Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Articles, articles!

Today's LA Times features another editorial from California Appellate Law Group chairman Ben Feuer, this one titled Why the Supreme Court needs 18-year term limits, supporting the Calabresi-Lindgren proposal (in the 2006 Harvard Law Review) in which justices get 18-year terms, with a new justice appointed every 2 years (so every president would get to nominate two justices per term).

Yesterday's DJ's "small firm profile" column was Appeal Advocates: Esner Change & Boyer has grown into a plaintiffs' go-to firm for winning trial court reversals. The Pasadena-based seven-attorney appellate boutique, used by leading plaintiffs' firms, was founded nearly 30 years ago by Stuart Esner after he worked at H&L and at the 2d DCA for Justice McCloskey.

The DJ's cover story yesterday is about the newly elected State Bar president Michael Colantuono, whom the DJ refers to as a "municipal law expert." True enough, but the appellate community knows Michael--a certified specialist in appellate law--as one of us! The MetNews article (Colantuono Chosen as New State Bar President) notes he is a member of the California Academy of Appellate Lawyers and has argued in all six appellate districts. Congratulations!

Below the fold on the DJ's cover yesterday, see also 9th Circuit Conference Echoes Battles with Trump. And see in The Recorder, Gorsuch Gets Civics Lesson From Student Essayists at Ninth Circuit Conference.

Finally, Moskovtiz on Appeals ends its Statement of Facts series with Part VII. How to persuade in the statement of facts? Include certain facts that are not strictly relevant, but that help with the equities. Also the lack of evidence on a certain point can be a useful 'fact.' Finish the statement of facts with a punch, perhaps a juicy quote from the trial court.