Are Pro Se Filers Treated Differently Than Lawyers? In general, pro se filers (individuals who represent themselves in a legal proceeding without the assistance of an attorney) are not treated differently than lawyers by the court. However, there are some differences in the way that pro se filers are expected to present their cases. For [...]
The Supreme Court is set to revise a number of rules early next term which relate to the filing of briefs, motions, applications, and documents under seal. A number of the changes will simply conform to long-standing practice, while others will change the way Cockle Legal Briefs prepares filings. The most relevant proposals, which have [...]
The Supreme Court’s case distribution schedule identifies the dates on which petitions for writs of certiorari, along with corresponding briefs in opposition, amicus briefs and reply briefs, will be distributed (sent upstairs to chambers) to the justices. It also identifies the dates on which those petitions are scheduled to be considered (reviewed) by the justices [...]
The Looking Glass blog has posted some great entries aimed at pro se filers this summer. If you're petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court and cost is a factor in your decision making process, you'll want to read a few of their recent posts: How to Write a Winning Pro Se Petition In Forma Pauperis--How to [...]
“I have always been much better at asking questions than knowing what the answers were.” – Bill James, baseball historian There may be no more daunting task in all Supreme Court practice than distilling a 9,000-word cert. petition down to one or two questions presented. This level of difficulty should come as no surprise—only the [...]
The Supreme Court will return October 1 to a backload of approximately 1,800 petitions that have piled up over the summer. Almost every one of them will be denied. Also known as the “Long Conference,” the Justices’ first meeting after summer recess is particularly brutal for cert. seekers who filed a petition in the preceding [...]
Today we filed a petition for rehearing in No. 17-1571, Marranca v. Loytsker.
Pilots are required to learn and use checklists for every aspect of flight, from preparing for take-off to dealing with equipment malfunction. It was a checklist that helped Captain Chelsey “Sully” Sullenberger and co-pilot Jeffery Skiles safely land their US Airways flight in the Hudson River after the plane’s engines were damaged by a flock [...]
“I have always been much better at asking questions than knowing what the answers were.” – Bill James, baseball historian There may be no more daunting task in all Supreme Court practice than distilling a 9,000 word cert. petition down to one or two questions presented. This level of difficulty should come as no surprise—only the [...]
“Brevity is the soul of wit.” ― William Shakespeare The questions presented page is assuredly the most important element of a Supreme Court petition. Justices can reject an entire case based on review of the questions alone. Rule 14.1 provides that they should be “expressed concisely in relation to the circumstances of the case, [...]