| name | appellate-mandate |
| title | Appellate Mandate |
| description | Drafts formal appellate mandates that conclude the appeal process and direct trial courts to implement appellate decisions. Extracts disposition language, remand directives, and procedural history from appellate records to construct jurisdiction-specific mandate orders. Use when preparing mandate orders, returning jurisdiction to lower courts, or formalizing appellate dispositions after ruling. |
| author | CaseMark |
| author_url | https://github.com/CaseMark/skills/tree/main/skills/legal/appellate-mandate |
| license | Apache-2.0 |
| version | 0.1.0 |
| execution_mode | open |
| jurisdiction | us |
| practice | litigation |
| language | en |
| tags | ["brief","drafting"] |
Appellate Mandate
Drafts the formal order issued by an appellate court concluding the appeal and directing the trial court to implement the appellate decision.
Prerequisites
Gather before drafting:
- Appellate opinion/judgment — final decision with exact disposition language
- Case caption — all party names and designations as they appear in the appellate record
- Case numbers — both appellate and trial court docket numbers
- Procedural history — rehearing petitions, certiorari filings, stay orders, extensions
- Remand instructions — specific directives from the opinion on scope of further proceedings
Output Structure
1. Caption & Identification
| Element | Requirement |
|---|
| Court name | Full formal name of issuing appellate court |
| Receiving court | Full formal name of trial court |
| Party designations | Mirror appellate record exactly |
| Case numbers | Both appellate and trial court numbers |
| Opening recital | "This mandate is issued pursuant to this Court's judgment dated [date]..." |
2. Incorporation of Decision
- Attach or incorporate certified copy of the appellate opinion/judgment
- Reference by case name, court, date, and reporter citation if published
3. Directive Section
Standard formulation matching actual disposition:
IT IS ORDERED that the judgment of the [trial court] is [AFFIRMED / REVERSED / REVERSED AND REMANDED / MODIFIED / DISMISSED].
For remands, specify with particularity:
| Remand Type | Required Specificity |
|---|
| New trial | All issues or only specified matters |
| Entry of judgment | In whose favor and on what basis |
| Partial remand | Which issues are foreclosed vs. open |
| Conditional (e.g., remittitur) | Exact conditions and implementation steps |
| Damages/remedies | Calculation instructions or caps from opinion |
Extract and incorporate verbatim any limiting language from the opinion regarding scope of proceedings on remand.
