It’s not a throwaway oral argument question when a Michigan justice asks or reminds counsel that the Court also must consider the next 100, 200, or 500 cases when deciding what the rule of law is and how it should be applied. Sometimes it’s mentioned in written statements or opinions: “As members of this Court…
Many writers’ Word settings are already configured to use Smart (curly) Quotes as they type. But straight quotes can slip in when others add content (because their Word is set to use Straight Quotation Marks when they type). Straight quotes can also slip in when a writer copies online content and pastes it into their…
A review of the Michigan Supreme Court’s argument orders spanning 80 docket numbers hints that the 2021-22 term will not be a sleeper. Technically, the term begins on August 1. But, traditionally, oral arguments begin in October. IOP 7.301(B). The below categorization reminds how state courts can matter in everyday life. For law students considering…
A recent law review‘s observation about remote courts sparked my curiosity: [W]hile courts frequently assume tenants are accessing remote platforms on a computer, our interviews suggest they are often doing so on a phone for which the remote platform may not be optimized, making it unlikely the tenant can see everything happening in the proceeding….
The Michigan Supreme Court’s 2020-21 term ended on July 31. MCR 7.301(B). August becomes a major holiday for court-data nerds: the time to see where the case data has settled. (SCOTUS doesn’t deserve all the attention!) Measures and trends are sometimes tricky. It’s probably best to start with how I approach the effort. First, I…
Ever face a similar online roadblock? The known info of this Michigan Court of Appeals decision was limited The court website’s search features were not helpful for Silvia. But the original post shared enough info for me to effectively use Google search operators and quickly find the answer. For me, helpful Google search operators include:…
Folks write and (e)file their own court papers in civil and criminal cases each day. Ordinary people—like Clarence Earl Gideon (handwritten in pencil) and Steven Alan Levin (formatted in Microsoft Word)—have successfully petitioned the Supreme Court of the United States on their own. The Michigan Supreme Court ordered oral argument on two handwritten applications filed…
Losing parties regularly file motions for reconsideration. Courts routinely deny them. (The Michigan Supreme Court’s online form proactively warns: “Generally, a motion for reconsideration that merely repeats the same arguments made in prior pleadings will not be granted. The moving party must demonstrate a palpable error by which the Court and the parties have been…
If I had a dollar for each time I’ve read or heard a well-intentioned person say, “Lawyers (or law students) need to learn how to use Styles and templates when writing their legal briefs . . .” And, yet, for all of those who encourage, “You should,” I’ve never seen someone also point to a…
Microsoft went big in 2020 when it released its new editing tool, Editor. Given all of its juiced-up functionality, it’s worth the straightforward review of your current Word settings and adjusting them to fit your preferences and writing needs. (No one wants to live and edit by Microsoft’s “default” settings, do they?) “While Microsoft has…