With the start of the summer recess, the Supreme Court discontinued use of the 2010 Term docket numbers, ending with number 10-1558—a petition for mandamus filed by firefighter Frank Ricci. Yes, that Frank Ricci. For the fifth straight year, the number of paid petitions for certiorari, mandamus and original habeas corpus filed [...]
This post is the first in a series of three discussing what Supreme Court experts suggest when preparing a successful petition for writ of certiorari. The first will address the “argument” section, the second the “questions presented” section and the third, tips and techniques to use when writing the cert petition. While Supreme Court experts [...]
In 2008, Paul “Pete” Palmer—a sophomore at Waxahachie High School in Texas—wore a shirt supporting presidential candidate John Edwards. The shirt displayed the innocuous message “John Edwards 08.” Although the message was neither disruptive, nor offensive, the Waxahachie Independent School District informed Pete that the shirt contained “unapproved words” violating school district policy. That policy [...]
The Supreme Court issued an order list today granting review on ten cert. petitions. The so-called “long conference” was heavy with cases involving criminal law. Six petitions covering a range of issues from the Miranda rule to terrorism were granted. The order list can be viewed here The long conference also advanced a case testing [...]
A petition for writ of certiorari filed in Robinson v. United States, No. 08-1374, asks the Supreme Court to clear up a circuit split over the meaning of a federal narcotics statutory provision. The petition and reply brief can be viewed here and here. The Solicitor General’s brief in opposition can be viewed here. The [...]
In a case implicating judicial review of arbitration awards under the Federal Arbitration Act (“FAA”), a Michigan company has petitioned the Supreme Court to settle the question of whether the doctrine of manifest disregard of law remains viable after the Court’s ruling in Hall Street Associates, L.L.C. v. Mattel, Inc., 552 U.S. __, 128 S. [...]
Karen Torre was the attorney who had the difficult task of convincing the Supreme Court to review a one-paragraph summary ruling by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. But convince them she did. On June 29, 2009, the Supreme Court ruled that Frank Ricci and 17 other New Haven, Connecticut, firefighters were illegally discriminated against [...]