Appellate Advocacy Blog Weekly Roundup
Here are a handful of tidbits on appellate practice from around the web this past week. 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).
Upcoming SCOTUS Term
SCOTUS kicks off its new term on the first Monday in October. As a result, the week before usually results in quite a bit of chatter, speculation, and discussion about the coming term and what can be expected. Here are a few tidbits in that regard:
SCOTUS Order List:
On Thursday, SCOTUS released an Order List adding eight cases to its new term, to start next week. SCOTUSblog provided a good / quick writeup about the list and a little preview of each case.
Order List:
https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/092916zr_b97d.pdf
SCOTUSblog Article: http://www.scotusblog.com/2016/09/justices-add-eight-new-cases-to-docket-for-upcoming-term/
SCOTUS 2016 Term: By the Numbers
Bloomberg broke down the upcoming term “by the numbers” — including how many cases had been docketed at the beginning of the week (out of the 75 or so likely to make up the full docket for the year), the number being heard on direct appeal vs. discretionary grants of cert, original jurisdiction, etc. The article also breaks down civil vs. Criminal cases on the docket, the possibility of the 9th Circuit becoming the most reversed court for this term, etc.
Article: http://www.bna.com/scotus-2016-termby-n57982077532/
5 Facts about the Supreme Court
Pew Research Center summarized five facts about how Americans view SCOTUS as this year’s term looms on the horizon. Americans’ opinions of the Court hit a 30-year low last year, but have rebounded; there is a significant partisan gap in views of the Court; those partisan views include sharp divisions about how the Court should interpret the Constitution; voters closer to the conservative end of the Republican spectrum or the liberal end of the Democratic spectrum (as opposed to moderates) view court appointments as more important to their vote in the upcoming presidential election; and most Americans disagree with the current Senate’s decision not to hold hearings on the nomination of Merrick Garland. See the article for more in-depth explanation of these five points.
Article: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/09/26/5-facts-about-the-supreme-court/
Hat Tip: Robert Barnes (@scotusreporter)
How Clinton’s or Trump’s Nominees Could Affect the Balance of the Supreme Court
Adam Liptak and Alicia Parlapiano had an article in the NY Times that provided an interactive guide and links to a new study prepared by Lee Epstein of Washington University in St. Louis, Andrew D. Martin of the University of Michigan, and Kevin Quinn of the University of California-Berkeley, discussing predictions about each candidate’s potential nominees.
Hat Tip: Howard Bashman (@howappealing)
#TwitterTuesdays Here
This week’s edition of #TwitterTuesdays here at the Appellate Advocacy Blog focused on Supreme Court related Twitter accounts to keep you informed about all thing SCOTUS.
Link: https://www.appellateadvocacyblog.com/2016/09/twittertuesday-scotus-edition.html
Judge Clears Path for PACER Overcharge Suit
An article on Law.com this week highlighted that a U.S. Court of Federal Claims judge has denied the government’s request to dismiss a class action suit alleging that a computer glitch caused the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system to erroneously overcharge users for accessing and viewing federal court docket information. The basis for the government’s claim was an assertion that the plaintiffs in the suit were required to exhaust administrative remedies before pursuing the action in court; the judge disagreed. The underlying action is based on “claims for breach of contract, breach of an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and illegal exaction.”
Hat Tip: Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) and Jason P. Steed (@5thCircAppeals)