Appeals

• Author: Aaron B. Maduff
• Pages: 513-548

APPEALS

23-1 LITIGATING SEXUAL HARASSMENT & SEX DISCRIMINATION CASES §23.1

CHAPTER 23: APPEALS

§23.1 TASK: IDENTIFY BASIS OF APPEAL

§23.1.1 WHAT, WHEN and WHY

§23.1.1.1 What

Appeals fall into two general categories: those that are of fact and those that are of law. An appeal of fact

is one that asks the appellate court to reverse based upon its reading of the facts. This might mean a review of a

   

    

can also be from a summary judgment record, but rather than arguing that the trial court ignored facts, the appeal

argues that the trial court misapplied the law to an agreed set of facts. Some appeals are also mixed issues—that

is, they argue both that the trial court did not consider or missed particular facts and that, had it done so, it also



in framing it. Thus, you must identify the basis of your appeal at the earliest possible time.

  

carefully reviewing the trial record, including all pleadings, motions, objections, and responses thereto. How the

record was made below is very important.

Practice Note: Be sure to preserve your record in the trial court and use an appellate lawyer to help



attorney still has a basic understanding of the issues for appeal, even if he has no intention of pursuing

or defending it himself. This is critical because the record needs to be preserved in the trial court. This

means that the appropriate objections, motions in limine  

not consider yourself an appellate lawyer, have an appellate lawyer review your pre-trial order and assist



that each lawyer handles his own roles. The job of the appellate lawyer at trial is to advise on objections

and prepare legal motions. You, the trial lawyer, must still handle witness examinations and arguments.

§23.1.1.2 Why

While it is generally true that every case is entitled to one automatic appeal,that does not mean that every case

should be appealed. You need to have a valid basis for appeal, and disliking the outcome below is not enough—

otherwise, you are simply expending resources. An appeal should narrowly focus on the important issues, as a

shot-gun approach is likely to dilute your argument. Be sure you know why 

notice of appeal.

Cautionary Note: Do not f‌ile frivolous appeals

 

-

ages and single or double costs to the appellee.” Sanctions have been ordered in a variety of employment

 Ashkin v. Time Warner

Cablethsee also, Rennie v. Daltonth

Waris v. Frick



rd

  Byrnes v. Lockheed

Martin Corp.th

§23.1.1.3 When

  

appellate attorney can identify issues from the record below, many issues are waived by failure of trial counsel to

raise them. The time to start watching for appellate issues, therefore, is during the lower court proceedings. This

   

issues means making the proper motions to compel discovery. See e.g. Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc. v. Societe des

APPEALS

§23.1 LITIGATING SEXUAL HARASSMENT & SEX DISCRIMINATION CASES 23-2

Produits Nestle S.A.

serve to waive your appeal. Keith v. MGA Inc., th 

motion at the end of the evidence might also serve to waive your appeal. See e.g. Young v. Langley,

th

renew its motion at the close of the entire testimony, defendant waives its original motion and is precluded from



There are several key times to look for issues for appeal at the lower court level. The most important is at the

   -



   

theory of the case.



The record should always be reviewed carefully.

§23.1.2 Typical Issues

-



discrimination and sexual harassment cases, which may provide grounds for an appeal.

§23.1.2.1 Summary Judgment Issues

 

    

 

As a result, it has become a fruitful source of appeals.

   

   







of facts on summary judgment is really an argument that the lower court failed to credit one of your facts, not an

argument that the court improperly applied the law. Where your appeal is one of fact, you must review the factual

    

This does not just mean whether the right questions were asked in deposition, but whether your client complied

with local rules at the summary judgment stage in the court below, many of which require a separate statement of

material facts, without which the facts are not considered.



to consider the particular legal issues carefully. Several such issues are discussed below.

§23.1.2.1.1 Motive

   -

McDonnell Douglas

This last is the mosaic of evidence discussed in Troupe v. May Dept. Stores Co., th. As

discussed in Reeves v. Sanderson Plumbing Products, Inc.

case is whether the employer discriminated, not whether its reasons for the adverse action were legitimate. Courts

often get lost in the complicated burden shifting of McDonnell Douglas v. Green

  

review the record and the opinion below on this point carefully.

§23.1.2.1.2 Good Faith Defense

The good faith defense discussed in Farragher v. City of Boca Raton Burlington

Industries v. Ellerth

where there was actually a tangible job detriment such that the defense does not apply at all? Was the adverse

actor really a management person such that the burden of proving a good faith defense should have rested with

the defendant?

APPEALS

23-3 APPEALS §23.1

§23.1.2.1.3 Cat’s Paw



the analysis of Staub v. Proctor Hospital such that the employer acted with the requisite intent

   

    

   



 

 

  



Practice Note: Make sure that the relevant facts are cited

   

facts. However, take care to ensure that the lower court has not ignored a fact that you need to make the

   

   



    



§23.1.2.2 Jury Instructions Issues



law and often are subject to ambiguity. These appeals are less prevalent since the advent of pattern instructions in

employment cases, which are now used by most federal courts, but tailor-made instructions crafted from case law



that it is an appropriate one.

On the other side of the coin is the missing instruction. Consider these examples:

• Was there a missing spoliation instruction?

• Were two defendants confused in the substantive instructions?

   Desert Palace, Inc. v.

Costa

 



has to be careful to object to jury instructions in the pretrial order or the argument may be waived. The appellate

attorney, meanwhile, must also be aware that the instructions have to be taken as a whole. That one instruction

may be improper does not mean that the law is misrepresented to the jury. Turley v. ISG Lackawanna Inc., 

ndSee also American Family Mut. Ins. Co. v. Hollander

U.S. v. Sherman

§23.1.2.3 Damages Issues

Appeals from trials often include challenges to the reasonableness of damages. This can be an appeal of com-



to remember that in making these appeals, a proper motion for remittitur in the trial court can lay the foundation

for the argument. An improper one can waive the argument.

§23.1.2.3.1 Excessive Damages









standard for a claim of excessive damages is high. One court expressed it thusly: