appellate practice

Published with the permission of the Virginia State Bar. Originally published in the Virginia Lawyer, Vol. 67/No. 3. The Supreme Court of Virginia has approved a pilot program for limited appellate mediation in the Court of Appeals of Virginia and Supreme Court of Virginia beginning January 1, 2019. The Court’s announcement recognizes the importance of expanding the availability of alternative dispute resolution to all levels of Virginia’s court system. The pilot program will run for two years. It is designed to support mediation in Virginia’s appellate courts so litigants may make informed decisions about resolution of their disputes and fashion […]

Despite a set schedule, appellate briefing is not necessarily closed prior to decision.  Even after oral argument, a party may submit “supplemental authorities” by letter to the clerk.  This letter is not limited to just citing the new authority—argument is ok too. The rules for submitting supplemental authority are similar across the Court of Appeals of Virginia, the Supreme Court of Virginia, and the Fourth Circuit. The “authority” cited must be “pertinent and significant.”  Temporally, it should “come to a party’s attention” (i) after the party’s petition/brief was filed or (ii) after oral argument, but before decision; the letter must […]