Steer Clear of Having Your Appeal “Black-Flagged” By a Procedural Misstep in the Court of Appeals of Virginia or the Supreme Court of Virginia

Woods Rogers attorneys Thomas Chappell and Sophie Arnold are featured authors in the Winter 2025–2026 issue of The Journal of Civil Litigation, a quarterly publication of the Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys (VADA).

In their article, Thomas and Sophie draw a comparison between NASCAR and appellate practice: just as a race team must follow every rule to stay competitive, appellate advocates must navigate the strict procedural and technical requirements of the Court of Appeals of Virginia and the Supreme Court of Virginia. Their piece highlights common, and often costly, procedural pitfalls that can jeopardize a litigant’s chances before Virginia’s appellate courts.

A prior article co-authored by Thomas discussed things at the trial level that can harm a litigant on appeal. This recent article addresses things to watch out for during the appeal itself. 

This article originally appeared in the Journal of Civil Litigation, Vol. 37, No. 4 (Winter 2025-2026), a publication of the Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys. It appears here with permission. Read the full article here (PDF).