Appellate / Litigation
Crowe Dunlevy Secures $4.3 Million Jury Verdict Following Appellate Reversal
Sep 25, 2026
How do I help clients effect critical changes in law and policy?
Appellate practice and initiative petition advocacy might seem like very different areas of law. The common denominator in my practice is the combining of careful legal analysis, persuasive advocacy and an understanding of often unique Oklahoma law and procedure to right a judicial wrong, or shape law and policy moving forward.
Protecting—and helping engaged citizens participate in—Oklahoma’s initiative petition process
Melanie is one of only a handful of Oklahoma attorneys with substantial experience representing clients throughout the state’s initiative and referendum petition process, through which citizens can propose statutes or even constitutional amendments for inclusion on the ballot without going through the state legislature. She advises proponents from the earliest drafting stages through the complex statutory process and handles the litigation that follows. She is currently also defending the Oklahoma initiative petition process itself, constitutionally challenging a law attempting to curtail the ability of Oklahomans to exercise their direct democracy rights.
Helping clients appeal unfavorable verdicts or decisions, across industries
Melanie represents a wide range of firm clients in appeals before the Oklahoma Supreme Court, the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals, and federal appellate courts. She is skilled at identifying legal error, preserving appellate issues, and presenting persuasive arguments even under demanding standards of review. She has developed a particular niche appealing what are known as “jackpot verdicts”—unanticipated large damage awards.
More than holding her own against national opposing counsel
While some might think they need a large national firm to fight an unfavorable or unexpected trial result in Oklahoma, Melanie notes the state’s many unique appellate rules and procedures, as well as preservation requirements, with which national firms may not be familiar. Despite her ‘national’ resume, including a clerkship at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, Melanie proudly describes herself as a local lawyer—and is always happy to collaborate in that capacity with larger firms from other states, litigating in Oklahoma.
Continuing to bet on herself when crafting compelling legal documents
With so many lawyers now relying more and more heavily on artificial intelligence to craft their legal arguments and briefs, Melanie considers her strong writing skills to be an increasingly important differentiator in her practice. While taking all appropriate advantage of technology, she prides herself on her ability to craft unique strategies and phrasing that may be persuasive to appellate judges and cannot envision herself ever ceding that opportunity for originality to a tool.
