In putting together a brief, a lawyer will likely rely on previous work. Cutting and pasting with a computer has gotten pretty easy.

But, be careful. This might happen...

Details.

Fresh typos are easy enough without importing incorrect information. I have just read the brief of well-known defense attorney in which an especially important "not" in the concluding sentence of the summary of the argument had been omitted. Written the way it was, a reader could not be faulted for deciding there was no need to read the rest of the brief because the statement was as good as any concession. If only the attorney had meant it!

[This message was edited by John A. Stride on 08-24-11 at .]

We had one attorney use the same subheading in four different briefs. Only problem was that it was regarding a specific piece of evidence that was only admitted in the first case.

Fortunately there are enough appellate folks in my county to get lots of proofreading before filing anything. But for any county, it's really essential to find someone who can look it over for you!

Like when a big town lawyer wants to beat my backwater butt by filing motion after motion after motion, and insists on hearings on all of them. The Judge asks which ones I will agree to, and I usually say none. When we get to the discovery motions in a state jail drug case and Mr. Hotshot has demanded all autopsy and medical examiner's results, I can't help myself.................. I usually ask the court to inquire whether the defense will assert his client was dead at the time of the bust.

It only takes once or twice with a good judge, and the hotshots just ain't so hot.