Amicus Curiae

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Amicus Curiae

Latin for "friend of the court." A person who is not a party to a case but offers expert or other relevant information on a point of law in order to help the judge or jury make a decision. An amicus curiae may offer testimony (provided it is unsolicited by either party in the case) or write a brief or legal treatise on the matter at hand. The court has full discretion whether or not to accept the statement of an amicus curiae.

References in periodicals archive ?

Organizations weighing in with friend-of-the-court briefs include a group of 20 theologians and religion scholars of various denominations.

Catholics weigh in on Supreme Court cases

10 in a friend-of-the-court brief on an appellate case involving women's health care facilities in Texas.

Texas law on fetal tissue burial decried

Americans United and allies filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case, arguing that the First Amendment does not require government to provide religious instruction for any student.

Md. District Does Not Have To Pay For Religious Schooling

If allowed to stand, the ruling would disrupt the workers' compensation market in Alabama, according to the National Association of Independent Insurers, which has filed a friend-of-the-court brief and supports the appeal.

Alabama Court Allows Worker To Keep Collecting Disability

On December 20, TEI filed a friend-of-the-court brief urging the U.S.

Winter activities confirm institute's expertise as TEI slaloms way to center platform with golden liaison meetings, amicus brief. (TEI's Own Olympic Fever)

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, SPJ and several other media organizations filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of a Minnesota sports reporter who was held in contempt for refusing to reveal anonymous sources who made critical comments about a high school football coach.

Journalist groups support reporter. (Odds & Ends)

The conference--representing the archbishops of Washington and Baltimore and the bishop of Wilmington, Del., whose dioceses all include parts of Maryland--fried a friend-of-the-court brief in the Maryland Court of Appeals June 26.

Court asked to uphold marriage

Lambda Legal, for instance, recently riled a friend-of-the-court brief in a Virginia case that would put both same-sex parents' names on a birth certificate--a law that would give gay parents one more legal protection in that state.

Parent vs. parent: gay dads and lesbian moms are winning new recognition of their rights, but many still lose their children

The American Medical Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and eight other medical specialty societies have jointly filed a friend-of-the-court brief to oppose the state of Florida's attempt to revive a law that would prevent doctors from asking patients and their families about guns in the home.

Gun gag law opposed

With the adjunct of higher capacity revolvers and quality speed reloading devices, semi-automatic capacities should not be the excuse for the ban of these personal protection firearms." NSSF, which filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the Heller case cited during oral arguments and in Justice Scalia's opinion, will continue to fight any ban on firearms ownership for law-abiding citizens.--Courtesy NSSF