Appellate Specialist

Gibson Dunn is a leading global law firm, advising clients on significant transactions and disputes. Our exceptional teams craft and deploy creative legal strategies that are meticulously tailored to every matter, however complex or high-stakes. The firm’s work is distinguished by a unique combination of precision and vision.

Based in our Dallas office, the Appellate Specialist will support attorneys in our Appellate and Constitutional Law practice group. This role is ideal for a legal professional with a strong background in appellate procedure, exceptional writing and research skills, and a passion for supporting complex litigation at the appellate level. Working under attorney supervision, you will have the opportunity to contribute to high-stakes cases with a dynamic legal team.

This role reports to the Litigation Paralegal Supervisor.

Responsibilities include:

• Reviewing, formatting, revising, and finalizing appellate motions, briefs, petitions, and other filings in the United States Supreme Court, federal appellate courts, and state appellate courts— including the Texas Supreme Court and Texas Courts of Appeals.
• Drafting routine procedural motions and other documents to be filed in appellate courts.
• Performing cite checking, Bluebooking, proofreading, and preparing tables for motions, briefs, petitions, and other court filings.
• Preparing appellate records and appendices, including compiling and reviewing trial court documents and transcripts.
• Electronically filing motions, briefs, appendices, and other documents with the United States Supreme Court, federal appellate courts, and state appellate courts.
• Conducting legal research on appellate procedures and court rules.
• Monitoring deadlines and ensuring compliance with court rules and filing requirements.
• Coordinating with attorneys, paralegals, and court personnel to facilitate smooth appellate processes.
• Assisting with preparations for oral arguments, including creating case and briefing binders.
• Tracking developments in appellate law and providing updates to litigation teams.
• Preparing and submitting timely timekeeping reports.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree required.
• In-depth knowledge of court rules, procedures, and practice requirements for the United States Supreme Court, federal courts of appeals, and state appellate courts, including the Texas Supreme Court and Texas appellate courts.
• Strong understanding of common litigation practices, procedures, regulations, and workflow.
• Expert-level knowledge of the Bluebook and the cite-checking process.
• Excellent organizational skills and strong attention to detail.
• Flexible and able to multi-task, balancing priorities and tight deadlines.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook), Adobe Acrobat, and iManage.
• Proactive and able to efficiently handle multiple projects and client matters simultaneously.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Superior analytical and reasoning abilities.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, with members across multiple offices.
• Flexibility to work overtime and weekends as needed.

Experience:

• 10 years of relevant appellate litigation experience preferred, with substantial experience in the Texas Supreme Court and Texas appellate courts.
• Experience using Lexis Nexis, Westlaw, PACER, and CM/ECF.

Gibson Dunn will consider for employment qualified Applicants with Criminal Histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of local law.

Compensation & Benefits:

The annual compensation range for this position is $110,000 - $130,000k. The salary offered within this range will depend upon qualifications and other operational considerations.

Benefits offered for this position include health care; retirement benefits; paid days off, including sick time, and vacation time; parental leave; basic life insurance; Flexible Spending Accounts; as well as discretionary, performance-based bonuses.