DC Dicta
Legal news and developments primarily on the U.S. Supreme Court, Congress and federal agencies in Washington, D.C.
Author: Lawyers USA staffer Kimberly Atkins, a lawyer/journalist who works in the newspaper’s Washington, D.C. bureau, writes the blog. Atkins is a former litigation and appellate lawyer. She practiced in Boston.
Blawg Related Categories: Executive Branch • Legislation & Lobbying • U.S. Supreme Court • States • District of Columbia • Legal News Publication
Recent Posts from DC Dicta
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Friday morning docket: Specter wants his SCOTUS-TV!
You rarely see GOP Sen. John Cornyn on the same side of an issue with Democrats like Sens. Chuck Schumer and Russ Feingold. But yesterday they all joined Sen. Arlen Specter in introducing a resolution…
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The funniest justice, week 3: The dirty work
“We don’t like to decide these questions, you know, initially. We like to have some lower court do the dirty work, and we can correct them. It’s a lot easier that way.” That was Justice…
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SCOTUS rookie takes on veteran
Usually the attorneys that argue before the Supreme Court are seasoned law firm partners, law professors, and longtime appellate advocates. But yesterday, a law firm associate got his chance to argue before the Court in…
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Scalia: The English teacher
If you argue before the Supreme Court, there are many things you must remember - things that have absolutely nothing to do with your case. For example, never refer to a justice by the wrong…
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Fate of hundreds of NLRB rulings rests with Supreme Court
For nearly two years, the normally five-member National Labor Relations Board has operated with only two members. The vacancies, caused when former President Bush’s nominations to fill vacancies on the Board languished in Congress, forced…
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Stevens blasts denial in case of ‘60s hate killing
Usually when the U.S. Supreme Court declines to take up an appeal, that fact is noted only in a single line on an orders list. But more frequently, justices who disagree with the Court’s decision…
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Monday status conference: Getting an Erie feeling
Oral arguments resume at the Supreme Court this week. Cases on tap for the justices include a case today that takes a new at the Erie doctrine. Across the street, lawmakers continue to focus on…
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Friday morning docket: Red Flag reprieve
Were you one of the many lawyers frantically drafting written anti-identity fraud policies for your law firm before the Federal Trade Commission begins enforcing its ‘Red Flags’ regulations this weekend? Well, you can step back…
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Gov. Bush: Med-mal reform requires ‘big boy pants’
“Reforming medical malpractice laws is not for the faint of heart. [In Florida] it was butt ugly, as they say back home. … Put on your big boy pants for this one. I still have…
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Scalia and Breyer take their disagreements on the road
Those who watch oral arguments at the U.S. Supreme Court regularly know that Justices Antonin Scalia and Stephen Breyer are not afraid to openly disagree - and that they often do it in a lively…