Lotus Appellate Law | Utah Appellate Attorneys

Lotus Appellate Law is Salt Lake City’s boutique appellate law firm — dedicated exclusively to appellate advocacy before the Utah Court of Appeals and Utah Supreme Court.

When the outcome of a civil or criminal appeal depends on the quality of briefing and oral argument, Salt Lake City clients and trial counsel across Utah turn to Lotus Appellate Law. We handle the full scope of appellate practice: post-trial motions, merit appeals, interlocutory appeals under URAP Rule 5, extraordinary writs, and post-conviction review.

Justice may still be within reach — Contact Lotus Appellate Law to discuss your case.

Schedule a Call


The right Salt Lake City appellate attorney can mean the difference between reversal and affirmance.

Your Most Important Questions About Utah Appeals — Answered

An appeal is a formal request to a higher court to review a lower court’s decision for legal error. Unlike a trial, no new evidence is introduced and witnesses don’t testify — appellate courts review the written record and the parties’ legal briefs to determine whether the trial court correctly applied the law. At Lotus Appellate Law, Salt Lake City’s exclusively appellate firm, we specialize in identifying reversible error and building the focused, persuasive arguments that Utah appellate courts require.

The appellate process typically begins with a notice of appeal, which must be filed within strict deadlines — often 30 days after final judgment. The appellant then designates the record and submits an opening brief identifying the legal errors that warrant reversal. The opposing party files an answer brief, and a reply brief may follow. Oral argument is sometimes granted but not guaranteed. At Lotus Appellate Law, we craft thorough, well-researched briefs designed to resonate with Utah appellate judges — and move the needle on outcomes.

Refer to our guide on the appellate process.

Not every adverse ruling is immediately appealable. Generally, you can appeal a final judgment — a ruling that fully resolves the case. Interlocutory appeals of non-final orders are available in limited circumstances under URAP Rule 5 and require permission from the appellate court. Success on appeal also requires identifying meaningful legal or procedural error that affected the outcome. Lotus Appellate Law evaluates cases with candor — if an appeal is unlikely to succeed, we’ll tell you directly.

Appellate practice is a distinct discipline from trial work. It demands mastery of written advocacy, deep familiarity with appellate procedure, and the ability to distill a complex record into a compelling legal narrative. Standards of review, issue preservation, and briefing conventions are all highly technical — many excellent trial attorneys find them unfamiliar terrain. At Lotus Appellate Law, appellate advocacy is the only work we do. That focus translates directly into sharper briefs and better outcomes for our clients in the Utah Court of Appeals and Utah Supreme Court.

Refer to What does an Appellate Attorney Do?.

Timelines vary by court, case complexity, and briefing schedules. In the Utah Court of Appeals, most appeals resolve within 12–18 months from the notice of appeal. Utah Supreme Court cases — particularly those involving petitions for certiorari or original jurisdiction — may take two years or more. Lotus Appellate Law keeps clients informed at every stage and meets every deadline without exception.

If you’re considering an appeal in Utah, act quickly. Appellate deadlines are jurisdictional — miss them and your right to appeal may be lost entirely. Contact Lotus Appellate Law in Salt Lake City to schedule a consultation. We’ll review your case, give you an honest assessment, and help you decide whether an appeal is the right path forward.

Utah Court of Appeals
In re Guardianship of Matthews
No. 20240822-CA May 2026
Reversed
CA
Utah Court of Appeals
State v. Underwood
No. 20240158-CA May 2026
Affirmed
CA
Utah Court of Appeals
State v. Cartwright
No. 20230748-CA May 2026
Affirmed
CA
Utah Court of Appeals
State v. Torres Martinez
No. 20230326-CA May 2026
Affirmed
CA
Utah Court of Appeals
State v. Montgomery
No. 20241296-CA May 2026
Reversed
CA
Utah Appellate Opinions

Every Utah appellate
decision since 1997. Analyzed.

Utah Court of Appeals & Supreme Court, 1997–2026

The most comprehensive searchable database of Utah appellate opinions — filtered by date, court, and subject matter. Built by appellate practitioners, for appellate practitioners.

7,200+
Opinions indexed
29
Years covered
6+
Sections
Browse opinions View analytics dashboard
Attorney Fees Due Process Employment Law Jurisdiction Criminal Family Law

Our Team

a woman smiling at the camera

Cherise Bacalski

Founder, Appellate Attorney

Man in suit with neutral background

Craig Pankratz

Appellate Attorney

Man in suit with tie

James Duffin

Appellate Paralegal

Appellate Services

Lotus Appellate Law provides Salt Lake City clients and Utah trial counsel with the full range of appellate services — appeals to the Utah Court of Appeals and Utah Supreme Court, interlocutory appeals, extraordinary writs, post-trial motions, Anti-SLAPP and UPEPA motions and appeals, and preservation counseling for active litigation. Every matter is handled with the same analytical rigor and procedural precision, regardless of case complexity or stage.

Learn About the Utah Appellate Process

Interlocutory Appeals

Post-trial Motions

Motion for Summary Judgment

Supreme Court Petitions

Post-Conviction Relief

Appellate Record Review

Embedded Appellate Counsel

Expedited Appeals

Appellate Topics

  • cozy lamplit desk with open book and magnifying glass
    • Embedded Appellate Counsel

    How Issue Preservation Works — and Why Trial Attorneys Need Help With It
    The preservation doctrine is one of those rules that every litigator knows in principle and many underestimate in practice. It is not enough to raise an issue — it must be raised in the right way, at the right time,…
    Read More
    • Issue Preservation
    • |
    • Trial Assistance
  • pensive woman on phone in sunlit office watercolor mood
    • Pro Se Representation

    The Pro Se Trap: Once You’ve Destroyed Your Case in District Court, Appellate Firms Won’t Touch It
    At Lotus Appellate Law, we get calls from people who represented themselves pro se at the trial level in their own divorce or custody case, things went badly, and now they are hoping an appellate law firm can fix it….
    Read More
    • Practice Tip
    • |
    • AI
  • watercolor courtroom testimony scene under warm light tense mood
    • Pro Se Representation

    The Hallucination Problem: Why ChatGPT Cites Cases That Don’t Exist (And Why Judges Know It)
    At Lotus Appellate Law, we have encountered pro se clients who come in with motions they have drafted using ChatGPT. They are proud of them. The language sounded professional. It cited cases. It made arguments that sounded legal. So they…
    Read More
    • AI
    • |
    • Legal Writing

Core Appellate Practice Areas

Lotus Appellate Law handles civil and criminal appeals across a wide range of practice areas in the Utah Court of Appeals and Utah Supreme Court. Select any area below to learn more about the appellate considerations specific to that type of case.

Civil Appeals

Criminal
Appeals

Family Law Appeals

Uniform Public Expression Protection Act Appeals
(UPEPA)

Medical Malpractice Appeals

Personal Injury Appeals

Professional Malpractice Appeals

Environmental and Land Use Appeals

Employment Law Appeals

Probate and Estate Appeals

Juvenile Law Appeals

Amicus Brief

Recent Utah Appellate Court Decisions