“One of the things I was looking for is that kind of flexibility,” she said. Becoming an appellate specialist shouldn’t rule out working on trials, she contended.

Nearly 12 years later, as chairwoman of Irell & Manella’s appellate group, Brill argues that this type of flexibility is the key to the firm’s flourishing appellate practice. Since Brill joined the firm, Irell & Manella’s appellate docket has grown fourfold.