The deadline to apply for CAAL's fellowship program is next Monday, April 6! It's a great opportunity for early-career appellate lawyers.

The application period will be open through April 6, 2026. To apply, please go to calappellate.org/fellowship-p...
For more information or with questions, please contact Stephanie Finelli at steph@finellilaw.com

Additionally, the Academy will consider an applicant’s contribution to the diversity of participants in the Academy’s programs, which includes (but is not limited to) geographic location, area of practice, race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation.

To qualify, a Fellow must have been a member of the California Bar for at least 3 years, and must spend a substantial amount of time on appellate work.

The following qualifications will be considered in selecting participants in the Fellowship Program:
(1) Good character and professional reputation,
(2) Outstanding appellate skills and ability, and
(3) A continuing commitment to quality appellate practice.

Applications are now open for CAAL's 2026-2027 Fellowship Program. This program seeks to increase the diversity of participants in the Academy’s educational and social programs, and introduce the Academy to appellate lawyers for future candidacy. /1 calappellate.org/fellowship-p...

The California Academy of Appellate Lawyers admitted three new members at its January 2026 meeting: Joshua Klein, Supervising Deputy Solicitor General at the California Department of Justice; Jeff Michalowski, partner at Paul Plevin Quarles; and Radha Pathak, partner at Stris & Maher. Congrats!

CAAL is delighted to announce it has admitted two new members: Lisa Ells, a partner at Rosen Bien Galvan & Grunfeld LLP, and Matthew Zinn, a partner at Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger. Congrats to both new members!

The task force is chaired by Michael Colantuono, and members include Mark Alan Hart, Shane McKenzie, Robin Meadow, Jeremy Rosen, Johanna Schiavoni and Rupa Singh. The Academy and its Task Force welcome opportunities to collaborate with others in bench and bar on this most important topic.

...(ii) suggest means to mitigate such attacks and threats, and (iii) otherwise use the Academy’s voice to defend judges and attorneys and to support the rule of law. (2/3)

CAAL has set up a Task Force on Defense of Judges and the Rule of Law. Its mission is to provide advice to the Academy and suggest ways to (i) identify the risks of personal attacks, and threats of violence, against judges, attorneys, and their families...(1/3)

Congrats to the four attorneys selected for the CAAL Fellowship Program!
· Courtney L.C. Cefali of Cefali & Cefali;
· Cory D. Hernandez of Family Violence Appellate Project;
· Omer Ali Khan, a sole practitioner; and
· Christopher G. Sanchez of the California DOJ.

Warm congratulations to the two newest members of the Academy, elected at the May meeting: @nksawhney.bsky.social of the @aclu-norcal.bsky.social, and Claudia Ribet of the Complex Appellate Litigation Group LLP and Ribet & Silver.

We welcome applications for the 2025-2026 Fellowship Program. This fellowship seeks to increase the diversity of participants in the Academy’s programs, and to introduce the Academy to appellate lawyers. For more details and to apply:

calappellate.org/fellowship-p...

Brian Sutherland on LinkedIn: California Academy of Appellate Lawyers - comment Against red tape? I'm pleased that the California Academy of Appellate Lawyers has submitted this comment to the Judicial Conference of the United States…

CAAL submitted a comment to the Judicial Conference opposing a proposed revision to the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure that would require amici to file a motion for leave to file an amicus brief even if they have consent of the parties. More here: www.linkedin.com/posts/suther...

Congratulations to the two new members of the California Academy elected at the January meeting: Kendra Hall, a partner with Procopio in San Diego, and Kelly Woodruff, a counsel with Complex Appellate Litigation Group in San Francisco. Welcome!