2024 Update — Appellate Experience, Testimonials, Satisfaction, Repeat Business
Updated — Law Firm Satisfaction, Types of Briefs, Expertise — Seven Years of Freelancing Data — Adam Wilson
For full details see main page — click here.
2024: Key Facts in 15 Seconds
Stanford Law + Law Review
Federal Appellate Clerkship
Decade at Top Am Law 100 Firms in DC and CA
20 Years a Litigator
8+ Years a Freelancer
Repeat Clients + Testimonials
I left full-time practice upon unexpectedly becoming a gallery-represented conceptual artist in 2017.
Negotiable $250 / hour. Let’s make it work to fit your needs.
Performance data from 8+ years of freelancing so far:
Very satisfied / testimonial / repeat business — 96%
Very satisfied with no repeat business (yet) — 4%
Missed deadlines — 0%
Re-writes / write offs requested — 0%
Full details about cost and payment — click here — or scroll below.
Negotiable Pricing
Negotiable $250 / hour. Again, let’s make it work to fit your needs.
Several payment methods — click here.
Testimonials
Updated Late 2023
“Stellar” — Partner at Los Angeles boutique litigation firm re a Ninth Circuit brief on corporate law issues. Repeat work.
“Excellent work and very cool to work with.” — Partner at Los Angeles boutique litigation firm. Repeat work.
“Adam is a serious All-Star” — Partner at Atlanta-based litigation firm receiving referral from a colleague at Los Angeles litigation firm.
“Excellent work, here comes another another appeal.” — Founder of Houston boutique litigation firm. Repeat work.
“I keep calling you and using your briefs with virtually no changes, what higher compliment is there?” Partner at San Francisco complex litigation and class action firm.
“I trust your writing and I trust the way you think.” — Silicon Valley solo practitioner formerly from Biglaw. Repeat work including recent Ninth Circuit brief re corporate and transactional issues.
“We are very happy with the brief and are filing it [as is].” — Two partners at Philadelphia / New York City intellectual property boutique re a Sixth Circuit brief on contract law and soft IP issues.
“[S]o perceptive and so competent . . . incredibly grateful to have [you] on our team.” — Founding partner at small Boston-based firm.
“Amazing.” — Partner at Los Angeles mid-size firm regarding summary judgment briefing with expert testimony on superseding causation issues.
“Fantastic again! I trust you 100%. More work coming.” — Las Vegas small firm partner re federal constitutional law matters, Section 1983, and Bivens claims. Five repeat projects and referrals to co-counsel in California.
“Excellent, thanks Adam! And thanks for working with us on pricing. We want to work with you again.” — Partner at Philadelphia / metro New York media law boutique re a reply brief in the Sixth Circuit.
“Your [federal court] MTD was outstanding, especially on the RICO issues. I’m going to recommend you to all of my friends.” — Philadelphia antitrust class action attorney. Repeat work pending.
“Hey, thanks again. Excellent draft, just what I needed. I’ll be in touch for the next round.” — New York City federal false claims act (qui tam) small firm partner re drafting false claims act complaint.
“The [two summary judgment] opposition briefs written by Adam were excellent.” — Partner and leading California appellate lawyer.
“I call Adam again and again because he does great work.” — Partner at a New York City boutique IP litigation firm.
“I first called Adam for a brief because of his clerkship. I keep calling him because he knows how to litigate and he’s a great sounding board for strategy on my projects.” — Silicon Valley solo practitioner. Repeat work.
“Your [motion to dismiss pursuant to Fed. R. 12(b)(6)] in federal court was very, very good” — Pennsylvania / New Jersey complex litigation attorney.
“I love working with you. I have briefing in three new matters over the next two months.” — Founder and partner at Los Angeles commercial litigation firm. Repeat work.
“I can’t believe what a great fit you are with my practice.” — Silicon Valley IP and business litigator. Six repeat brief writing projects.
Repeat Business From Satisfied Lawyers
See main page for examples of repeat work in the past 24 months — click here.
Types of Briefs
Motions to dismiss / demurrers, summary judgment motions, appeals, and, in appropriate cases, petitions and oppositions for rehearings en banc and for writs of certiorari to the Supreme Court (SCOTUS).
Related briefing under FRCP Rule 12(b), Rule 56, and state equivalents.
Some Updates — Last Updated 2023
— Four briefs currently pending disposition as of April 2023 — Summary Judgment, Southern California; Summary Judgment, Northern California; Motion to Consolidate / Change Venue, Southern California; Opposition to Petition for Writ of Certiorari, U.S. Supreme Court.
— Successful outcome, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, soft IP / intellectual property / copyright / media licensing issues; reversal of District Court.
— Successful outcome, California Superior Court (Los Angeles) on summary judgment; key evidentiary objections sustained.
— Successful outcome, California Superior Court (Sacramento) on demurrer and motion to strike on defamation, NIED, and IIED claims.
— Calls for repeat briefing projects from three former lawyers / law firms.
Demonstrated Legal Experience
Resume — click here.
20 years in litigation:
First-hand trial court, appellate, mediation, and arbitration brief writing experience. Both federal and state courts.
Both plaintiffs and defendants — corporations, smaller companies, startups, and individuals.
Personal work experience in federal and state judicial branches.
Experience working with federal and state government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division.
14,000 hours drafting and analyzing briefs as a freelancer, at firms, and clerking:
Including 7,500 hours since 2017 as a half-time freelancer (why not full-time? I left full-time practice in 2017 upon unexpectedly becoming a gallery-represented conceptual artist).
For litigation boutiques, small firms, mid-size firms, solo practitioners, and clients of the two global law firms where I practiced.
For industries ranging from electronics, hardware, and software to manufacturing to consumer goods to financial markets.
Education, Clerkship, Licenses:
Stanford Law School, 1999. Law Review, Moot Court.
Clerkship, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
California (1999), District of Columbia (2001), Maine (2009).
Established Subject Matter Knowledge
I don’t hold myself out as specialized, but I have expertise in:
Brief writing a the trial court level and the appellate level — see above.
Knowledge of subject matter areas including but not limited to:
Commercial and business litigation; soft intellectual property; business torts; defamation and personal torts; constitutional law; criminal constitutional law; federal statutory law (for example, antitrust, white collar, environmental, copyright); SLAPP and anti-SLAPP litigation; class actions (consumer, environmental); antitrust (including price-fixing), unfair competition, and restraints of trade; professional responsibility (legal ethics); pre-trial procedure, evidence, jurisdiction, choice of law, and similar legal subject matter areas that are relevant to brief writing. I would not be of use for lawyers practicing bankruptcy or tax.
Skill Across Types of Briefs and Filings
As also shown in the charts below, as a freelancer I have primarily drafted federal appeals and state court appeals for both appellants and appellees, federal FRCP 56 summary judgment briefs (moving and opposition), federal FRCP 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss briefs (same), demurrers, federal and state complaints and revised complaints (FACs, SACs), and related filings, such as motions to change venue.
For some redacted exemplars of my work product — click here [pending January 2023].
How I Establish Authoritative Credibility With Courts
As my redacted exemplars show, I write dry and detached briefs. They have logical analysis of law and fact, not rhetoric. I establish for the court and its law clerks not only that yours is the correct position, but that they may trust your brief — they may rely on it as credible and authoritative. I write briefs that are the go-to brief deemed most trustworthy in chambers.
A Go-To Source for Lawyers For Brief Writing
Some data from six years of freelancing so far:
Very satisfied with my work product / testimonial / called back for repeat business — 94%
Satisfied, but no repeat business so far — 5%
Missed internal deadlines — 0%
Missed filing deadlines — 0%
More About Credentials and Experience
Resume — click here.
Full rundown of experience and examples of subject matters and types of briefs — click here.
Other Questions
Answers to most other questions, including why I left full-time practice (I unexpectedly became a gallery-represented conceptual artist) are on the main page — click here.
A Summary of The Brief Writing In Charts
