"A born appellate lawyer"

The DJ reports that Jean-Claude André -- a self-described "born appellate lawyer" -- has joined Sidley's "super-elite" Supreme Court and appellate practice (Sidley Austin hires former federal prosecutor). The firm's press release notes J.C. "spent over nine years in the appellate section at the U.S. Department of Justice — served as the Criminal Appeals Chief for California’s Central District, supervising more than 350 appeals each year" before the 9th Circuit."
Law360's article (Sidley Austin Picks Up Ex-DOJ Appeals Hotshot in LA) notes that J.C. argued over 75 appeals during his time at the DOJ and back in 2007 at age 31 he became one of the youngest lawyers to argue before SCOTUS. (The Recorder's story is In City of Stars, Sidley Snags Appellate 'Van Damme')

Also on the move... Ryan Bounds, a federal prosecutor in Oregon, has been nominated to the Ninth Circuit today. [9/11 update: Law360 reports Oregon Sens. Won't Support 9th Circ. Nominee]

And the NLJ offers 'PACER Should Be Free,' Tech Scholar Argues in New Paper: "The federal judiciary's fee-based access to its public online database, known as PACER, is not just anachronistic and counter to history but harms the structural integrity of the modern judiciary, a new research article claims. The article—"The Price of Ignorance: The Constitutional Cost of Fees for Access to Electronic Public Court Records"—contends the judiciary's fee structure makes public records "practically inaccessible" for many people and inhibits constitutionally protected activities. "PACER should be free," the article, posted on Aug. 29, concludes."