Strategic Appellate Support
Featuring two former appellate judges with decades of experience on the bench, Hunton Andrews Kurth’s issues and appeals team is uniquely positioned not only to first-chair your appeals, but also to support your primary appellate counsel, including by providing an exceptional moot court experience, in preparation for the rigors of oral argument.
Distinct among nationally recognized appellate practices, Hunton Andrews Kurth’s issues and appeals team includes Judge Thomas Griffith, a fifteen-year veteran of the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, and Judge Scott Brister, a former Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas and Chief Justice of the Fourteenth Court of Appeals of Texas. Judges Griffith and Brister—and the other members of the experienced issues and appeals team, including two former state solicitors general—offer clients and law firms not only top-notch first-chair counsel, but also a valuable second set of eyes at all stages of an appeal, from assessing whether to appeal to the briefing to the oral argument. In particular, our former judges are able to share specific and concrete guidance that comes only from their years on the bench.
Our appellate support runs the gamut, from post-trial briefing through petitions for rehearing. Hunton assists you and your primary appellate counsel in making strategic decisions on what arguments to advance, how to prioritize them, and how best to present them. And while briefs are the most important part of any appeal, our former appellate judges offer elite experience in preparing for oral argument. They, and other members of the team, are available for formal moot courts, a tried and true tool of the appellate trade that is only as valuable as the panelists you engage. We pride ourselves on offering a moot court environment that is often more difficult than the actual oral argument, as well as providing feedback on how you may better articulate your argument or answer questions, giving confidence to the lead lawyers.
Judge Thomas B. Griffith, Special Counsel, Washington, DC
Former federal judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (2005-2020) and former Senate Legal Counsel (1995-1999). As a member of the DC Circuit bench, Judge Griffith was the author of approximately 200 opinions on a range of matters including administrative, environmental and energy law, and congressional investigations.
Judge Scott A. Brister, Partner, Austin
Former Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas (2003-2009), former Chief Justice of the Fourteenth Court of Appeals of Texas (2002), former Justice of the First Court of Appeals of Texas (2000-2001), and former Judge of the 234th District Court (1989-2000). In these various positions, Judge Brister presided over 670 trials to verdict and authored more than 600 appellate opinions, including 122 opinions of the Texas Supreme Court.
Elbert Lin, Partner, Richmond
Former Solicitor General of West Virginia (2013-2017). During his tenure as Solicitor General, Elbert served as a member of the Attorney General’s senior management team, oversaw all civil and criminal appeals, and supervised the state’s federal litigation. He authored more than 25 briefs for the US Supreme Court and more than 45 formal Opinions of the Attorney General. Elbert has also been a law clerk at all three levels of the federal judiciary, including for Justice Clarence Thomas on the US Supreme Court.