While this blog is normally confined to appellate cases and issues,  in a recent “text order,” Judge Catherine Eagles of the Middle District of North Carolina fired a warning shot regarding MDNC briefs that mirrors what we often hear from appellate judges.  Formatting and detailed legal and record citations matter, and the Court is not going to help lazy lawyers who are unwilling to do the work themselves!  The order is a quick read, but Mack Sperling’s Business Litigation Report includes some additional tidbits worth a few minutes of your time.

Bottom line:  Knowing the rules of your forum is critical not just in the appellate sphere, but in some federal district courts as well.  Judge Eagles’ (and Mack’s) warnings to MDNC lawyers apply equally to appellate briefs.

-Beth Scherer