Rule 3 of the North Carolina Rules of Appellate Procedure seems
pretty clear.
A Notice of Appeal must "designate the judgment or order
from which appeal is taken." But what might seem clear
on its face isn't always so clear in practice.
What does it mean to "designate the judgment or order"
that you're appealing? Does the appealing party need only
designate the judgment or other order that gives appellate
jurisdiction, or should it also designate all judgments or orders
that will be challenged in the appeal?
The answers to these questions are easy in the case of an appeal
from a "final" judgment, one that can be appealed of
right. In that case, the Notice of Appeal simply needs to
reference that judgment. For instance, if the court dismissed
your case or awarded the opposing party summary judgment, then you
simply identify the order ended the case.
