As  we do every Friday, the Appellate Advocacy Blog presents a few tidbits of news and Twitter posts from the past week concerning appellate advocacy. As always, if you see something during the week that you think we should be sure to include, feel free to send Dan a quick email atDReal@Creighton.edu or a message on Twitter (@Daniel_L_Real).

Roberts Recusal from Patent Case

Life Technologies Corp. v. Promega Corp. was argued last month before the Supreme Court.  The case involves a statute imposing liability on companies exporting “all or a substantial portion of the components of a patented invention” to actively induce overseas action to combine components in a way that would amount to infringement if done domestically.  It turns out that Chief Justice Roberts owns shares of stock in a company, Thermo Fisher Scientific, which in turn owns the petitioner company, Life Technologies.  As a result of the late discovery of the conflict, Roberts has recused himself from resolution of the case.

Reports:

SCOTUSBlog

Bloomberg

Insider Practice Instruction from the 5th Circuit

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has provided some helpful videos on Youtube concerning practice instruction in the circuit.  In one video, the clerk of the court explains the process for scheduling oral arguments.  In another video, the chief judge discusses what attorneys can expect when presenting oral argument.

Useful Grammar Twitter Follows

Real Simple (@RealSimple) this week posted “7 Twitter Accounts English Grammar-Lovers Should Follow.” Inasmuch as appellate practice involves a great deal of careful writing, these are all useful follows for appellate practitioners, as well.

President’s Article in Harvard Law Review

This week President Barack Obama had a commentary appear in the Harvard Law Review.  The commentary, titled “The President’s Role in Advancing Criminal Justice Reform,” provides a discussion of the current criminal justice landscape and the need for meaningful reform, the role played by the President in driving significant reform at both the federal and state/local levels, and a look ahead to reforms that could be implemented soon. 

Brief Odds and Ends

#AppellateTwitter made the United States Law Week — in a piece calling it “Appellate Law Enthusiasts’ ‘Nerdy’ Forum.”

A new keyboard just for legal writers has hit the market — the Legal Keyboard — including buttons for section, paragraph, and copyright symbols, among other features.  Only $65.