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The Researching Paralegal

~ Articles and Research for Legal Professionals

The Researching Paralegal

Category Archives: Judges

Judge’s Benchslap Provides Unique Resolution to Deposition Dispute.

01 Tuesday Jan 2019

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Benchslap, Depositions, Discovery, Humor, Judges

≈ Comments Off on Judge’s Benchslap Provides Unique Resolution to Deposition Dispute.

Tags

Benchslap, Discovery Disputes, Judge Nowlin, Kevin Underhill, Lowering the Bar

Parties Ordered to Conduct Deposition at State Line, Lowering the Bar, by Kevin Underhill

https://loweringthebar.net/2008/06/parties-ordered.html

Because we Oklahomans are totally fine with losing the Big 12 Championship to some other team whose name I can’t recall, this discovery dispute seemed understandable. [Sarcasm intended.] Everyone knows that, when it comes to discovery disputes, nothing is too outrageous, even if the Court adds football bragging rights to its Order.

Despite what I’m sure were sincere good faith efforts by both sides, neither could agree on the location for the corporate representative’s deposition – San Antonio, Texas, or Bentonville, Arkansas. Both refused to budge and had dug in their respective heels. The Court, when faced with an Opposed Motion for Protective Order by the Arkansas corporation, chose a unique resolution to make both parties happy. – CCE

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Six Judges Let The Benchslaps Fly.

19 Tuesday Jun 2018

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Acronyms, Appellate Law, Benchslap, Humor, Intellectual Property, Judges, Legal Ethics, Legal Writing, Oral Argument, Patent Law, Proofreading

≈ Comments Off on Six Judges Let The Benchslaps Fly.

Tags

Benchslap, Lawyerist.com©, Lisa Needham

Six Benchslaps to Brighten Your Day, by Lisa Needham, Lawyerist.com

https://lawyerist.com/six-benchslaps-will-brighten-day/

As Ms. Needham describes it, “[f]or the unfamiliar, benchslap originally referred to one judge snarking at another, but now refers to any time a member of the bench crushes an attorney with wit, rage, or both.” It is also an excellent example of what not to do. -CCE

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Your Mother Was Right. Manners Matter.

24 Saturday Feb 2018

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Courtroom Etiquette, Judges, Trial Tips and Techniques

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Courtroom Etiquette, Kacy Miller, Persuasion Matters

Courtroom Conduct Matters. Yes, Counsel: That Includes You, by Kacy Miller, Persuasion Matters

http://courtroomlogic.com/2018/02/12/courtroom-conduct/

Regardless of who sits at the counsel table or part of the team sitting in the gallery, courtroom conduct matters. Many judges have their own set of courtroom rules. Like all local rules, follow them exactly. These are rules, not suggestions. It is especially important that your client understands the importance of proper court etiquette, as well as any family members or friends who may be seated in the gallery.

I have seen bad behavior by clients and counsel alike. Some clients have trouble controlling themselves. Some attorneys act more like they are in a theater rather than a courtroom. Go to court often enough, and you will quickly see what impresses a judge or jury and what doesn’t. -CCE

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What Will Ignoring the Court Rules Get You? A Big Fat Benchslap.

08 Tuesday Aug 2017

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Bad Legal Writing, Benchslap, Brief Writing, Editing, Footnotes, Judges, Legal Writing, Motions, Plain Language, Proofreading, Readability

≈ Comments Off on What Will Ignoring the Court Rules Get You? A Big Fat Benchslap.

Tags

Court Rules, Editing, Findlaw, George Khoury, Legal Writing, William P. Statsky

Florida Judge Tosses Improperly Spaced Court Filing, by George Khoury, Esq., Strategist, The Findlaw Law Firm Business Blog  (with hat tip to William P. Statsky)

http://bit.ly/2uP9FyB

Mr. Khoury says that “[h]ell hath no fury like a Florida judge who receives an improperly formatted brief.” You better believe it. Why on earth would you ignore the format requirements in your court’s local rules? Folks, this just isn’t that hard.

The author of this motion for summary judgment thought the court would either ignore or not notice that the motion and supporting brief were spaced 1-1/2 lines rather than double-spaced. And who’s going to notice longer-than-usual footnotes? Really? Any judge or clerk whose job it is to read, read, and then read some more every dad-gum day.

Seriously, do you want to plow through heavy footnotes? Hands? Didn’t think so. Neither does your judge. Why risk alienating the person you are trying to convince? The stakes are too high to cling to a style of writing that sets you up to lose before anyone reads your motion or brief.

There are other, and much more effective ways, to trim a motion and brief. Editing is the key.

  1. Eliminate any unnecessary word.
  2. Remember that subject and verbs go together.
  3. Use short sentences.
  4. Delete all legalese. Yes, all of it. No excuses.
  5. You can always delete “in order.” Try it – it will not change the meaning in your sentence. These are an example of filler words that just take up space.
  6. Stop using phrases such as “brief of the plaintiff.” Write “plaintiff’s brief” instead.
  7. Never, never, never use long block quotations.
  8. Quote from a court opinion only when the court says it better than you can.

A quick search of this blog will give you tons of editing tips. I promise that you can get your point across with fewer words. It is not the number of words you use that count; it is what words you choose and how you say it. -CCE

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Legal Writing Benchslaps – Big Ouch!

05 Monday Jun 2017

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Bad Legal Writing, Benchslap, Judges, Legal Writing

≈ Comments Off on Legal Writing Benchslaps – Big Ouch!

How Poorly Drafted Pleadings and Bad Writing Can Hurt Your Client and You, Online Writing Center, Writing Tools, PennState Law

http://bit.ly/2rrqfEr

There are some basic rules of legal writing that are fatal to ignore. This post illustrates some of the most common errors that cost the author dearly. When the court goes to the trouble to benchslap the lawyer’s writing, take the court’s criticism to heart and avoid making the same writing mistakes.

This post also has a bonus. Look at the bar on the left to find legal writing exercises and answers. -CCE

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A Benchslap By Judge Gorsuch. And It’s A Really Good One, Too.

17 Monday Apr 2017

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, 10th Circuit Practitioner's Guide, Appellate Judges, Appellate Law, Appellate Record, Benchslap, Citations to the Record, Immigration Law, Judges

≈ Comments Off on A Benchslap By Judge Gorsuch. And It’s A Really Good One, Too.

Tags

Above the Law (blog), Appellate Law, Benchslap, David Lat, Immigration, Justice Neil Gorsuch

Benchslap Of The Day: No More Mr. Nice Guy, by David Lat, Above The Law Blog

http://abovethelaw.com/2015/03/benchslap-of-the-day-no-more-mr-nice-guy/

It’s Monday, which makes it a good day for a good old-fashioned benchslap!

Our Judge for today’s benchslap is none other than newly appointed Justice Neil Gorsuch of the United States Supreme Court, back when he was at the United States District Court for the Tenth Circuit. Judge Gorsuch’s opinion is an excellent lesson on the basic elements of a successful appeal. An immigration lawyer ignored the Court’s local rules. A serious mistake, and a thorough benchslap. -CCE

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Plain English Legal Writing – Proof Positive That It Works.

12 Monday Dec 2016

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Bad Legal Writing, Editing, Judges, Legal Argument, Legal Writing, Legalese, Persuasive Writing, Plain Language, Readability

≈ Comments Off on Plain English Legal Writing – Proof Positive That It Works.

Tags

Joseph Kimble, Legalese, Michigan Bar Journal, Plain English Column

The Proof is in the Reading, Plain Language Works Best, by Joseph Kimble, 52 Mich. B J. (Oct. 2016)

http://www.michbar.org/file/barjournal/article/documents/pdf4article2972.pdf

Joseph Kimble has long been recognized as one of the top legal writing scholars. In this Plain English column of the Michigan Bar Journal (every Bar Journal should have one!), Professor Kimble offers evidence once again that readers, including judges, prefer plain language and why. -CCE

To help round out this plain-English theme issue of the Bar Journal, I offer the evidence of four studies. These four are among 50 that I collect and summarize in my book Writing for Dollars, Writing to Please: The Case for Plain Language in Business, Government, and Law. Of the 50 studies, 18 involved different kinds of legal documents—lawsuit papers, judicial opinions, statutes, regulations, jury instructions, court forms and notices, and contracts. And they included readers of all sorts—judges, lawyers, administrators, and the general  public. The evidence is overwhelming: readers strongly prefer plain language to legalese, understand it better and faster, are more likely to comply with it, and are more likely to read it to begin with. —JK

Continue reading →

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Appellate Court Benchslaps Trial Judge – Ouch.

25 Friday Nov 2016

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Appellate Judges, Benchslap, Judges

≈ Comments Off on Appellate Court Benchslaps Trial Judge – Ouch.

Tags

Above the Law (blog), Benchslap, Joe Patrice

Appeals Panel Rips Judge Over One-Minute Decision, by Joe Patrice, Above The Law Blog

http://abovethelaw.com/2016/10/appeals-panel-rips-judge-over-one-minute-decision/

The only thing more stinging than a satisfying benchslap is the cool, crisp bite of a sly insult. The understated quip can often accomplish so much more than the breathless broadside. For example, an opinion reversing the court below that signs off with, ‘next time, we assume you’ll do your job,’ boasts more devastating heft than anything Justice Scalia served up. It’s just so cold.

Continue reading →

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How Long Is Too Long? Lawyers and Judges Disagree.

20 Thursday Oct 2016

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Brief Writing, Judges, Legal Writing

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Briefs, James B. Levy, Legal Skills Prof Blog, Legal Writing, Page Number Limit

Judges Want Briefs to Be Shorter but Lawyers Push Back, by James B. Levy, Legal Skills Prof Blog

http://bit.ly/2dQjl5R

Often courts have local rules limiting the length of a brief. Have you ever wondered why? In everything you’ve ever heard or read about good legal writing, can you imagine a judge saying this?

“Yes, please, write a long, detailed brief. Use as many obscure legal authorities as possible. I  have loads of time and plenty of staff to look up each one. Repeat your argument several times to make sure I know how important it is. Above all, make it as hard to read as possible.

I want lengthy quotations. Ideally, make them at least a page long, if not longer. One sentence paragraphs are the best! And by all means, pile on the legalese. Verbosity and obscure language is always appreciated.”

Of course not. They simply do not have the luxury of time to read huge briefs, especially if they are poorly written. I have said before that, while working for an Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice, I literally saw a bad brief go flying across the room. The Judge, in disgust, tossed it aside, and picked up the other side’s brief. Ouch! -CCE

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Citations In Footnotes? The Debate Rages On.

03 Saturday Sep 2016

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Benchslap, Citations, Footnotes, Judges, Legal Writing

≈ Comments Off on Citations In Footnotes? The Debate Rages On.

Tags

Above the Law (blog), Benchslap, Davit Lat, Judge James K. Bredar, Russ Guberman

Benchslap Of The Day: Don’t You Dare Put Citations In The Footnotes, by David aw LobLat, Above The Law Blog

http://abovethelaw.com/2016/08/benchslap-of-the-day-dont-you-dare-put-citations-in-the-footnotes/

In case you’ve missed it, there is controversy in the legal writing world about whether citations belong in the text or in the footnotes. People in both camps feel strongly about this. These people do not see a lot of gray. You are either doing it right or you’re not. I suspect this Judge has similar inclinations. -CCE

Nobody puts baby in the corner. And nobody puts citations in the footnotes — at least not in this federal judge’s court.

Via the Twitter feed of Ross Guberman, a leading expert on legal writing, comes this benchslap from Judge James K. Bredar (D. Md.) . . . .

Continue reading →

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Bad Brief!

28 Thursday Jul 2016

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Bad Legal Writing, Brief Writing, Judges, Legal Analysis, Legal Argument, Legal Writing, Persuasive Writing, Readability

≈ Comments Off on Bad Brief!

Tags

Briefs, IRAC, Jane L. Istvan, Legal Writing, Sarah E. Ricks, SSRN

Effective Brief Writing Despite High Volume Practice: Ten Misconceptions that Result in Bad Briefs, by Sarah E. Ricks, Rutgers School of Law – Camden, and Jane L. Istvan, City of Philadelphia Law Department, 38 U. Tol. L. Rev. 1113, SSRN

http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=996907

Excellent paper on the repeated mistakes judges and their staff see in briefs.

In a busy law practice, we may not always have the luxury of researching and editing as thoroughly as we may like when writing a brief. We are so familiar with our case that we often forget the perspective of our reader. Imagine sitting all day in trial immersed in one area of law, and then switching gears afterwards to read and absorb a brief in a completely different type of law.

This paper reminds us how to write persuasively for the court, even when under pressure to meet deadlines. -CCE

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Posner Asks What is Obviously Wrong with the Federal Judiciary. Is This A Trick Question?

09 Thursday Jun 2016

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Appellate Judges, Appellate Law, Citations, Federal Judges, Judges, Legal Analysis, Legal Argument, Legal Writing, The Bluebook

≈ Comments Off on Posner Asks What is Obviously Wrong with the Federal Judiciary. Is This A Trick Question?

Tags

Appellate Judges, Hon. Richard Posner, Legal Writing, The Bluebook, The Green Bag

What Is Obviously Wrong With The Federal Judiciary, Yet Eminently Curable, Part I, by Richard Posner, 188 19 GREEN BAG 2D 187 (with hat tip to William P. Statsky) (The Green Bag is Quarterly Legal Journal dedicating to good legal writing, supported in part by the George Mason University School of Law)

http://www.greenbag.org/v19n2/v19n2_articles_posner.pdf

If you’re looking for a good Bluebook bashing, here it is. -CCE

At the level of form, the first thing to do is burn all copies of the Bluebook, in its latest edition 560 pages of rubbish, a terrible time waster for law clerks employed by judges who insist as many do that the citations in their opinions conform to the Bluebook; also for students at the Yale Law School who aspire to be selected for the staff of the Yale Law Journal – they must pass a five-hour exam on the Bluebook. Yet no serious reader pays attention to citation format; all the reader cares about is that the citation enable him or her to find the cited material. Just by reading judicial opinions law students learn how to cite cases, statutes, books, and articles; they don’t need a citation treatise. In the office manual that I give my law clerks only two pages are devoted to citation format. [Footnotes omitted; emphasis added.]

Continue reading →

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Gender Discrimination During Deposition Earns Judge’s Benchslap.

16 Saturday Jan 2016

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Attorney Discipline, Benchslap, Depositions, Discovery, Judges, Legal Ethics, Professional Civility, Rules of Professional Responsibility

≈ Comments Off on Gender Discrimination During Deposition Earns Judge’s Benchslap.

Tags

Above the Law (blog), Benchslap, Depositions, Gender Discrimination, Staci Zaretsky

Lawyer Receives Stern Benchslap And Amazing Sanction For Sexist Deposition Comment, by Staci Zaretsky, Above The Law Blog 

http://bit.ly/1RNcs34

As we’ve thoroughly documented in these pages, women who practice law are often subjected to demeaning and degrading comments from their male colleagues, for no other reason than because they’re women. One federal judge had finally had enough of this type of disrespectful behavior, so he took a lawyer to task for making a sexist remark during a deposition. . . .

Continue reading →

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Chief Justice Urges Judges To Impose More Management Over Their Cases.

01 Friday Jan 2016

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Diligence, Discovery, E-Discovery, Federal Judges, Interrogatories, Judges, Legal Ethics, Requests for Admissions, Requests for Production, Rules of Professional Responsibility

≈ Comments Off on Chief Justice Urges Judges To Impose More Management Over Their Cases.

Tags

Case Management, Chief Justice Roberts, Discovery Abuse, Judges, Procedural Posturing

Chief Justice Wants Less Gamesmanship By Lawyers, by Lyle Denniston, SCOTUSblog

http://bit.ly/1JkhNf7

Justice Roberts’ words apply to state courts as well. Ignoring client’s cases, unnecessary and burdensome discovery disputes, and repeated continuances do nothing to endear the legal profession to their clients or the public. -CCE

Speaking in soft but plain words, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., used his year-end report on Thursday night to urge lawyers who practice in federal courts to take steps to help improve the efficiency, and reduce the cost, of trying cases.  Roberts also added some strong encouragement for judges who preside over federal civil trials to take greater control of the management of cases, rather than leaving the process to the tactics of the competing lawyers. . . .

Continue reading →

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Failure To Follow Court Rules Earned This Fed Up Benchslap.

23 Monday Nov 2015

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Appellate Law, Bad Legal Writing, Benchslap, Brief Writing, Citations, Court Rules, Courts, Issues On Appeal, Judges, Legal Writing

≈ Comments Off on Failure To Follow Court Rules Earned This Fed Up Benchslap.

Tags

Above the Law (blog), Appellate Law, Benchslap, Brief Writing, Court Rules, Kathryn Rubino

A Lawyer Way Out Of Her League Gets Benchslapped By Frustrated Judge, by Kathryn Rubino, Above The Law Blog

http://tinyurl.com/o9hk847

The case did not seem suspicious. A commercial painter claimed he had not been paid for work hired by a building manager. The lawyer took the painter’s case. Unfortunately, under oath, her client admitted that he had faked his evidence with forged invoices.

No one was surprised when the trial court imposed sanctions. The surprise came when the lawyer appealed the case with a badly written brief. The lawyer only made it worse when she submitted her corrected brief to the Court. The judge’s response is a classic benchslap. -CCE

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Is It Wrong To Research Your Judge And Jury? Is It Wrong If You Don’t?

27 Tuesday Oct 2015

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Ethics Opinions, Judges, Legal Ethics, Legal Technology, Research, Rules of Professional Responsibility

≈ Comments Off on Is It Wrong To Research Your Judge And Jury? Is It Wrong If You Don’t?

Tags

Anna Massoglia, Duty To Prepare, Online Research, Social media, The Lawyerist Blog

The Do’s and Don’ts of Researching Judges and Juries Online, by Anna Massoglia, The Lawyerist Blog

http://tinyurl.com/p7f4hlg

It makes sense to research potential jurors, and social media makes it easier than ever. But courts have only recently begun to issue guidance now that researching jurors and other courtroom players online is becoming an increasingly common practice.

Researching judges, too, has its advantages. Some jurisdictions, like California, allow you to strike a judge once per case without establishing bias. Although there are limitations and technicalities on these rules, they can give you a say in who decides cases — making it important to know your judge. . . .

Continue reading →

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Perfect Benchslap For Redaction Running Amuck.

08 Saturday Aug 2015

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Benchslap, Court Orders, Federal Judges, Judges, Legal Writing, U.S. District Courts

≈ Comments Off on Perfect Benchslap For Redaction Running Amuck.

Tags

Above the Law, Benchslap, Joe Patrice, Judge Charles Breyer, Legal Writing, Redaction

Judge Trolls Lawyers Without Saying Anything At All, by Joe Patrice, Above The Law

http://abovethelaw.com/2015/08/judge-trolls-lawyers-without-saying-anything-at-all/

Joe beat me to it. Many thanks to Jessica L. Craft at Holden & Carr for the heads’ up. -CCE

Judge Charles Breyer proves that a redaction can be worth a thousand words. . . .

Continue reading →

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Judge’s Benchslap for Missing E-Filing Deadline By Three Minutes.

13 Saturday Jun 2015

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Benchslap, Calendar/Docketing, E-Filing, Judges, Law Office Management, Legal Technology

≈ Comments Off on Judge’s Benchslap for Missing E-Filing Deadline By Three Minutes.

Tags

Above the Law, Benchslap, Brief Writing, Deadlines, E-Filing, Judges, Staci Zaretsky

Judge Shames Lawyers Over Midnight Filings In Awesomely Sarcastic Order, by Staci Zaretsky, Above The Law

http://tinyurl.com/oeld5yg

Thanks to the advent of electronic filing, lawyers get to work nearly 24 hours a day. You’re not expected to work that much, of course, but your firms certainly wouldn’t mind it if you did. Got a motion due at midnight? No problem! You’re overworked and you’ve got a million other things on your plate, so putting one filing on the backburner can’t hurt. After all, you can just furiously write it the night it’s due, and click a few buttons to get it filed by 11:59 p.m. But for some, until the last minute will come back to bite you in the ass. . . .

Continue reading →

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Where Should Citations Go? Texas Appellate Judges Have An Opinion.

05 Friday Jun 2015

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Appellate Judges, Appellate Writing, Brief Writing, Citations, Footnotes, Judges, Legal Writing

≈ Comments Off on Where Should Citations Go? Texas Appellate Judges Have An Opinion.

Tags

Brian Garner, Footnotes, Legal Citations, Legal Writing, Rich Phillips, Texas Appellate Watch

The End of the Great Footnote War in Texas? by Rich Phillips, Texas Appellate Watch

http://tinyurl.com/oq8z9va

I have posted before (and here and here) about a debate that confirms that appellate lawyers are the nerds of the legal world: should citations go in footnotes or in the text?. . . .

Continue reading →

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Research Your Judge!

26 Tuesday May 2015

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Judges, Research

≈ Comments Off on Research Your Judge!

Tags

A2L Consulting, Judges, Ken Lopez, Research, The Litigation Consulting Report

21 Ingenious Ways to Research Your Judge, by Ken Lopez, A2L Consulting, The Litigation Consulting Report

http://tinyurl.com/nsca2lu

For small town attorneys, it is possible to get to know a local judge quite well. Not only do you spend time in front of the local judges frequently, but you very likely see them socially as well.

Most of our clients, though, work in large and medium sized law firms in big cities. They likely try more cases outside of their home town than they do within it. They likely appear in court more often on a pro hac vice (temporary) basis than they do in the jurisdiction where they are admitted to practice. So for these lawyers and the teams that support them, it can be a real challenge to understand your judge’s likes and dislikes. . . .

Continue reading →

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BALLOTPEDIA’s Judicial Misconduct Reports.

25 Monday May 2015

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Judges, Legal Ethics

≈ Comments Off on BALLOTPEDIA’s Judicial Misconduct Reports.

Tags

BALLOTPEDIA, Judges, Misconduct Reports, U.S. Politics

BALLOTPEDIA *an interactive almanac of U.S. politics

BALLOTPEDIA has all types of interesting information. If you want to browse, here is the link to its Index of Contents: http://tinyurl.com/k8u4p6h. The section that caught my eye was its monthly judicial Misconduct Report.

http://ballotpedia.org/Misconduct_Report

Misconduct Reports

The monthly Misconduct Report discusses judges facing complaints or formal charges of judicial misconduct across the nation. The report includes updates about judges charged with misconduct during previous months, as well as the results of completed investigations. Note that any misconduct or other charges mentioned in our stories should be considered allegations, unless otherwise indicated. . . .

 

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The Art of Well Written Judicial Opinions.

17 Friday Apr 2015

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Judges, Legal Analysis, Legal Writing, Legalese, Plain Language, Readability

≈ Comments Off on The Art of Well Written Judicial Opinions.

Tags

Judicial Opinions, Legal Analysis, Legal Writing, Legal Writing Pro Blog, Legalese, Ross Guberman, Trial Judges

The Seven Writing Strategies of Highly Effective Trial Judges, by Ross Guberman, Legal Writing Pro Blog

http://legalwritingpro.com/blog/the-seven-writing-strategies-of-highly-effective-trial-judges/

Asked to name the world’s best opinion writers, traditionalists might rattle off Lord Denning, Learned Hand, or Oliver Wendell Holmes. Modernists often prefer Antonin Scalia or Richard Posner. And the trendy might cite new kids on the block like Lord Sumption or Elena Kagan.

Those august names all deserve heaps of praise. But the fame that these judges enjoy raises questions of its own: Can you write a ‘great’ opinion if you’re a judge who’s not a household name, or even especially influential? And can you write a ‘great’ opinion in a case that’s not a high-profile constitutional crisis, but just another run-of-the-mill dispute in an overflowing docket?

I say ‘yes’ on both counts. No matter how routine a case, and no matter how little time you have, you can write a great opinion. It may not be ‘great’ for the ages, but it can offer readers a clear, accessible, and easy-to-follow analysis of your reasoning, with even a bit of flair or personality for good measure. . . .

Continue reading →

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What A Judge Needs To Give You What You Want.

27 Friday Feb 2015

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Brief Writing, Judges, Legal Analysis, Legal Argument, Legal Writing, Motions, Plain Language, Readability, Statement of Facts, Summary of the Argument

≈ Comments Off on What A Judge Needs To Give You What You Want.

Tags

Legal Writing, Oklahoma Bar Journal, Retired Judge Wayne Alley

Effective Legal Writing: One Judge’s Perspective, by Retired Judge Wayne Alley, originally published in the Oklahoma Bar Journal, Feb. 14, 2015– Vol. 86, No. 5.

http://www.okbar.org/members/BarJournal/archive2015/FebArchive15/OBJ8605Alley.aspx

This is one of the best articles I have read on how to write to win your case. Judge Alley tells you exactly what a judge wants to read in your brief. So put yourself in the judge’s shoes, and imagine that you’re reading yet another brief at the end of a long day at the end of an extremely long week.

Here you will find what a judge needs to give you what you want. -CCE

What does a judge want in writings (motions, briefs, applications, reports, proposed orders) filed in his or her cases? There is an easy answer; the judge wants an easy out. The judge wants a clear, simple, substantiated solution to the problem at hand — a solution with which he is comfortable. To this end, consider the following suggestions.

Tell the judge why. Except for uncontested applications, such as for extensions of time, both sides typically submit persuasive statutes, cases and secondary authorities in support of their respective positions. Not many positions are “slam dunks.” The judge needs to be educated not merely that the respective authorities are out there, but why one set of authorities leads to a better result than the other. The judge shouldn’t have to figure it out for him or herself. . . .

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Why Circuit Courts Reassign Cases To Different District Judges On Remand.

24 Tuesday Feb 2015

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Appellate Judges, Civil Procedure, Court Orders, Federal Civil Procedure, Federal Judges, Judges

≈ Comments Off on Why Circuit Courts Reassign Cases To Different District Judges On Remand.

Tags

Case Reassignment, Federal Courts, Federal Judges, Louisiana Civil Appeals, Raymond P. Ward, Remand

Standards For Reassignment To A Different Judge On Remand, by Raymond P. Ward, Louisiana Civil Appeals

http://raymondpward.typepad.com/la-appellate/2015/02/standards-for-reassignment.html

In U.S. ex rel. Little v. Shell Exploration & Production Co., 14-20156 (5th Cir. Feb. 23, 2015) (unpublished), the Fifth Circuit not only reversed a summary judgment, but also ordered that, on remand, the case be reassigned to a different district judge. Why? Here is the sequence of events in a nutshell:

  1.  The district court rendered summary judgment in defendants’ favor.
  2.  On appeal, the Fifth Circuit reversed, holding that the district court applied the wrong legal standard. The Fifth Circuit remanded with instructions for the district court to apply the correct legal standard.
  3.  A year later, the district court again rendered summary judgment in defendants’ favor, apparently applying the same legal standard that the Fifth Circuit had rejected. The Fifth Circuit concluded that, in rendering this judgment, the district court disregarded the Fifth Circuit’s instructions on remand.

Starting at page 25, the decision includes a survey of case law enunciating various standards applied by circuit courts in deciding whether to reassign a case to a different judge on remand. So this decision is worth tucking away for future reference in case you ever find yourself in need of similar relief.

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Time For Some Levity. Here’s The Case Law Hall of Fame.

31 Saturday Jan 2015

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Court Orders, Courts, Humor, Judges, Legal Writing

≈ Comments Off on Time For Some Levity. Here’s The Case Law Hall of Fame.

Tags

Case Law Hall of Fame, Legal Humor, Lowering the Bar Blog

Case Law Hall of Fame, Lowering the Bar Blog

http://kevinunderhill.typepad.com/lowering_the_bar/case-law-hall-of-fame.html

Cold wet day here. (Hey, not complaining – we need the rain!) Others digging out from monster snow banks. Time for a giggle or two provided by Lowering The Bar. Each of these is worth a snicker, and some might evoke a full belly laugh. It is hard to find one favorite. Which one is yours? -CCE

Bradshaw v. Unity Marine Corp. (S.D. Tex. 2001) (‘Both attorneys have obviously entered into a secret pact . . . to draft their pleadings entirely in crayon on the back sides of gravy-stained paper place mats, in the hope that the Court would be so charmed by their child-like efforts that their utter dearth of legal authorities in their briefing would go unnoticed.’).

Brown v. Swindell (La. Ct. App. 1967) (holding plaintiff could not recover damages for emotional distress allegedly due to embarrassment of owning a three-legged dog).

Bruni v. Bruni (Ontario Super. Ct. 2010) (‘Here, a husband and wife have been marinating in a mutual hatred so intense as to surely amount to a personality disorder requiring treatment . . . . I am prepared to certify a class action for the return of all wedding gifts.’)

Collins v. Henman (S.D. Ill. 1987) (dismissing case because, even accepting petitioner’s claim that he was the Prophet Muhammed, he was still required to exhaust remedies in state court before filing federal habeas action).

Denny v. Radar Industries (Mich. Ct. App. 1971)(‘Appellant [tried to distinguish his case.] He didn’t. We couldn’t. Affirmed.’)

Fisher v. Lowe (Mich. Ct. App. 1983) (‘We thought that we would never see/A suit to compensate a tree’). Bonus points: Westlaw did the summary and headnotes in verse, too.

Lodi v. Lodi (Cal. Ct. App. 1985) (‘This case started when plaintiff Oreste Lodi sued himself in the Shasta County Superior Court.’).

Miles v. City Council (S.D. Ga. 1982) (relating the story of Blackie the Talking Cat).

Moore v. Moore (Mo. Ct. App. 1960) (recognizing husband’s right to fish without female interference, but ruling that minor infringements on it are not grounds for divorce; also finding that the term ‘hillbilly’ is not an insult, at least when used in Southern Missouri).

Nance v. United States (D.C. Cir. 1962) (‘How do you know it was me, when I had a handkerchief over my face?’)

Noble v. Bradford Marine Inc. (S.D. Fla. 1992) (ruling, not long after ‘Wayne’s World’ was released, that ‘very excellent’ authorities showed that removal to federal court was ‘most bogus and way improvident’; ordering defendants to ‘party on in state court.’).

Norman v. Reagan (D. Or. 1982) (dismissing case against former President Reagan for allegedly causing plaintiff’s ‘civil death’ and also certain unspecified claims regarding a suspicious mailbox).

Pardue v. Turnage (La. Ct. App. 1980) (‘An exhaustive reading of the entire record convinces this court that Kenneth Turnage did give his stuffed bear to the Lessards.  For the trial court to find otherwise was manifest error.’).

People v. Foranyic (Cal. Ct. App. 1998) (ruling that there was probable cause for police to detain someone they see riding a bike at 3 a.m., carrying an axe)

R. v. Duncan (Ontario Ct. Justice 2013) (‘There is an ancient proverb to the effect that ‘those whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad.’‘)

Stambovsky v. Ackley (N.Y. 1991) (holding that a homebuyer could seek recission of sale contract based on his claim that he did not know house was allegedly haunted by poltergeists; based on estoppel, court ruled that ‘as a matter of law, the house is haunted’).

United States ex rel. Mayo v. Satan and His Staff (W.D. Pa. 1971) (dismissing case against Satan and unidentified staff members for lack of jurisdiction and uncertainty as to whether case could properly be maintained as a class action).

Washington v. Alaimo (S.D. Ga. 1996) (ordering plaintiff to show cause why he should not be sanctioned for ‘filing a motion for improper purposes,’ such as those hinted at in the title of the pleading, ‘Motion to Kiss My Ass.’)

In re Marriage of Gustin (Mo. Ct. App. 1993) (holding that wife’s chopping through door of marital residence with a hatchet was not ‘marital misconduct’ sufficient to affect distribution of property).

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