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Prehearing Research And Screening In The Michigan Court Of Appeals: One Court's Method For Increasing Judicial Productivity, T. John Lesinski, N. O. Stockmeyer, Jr.

Vanderbilt Law Review

An overview of the organization and duties of the Michigan Court of Appeals may aid in understanding the function and operation of its prehearing system. The Michigan Court of Appeals is an intermediate appellate court of statewide jurisdiction.' It hears appeals taken as a matter of right from both civil and criminal judgments of inferior courts,' and has original jurisdiction in specified habeas corpus, superintending control, apportionment, quo warranto, and mandamus proceedings. The court also hears appeals by leave, including applications for delayed appeal not timely filed as of right, appeals from state administrative agencies (principally workmen's compensation awards), and …

Sample Instructions To Law Clerks, Frederick G. Hamley, Ruggero J. Aldisert

Vanderbilt Law Review

Sample Instructions to Law Clerks

Sample A -- Law Clerks for Judges of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

Frederick G. Hamley

General Responsibilities

1. You should therefore adopt a professional attitude at the outset. 2. You will need to employ industrious work habits. 3. Cultivate efficient, time-saving ways of doing your work. 4. Make this a year of continuing legal education and an intensive training period. 5. You will come into possession of information concerning the processing of appeals which must remain secret until the opinions are filed. 6. Your prime loyalty is to your judge. 7. All of …

Observations Of An Appellate Judge:The Use Of Law Clerks, Eugene A. Wright

Vanderbilt Law Review

Time-judicial time-is our most valuable commodity. We must employ it effectively and efficiently if we are to keep abreast of new developments in the law, new areas of litigation, and modern procedural improvements and to dispose of increasing backlogs of appealed cases. Circuit judges, each authorized two law clerks, have become increasingly dependent upon the help of their staffs to meet the demands of their expanding workload. The role of the law clerk is to aid the experienced judge in his ultimate task, decision-making. An appellate judge will have a varied background of skills and experience. Often he brings to …

A Primer Of Opinion Writing For Law-Clerks, George R. Smith

Vanderbilt Law Review

Not all appellate judges make the drafting of tentative opinions a part of their law clerks' duties. The practice, however, is increasing, perhaps as a result of the mounting case loads that now occupy the time of most appellate courts. Opinion writing by law clerks is certainly so widespread today that no symposium devoted to the duties of law clerks would be complete without some discussion of the subject. Except for the matter of final responsibility for the opinion, the problems that confront a law clerk in the preparation of an opinion include those that confront the judge himself in …