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Articles 1 - 18 of 18

Full-Text Articles in Jurisprudence

Out Of Cite, Out Of Mind: Navigating The Labyrinth That Is State Appellate Courts' Unpublished Opinion Practices, Lauren S. Wood Jan 2016

Out Of Cite, Out Of Mind: Navigating The Labyrinth That Is State Appellate Courts' Unpublished Opinion Practices, Lauren S. Wood

University of Baltimore Law Review

Imagine that you are an attorney, litigating an appellate case with an atypical fact pattern. You are familiar with the law; however, its application to your client's circumstances is entirely unclear. After endless hours of research, you finally find it: a factually apposite case with a favorable outcome. Elated, you grab your legal pad to scribble down the case citation. But then you see it-that dreaded text at the top of the opinion: "NOT SELECTED FOR PUBLICATION." This is an unpublished opinion. Perturbed and exhausted, your mind starts racing: "What's that rule again? Can I use this? I think that …


Parades Of Horribles, Circles Of Hell: Ethical Dimensions Of The Publication Controversy, David S. Caudill Jul 2013

Parades Of Horribles, Circles Of Hell: Ethical Dimensions Of The Publication Controversy, David S. Caudill

David S Caudill

No abstract provided.


Commentary: Unpublication And The Judicial Concept Of Audience, Joan M. Shaughnessy Jan 2013

Commentary: Unpublication And The Judicial Concept Of Audience, Joan M. Shaughnessy

Joan M. Shaughnessy

No abstract provided.


Precedent And Justice, William D. Bader, David R. Cleveland Jan 2011

Precedent And Justice, William D. Bader, David R. Cleveland

Law Faculty Publications

Precedent is the cornerstone of common law method. It is the core mechanism by which the common law reaches just outcomes. Through creation and application of precedent, common law seeks to produce justice. The appellate courts' practice of issuing unpublished, non-precedential opinions has generated considerable discussion about the value of precedent, but that debate has centered on pragmatic and formalistic values. This essay argues that the practice of issuing non-precedential opinions does more than offend constitutional dictates and present pragmatic problems to the appellate system; abandoning precedent undermines justice itself. Issuance of the vast majority of decisions as nonprecedential tears …


Overturning The Last Stone: The Final Step In Returning Precedential Status To All Opinions, David R. Cleveland Jan 2009

Overturning The Last Stone: The Final Step In Returning Precedential Status To All Opinions, David R. Cleveland

Law Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.


Practitioners Beware: Under Amended Trap 47, Unpublished Memorandum Opinions In Civil Cases Are Binding And Research On Westlaw And Lexis Is A Necessity., Andrew T. Solomon Jan 2009

Practitioners Beware: Under Amended Trap 47, Unpublished Memorandum Opinions In Civil Cases Are Binding And Research On Westlaw And Lexis Is A Necessity., Andrew T. Solomon

St. Mary's Law Journal

In 2003 and 2008, the Texas Rule of Appellate Procedure (TRAP) 47 was amended. TRAP 47 is the rule which governs the issuance, citation, and precedential value of unpublished and memorandum opinions. The 2003 amendment was designed to make the law more readily available by prohibiting the issuance of unpublished opinions in civil cases and authorizing memorandum opinions in place of unpublished opinions. Despite its intention, the 2003 amendment failed to make civil case law more readily available. This is because such new opinions are only available via electronic repository, such as Westlaw or Lexis. As a result, to completely …


Unspoken Questions In The Rule 32.1 Debate: Precedent And Psychology In Judging, David E. Klein Sep 2005

Unspoken Questions In The Rule 32.1 Debate: Precedent And Psychology In Judging, David E. Klein

Washington and Lee Law Review

No abstract provided.


Much Ado About The Tip Of An Iceberg, William M. Richman Sep 2005

Much Ado About The Tip Of An Iceberg, William M. Richman

Washington and Lee Law Review

No abstract provided.


Much Ado About Little: Explaining The Sturm Und Drang Over The Citation Of Unpublished Opinions, Patrick J. Schiltz Sep 2005

Much Ado About Little: Explaining The Sturm Und Drang Over The Citation Of Unpublished Opinions, Patrick J. Schiltz

Washington and Lee Law Review

No abstract provided.


Take A Letter, Your Honor: Outing The Judicial Epistemology Of Hart V. Massanari, Penelope Pether Sep 2005

Take A Letter, Your Honor: Outing The Judicial Epistemology Of Hart V. Massanari, Penelope Pether

Washington and Lee Law Review

No abstract provided.


Parades Of Horribles, Circles Of Hell: Ethical Dimensions Of The Publication Controversy, David S. Caudill Sep 2005

Parades Of Horribles, Circles Of Hell: Ethical Dimensions Of The Publication Controversy, David S. Caudill

Washington and Lee Law Review

No abstract provided.


The Dog That Did Not Bark: No-Citation Rules, Judicial Conference Rulemaking, And Federal Public Defenders, Stephen R. Barnett Sep 2005

The Dog That Did Not Bark: No-Citation Rules, Judicial Conference Rulemaking, And Federal Public Defenders, Stephen R. Barnett

Washington and Lee Law Review

No abstract provided.


Judicial Triage: Reflections On The Debate Over Unpublished Opinions, David C. Vladeck, Mitu Gulati Sep 2005

Judicial Triage: Reflections On The Debate Over Unpublished Opinions, David C. Vladeck, Mitu Gulati

Washington and Lee Law Review

No abstract provided.


Commentary: Unpublication And The Judicial Concept Of Audience, Joan M. Shaughnessy Sep 2005

Commentary: Unpublication And The Judicial Concept Of Audience, Joan M. Shaughnessy

Washington and Lee Law Review

No abstract provided.


A Government Of Laws And Not Men: Prohibiting Non-Precedential Opinions By Statute Or Procedural Rule, Amy E. Sloan Jul 2004

A Government Of Laws And Not Men: Prohibiting Non-Precedential Opinions By Statute Or Procedural Rule, Amy E. Sloan

All Faculty Scholarship

Non-precedential judicial opinions issued by the federal appellate courts have generated significant controversy. Given that the federal appellate courts are unlikely to abandon the practice of issuing non-precedential opinions on their own, what other options exist for prohibiting the practice? This article discusses the constitutionality of a procedural rule or statute prohibiting the federal appellate courts from prospectively designating selected opinions as non-precedential. It explains how the rules governing non-precedential opinions allow federal appellate courts to "opt out" of their own rules of precedent. It then examines the rulemaking process, showing how the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure are promulgated …


No-Citation Rules Under Siege: A Battlefield Report And Analysis, Stephen R. Barnett Oct 2003

No-Citation Rules Under Siege: A Battlefield Report And Analysis, Stephen R. Barnett

The Journal of Appellate Practice and Process

No abstract provided.


Unpublished Opinions: A Comment, Richard S. Arnold Jul 1999

Unpublished Opinions: A Comment, Richard S. Arnold

The Journal of Appellate Practice and Process

The Honorable Richard S. Arnold gives a federal appellate judge’s perspective of the unpublished opinions debate.


Unpublished Opinions Shall Not Be Cited As Authority: The Emerging Contours Of Texas Rule Of Appellate Procedure 90(I)., David M. Gunn Jan 1992

Unpublished Opinions Shall Not Be Cited As Authority: The Emerging Contours Of Texas Rule Of Appellate Procedure 90(I)., David M. Gunn

St. Mary's Law Journal

In Texas, worries of judicial overproduction have persisted throughout the twentieth century. Although the Texas Supreme Court began to use per curiam opinions more frequently around 1925, the flood continues. Texas now has more courts and judges than ever before, and history offers no reason to expect retrenchment. The present scheme in Texas creates two classes of judicial opinions, published and unpublished. Unpublished opinions are not supposed to count for purposes of stare decisis, while published opinions do. Texas Appellate Rule 90 regulates the issuance of opinions from the courts of appeals. Part (a) requires intermediate courts to issue written …