Legal minds on legal matters and whatever else strikes our fancy.
Where can I find information about electronic filing and the Appellate Case Management/Electronic Case Files (“CM/ECF”) system? All information about electronic filing and Appellate CM/ECF is available at http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/cmecf/ What color should I use for the cover of my brief? Opening Brief by appellant and petitioner: Blue Answering Brief by appellee and respondent: Red Reply [...]
The most elemental feature of a petition for writ of certiorari is the Questions Presented page. Here the petitioner must concisely set out the basic issues at stake. Experienced Supreme Court practitioners consider a well-crafted Questions Presented to be the most critical tool for gaining cert consideration. In the words of Supreme Court scholar Stephen [...]
Ruth Bader Ginsburg (or “Notorious RBG” as she is affectionately known as in the law blogging world) was born in Brooklyn, New York, on March 15, 1933. Although Ginsburg has a lengthy list of accomplishments earning her the “notorious” moniker, one of her most notable accomplishments includes being only the second female United States Supreme [...]
Staff Spotlight: Kaitlin Naylor Where Did You Grow Up? Knoxville, Tennessee Job Title: Document Analyst What I Actually Do At Cockle: I assist Cockle’s clients in bringing their filings into compliance with the Supreme Court’s rules either in guiding them through our full service process, providing Camera Ready reviews to bring their [...]
Respondents’ Brief in Support of Petitioner on Behalf of Agrowstar, LLC, et al. in Nat’l Ass’n of Mfrs. v. Dep’t of Defense, No. 16-299, filed on April 26, 2017 To read this Supreme Court merits brief, or to review the Court’s docket for this case, click the heading to open this post, then follow [...]
Tanner Servs., LLC v. Guidry, filed on April 24th Nies v. Town of Emerald Isle, filed on April 26th To read either of these Supreme Court petitions, click the heading to open this post, then follow the links!
“For want of a comma, we have this case.” This is the opening sentence to a recent opinion from the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. In O'Connor v. Oakhurst Dairy, No. 16-1901 (1st Cir. 2017), the First Circuit ruled on whether a missing Oxford comma in an overtime exemption statute entitles [...]
When filing a brief in the United States Supreme Court, there are distinct formatting requirements that must be observed and followed. These requirements are set forth in Supreme Court Rule 33.1, which describes the Court’s required booklet formatting. Below are a few of the Supreme Court’s more obscure rules for filing in booklet format. Every [...]
Rothe Dev., Inc. v. U.S. Dep’t of Def., filed on April 13th To read this Supreme Court petition, click the heading to open this post, then follow the link!
The filibuster led by the Senate Democrats was ultimately futile when the Republicans retaliated by triggering the nuclear option to end the bitter battle over Scalia’s vacant seat and confirm Neil Gorsuch as the next Supreme Court Justice in a 54 to 45 vote last Friday. Gorsuch was sworn in as the 113th Justice on [...]