As has often been noted—in numerous posts on this blog, and by just about any other Supreme Court watcher—that the single most important element of any Supreme Court petition is the questions presented page. This axiom is plain from a reading of Rule 14.1(a), requiring that the questions presented appear on the very first page [...]
On January 12th, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion in Hurst v. Florida, a death penalty case. Writing for an eight-justice majority, Justice Sonya Sotomayor continued a line of recent Supreme Court rulings that is re-asserting the role of juries under the Sixth Amendment. In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to [...]
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals—like all of the federal circuit courts—uses both the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure (FRAP), as well as its own set of local rules. One important deviation from the FRAP in the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals is the record excerpt requirement. FRAP Rule 30 requires the appellant to file an appendix that includes [...]
In June, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its landmark opinion in Obergefell v. Hodges, a Supreme Court ruling that banned legal prohibitions of marriage based on the gender of the spouses. Millions of Americans greeted the opinion with celebration, millions of others with derision, and very few with ambivalence. Love it or hate it, [...]
During the active term of the Court, the Justices sit in a private conference every week or so to consider which petitions to grant, to review Supreme Court briefs, and to issue orders on pending motions. In these conferences, they also decide whether or not to grant certain petitioners in forma pauperis (IFP) status. Petitioners [...]
At Cockle Legal Briefs, we work with quite a few non-lawyers who are looking for tips to help them when writing a legal brief. Occasionally our conversations with our pro se customers move beyond the necessary formatting and content requirements for a Supreme Court brief, and into more basic questions of legal writing. Over time, [...]
Cockle Legal Briefs is the nation’s leading preparer of United States Supreme Court briefs. We specialize in preparing the booklet brief format described in Supreme Court Rule 33.1. The required booklet format is extremely specific and unusual. Very few copy shops—or even general commercial printers—have the expertise or equipment to prepare a Supreme Court booklet. [...]
An inmate who is no longer able to afford ongoing legal representation must often pursue his legal remedies as a pro se litigant. This task can be doubly difficult for the prisoner pro se litigant because communications with outside support can be so difficult. But sometimes, the incarcerated pro se litigant has access to a [...]
At Cockle Legal Briefs, we work with quite a few non-lawyers who are looking for legal writing tips to help them draft a stronger petition for the U.S. Supreme Court. Occasionally our conversations with our pro se customers move beyond the necessary formatting and content requirements for a Supreme Court brief, and into more basic [...]
At Cockle Legal Briefs, we work with quite a few non-lawyers who are figuring out how to write a legal brief for the U.S. Supreme Court. Occasionally our conversations with our pro se customers move beyond the necessary formatting and content requirements for a Supreme Court brief, and into more basic questions of legal writing. [...]