Sup. Ct. R. 29 governs service of Supreme Court documents. Rule 29.3 mandates that “three copies shall be served on each other party separately represented in the proceeding.” Let’s take a look at how service is accomplished at the petition and merits stages. Petition-Stage Petition for Writ of Certiorari:* A petition must be served [...]
Pro se is a legal term that comes from Latin, meaning “for oneself, on one’s own behalf.” It means that an individual is representing him- or herself in court by choice without the help of an attorney. Given the state of our economy and the rising costs of legal representation, it should come as no [...]
Under Sup. Ct. R. 13.1, a petition for writ of certiorari is timely when it is filed on or before 90 days after entry of the judgment sought to be reviewed, or within the same 90-day period following an order denying discretionary review. A Supreme Court Justice may, upon application, grant a motion for extension [...]
After an unfavorable decision by a state’s highest court or a federal court of appeals, the losing party frequently asks itself: “Can’t we take this to the Supreme Court?” And while countless blog posts could be devoted to various aspects of this important question, one of the first decisions you must make is whether to [...]
Today, August 8th, 2014, Cockle Legal Briefs printed and filed Virginia's petition in the same-sex marriage case Rainey v. Bostic, et al. in the United States Supreme Court. The question presented is: Whether Virginia violates the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses by denying the right of marriage to same-sex couples and by refusing to recognize same-sex marriages [...]
After an unfavorable decision by a state’s highest court or a federal court of appeals, the losing party frequently asks itself: “Can’t we take this to the Supreme Court?” And while countless blog posts could be devoted to various aspects of this important question, one of the first decisions you must make is whether to [...]
According to statistics from the most recently completed Supreme Court term, you have more than a snowball’s chance in you-know-where of getting a petition for writ of certiorari granted. During the Court’s 2012 Term (the 2013 Term will be completed later next month) the Court disposed of a whopping 7602 petitions and granted only 92 [...]
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 [...]