Pre-Certiorari Amicus Briefs Increasingly Important in Cases SCOTUS Takes

Tony Mauro and Marcia Coyle of the National Law Journal point out the increasing role of pre-certiorari amicus briefs to get argument in the United States Supreme Court.

New Supreme Court of the United States Rules Adopted

The Supreme Court of the United States updated its rules a couple of days ago. A summary of the changes is here. A complete set of the updated rules is here.
Some of the main changes follow. Word limits on a Reply Brief on the Merits were reduced from 7,500 to 6,000. The rules cut the volume limit for such briefs back to what it was prior to the 2007 Rules revisions. What is to be included on the cover of the Joint Appendix has been clarified. Counsel of record now have to include an e-mail address on the cover of every document filed. The appendices now need a descriptive index and citations to the United States Code whenever available. That only an attorney admitted to practice before SCOTUS is permitted to file an amicus curiae brief is clearer. No more applications for extensions of time for amicus curiae briefs at the merits stage will be allowed.