Peter F Vaira

July 12, 2011 | The Legal Intelligencer

This article discusses the legal requirements and practical aspects of proving the law of a foreign country in federal court and commercial arbitrations.

By Peter F. Vaira

8 minute read

September 14, 2010 | The Legal Intelligencer

There are two different reasons for counsel to seek to interview jurors after a trial: to expose improper outside influence on the jurors or to obtain the jury's evaluation of the attorney's performance. Each has its own procedure, which must be carefully followed.

By Peter F. Vaira

9 minute read

May 11, 2010 | The Legal Intelligencer

Historically, there has been a reluctance on the part of legislators and the courts to grant discovery to the defendant in a criminal case. This is attributable to the long-held view that any information given to the defendant will likely result in perjured defenses.

By Peter F. Vaira

7 minute read

March 06, 2012 | The Legal Intelligencer

In the past 10 years, the discovery practice in civil litigation has grown enormously. Courts and commentators have criticized this expanded discovery practice as becoming its own legal sub-industry.

By Peter F. Vaira

10 minute read

January 17, 2012 | Legaltech News

Discovery in criminal law is limited, with few meaningful publications on the topic. A new book, however, covers the breadth of federal criminal discovery -- with supporting cases.

By Peter F. Vaira

7 minute read

May 08, 2012 | The Legal Intelligencer

The current criminal practice "is for the most part a system of pleas, not a system of trials." Those are the words of Justice Anthony M. Kennedy writing for the majority in two decisions handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court on March 21.

By Peter F. Vaira

9 minute read

July 16, 2013 | The Legal Intelligencer

Today's column is a summary of a program that I moderated at the 2013 Federal Bench Bar Conference on June 7 in Philadelphia. The participants were U.S. District Judge Mary McLaughlin of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania; Mike Engle, past president of the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers; Ann Flannery, former assistant U.S. attorney; and Peter Schenck, chief of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Philadelphia. I designed the program.

By Peter F. Vaira

7 minute read

March 30, 2007 | Law.com

There are few grounds to quash a subpoena for a personal appearance before the grand jury.

By Peter F. Vaira

9 minute read

September 11, 2012 | The Legal Intelligencer

Eastern District Local Civil Rule 83.5.2 requires any attorney who is not a member of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania bar to hire as associate counsel (local counsel) a member of the Eastern District bar to appear as counsel of record on all pleadings.

By Peter F. Vaira

11 minute read

May 12, 2009 | The Legal Intelligencer

In these chaotic times, I have been fortunate to obtain the views of the noted expert and commentator professor G. Rowland Zigwhy, whose wise commentary has appeared in this paper in the past.

By Peter F. Vaira

6 minute read