The U.S. Judicial Conference’s Advisory Committee on Appellate Rules is considering a proposal to amend Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 29(a) by requiring that a motion for leave be filed with all non-governmental amicus briefs in federal courts of appeals. In other words, if the proposed amendment were adopted, obtaining the parties’ consent to the […]
Requiring Leave For Filing Amicus Briefs Is A Bad Idea Read More »
The Atlantic Legal Foundation long has been an advocate for ensuring that only reliable expert opinions are considered by courts and/or juries during any phase of litigation. In support of a certiorari petition filed by NVIDIA Corporation in a securities fraud suit governed by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act (“PSLRA”), ALF has filed an
State and local governments have filed dozens of damages suits in state courts around the United States collectively seeking billions of dollars from major oil and gas producers for the alleged local effects of global warming and climate change. The potentially disastrous national and international ramifications of allowing these proliferating suits to proceed are enormously
Law360 has announced that I have been selected to be one of 14 members of its 2024 Appellate Editorial Advisory Board. “The editorial advisory boards provide feedback on Law360’s coverage and expert insight on how best to shape future coverage.” I also was a member of the 2023 Appellate Editorial Advisory Board. Law360 is the
Law360 Reappoints Larry Ebner To Appellate Editorial Advisory Board Read More »
By Lawrence Ebner, Founder, Capital Appellate Advocacy PLLC Published in Friday Fives, Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel Filing amicus curiae briefs is a well-accepted part of practicing before the Supreme Court, federal courts of appeals, and many state appellate courts. If you really want to be a “friend of the court” — if you
Three BIG Amicus Brief Mistakes Read More »
In the consolidated Gilead Tenofovir Cases, the California Court of Appeal held that “the legal duty of a manufacturer to exercise reasonable care can, in appropriate circumstances, extend beyond the duty not to market a defective product” (emphasis added). More specifically, the court held that “a drug manufacturer, having invented what it knows is a safer, and at least equally
ALF Urges California Supreme Court To Review & Reject Expansive Product Liability Theory Read More »
On March 4, 2024, Larry Ebner presented a webinar for the Dartmouth Lawyers Association on How To Write and Use Amicus Briefs Strategically. Interviewed by DLA Treasurer Hilary B. Miller, Larry, a 1969 Dartmouth College graduate, covered key questions from the viewpoints of both amicus brief authors and parties seeking amicus support. For example— Click
Webinar: How To Write and Use Amicus Briefs Strategically Read More »
On November 13, 2023, the Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States issued a self-enforcing Code of Conduct applicable to themselves. The Code of Conduct section titled Disqualification includes the following statement: “Neither the filing of a brief amicus curiae nor the participation ofcounsel for amicus curiae requires a Justice’s disqualification” This statement
Amicus Briefs Do Not Require Disqualification Of Supreme Court Justices Read More »
(L-R): Angela Flowers, Elissa Haynes, Larry Ebner, Miranda Soto, Ann Trivett, Caryn Lilling At the 2024 Winter Meeting of the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel in St. Petersburg, Florida, I organized and moderated a lively and insightful panel on the many benefits of including an appellate specialist in a trial team. Our distinguished panelists,
Posturing Your Case To Win On Appeal Read More »
I am a steadfast advocate for keeping junk science out of courtrooms—for federal judges fulfilling their expert testimony gatekeeper role under Federal Rule of Evidence 702. But should Rule 702’s reliability criteria, which are traceable to Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 509 U.S. 579 (1993), formally apply to amicus briefs that contain scientific or
A Solution In Search of a Problem? Read More »
