Avalon Zoppo
Avalon Zoppo is an appellate courts reporter for The National Law Journal. Contact her at [email protected]. On Twitter: @AvalonZoppo.
April 22, 2022 | Daily Business Review
11th Circuit Upholds Dismissal of Law Graduate's Complaint Alleging School Expelled Her for Supporting Trump"As it relates to the state defendants and Wasserman, McLaughlin's amended complaint—clocking in at 115 pages and 1,064 paragraphs—is a shotgun pleading," the panel wrote.
By Avalon Zoppo
3 minute read
April 22, 2022 | National Law Journal
How Fostering 'Circuit Personalities' Can Help Curb Partisan Divisions in the JudiciaryThe William & Mary Law School professors say "circuit personalities," or a court's local customs, like the Fourth Circuit tradition of judges shaking hands with attorneys after oral arguments, are great for bridging divides within a court.
By Avalon Zoppo
4 minute read
April 21, 2022 | National Law Journal
Meet the Attorney Who Created an App for Moot Arguments"The idea basically grew organically out of not wanting to do things the analog way," said appellate attorney Athul Acharya.
By Avalon Zoppo
4 minute read
April 21, 2022 | National Law Journal
'It's Unseemly': Ethics Experts Unsettled by Federal Judges Trying to Control Who Replaces ThemSome court watchers worry the practice could harm public perception of the integrity in the judicial selection process.
By Avalon Zoppo
7 minute read
April 18, 2022 | National Law Journal
What Drives Splits Between Trump-Appointed Judges and Their Republican Colleagues?In one dissent earlier this year, Reagan-appointed Judge Jerry Smith accused his colleagues, including a Trump appointee, of "inventing and distorting facts."
By Avalon Zoppo
6 minute read
April 14, 2022 | National Law Journal
Devin Nunes Loses Bid to Revive CNN Defamation LawsuitSecond Circuit Judge Steven Menashi dissented from the majority's ruling.
By Avalon Zoppo
3 minute read
April 13, 2022 | National Law Journal
Appellate Judge Says Nationwide Injunctions Should Be 'Eliminated' or LimitedJudge Jeffrey Sutton of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit said district judges should "think twice" before granting nationwide injunctions.
By Avalon Zoppo
2 minute read
April 12, 2022 | National Law Journal
Judge Seems Unsure of Mexico's Arms Trafficking Accusations Against GunmakersThe judge questioned how broadly Mexico's arguments could ultimately be applied to other individuals.
By Avalon Zoppo
3 minute read
April 07, 2022 | National Law Journal
'Unhelpful': DOJ Amicus Brief Vexes Appellate PanelThe DOJ's amicus brief, with only three pages of arguments, was irrelevant to the case, the panel said.
By Avalon Zoppo
3 minute read
April 07, 2022 | National Law Journal
Speculation Swirls Over Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's Replacement After Supreme Court ElevationThe White House has remained mum on a potential replacement, but legal experts and attorneys have their own shortlists.
By Avalon Zoppo
6 minute read
