About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

15 B. Rep. 1 (1986-1987)

handle is hein.barjournals/breport0015 and id is 1 raw text is: VOL. 15 NO. I AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1986 New Procedures For U.S. Court of Appeals The Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has adopted a series of changes in its operating procedures. These changes will apply to all appeals filed on or after August 1, 1986. Faced with a caseload that has increased some sixty percent in the past several years, former Chief Judge Spottswood W. Robinson, III earlier this year named a Task force headed by Judge Harry T. Edwards and including Judges Laurence H. Silberman and James T. Buckley to develop proposals to improve the Court's ability to handle its caseload. The Task Force worked closely with incom- ing Chief Judge Patricia M. Wald who took over that position on July 26. The Task Force's comprehensive series of proposals was presented to and adopted by the full Court in June. Its recommendations drew heavily on the ad- vice of the Court's Advisory Committee on Procedures as wet) as on other circuits' successful efforts to combat similar pro- blems of delay, backlog and congested court calendars. The Task Force Report stressed, however, that many of the prob- lems the D.C. Circuit faces are unique, due to its specialization in federal regulatory appeals and government litiga tion which have nationwide effects and major policy implications. The D.C. Circuit's new appeals pro- gram will be implemented in several stages over the next few years. Its primary goal is to facilitate case processing. In par- ticular, the plan establishes calendar and case handling procedures that will afford the judges greater opportunities to special- ly manage the most difficult cases without detracting from prompt disposition of the regular cases. In addition, the plan will streamline the processing of routine mo- tions, Rule I11(d) cases and summary dispositions. The plan's most notable feature is the scheduling of most cases for oral argument soon after filing and contemporaneously with the establishment of the briefing schedule Other pertinent aspects include the disclosure of the panel of judges before briefing and an improved procedure for handling both routine and dispositive motions. Currently, hearing dates are set ap- proximately thirty days in advance of oral argument, and panel assignments are kept confidential until ten days before argu- ment. Briefing schedules, on the other hand, are set almost immediately after the filing of an appeal, regardless of the pro- spective hearing date. Continuances are commonly granted upon showing of good cause. Under the new systern, panels will be announced to litigants shortly after fil- ing and a specific hearing date will be set for approximately four months later. Since, under the new plan, the argu- ment date will be established before briefs are submitted, a provisional certificate of counsel will have to be submitted before the filing of briefs. The initial scheduling order issued in the case will set the date on which the Rule 8(c) certificate is due. This provisional certificate will be in ad- dition to, not in place of, the final cer- tificate of counsel filed with the briefs. After an appeal has been docketed, an initial order will be issued to establish a due date for the filing of any dispositive motions affecting the calendaring of the case, as well as other nondispositive mo- tions. This will supply the Clerk's office with sufficient information to process and schedule cases efficiently. Included are motions to expedite, defer appendix, continued on page 10 ANNUAL MEETING COVERAGE 1986 Annual Meeting More than 2,000 Bar members par- ticipated in the 1986 Bar Annual Meeting on June 25 at the Capital Hilton Hotel. The day's events started off with a continental breakfast forum with Herman Schwartz, Professor of Law at American University, Bruce Fein of Bruce Fein and Associates and Wiley A. Branton of Sidley & Austin on their views of the Constitution. Twenty-four seminars were offered Frederick B. Abramson, outgoing President of the Bar presents a memorial plaque to Sara A. Moultrie, widow of the late Chief Judge H. Carl Moultrie, I during the Annual Meeting luncheon. Seated: President-Elect, Paul L. Friedman. ANNUAL MEETING COVERAGE DIRECTIONS FOR THE BAR IN 1986-87 ADDRESS BY PAUL L. FRIEDMAN UPON THE OCCASION OF HIS INSTALLATION AS THE FIFTEENTH PRESIDENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA BAR As I was finishing writing these remarks the other afternoon, the phone rang and I asked the friend who had called-who happens, incidentally, to be a great after-dinner speaker-for advice on what to say today. He said: Make it short; make it witty; but make it profound. I think I'll try for two out of three and hope to achieve one. It may seem to some that the District of Columbia Bar has been around for a long time because of the significant impact it has had on the education, discipline and public service activities of lawyers in this community. But in fact the Bar is only mid- way through its second decade and I am only its fifteenth President. The Bar has had its growing pains, and when it has pro- ven too precocious our members have reined us in, much as a parent would a growing child. But today I believe we have come of age as a mature, responsive and responsible organization. Ours is a mandatory Bar, and there are limits to what we can and should do. In recent years, we have been sensitive to those limits and, in my view, we have not overstepped the bounds. As chair of this year's Budget Committee, I can assure you that we have been fiscally conservative, keeping our dues the lowest of any bar association in the nation. But now it is time to consider whether perhaps the boundaries we have set for ourselves have been too limited. We must ask whether we are fully meeting our legitimate goals as a Unified Bar. In answering this question, we need to examine what I believe are the primary missions of this Bar: First, to assure that the profession fulfills its obligation to the public to pro- vide competent, trained, ethical lawyers; Second, to assure that the profession fulfills its obligation to guarantee legal ser- vices for all, particularly low and middle income people; Third, to support the courts in their efforts to improve the administration of 'continued on page 5 throughout the day and into the evening ranging from such topics as child care and employment, the new and revised District Court rules, evidential privileges, legal ramifications of the struggle against ter- rorism, and pending rules and legislation affecting the Probate Bar. Professionalism of American Law- yers was the luncheon address given by keynote speaker Judge George N. Leighton, United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois (the full text of his speech begins on page 4). Approximately 650 members attended the function which in- cluded recognition of recently retired judges of the local and federal courts. The Bar's general assembly featured the installation of new officers, an address by incoming President Paul L. Friedman, and citations to lawyers who have made special contributions to the Bar's pro bono program. Awards were also presented to numerous Sections. An estimated 600 members including summer associates, legal interns and the judiciary turned out for the Annual Meeting's Judiciary Reception. CONTENTS Sections' Calendar. . .2-3 Annual Meeting Coverage...........4-6 Fall Pro Bono Courses... 7 CLE Calendar..........9 1986-87 Section Chairpersons .......... 11 . PINK a JEM6- AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA BA VOL. 15 NO. 1I AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1986

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most