Civil Appeals Division

The party that loses a lawsuit before a district court judge or an administrative agency, such as the Utah Board of Pardons or the Department of Commerce, can appeal the decision to an appellate court. This often happens when a state officer, agency, or employee is a party. (You have probably seen a losing attorney being interviewed by the media on the courthouse steps: “We intend to appeal,” he declares.) The role of the expert appellate lawyers in the Civil Appeals Division is then to either defend the State’s victory from challenge on appeal or obtain a reversal by the appellate court of an erroneous, adverse decision below. In appeals that involve complex substantive matters–for instance tax, employment, or environmental law–the appellate lawyers work together with the other assistant attorneys general on the appeals.