Appellate Advocacy

Appellate advocacy is a powerful catalyst for systemic change because appellate court decisions change the law itself. The PJC's Appellate Advocacy Project seeks to influence the development of poverty and discrimination law before state and federal appellate courts.  By being able to concentrate skilled and experienced advocates on appellate strategies, the Appellate Advocacy Project serves as a critical resource for the private bar, legal services organizations, community organizations, and a national network of poverty and civil rights advocates. We work to identify cases that have the potential for accomplishing systemic change of the legal and social systems that create or permit injustice for our clients. 

The work of the Appellate Advocacy Project is greatly enhanced by the Murnaghan Appellate Advocacy Fellowship, which was created in honor of the late Honorable Francis D. Murnaghan, Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. An annual Fellowship is awarded to a lawyer who has served as a judicial clerk and is committed to working in public interest law. (Link To Murnaghan Website).

The appellate process is one of the most valuable safeguards of our judicial system, and a powerful vehicle in the advancement of the PJC's mission. Help us bring about systemic change in the justice system.

Expanding the Reach of Justice through the Courts of Appeal