The clerk of the U.S. Supreme Court has published a handy three-page guide for lawyers practicing in the Court. If you’re contemplating filing or receiving a cert petition, you’ll want to download a copy. You can find it by following this link.
Yesterday, in its continuing response to the COVID-19 emergency, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an order easing the requirements for paper filings. Under yesterday’s order, “every document filed in a case prior to a ruling on a petition for a writ of certiorari or petition for an extraordinary writ, or a decision to set an appeal for argument, a single paper copy of the document, formatted on 8½ x 11 inch paper, may be filed.” The order goes on to list several categories of documents that “should not be filed in paper form if they are submitted through the Court’s electronic filing system ....” Finally, the order allows parties to “be relieved of the obligation to effect service of paper versions of filings” if they agree to electronic service. To download a copy of the Court’s order, follow this link.
Here are links to prior blog posts about the U.S. Supreme Court’s response to the COVID-19 emergency:
In a press release issued today, the U.S. Supreme Court announced that it “will hear oral arguments by telephone conference on May 4, 5, 6, 11, 12 and 13 in a limited number of previously postponed cases.” The press release lists 10 cases, including one from the 2018 term and the rest from the 2019 term. It also announced that,
[i]n keeping with public health guidance in response to COVID-19, the Justices and counsel will all participate remotely. The Court anticipates providing a live audio feed of these arguments to news media.
To read the full press release, follow this link.
Like other courts nationwide, the Supreme Court of the United States’ building is now closed to the general public. The building is, however, open for official business. Yesterday, the Court issued an order giving litigants relief from some deadlines. In a nutshell, the order does two things:
To download a copy of the order, follow this link.