Legal minds on legal matters and whatever else strikes our fancy.
Congratulations! Out of the thousands filed every term, your petition is one of the hundred or so granted by the Court. Or, as the case may be, tough luck: your opponent’s petition has been granted, and you must once again litigate your case. So now what!? Your case is at the Supreme Court merits-stage, where [...]
Brief of Respondent in T-Mobile South, LLC v. City of Roswell, No. 13-975, filed on August 18, 2014
Jones v. Indiana, filed on August 18, 2014 Illinois v. Cummings, filed on August 18, 2014 Washington v. Countrywide Home Loans, Inc., filed on August 21, 2014
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is located in San Francisco, California, and serves Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands. Below are a few unique rules and attributes of the Ninth Circuit. Cir. R. 28-2.6 states that there must be a “Statement of Related [...]
Every year, the Supreme Court receives about 10,000 petitions for writ of certiorari, but only hears about 80 of them. Unlike lower appellate courts, the Supreme Court’s review of a case is not a matter of right, but of judicial discretion. Rule 10 of the Supreme Court’s Rules states that a petition for writ of [...]
Brief for Respondents in Teva Pharm. USA, Inc. v. Sandoz Inc., No. 13-854, filed on August 11, 2014 Brief for Appellants in Ala. Legislative Black Caucus v. Alabama, No. 13-895, filed on August 13, 2014
Amicus curiae – Latin for “friend of the court,” an amicus curiae is not a party to the case, but is a person, group, or organization who files a brief lending a unique perspective to the Court in the hopes it might influence the Court’s decision of an issue. Brief in Opposition – The response [...]
Adams v. City of Indianapolis, filed on August 8, 2014 Trotter v. Utah, filed on August 12, 2014 Mata v. Holder, filed on August 14, 2014 Bertrand v. Mullin, filed on August 14, 2014
The U.S. Supreme Court Rules describe an utterly unique and highly specific set of practice standards. Every new filer—whether she is a seasoned litigator with years of experience in the lower courts, or a pro se petitioner—should review the Rules to make sure the document will be accepted by the Clerk. However, many of the [...]
Today, August 8th, 2014, Cockle Legal Briefs printed and filed Virginia's petition in the same-sex marriage case Rainey v. Bostic, et al. in the United States Supreme Court. The question presented is: Whether Virginia violates the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses by denying the right of marriage to same-sex couples and by refusing to recognize same-sex marriages [...]