Judge Barkett Leaving the Eleventh Circuit

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Former nun, former circuit court judge, former Fourth District Judge, and former Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court Rosemary Barkett has added another “former” to her resume: She’s retiring from the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, effective September 30. Barkett isn’t really retiring, though: She is joining the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal in The Hague. Best of luck in this next phase of your career, Judge Barkett! I will never forget high-fiving over chinese food back in the day. I was very grateful for your kindness to another judge’s law clerk.

Second District eFiling Guidance

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The Second District Court of Appeals this week started accepting voluntary electronic filing of appeals via the state eFiling portal. The Court has also issued several Administrative Orders to make the process go more smoothly. In AO 2013-2 [.pdf], the Court is requiring all electronic appendices to be fully text-searchable, and indexed or bookmarked. And really, this will make life so much easier for the judges and staff attorneys who are reading your brief and appendix. When it’s easier for them to find your record references, it will also be easier for them to understand your argument.

Filing through the ePortal also means that the former requirement to email a text copy of your brief to the Court has been terminated. See AO 2013-3 [.pdf]. What is not clear, however, is how this will affect the workflow for the judges at the Second DCA. That court is infamous for preparing summaries of briefs that pull together one party’s argument and line it up next to the other party’s. It will be interesting to hear how the judges adjust their process.

Voluntary E-Filing Begins Today in Second DCA

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As previously reported, today’s the day lawyers are permitted (but not required) to file electronically in the Second District Court of Appeal. E-filing will become mandatory October 1, 2013. Administrative Order No. AOSC13-29 [.pdf] setting today’s deadline is available on the Florida Supreme Court’s website.