A Crash Course in Appeals: Appellate Basics for the General Practitioner

The Hon. Thomas I. Vanaskie (ret.) and Karl S. Myers, Co-Chairs of Stevens & Lee’s Appellate Litigation Practice, presented the virtual CLE program “A Crash Course in Appeals: Appellate Basics for the General Practitioner” hosted by the York County Bar on April 1, 2026.

Judge Vanaskie and Karl S. Myers, alongside the Hon. Amber Kraft, a judge for the York County Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania, explored the basic structure of Pennsylvania’s state and federal appellate courts, general principles of appellate jurisdiction and process, and tips and tricks for briefing, argument and decision-making by the appellate courts.

The Hon. Thomas I. Vanaskie is a former Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

Karl Myers is a leading Pennsylvania appellate lawyer with two decades of experience arguing and briefing various high-profile, precedent-setting cases before the appellate courts of Pennsylvania and other jurisdictions.

Hon. Amber Kraft is a judge for the York County Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania. She was previously an attorney at Anstine & Sparler who handled family and civil law matters.