Federal Appeals Attorney in Houston — Fifth Circuit

A conviction is not the end. If you were convicted in federal court, you have the right to appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Brent Chapell is a Board Certified Criminal Appellate attorney who represents clients in post-conviction federal appeals, challenging legal errors that affected the outcome of their trial or sentencing.

Federal appellate practice demands a different skill set than trial work. Appeals are won on the written record — through meticulous briefing, precise legal argument, and deep familiarity with Fifth Circuit precedent. Brent Chapell brings both trial and appellate experience to every federal appeal.

  • Board Certified

    Board Certified in Criminal Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization

  • Former Appellate Chief

    Chief of the Appellate Division, Montgomery County DA's Office — 200+ criminal appeals and habeas writs

  • Former Federal Prosecutor

    Appellate Division, U.S. Attorney's Office, S.D. Texas — 80+ Fifth Circuit appeals and writs

  • Court Admissions

    State Bar of Texas · U.S. District Court, S.D. Texas · Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals · U.S. Supreme Court

Federal Appeals & Fifth Circuit Representation

A federal criminal conviction is not always the end. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit reviews federal cases from Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi — and a skilled appellate attorney can identify errors in the trial record, challenge the sufficiency of the evidence, and seek relief that the trial court could not provide.

Chapell Law is led by Brent Chapell — a Board Certified Criminal Appellate lawyer and former Appellate Chief of the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office with numerous Fifth Circuit briefs and arguments. Federal appeals demand precision, deep knowledge of procedural law, and the ability to craft persuasive written arguments. This is what we do.

‍ ‍

Federal Appellate Services

✓Direct appeal after federal conviction

✓Fifth Circuit briefing & argument

✓Ineffective assistance of counsel (IAC)

✓28 U.S.C. § 2255 habeas petitions

✓Sentencing guideline appeals

✓Mandatory minimum challenges

✓Prosecutorial misconduct appeals

✓Suppression ruling appeals

✓Jury instruction challenges

✓Sufficiency of the evidence

✓First Step Act & sentence reduction

✓Compassionate release motions

‍ ‍

Why Appeals Require Specialized Counsel

Federal appellate practice is fundamentally different from trial work. The Fifth Circuit decides cases on the written record — no new witnesses, no new evidence. What matters is the quality of the brief, the persuasiveness of the legal argument, and the attorney's command of Fifth Circuit precedent. Not every trial lawyer is equipped for this work.

We also take cases where prior counsel failed to preserve issues at trial — ineffective assistance of counsel claims under Strickland v. Washington — and pursue post-conviction relief through federal habeas corpus proceedings under 28 U.S.C. § 2255.