Saturday, March 27, 2010

NEW RULES FOR PRACTICE IN FEDERAL APPEALS COURTS

Recently a number of changes were made in the rules governing practice and procedures in federal courts of appeals generally and in the Eleventh Circuit United States Court of Appeals in Atlanta, in particular.  Amendments to the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure became effective in December 2009, as did amendments to the Eleventh Circuit Rules and Internal Operating Procedures.  Further changes were proposed in the Eleventh Circuit Rules at that time but have not yet become effective.  Among the amendments that did become effective are important changes in the method of computing time in federal appellate practice, and substantial changes with the new "indicative rulings" procedures.  A more detailed examination of the recent changes is provided in an article by Roger C. Wilson published in the current edition of The Appellate Review, the publication of the Appellate Practice Section of the State Bar of Georgia.   Roger C. Wilson is a member of the Appellate Practice Section and is a member of the managing board of its Federal Practice Committee.