Legal minds on legal matters and whatever else strikes our fancy.
Filers and practitioners talk about the “writ of certiorari” all the time. We petition for the writ, oppose the writ, evaluate the chances for the writ, and contemplate the implications of the writ. The words “writ,” “writ of cert,” and “writ of certiorari” pepper the pages of Supreme Court filings—written and read with complete understanding [...]
Amicus curiae briefs are submitted by non-parties to a case as a way of introducing information and concerns to the Court, demonstrating that a case’s outcome may have wider effects beyond the immediate parties to the suit. They can provide valuable assistance to the Court in its deliberations by presenting an argument or citing authorities [...]
Moore v. Lightstorm Entm’t, Inc., filed on April 20, 2015 Loscombe v. City of Scranton, filed on April 21, 2015
The 3rd 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. The FRAP lays out general practice standards for all of the federal appellate courts, but also allows the circuits to issue their own rules that can [...]
Chiquillo v. California, filed on April 14, 2015 Cladakis v. Miller, filed on April 15, 2015 City of San Jose v. Office of the Comm’r of Baseball, filed on April 15, 2015
When a litigant proceeds without legal counsel, they are said to be proceeding “pro se” or “on one’s own behalf.” The task of representing one’s own interests can be daunting, especially when one is misinformed about the nature of pro se litigation. There are several misconceptions about what it means to proceed pro se. Below [...]
Wetherbe v. Smith, filed on April 6, 2015 Safari v. Kaiser Found. Health Plan, Inc., filed on April 8, 2015 Sweports, Ltd. v. Much Shelist, P.C., filed on April 9, 2015
There may be an impulse to make a brief intricate, detailed, and complex in order to prove a point, but that method will backfire. Instead, the Supreme Court justices prefer simple clarity. Here are a few tips on how to accomplish clean copy when writing a legal brief. Legal writing expert Bryan Garner has had [...]
Williams v. Cnty. of Nassau, filed on March 30, 2015 Herrera v. Stansell, filed on March 31, 2015 Cent. Radio Co. Inc. v. City of Norfolk, filed on March 31, 2015
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. The FRAP lays out general practice standards for all of the federal appellate courts, but also allows the circuits to issue their own rules that can [...]