Law students, members of the public, and interested attorneys: if you can make it to downtown Providence tomorrow morning (January 23, 2018) at 9:30 a.m., and you want to see something that is the rough equivalent of a blue unicorn,…
SCOTUS follows SCOTUS, the Circuit follows the Circuit, but D.J.s don’t follow D.J.s. What gives?
One interesting facet of the federal court system is its hierarchical structure. The thirteen Circuit Courts of Appeals that sit directly below the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) must follow the Supreme Court’s binding precedent. The District Courts…
Feds say POTato, State says PotATO, Let’s Call The Whole Pleading Thing Off
Federal and state courts each have their own separate rules of civil procedure, but it’s a long-standing tenet of Rhode Island law that state and federal rules with similar language are generally interpreted the same. Heal v. Heal, 762 A.2d…
Reading the Tea Leaves on the Latest Superior Court Judicial Assignments
It’s a new year, and just as the seasons change, so do the calendar assignments for the Justices of the Rhode Island Superior Court. The latest Administrative Order, effective December 31, 2017, is a mix of stare decisis and some…
What’s the Deal with the U.S. District Judge and U.S. Attorney Vacancies?
The United States District Court has been down a judge for over two years, and the U.S. Attorney’s office has sat vacant since March 2017. How did we get here and what’s taking so long? Both positions require Presidential nomination…
It’s Musical Chairs At The District of Rhode Island – Courtroom Style!
Not long ago, you could predict the District of Rhode Island’s courtroom lineup like the Red Sox batting order. David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez batted 3 and 4, and Judge Lisi sat in Courtroom 1, Chief Judge Smith in Courtroom…