreds of civil appeals, writs and petitions to the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Courts of Appeals, California Supreme Court and California Courts of Appeal, covering a variety of practice areas. Mr. Shatz frequently contributes appellate law articles to periodicals including CEB’s Civil Litigation Reporter, Los Angeles Lawyer, California Lawyer, and the Daily Journal. He is the Chair of the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Appellate Courts Committee and the Vice Chair of the California State Bar's Committee on Appellate Courts. He has been named by Los Angeles Magazine and Law & Politics Magazine as one of Southern California’s “Super Lawyers” in the field of Appellate Law, 2004-2010.

Mr. Shatz also served as Law Clerk to the Honorable Robert J. Johnston, United States Magistrate Judge for the District of Nevada and as Extern to the Honorable Dorothy W. Nelson, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Mr. Shatz graduated magna cum laude from Pepperdine University School of Law, and was an Associate Editor of the Pepperdine Law Review and an Assistant Editor of the California Supreme Court Survey.

Jennifer Louise King, Esq.
Senior Judicial Attorney
California Court of Appeal, Second District

Jennifer L. King is a Certified Appellate Specialist and has been a Senior Judicial Attorney for the California Court of Appeal, Second District, for the past five years. Prior to that, she served as an attorney specializing in an appellate practice for nearly ten years.

Before focusing on an appellate practice, Ms. King served as an associate for four years doing trial work, including a stint at O'Melveny and Myers. After graduating law school, Ms. King clerked for United States District Court Judge Alicemarie H. Stotler in Los Angeles.

Ms. King has been a member of the State Bar of California Appellate Law Advisory Commission and previously served as the Chair and Vice Chair. Ms. King has served as an Adjunct Professor for the USC law school and for the University of California at San Diego. She is a graduate of Stanford Law School and externed for the Honorable Allen E. Broussard, California Supreme Court Associate Justice.

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Terms & Policies

Seminar, Webinar, Webcast Registration and Attendance Terms & Policies

Reminder: The room temperature at hotels and other seminar locations are notoriously hard to control. Please bring a sweater or jacket in case it gets cold and/or layer as if you are going to the movies so you are comfortable.

Recording policy: No audio or video recording of any program is permitted.

Seminar Cancellations: Should you be unable to attend for any reason, please inform us in writing no later than 14 days prior to the event and a credit voucher will be issued. If you prefer, a refund, less a $50 non-refundable deposit, will be issued. No refunds or credits will be given for cancellations received within 14 days of an event.

Substitutions may be made at any time.

Webinars, Tele-seminars and Webcast Cancellations: Once log-in codes and passwords are issued for a webinar, tele-seminars or webcasts, a refund is not possible. If for any reason you cannot attend the event after you have received the codes, we will automatically convert your registration to an instant streaming/instant download or CD format and provide you with the information you need to access the recording after the program concludes and the recording is available.

Return/Refund Policy for Tapes/CDs/DVDs:

Tapes, CDs and DVDs are returnable for a full refund or replacement if defective, within 90 days of purchase.

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