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What do handwritten orders have to do with apple pie?

November 23, 2020 by Zara Watkins

In New York state courts, handwritten orders are as common as apple pie. In this ~4 minute video I tell you why in the appeals context handwritten orders are like recipes for apple pie (hint: they are difficult to follow without all of the ingredients).

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November 23, 2020 /Zara Watkins
appeals, lawyers, handwritten orders, New York
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Did you miss an appeal e-filing deadline in New York?

November 16, 2020 by Zara Watkins

In this ~5 minute video I explain how to avoid a mistake I have been seeing a lot of lawyers make in e-filed appeals in New York.

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November 16, 2020 /Zara Watkins
appeals, efiling, New York, deadlines
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Big Little Wins–Part 2 (the Rule of Law)

December 09, 2019 by Zara Watkins

In a big little win this year, Zara used her rapid-fire power of persuasion to convince the motion clerk at the Appellate Division that her client's cross-motion papers were properly filed before the deadline set forth in the rules.

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December 09, 2019 /Zara Watkins
appeals, motions, cross-motions, rule of law
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How I streamlined my (brief) writing process.

December 05, 2017 by Zara Watkins in legal writing, legal research

Over (my very busy) summer, I had four appeal briefs due in two weeks. Read about how I got it all done without losing my mind. Hint: it involved a tightly streamlined writing process.

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December 05, 2017 /Zara Watkins
legal writing, legal research, appeals, briefs
legal writing, legal research
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Be a stickler for the (state and federal) rules.

April 24, 2017 by Zara Watkins in legal research, legal writing, argument

We lawyers work within the rule of law; so we necessarily work with a ton of rules. Love it or hate it, your success as a litigator depends on knowing which procedural rules apply to your case (and making sure you follow them precisely). In this post, I share my two part method for navigating the sea of rules in state, federal, and immigration courts that ensures neither my papers nor my arguments are rejected because I missed an applicable rule.

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April 24, 2017 /Zara Watkins
rules, laws, rule of law, procedure, litigation, lawyer, motions, filings, outsource, out-source, legal writing, appeals
legal research, legal writing, argument
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Disclaimer: the content on this site is intended as general information for attorneys, law firms, and non-lawyers seeking appellate representation; nothing stated on this site or on the blawg should be taken or used as legal, accounting, or other professional advice; rather, it is information on how lawyers can use services from Zara Watkins, Esq. on a freelance, outsource, or outsourcing basis and how non-lawyers can engage Zara Watkins, Esq. to represent them on appeal.  None of the content contained on this site constitutes grounds to establish an attorney-client relationship, and you should not consider it as such. Updates in the law may or may not be discussed; please do not rely on any information contained on this site or the blawg as currently applicable. There is no guarantee that you will win your appeal.

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Copyright, all rights reserved. Zara Watkins, Esq., PO Box 627, NY, NY 10274 (mailing address; home office address available upon request).