brief

/Tag: brief
7 Sep, 2017

From Draft to Supreme Court Booklet

2019-03-18T18:47:15-05:00September 7th, 2017|Tags: , , , |

  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 [...]

5 Jul, 2016

Finalization and Proofreading in the Supreme Court

2019-03-18T18:47:21-05:00July 5th, 2016|Tags: , , , |

  Gressman on Supreme Court Practice – often referred to as the “Bible" on Supreme Court practice – details all matters of the Court, from how to (literally) pass through the Court’s guarded entrance to how to persuade the Court to invoke original jurisdiction. On the importance of proofreading and finalization, Gressman provides: Many brief [...]

19 May, 2016

Citations and Quotations in Supreme Court Briefs

2019-03-18T18:47:21-05:00May 19th, 2016|Tags: , , , , , |

  We are frequently asked which citation style(s) the Supreme Court prefers.  While the Court’s rules are largely silent on these matters, what follows is an introductory guide to issues of citation and quotation. Case Citation The Court’s rules do not speak to a particular method for citing cases. However, Gressman’s Supreme Court Practice (known [...]

5 Nov, 2015

Anatomy of a Supreme Court Brief Cover

2019-03-18T18:47:24-05:00November 5th, 2015|Tags: , , , |

Things do not pass for what they are, but for what they seem.  Most things are judged by their jackets. ~ Baltasar Gracián When part of your job revolves around reviewing Supreme Court brief covers, you begin to notice things like diamond lines, paragraph indents, and big/small caps.  You notice that the lead counsel has [...]

13 Aug, 2015

Staff Spotlight: Trish Cockle Billotte

2019-03-18T18:47:25-05:00August 13th, 2015|Tags: , , , , |

 Cockle Legal Briefs employs attorneys, paralegals, typesetters, printers, accountants, and salesmen to produce about 1,300 Supreme Court briefs a year and files documents in every Federal court of appeals in the country.  Whatever they do, whatever position they fill, Cockle people share a passion for helping their clients.  Meet some of the people who work [...]

28 Jul, 2015

Staff Spotlight: Andy Cockle

2019-03-18T18:47:25-05:00July 28th, 2015|Tags: , , , , |

Cockle Legal Briefs employs attorneys, paralegals, typesetters, printers, accountants, and salesmen to produce about 1,300 Supreme Court briefs a year and files documents in every Federal court of appeals in the country.  Whatever they do, whatever position they fill, Cockle people share a passion for helping their clients.  Meet some of the people who work [...]

2 Jul, 2015

Legal Writing Tips: Preparing a Cert. Petition

2019-03-18T18:47:26-05:00July 2nd, 2015|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

This post is designed to assist attorneys and pro se petitioners filing a booklet format petition in the United States Supreme Court.  A copy of the Court’s Rules, which establish the procedures that must be followed, is available here.  Be sure to read the following sections carefully: Rules 10-14 (Petitioning for certiorari) Rule 29 (Filing [...]

29 Apr, 2015

Supreme Court Amicus Practice: Notice, Consent, and Extension

2019-03-18T18:47:28-05:00April 29th, 2015|Tags: , , , , |

Public interest groups, legal clinics, and state Attorneys General file amicus briefs in the Supreme Court to provide data and perspective to the Justices to assist in deciding complex cases.  For example, a well-crafted amicus brief can present argument or cite authorities not found in the parties’ briefs, and can play an important role in [...]