A recent dissent by Judge Kelly in an Eighth Circuit civil rights case highlights an interesting fact. Prison inmates (and individuals committed involuntarily to mental health institutions) are the only people in the United States who enjoy a constitutional right
Michael Gross Law Office
Michael Gross Law Office is a legal practice based in St. Louis, Missouri, specializing in appellate law. The office provides appellate representation in federal and state courts, focusing on writing briefs, consulting on trial matters, and assisting with mediation. Its blog covers appellate litigation topics including securities fraud, civil rights, legal writing techniques, standards of review, and procedural rules in appellate courts. The content is aimed at trial lawyers, judges, and legal professionals interested in appellate practice, with detailed analysis of court decisions and practical advice on legal writing and appellate procedure.
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Brief-Writing: Cleaning up the Citation of Multi-Layered Quotes
Quoting judicial opinions can authenticate and bolster arguments in a brief. The problem is that direct quotes can get cumbersome. The opinion you are quoting may have quoted from another decision, which may have quoted from yet another. And so…
8th Circuit: Some Insight Into the Plain Error Standard
Appellants try to get trial court judgments reversed. The basic job of appellate judges is to decide, case-by-case, whether a trial judge made an error significant enough to require that his or her judgment be overturned.
The tests appellate judges…
Brief-Writing: Missouri’s Mandatory (But Brilliant) Formula for Argument Headings
Missouri appellate courts take the structure of an argument heading very, very seriously. For decades the Missouri Supreme Court has prescribed the format of “points relied on” and insisted on compliance. Briefs have been stricken and appeals dismissed for wayward…