11.28.2012

A comprehensive book about appellate law recently published by the American Bar Association (ABA) features one chapter co-authored by Plunkett Cooney attorneys Mary Massaron Ross and Hilary Ballentine.

Sponsored by the ABA’s Council of Appellate Lawyers, the book, titled: “Appellate Practice Compendium,” informs general practitioners about appellate practice rules and procedures in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., all federal circuit courts and the U.S. Military Appellate Court. Massaron Ross and Ballentine co-authored the seventh chapter titled “Sixth Circuit.”

“This was an opportunity for us to be involved in one of the most trusted resources for appellate law attorneys,” said Massaron Ross, who serves as the firm’s Appellate Law Practice Group Leader. “The compendium really is an insider’s guide to the processes and procedures that can help attorneys plan their appeal anywhere in the country.”

The compendium provides tips on the use of video recordings, access to appellate records, page limits, oral arguments, abstracts, deadlines, addendums, formatting and much more. The 65-chapter book also provides a complete list of appellate resources for every jurisdiction, including Web sites, dockets, practice guides and more.

A member of the firm’s Bloomfield Hills office, Massaron Ross currently serves as President of DRI – The Voice of the Defense Bar. She is a past chair of the Appellate Practice Section of the State Bar of Michigan, DRI’s Appellate Advocacy Committee, and the ABA Council of Appellate Lawyers (CAL), a division of the Appellate Judges Conference. A member of the prestigious American Academy of

Appellate Lawyers, Massaron Ross co-chairs the Michigan Appellate Bench Bar Conference Foundation, an organization of Michigan appellate judges and lawyers. She is also a former chair of the American Bar

Association Standing Committee on Amicus Curiae Briefs, the five-member committee that oversees preparation of ABA briefs for filing in the U.S. Supreme Court.

A member of the firm’s Bloomfield Hills office, Ballentine concentrates her practice in appellate law with emphasis on claims involving such areas as property disputes, municipal law, constitutional law, and medical liability appeals. Ballentine has handled numerous appeals in the state and federal appellate courts, including the Michigan Court of Appeals, the Michigan Supreme Court, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

Ballentine is active in the Michigan Defense Trial Counsel and serves as co-chair of its amicus section. As a member of DRI, she co-authored an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court case of Delbert Williamson v. Mazda Motor of America, Inc, et. al. Ballentine has also authored several publications, including another guide to appellate practice in the Sixth Circuit.

Plunkett Cooney is one of the Midwest’s oldest and largest law firm and one of the few with a dedicated team of appellate attorneys, who routinely handle cutting-edge appeals involving issues of first impression and seek to reverse adverse judgments. In addition to representation before state and federal appellate courts, the firm’s appellate attorneys provide a broad range of specialized services, including counsel during trial designed to optimally position cases for possible appeal.

Established in 1913, Plunkett Cooney employs over 160 attorneys in nine Michigan cities and one each in Columbus, Ohio and Indianapolis, Indiana. The firm, which provides a range of transactional and litigation services, has achieved the highest rating (AV) awarded by Martindale-Hubbell, a leading, international directory of law firms.

For more information about the contributions of Massaron Ross and Ballentine to the ABA appellate law compendium, contact Plunkett Cooney’s Practice Development Manager John Cornwell at (248) 901-4008; jcornwell@plunkettcooney.com.

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