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Top BigLaw Firms for Appellate Litigation

Researching and drafting briefs, moot courts for oral arguments, and supporting trial teams on issues likely to go up on appeal. Chambers USA 2026 ranks 17 firms in our directory nationwide for appellate litigation, 5 of them in Band 1. Pick a city for the local tables.

Ranked nationwide
17
Cities with 3+ ranked firms
14

Appellate Litigation by city

Ranked nationwide, Chambers USA 2026

  1. 1.Latham & Watkins LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 1 · Appellate Law
  2. 2.Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 1 · Appellate Law
  3. 3.Williams & Connolly LLPFirst-year base $260,000Band 1 · Appellate Law
  4. 4.Jones DayFirst-year base $240,000Band 1 · Appellate Law
  5. 5.Munger, Tolles & Olson LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 1 · Appellate Law
  6. 6.Sidley Austin LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 2 · Appellate Law
  7. 7.Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 2 · Appellate Law
  8. 8.Hogan Lovells CadwaladerFirst-year base $225,000+Band 2 · Appellate Law
  9. 9.Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 2 · Appellate Law
  10. 10.Morrison & Foerster LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 3 · Appellate Law
  11. 11.Goodwin Procter LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 3 · Appellate Law
  12. 12.Jenner & Block LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 3 · Appellate Law
  13. 13.Mayer Brown LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 3 · Appellate Law
  14. 14.Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 4 · Appellate Law
  15. 15.Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 4 · Appellate Law
  16. 16.Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 4 · Appellate Law
  17. 17.Kellogg, Hansen, Todd, Figel & Frederick, P.L.L.C.First-year base $255,000+Band 4 · Appellate Law

Is appellate litigation a fit?

Who tends to thrive

  • Exceptional writers who love doctrine
  • People who enjoy abstract legal argument
  • Those aiming for a clerkship

What a 1L can do this year

  • Make Legal Writing your priority and aim for a journal
  • Do moot court
  • Talk to professors early about clerkships
Not sure this practice fits? Take the quiz Filter the directory by appellate litigation

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