Civil & criminal appeals · Boston, Massachusetts
Alexandra H. Deal has spent more than fifteen years briefing and arguing appeals in the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court and the First Circuit. She finds the issues that matter and writes the briefs that make judges see them.
“There is nothing I love more than researching an issue in depth and coming up with a great argument to support my client’s position.” Alexandra H. Deal
Alex began her legal career as an appellate law clerk at the D.C. Court of Appeals, and quickly fell in love with appellate practice. Two decades later, she has built a career on both sides of the trial-and-appeal divide: more than 20 years as a civil and criminal litigator, and more than 15 years handling appeals in both.
That trial experience is what sets her appellate work apart. She knows how records get made, where error hides in a transcript, and how a strong argument at trial becomes a winning issue on appeal.
Her writing is crisp, unfussy and approachable: think law nerd minus the legal jargon, storyteller minus the unnecessary adjectives. Judges read a lot of briefs. Hers are built to be read, understood and remembered.
Appeals turn on the law. Alex runs every issue to ground, from the controlling precedent to the case nobody else found, and builds the argument from there.
Plain, persuasive writing that tells your client’s story without the jargon. Clear briefs are easier for busy judges to follow, and easier to agree with.
She has briefed, argued and won in the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court and the First Circuit, and has served as co-counsel in the D.C. Circuit.
As a Resource Attorney for the Committee for Public Counsel Services, Alex guides other appellate attorneys on issue-spotting, brief writing and oral argument.
Whether you are a client facing an appeal or a trial lawyer who wants an experienced appellate lawyer’s eye on your case, there is a way to work together.
Full representation on appeal in criminal and civil cases, from reviewing the record through the final brief and oral argument.
For trial counsel who want to see a case through to the end, but would rather hand off the research and writing. Alex drafts the briefs and motions; you stay counsel of record.
Help at the pre-trial and trial stages to set the case up for appeal, if it comes to that. (Alex believes in your trial skills!)
Alex approaches cases holistically, as puzzles whose pieces must fit together into a complete strategic and factual picture, always with an eye toward identifying and preserving appellate issues along the way.
Appellate deadlines are short. Reach out early, whether you are a client, a family member or trial counsel looking for help.
Please don’t send confidential information until we have confirmed that we can take your matter. Contacting Alex does not create an attorney-client relationship.