On March 4, 2022, I was pleased to participate in a 90-minute continuing legal education webinar titled “Procedures, Practice Pointers, & Winning Strategies When Your Case is Headed to the U.S. Supreme Court.” The webinar, sponsored by the DuPage County (Illinois) Bar Association, emphasized written Supreme Court advocacy at the certiorari-petition stage, which is where the vast majority of Supreme Court practice occurs. I was joined by former Illinois Solicitor General Joel Bertocchi of Akerman LLP, Appellate Practice Group Chair Melinda Kollross of Clausen Miller P.C., and CLE Committee Chair Edward R. Sherman of Lillig & Thorsness Ltd. The webinar covered topics such as Supreme Court jurisdiction, assessing a case for possible appeal to the Supreme Court, procedures for preparing and filing a petition for writ of certiorari, strategy and approaches for seeking – or opposing – Supreme Court review, merits briefs, and purpose and use of amicus curiae briefs.
Some of my publications on Supreme Court practice include