The Supreme Court’s rules are complex. Even the most experienced practitioners sometimes need help understanding the particulars. As the leading producer of Supreme Court briefs in the country, we are experts at managing the entire process of brief preparation, from consultation to filing. Our services include: Interpreting court requirements; Navigating complex filing rules; Expert [...]
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 [...]
While Supreme Court experts offer nuanced distinctions on how to construct the argument section in a petition for writ of certiorari, most agree that accounting for the difference in purpose between a cert. petition and a brief filed in the lower courts is essential. The paramount difference between a petition and a lower court [...]
When a litigant proceeds without legal counsel, they are said to be proceeding "pro se” or “on one’s own behalf.” While the task of representing one’s own interests can be daunting, advancements in technology and transparency have made legal research easier than ever. Much of the pertinent information, once only available to legal professionals from [...]
Bear Valley Mutual Water Company, et al. v. Sally Jewell, et al., filed on September 22nd, 2015.
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 [...]
If you’ve just lost your case in a federal circuit court of appeals or state court, you are likely weighing the pros and cons of appealing to the United States Supreme Court. In order to proceed judiciously, you need to decide if filing a cert. petition is right for you. Who can petition for certiorari? [...]
SCOTUSblog’s Kedar Bhatia released his annual Stat Pack for October Term 2014 this week – an invaluable resource for the Supreme Court community. You can access the Stat Pack in full, here. Here are my top ten takeaways: Circuit Scorecard The Court of Appeals for the First Circuit was affirmed 100% of the time during [...]
The overwhelming majority of cases decided by federal courts of appeals and state supreme courts are not credible candidates for certiorari. Here’s a helpful cheat sheet regarding Supreme Court grant rates: In Forma Pauperis petitions: .1% Booklet format petitions: 4% Percentage of merits-docket comprised of Cockle petitions: 14% Below you’ll find a [...]
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 [...]