legal writing tips Archives - Cockle Legal Briefs

For Want of a Comma

“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 [...]

Legal Writing Tips: Preparing a Cert. Petition

Mathew Planalp2019-03-18T18:47:26-05:00July 2nd, 2015|Tags: brief, example, guide, lawyer, legal writing tips, Petition, pro se, sample, Supreme Court|

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 [...]