ABA Journal

Appellate Practice

2003 ABA Journal Appellate Practice articles.

St. Louis Prosecutor: Right Man Executed

Friends of Larry Griffin and death penalty opponents have been eagerly awaiting a report by the chief St. Louis prosecutor on whether Griffin was innocent of the 1980 murder for…

Defendants: No Jail for Libby; Why Me?

Updated: A former top aide to the vice president of the United States didn’t have to serve time for lying to a federal grand jury. So why should I?

That…

A Roberts Grilling Is Bad Sign

Lawyers peppered with a lot of questions from the chief justice in Supreme Court oral arguments face more than a grilling: They also stand an increased chance of losing his…

Case Over for NJ Man Jailed 22 Years

A New Jersey man jailed for 22 years after being convicted of murdering his former girlfriend’s two children has been freed and will not face new charges after a DNA…

Justice Alito Biggest Business Champion

On a current U.S. Supreme Court known for its pro-business views, Justice Samuel Alito, in his first full year on its bench, stands out as the biggest champion of Big…

Did Missouri Execute an Innocent Man?

A dozen years after Larry Griffin was executed, despite his continuing proclaimations of innocence, by the state of Missouri, there are major unanswered questions about whether he was actually guilty…

Plaintiff is Top Judge; Who Hears Appeal?

It’s a basic premise of constitutional law that litigants are entitled to a fair trial. Thus, when a judge is even peripherally involved in a lawsuit, he or she routinely…

SG Steps onto Political Stage

U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement, a self-described law geek, has been thrust into the political spotlight in the controversy over the firings of at least eight U.S. attorneys.

As the…

Amicus Proposal Riles Right, Left

Groups both liberal and conservative are objecting to a proposed Supreme Court rule on amicus briefs.

The proposal would require the groups filing amicus briefs to reveal whether parties in…

Prof’s Law Blog Led to 11th Circuit Case

Blogging can be a legal minefield for lawyers and parties to litigation, as a Boston doctor defending a malpractice case found out recently when he outed himself as “Flea” and…

Execution for Tex. Woman in Baby Case?

An unusual execution of a woman may be about to take place in Texas. If so, it would be only the 12th in the entire country since the U.S. Supreme…

Judges Get Huffy When Motives Questioned

An effective lawyer challenges court opinions without impugning the character or motives of the judges who wrote them. But should lawyers who don’t follow this rule be penalized?

More often,…

A Matter Over Mind

The Supreme Court Is Poised to Review the Insanity Defense, an Issue That Has Confounded Courts, Psychiatrists and Lawyers

Ink and IP

A Battle Over Selling Printer Ink Pushes Patent Rights Up Against Antitrust Law

Beyond The Bench

Rehnquist Proved an Astute Advocate of the Courts, But Some Wonder Whether His Successor Should Cut Back

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