Hamer v. Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago, ___ U.S. ___ (2017).  In Bowles v. Russell, 551 U.S. 205 (2007), the Supreme Court of the United States explained that an appeal filing deadline mandated by statute is jurisdictional, meaning that a late filing requires dismissal of the appeal.  But a time limit contained in a rule of a court is not jurisdictional, and can be forfeited (most of us would say “waived,” but the Court explaine

Coleman v. Superintendent Greene SCI, 845 F.3d 73 (3d Cir. 2017).  Today, Judge Hardiman, writing for the Third Circuit in a habeas corpus case, addressed the weight to be given to dicta from the Supreme Court of the United States.  Lawyers all learn the difference between a holding, the actual rule of decision in a case, and dicta, which (as Judge Hardiman put it, quoting a prior Thrid Circuit case) is “a statement in a judicial opinion that could have been delete

Tomorrow is Election Day.  This election presents one of the most consequential choices between major party candidates for President of the United States that this nation has ever seen.

When appropriate, this blog has criticized both Democrats and Republicans.  This blog has never endorsed a political candidate and will not do so now.  This post will, however, co