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On the Design of the Appeals Process: The Optimal Use of Discretionary Review versus Direct Appeal

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  • Steven Shavell

Abstract

The socially desirable design of the appeals process is analyzed assuming that it may involve either an initial discretionary review proceeding-under which the appeals court would decide whether to hear an appeal-or else a direct appeal. Using a stylized model, I explain that the appeals process should not be employed when the appellant's initial likelihood of success falls below a threshold, that discretionary review should be used when the likelihood of success lies in a midrange, and that direct appeal should be sought when this likelihood is higher. Further, I emphasize that appellants should often be able to choose between discretionary review and direct appeal, notably because appellants may elect discretionary review to save themselves (and thus the judicial system) expense. This suggests the desirability of a major reform of our appeals process: appellants should be granted the right of discretionary review along with the right that they now possess of direct appeal at the first level of appeals. (c) 2010 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved.

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  • Steven Shavell, 2010. "On the Design of the Appeals Process: The Optimal Use of Discretionary Review versus Direct Appeal," The Journal of Legal Studies, University of Chicago Press, vol. 39(1), pages 63-108, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jlstud:v:39:y:2010:i:1:p:63-108
    DOI: 10.1086/605094
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Shavell, Steven, 1995. "The Appeals Process as a Means of Error Correction," The Journal of Legal Studies, University of Chicago Press, vol. 24(2), pages 379-426, June.
    2. Theodore Eisenberg & Michael Heise, 2009. "Plaintiphobia in State Courts? An Empirical Study of State Court Trials on Appeal," The Journal of Legal Studies, University of Chicago Press, vol. 38(1), pages 121-155, January.
    3. Andrew F. Daughety & Jennifer F. Reinganum, 2000. "Appealing Judgments," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 31(3), pages 502-526, Autumn.
    4. Charles M. Cameron & Lewis A. Kornhauser, 2005. "Decision Rules in a Judicial Hierarchy," Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics (JITE), Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 161(2), pages 264-292, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Florian Smuda & Patrice Bougette & Kai Hüschelrath, 2015. "Determinants of the Duration of European Appellate Court Proceedings in Cartel Cases," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(6), pages 1352-1369, November.
    2. Sofia Amaral-Garcia, 2015. "Non-economic Damages in Medical Malpractice Appeals: Does the Jurisdiction Make a Difference?," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1506, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    3. repec:pri:indrel:dsp012v23vt39h is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Theodore Eisenberg & Henry S. Farber, 2013. "Why Do Plaintiffs Lose Appeals? Biased Trial Courts, Litigious Losers, or Low Trial Win Rates?," American Law and Economics Review, American Law and Economics Association, vol. 15(1), pages 73-109.
    5. Kai Hüschelrath & Florian Smuda, 2016. "The Appeals Process in the European Commission's Cartel Cases: An Empirical Assessment," Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 13(2), pages 330-357, June.
    6. Michael Hellwig & Kai Hüschelrath & Ulrich Laitenberger, 2018. "Settlements and Appeals in the European Commission’s Cartel Cases: An Empirical Assessment," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 52(1), pages 55-84, February.
    7. Wohlschlegel, Ansgar, 2014. "The Appeals Process and Incentives to Settle," MPRA Paper 59424, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Bertrand Chopard & Edwige Marion & Ludivine Roussey, 2014. "Does the Appeals Process Lower the Occurrence of Legal Errors?," EconomiX Working Papers 2014-43, University of Paris Nanterre, EconomiX.
    9. Svetlana Avdasheva & Svetlana Golovanova & Elena Sidorova, 2022. "Does judicial effort matter for quality? Evidence from antitrust proceedings in Russian commercial courts," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 53(3), pages 425-450, June.
    10. Hüschelrath, Kai & Smuda, Florian, 2014. "The appeals process: An empirical assessment," ZEW Discussion Papers 14-063, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    11. Berlemann, Michael & Christmann, Robin, 2017. "The Role of Precedents on Court Delay - Evidence from a civil law country," MPRA Paper 80057, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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