Filing a U.S. Supreme Court brief is a consuming task. By its very nature, Supreme Court litigation makes demands on your talents, your time, and your budget. When you choose a printer, you are taking on a partner who will be closely involved in an important aspect of your work through filing day. Before [...]
Supreme Court Rule 21 governs motion practice, which often involves routine matters of procedure that don’t go to the merits of a case. Counsel is advised to concisely state what relief is requested and the reason it should be granted. These filings are either acted upon directly by the Clerk’s Office or forwarded to the Justices for [...]
Day 1 10:00 AM: I’m emailed to Cockle, as scheduled. Right now, I’m a near-final draft of a legal brief in Microsoft Word (though WordPerfect is also acceptable). My text size, formatting, and margins don’t matter. I don’t even have page numbers yet. But over the next two days, I’ll be transformed into a [...]
The Supreme Court provides two avenues for paper filings: (one) booklet format, and (two) 8 ½- by 11-inch format. The Court even keeps separate public dockets for these types of cases. Booklet format filings begin at docket number “__-1” and 8 ½- by 11-inch format, better known as in forma pauperis (IFP) filings, begin at [...]
If a party believes that he/she is without the financial resources to pay the costs of a court action or proceeding, he/she may apply for in forma pauperis (IFP) status. In the Supreme Court, that means filing without having to pay the $300 filing fee or producing booklet format briefs. Parties who were granted IFP status [...]
After an unfavorable decision by a state’s highest court or a federal court of appeals, the losing party frequently asks itself: “Can’t we take this to the Supreme Court?” And while countless blog posts could be devoted to various aspects of this important question, one of the first decisions you must make is whether to [...]