This is how many questions asked about the Appellate Division begin. Most of the time, the answer is, “No.”

Yet, a recurring theme in the questions we are asked as retired Appellate Division judges is worry: “a state of anxiety and uncertainty over actual or potential problems.” It occurred to us that a good deal of this anxiety is rooted in a lack of familiarity with how the Appellate Division works, which we might alleviate. So, this is the first of a series of columns designed to pull back the curtain a bit on the workings of the Appellate Division. In each installment, we will discuss some aspect of appellate process and address questions that are not case-specific, which you may send to [email protected].