An unusual bleg: I’d like to file a pro bono amicus brief (on my own behalf) by Monday, January 11, in the U.S. District of Colorado. It appears, though, that to do that I’d have to join the District of Colorado bar and sign up for the District’s CM/ECF system. I thought that if any of you might be able and willing to do me a favor by being local counsel for me, I could avoid all that. Naturally I would gladly reimburse you for any relevant filing fees; and I doubt that there’d be any conflict difficulties for any of you, for reasons I’ll happily explain if you’re potentially interested.
If you are indeed potentially interested, please e-mail me at volokh at law dot ucla dot edu and let me know — I’d then let you know more about the case, so you can make sure that this is indeed something you would like to do. Many thanks!
UPDATE: Thanks very much to those who responded; I’ve arranged things with the first person I heard from, and it looks I’m all set now. Much appreciate the help.
arbitraryaardvark says:
I suspect that you could submit a brief and a motion for leave to file the brief, and that it would probably be granted. I haven’t done this in colorado, but I have done this in another district.
January 7, 2010, 2:40 pmEugene Volokh says:
Arbitraryaardvark: That’s what I thought, too, but I called the clerk’s office and they say I need to join the District of Colorado bar and get set up with the CM/ECF system; and I’m afraid that given the short time, and my inexperience with this stuff, I’ll screw up. So it would be best if I could rely on someone who actually knows how things are done, and is already set up to do them.
January 7, 2010, 2:45 pmGuest12345 says:
Isn’t David Kopel based out of Colorado?
January 7, 2010, 2:49 pmLiberal Libertarian, PhD, JD says:
What’s the brief’s issue? That might help find someone willing to sign on…
January 7, 2010, 4:10 pmLiberal Libertarian, PhD, JD says:
Also, the rules specify that you can get an ECF account as a pro se party. http://www.cod.uscourts.gov/Documents/CMECF/ecfPro.pdf
January 7, 2010, 4:20 pmDavid M. Nieporent says:
Yes, but he’s not a pro se party; he’s an amicus.
January 7, 2010, 4:32 pmdcperson says:
Is that typical for federal courts? I’m just curious b/c I’m only familiar with a few state courts, which, to the degree that I remember, require the approach that Prof. Volokh is taking [find local counsel and pro hac in w/ permission of court]. But I haven’t worked in the federal court system…I just thought I remembered D.C. District requiring local counsel as well.
January 7, 2010, 4:56 pmLiberal Libertarian, PhD, JD says:
An amicus can be pro se. I have no idea whether the District of Colorado treats them as a non-party for the purposes of ECF but the FRCP and Local rules are silent on the question of amici altogether.
January 7, 2010, 6:08 pmLaura Victoria says:
Professor Volokh, as someone who no longer lives there but with much unpleasant legal experience in CO, I would love to know what the case you are filing the brief in is about.
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August 31, 2010, 12:43 am