MIAMI – Three publications have recognized a Florida appellate specialist as a top tier lawyer who exemplifies excellence and leadership.
Dorothy F. Easley, a founding partner of the Easley Appellate Practice in Miami, has been recognized in Rue Ratings' Best Attorneys of America, Florida Super Lawyers and the South Florida Legal Guide.
“I’ve spent more than two decades producing my best work product. Sometimes that means checking citations five times, and I can’t bill the client for that,” Easley told the Florida Record.
Nationally Recognized Author of Federal Appeals Treatise, Dorothy F. Easley, Honored for Expertise and Leadership
| (PRNewsFoto/Dorothy F. Easley)
Easley is the author of the federal appellate practice treatise, “Successful Federal Appeals in All Circuit Courts: A Practical Guide for Busy Lawyers,” which serves as a primary resource for handling appeals in federal appellate courts.
In Florida, as well as in federal court, defendants have an automatic right to an appeal. So success for an appellate specialist is not based on having an appeal heard, but having it overturned on appeal.
“The odds are against me because, in general there’s a 20 percent chance of a reversal on appeal, and 80 percent of cases are affirmed. My performance is above those probabilities,” Easley said. “My success reflects hard work and education.”
According to information provided by Rue Ratings, less than 1 percent of the lawyers in America have been invited for membership. Easley is a lifetime charter member, which is limited to 100 attorneys in each state. Selection is based on demonstrating an extraordinary level of legal expertise, competency, professional reputation and ethical standards.
Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations. Each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. Easley has been rated as a Super Lawyer each year since 2006.
“The objective is to create a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of outstanding attorneys that can be used as a resource for attorneys and consumers searching for legal counsel,” information on the Super Lawyers selection process said.
Easley said she was both honored and humbled by the recognition.
"These are such an honor. I never take them for granted. The fact that I continue to be included in such prestigious ratings reflects the recognition from my esteemed colleagues that my firm's hard work and consistent production of excellent appellate services is respected. I am humbled to be recognized in this way," Easley said.
Selection to the top listings in the South Florida Legal Guide is based entirely on peer nominations. During the months of April and May of each year, lawyers in South Florida can make nominations.
A 20-year appellate specialist, Easley has been board certified in appellate practice by the Florida Bar since 2003. Out of more than 100,000 attorneys in Florida, fewer than 200 are board certified in appellate practice. Easley has been admitted to practice in the 1st through 11th Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court. She also is an adjunct professor at the University of Miami School of Law.
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