Manatt appellate partner Benjamin Shatz authored an article for Daily Journal about the slow pace of the civil appeals process in the California Court of Appeal from notice of appeals to decisions, and similarly for appeals in the California Supreme Court. In the article, Shatz highlighted specific appeals that have express statutory preference, and the importance for appellate lawyers to “ensure for prompt record election and creation, and eschew briefing extensions and grace-period time” to file briefs early and signal to other parties the need to expedite preference cases. He also discussed other options to file motions seeking speed, noting that “if an appeal truly justifies utmost speed, then the more effective vehicle may be a writ petition filed in conjunction with an appeal.”