RULES OF THE Supreme Court of the United States ADOPTED JANUARY 11, 1999 EFFECTIVE MAY 3, 1999 CLER$$rulf SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES 1 First Street, N. E. Washington, DC 20543 Clerk of the Court ............................... (202) 479-3011 Reporter of Decisions.......................... (202) 479-3390 Marshal of the Court........................... (202) 479-3333 Librarian................................................ (202) 479-3175 Telephone Operator ............................. (202) 479-3000 Clerk's Automated Response System (CARS) ................................ (202) 479-3034 Electronic Bulletin Board System (BBS).................................... (202) 554-2570 Visit the U.S. Supreme Court Website http://www.supremecourtus.gov Mailing Address of the Solicitor General of the United States (see Rule 29.4) Room 5614 Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N. W. Washington, DC 20530-0001 cler$$rulf UNIT: uruc cler$$rulc 01-29-99 14:01:13 LAYOUT: CTRULC TABLE OF CONTENTS PART I. THE COURT Page Rule 1. Clerk ................................................................................................ 1 Rule 2. Library ............................................................................................ 1 Rule 3. Term ................................................................................................ 1 Rule 4. Sessions and Quorum ................................................................... 2 PART II. ATTORNEYS AND COUNSELORS Rule 5. Admission to the Bar.................................................................... 2 Rule 6. Argument Pro Hac Vice.............................................................. 3 Rule 7. Prohibition Against Practice ...................................................... 4 Rule 8. Disbarment and Disciplinary Action......................................... 4 Rule 9. Appearance of Counsel................................................................. 5 PART III. JURISDICTION ON WRIT OF CERTIORARI Rule 10. Considerations Governing Review on Certiorari ................... 5 Rule 11. Certiorari to a United States Court of Appeals Before Judgment .................................................................................... 6 Rule 12. Review on Certiorari: How Sought; Parties............................ 6 Rule 13. Review on Certiorari: Time for Petitioning ............................ 9 Rule 14. Content of a Petition for a Writ of Certiorari ........................ 10 Rule 15. Briefs in Opposition; Reply Briefs; Supplemental Briefs ..... 13 Rule 16. Disposition of a Petition for a Writ of Certiorari................... 15 PART IV. OTHER JURISDICTION Rule 17. Procedure in an Original Action ................................................ 16 Rule 18. Appeal from a United States District Court........................... 17 Rule 19. Procedure on a Certified Question ............................................ 21 Rule 20. Procedure on a Petition for an Extraordinary Writ .............. 22 PART V. MOTIONS AND APPLICATIONS Rule 21. Motions to the Court.................................................................... 25 Rule 22. Applications to Individual Justices............................................ 26 Rule 23. Stays ................................................................................................ 27 PART VI. BRIEFS ON THE MERITS AND ORAL ARGUMENT Rule 24. Briefs on the Merits: In General................................................ 27 Rule 25. Briefs on the Merits: Number of Copies and Time to File .. 29 Rule 26. Joint Appendix............................................................................... 30 Rule 27. Calendar.......................................................................................... 33 Rule 28. Oral Argument .............................................................................. 34 i UNIT: uruc cler$$rulc 01-29-99 14:01:13 LAYOUT: CTRULC ii TABLE OF CONTENTS PART VII. PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE Page Rule 29. Filing and Service of Documents; Special Notifications; Corporate Listing...................................................................... 35 Rule 30. Computation and Extension of Time ........................................ 38 Rule 31. Translations.................................................................................... 39 Rule 32. Models, Diagrams, and Exhibits ................................................ 39 Rule 33. Document Preparation: Booklet Format; 81/2- by 11-Inch Paper Format............................................................................. 40 Rule 34. Document Preparation: General Requirements ...................... 43 Rule 35. Death, Substitution, and Revivor; Public Officers.................. 44 Rule 36. Custody of Prisoners in Habeas Corpus Proceedings ........... 45 Rule 37. Brief for an Amicus Curiae ....................................................... 46 Rule 38. Fees.................................................................................................. 48 Rule 39. Proceedings In Forma Pauperis............................................... 49 Rule 40. Veterans, Seamen, and Military Cases ..................................... 50 PART VIII. DISPOSITION OF CASES Rule 41. Opinions of the Court................................................................... 51 Rule 42. Interest and Damages.................................................................. 51 Rule 43. Costs ................................................................................................ 52 Rule 44. Rehearing ....................................................................................... 53 Rule 45. Process; Mandates......................................................................... 54 Rule 46. Dismissing Cases........................................................................... 54 PART IX. DEFINITIONS AND EFFECTIVE DATE Rule 47. Reference to "State Court" and "State Law" ......................... 55 Rule 48. Effective Date of Rules................................................................ 56 cler$$RULE 02-13-99 19:26:49 PGT*CTRULE PART I. THE COURT Rule 1. Clerk 1. The Clerk receives documents for filing with the Court and has authority to reject any submitted filing that does not comply with these Rules. 2. The Clerk maintains the Court's records and will not permit any of them to be removed from the Court building except as authorized by the Court. Any document filed with the Clerk and made a part of the Court's records may not thereafter be withdrawn from the official Court files. After the conclusion of proceedings in this Court, original records and documents transmitted to this Court by any other court will be returned to the court from which they were received. 3. Unless the Court or the Chief Justice orders otherwise, the Clerk's office is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except on federal legal holidays listed in 5 U. S. C. § 6103. Rule 2. Library 1. The Court's library is available for use by appropriate personnel of this Court, members of the Bar of this Court, Members of Congress and their legal staffs, and attorneys for the United States and for federal departments and agencies. 2. The library's hours are governed by regulations made by the Librarian with the approval of the Chief Justice or the Court. 3. Library books may not be removed from the Court building, except by a Justice or a member of a Justice's staff. Rule 3. Term The Court holds a continuous annual Term commencing on the first Monday in October and ending on the day before the first Monday in October of the following year. See 28 U. S. C. § 2. At the end of each Term, all cases pending on the docket are continued to the next Term. 1 cler$$RULE 02-13-99 19:26:49 PGT*CTRULE 2 SUPREME COURT RULE 5 Rule 4. Sessions and Quorum 1. Open sessions of the Court are held beginning at 10 a.m. on the first Monday in October of each year, and thereafter as announced by the Court. Unless it orders otherwise, the Court sits to hear arguments from 10 a.m. until noon and from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. 2. Six Members of the Court constitute a quorum. See 28 U. S. C. § 1. In the absence of a quorum on any day ap- pointed for holding a session of the Court, the Justices at- tending-or if no Justice is present, the Clerk or a Deputy Clerk-may announce that the Court will not meet until there is a quorum. 3. When appropriate, the Court will direct the Clerk or the Marshal to announce recesses. PART II. ATTORNEYS AND COUNSELORS Rule 5. Admission to the Bar 1. To qualify for admission to the Bar of this Court, an applicant must have been admitted to practice in the highest court of a State, Commonwealth, Territory or Possession, or the District of Columbia for a period of at least three years immediately before the date of application; must not have been the subject of any adverse disciplinary action pro- nounced or in effect during that 3-year period; and must ap- pear to the Court to be of good moral and professional character. 2. Each applicant shall file with the Clerk (1) a certificate from the presiding judge, clerk, or other authorized official of that court evidencing the applicant's admission to practice there and the applicant's current good standing, and (2) a completely executed copy of the form approved by this Court and furnished by the Clerk containing (a) the applicant's per- sonal statement, and (b) the statement of two sponsors en- dorsing the correctness of the applicant's statement, stating that the applicant possesses all the qualifications required for admission, and affirming that the applicant is of good UNIT: cler$$RULE 02-13-99 19:26:49 PGT*CTRULE SUPREME COURT RULE 6 3 moral and professional character. Both sponsors must be members of the Bar of this Court who personally know, but are not related to, the applicant. 3. If the documents submitted demonstrate that the appli- cant possesses the necessary qualifications, and if the appli- cant has signed the oath or affirmation and paid the required fee, the Clerk will notify the applicant of acceptance by the Court as a member of the Bar and issue a certificate of ad- mission. An applicant who so wishes may be admitted in open court on oral motion by a member of the Bar of this Court, provided that all other requirements for admission have been satisfied. 4. Each applicant shall sign the following oath or affirma- tion: I, ..............., do solemnly swear (or affirm) that as an attorney and as a counselor of this Court, I will conduct my- self uprightly and according to law, and that I will support the Constitution of the United States. 5. The fee for admission to the Bar and a certificate bear- ing the seal of the Court is $100, payable to the United States Supreme Court. The Marshal will deposit such fees in a separate fund to be disbursed by the Marshal at the direction of the Chief Justice for the costs of admissions, for the benefit of the Court and its Bar, and for related purposes. 6. The fee for a duplicate certificate of admission to the Bar bearing the seal of the Court is $15, and the fee for a certificate of good standing is $10, payable to the United States Supreme Court. The proceeds will be maintained by the Marshal as provided in paragraph 5 of this Rule. Rule 6. Argument Pro Hac Vice 1. An attorney not admitted to practice in the highest court of a State, Commonwealth, Territory or Possession, or the District of Columbia for the requisite three years, but otherwise eligible for admission to practice in this Court under Rule 5.1, may be permitted to argue pro hac vice. 2. An attorney qualified to practice in the courts of a for- eign state may be permitted to argue pro hac vice. cler$$RULE 02-13-99 19:26:49 PGT*CTRULE 4 SUPREME COURT RULE 8 3. Oral argument pro hac vice is allowed only on motion of the counsel of record for the party on whose behalf leave is requested. The motion shall state concisely the qualifica- tions of the attorney who is to argue pro hac vice. It shall be filed with the Clerk, in the form required by Rule 21, no later than the date on which the respondent's or appellee's brief on the merits is due to be filed, and it shall be accompa- nied by proof of service as required by Rule 29. Rule 7. Prohibition Against Practice No employee of this Court shall practice as an attorney or counselor in any court or before any agency of government while employed by the Court; nor shall any person after leaving such employment participate in any professional ca- pacity in any case pending before this Court or in any case being considered for filing in this Court, until two years have elapsed after separation; nor shall a former employee ever participate in any professional capacity in any case that was pending in this Court during the employee's tenure. Rule 8. Disbarment and Disciplinary Action 1. Whenever a member of the Bar of this Court has been disbarred or suspended from practice in any court of record, or has engaged in conduct unbecoming a member of the Bar of this Court, the Court will enter an order suspending that member from practice before this Court and affording the member an opportunity to show cause, within 40 days, why a disbarment order should not be entered. Upon response, or if no response is timely filed, the Court will enter an ap- propriate order. 2. After reasonable notice and an opportunity to show cause why disciplinary action should not be taken, and after a hearing if material facts are in dispute, the Court may take any appropriate disciplinary action against any attorney who is admitted to practice before it for conduct unbecoming a member of the Bar or for failure to comply with these Rules or any Rule or order of the Court. UNIT: cler$$RULE 02-13-99 19:26:49 PGT*CTRULE SUPREME COURT RULE 10 5 Rule 9. Appearance of Counsel 1. An attorney seeking to file a document in this Court in a representative capacity must first be admitted to practice before this Court as provided in Rule 5, except that admis- sion to the Bar of this Court is not required for an attorney appointed under the Criminal Justice Act of 1964, see 18 U. S. C. § 3006A(d)(6), or under any other applicable federal statute. The attorney whose name, address, and telephone number appear on the cover of a document presented for filing is considered counsel of record, and a separate notice of appearance need not be filed. If the name of more than one attorney is shown on the cover of the document, the at- torney who is counsel of record shall be clearly identified. 2. An attorney representing a party who will not be filing a document shall enter a separate notice of appearance as counsel of record indicating the name of the party repre- sented. A separate notice of appearance shall also be en- tered whenever an attorney is substituted as counsel of rec- ord in a particular case. PART III. JURISDICTION ON WRIT OF CERTIORARI Rule 10. Considerations Governing Review on Certiorari Review on a writ of certiorari is not a matter of right, but of judicial discretion. A petition for a writ of certiorari will be granted only for compelling reasons. The following, al- though neither controlling nor fully measuring the Court's discretion, indicate the character of the reasons the Court considers: (a) a United States court of appeals has entered a deci- sion in conflict with the decision of another United States court of appeals on the same important matter; has decided an important federal question in a way that conflicts with a decision by a state court of last resort; or has so far departed from the accepted and usual course of judicial proceedings, or sanctioned such a de- cler$$RULE 02-13-99 19:26:49 PGT*CTRULE 6 SUPREME COURT RULE 12 parture by a lower court, as to call for an exercise of this Court's supervisory power; (b) a state court of last resort has decided an impor- tant federal question in a way that conflicts with the decision of another state court of last resort or of a United States court of appeals; (c) a state court or a United States court of appeals has decided an important question of federal law that has not been, but should be, settled by this Court, or has decided an important federal question in a way that conflicts with relevant decisions of this Court. A petition for a writ of certiorari is rarely granted when the asserted error consists of erroneous factual findings or the misapplication of a properly stated rule of law. Rule 11. Certiorari to a United States Court of Appeals Before Judgment A petition for a writ of certiorari to review a case pending in a United States court of appeals, before judgment is en- tered in that court, will be granted only upon a showing that the case is of such imperative public importance as to justify deviation from normal appellate practice and to require im- mediate determination in this Court. See 28 U. S. C. § 2101(e). Rule 12. Review on Certiorari: How Sought; Parties 1. Except as provided in paragraph 2 of this Rule, the peti- tioner shall file 40 copies of a petition for a writ of certiorari, prepared as required by Rule 33.1, and shall pay the Rule 38(a) docket fee. 2. A petitioner proceeding in forma pauperis under Rule 39 shall file an original and 10 copies of a petition for a writ of certiorari prepared as required by Rule 33.2, together with an original and 10 copies of the motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis. A copy of the motion shall pre- cede and be attached to each copy of the petition. An in- mate confined in an institution, if proceeding in forma pau- UNIT: cler$$RULE 02-13-99 19:26:49 PGT*CTRULE SUPREME COURT RULE 12 7 peris and not represented by counsel, need file only an original petition and motion. 3. Whether prepared under Rule 33.1 or Rule 33.2, the petition shall comply in all respects with Rule 14 and shall be submitted with proof of service as required by Rule 29. The case then will be placed on the docket. It is the peti- tioner's duty to notify all respondents promptly, on a form supplied by the Clerk, of the date of filing, the date the case was placed on the docket, and the docket number of the case. The notice shall be served as required by Rule 29. 4. Parties interested jointly, severally, or otherwise in a judgment may petition separately for a writ of certiorari; or any two or more may join in a petition. A party not shown on the petition as joined therein at the time the petition is filed may not later join in that petition. When two or more judgments are sought to be reviewed on a writ of certiorari to the same court and involve identical or closely related questions, a single petition for a writ of certiorari covering all the judgments suffices. A petition for a writ of certiorari may not be joined with any other pleading, except that any motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis shall be attached. 5. No more than 30 days after a case has been placed on the docket, a respondent seeking to file a conditional cross- petition (i. e., a cross-petition that otherwise would be un- timely) shall file, with proof of service as required by Rule 29, 40 copies of the cross-petition prepared as required by Rule 33.1, except that a cross-petitioner proceeding in forma pauperis under Rule 39 shall comply with Rule 12.2. The cross-petition shall comply in all respects with this Rule and Rule 14, except that material already reproduced in the ap- pendix to the opening petition need not be reproduced again. A cross-petitioning respondent shall pay the Rule 38(a) docket fee or submit a motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis. The cover of the cross-petition shall indicate clearly that it is a conditional cross-petition. The cross-peti- tion then will be placed on the docket, subject to the provi- sions of Rule 13.4. It is the cross-petitioner's duty to notify cler$$RULE 02-13-99 19:26:49 PGT*CTRULE 8 SUPREME COURT RULE 12 all cross-respondents promptly, on a form supplied by the Clerk, of the date of filing, the date the cross-petition was placed on the docket, and the docket number of the cross- petition. The notice shall be served as required by Rule 29. A cross-petition for a writ of certiorari may not be joined with any other pleading, except that any motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis shall be attached. The time to file a conditional cross-petition will not be extended. 6. All parties to the proceeding in the court whose judg- ment is sought to be reviewed are deemed parties entitled to file documents in this Court, unless the petitioner notifies the Clerk of this Court in writing of the petitioner's belief that one or more of the parties below have no interest in the outcome of the petition. A copy of such notice shall be served as required by Rule 29 on all parties to the proceed- ing below. A party noted as no longer interested may re- main a party by notifying the Clerk promptly, with service on the other parties, of an intention to remain a party. All parties other than the petitioner are considered respondents, but any respondent who supports the position of a petitioner shall meet the petitioner's time schedule for filing docu- ments, except that a response supporting the petition shall be filed within 20 days after the case is placed on the docket, and that time will not be extended. Parties who file no doc- ument will not qualify for any relief from this Court. 7. The clerk of the court having possession of the record shall keep it until notified by the Clerk of this Court to cer- tify and transmit it. In any document filed with this Court, a party may cite or quote from the record, even if it has not been transmitted to this Court. When requested by the Clerk of this Court to certify and transmit the record, or any part of it, the clerk of the court having possession of the record shall number the documents to be certified and shall transmit therewith a numbered list specifically identifying each document transmitted. If the record, or stipulated por- tions, have been printed for the use of the court below, that printed record, plus the proceedings in the court below, may be certified as the record unless one of the parties or the UNIT: cler$$RULE 02-13-99 19:26:49 PGT*CTRULE SUPREME COURT RULE 13 9 Clerk of this Court requests otherwise. The record may consist of certified copies, but if the lower court is of the view that original documents of any kind should be seen by this Court, that court may provide by order for the trans- port, safekeeping, and return of such originals. Rule 13. Review on Certiorari: Time for Petitioning 1. Unless otherwise provided by law, a petition for a writ of certiorari to review a judgment in any case, civil or crimi- nal, entered by a state court of last resort or a United States court of appeals (including the United States Court of Ap- peals for the Armed Forces) is timely when it is filed with the Clerk of this Court within 90 days after entry of the judgment. A petition for a writ of certiorari seeking review of a judgment of a lower state court that is subject to discre- tionary review by the state court of last resort is timely when it is filed with the Clerk within 90 days after entry of the order denying discretionary review. 2. The Clerk will not file any petition for a writ of certio- rari that is jurisdictionally out of time. See, e. g., 28 U. S. C. § 2101(c). 3. The time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari runs from the date of entry of the judgment or order sought to be reviewed, and not from the issuance date of the mandate (or its equivalent under local practice). But if a petition for re- hearing is timely filed in the lower court by any party, the time to file the petition for a writ of certiorari for all parties (whether or not they requested rehearing or joined in the petition for rehearing) runs from the date of the denial of the petition for rehearing or, if the petition for rehearing is granted, the subsequent entry of judgment. 4. A cross-petition for a writ of certiorari is timely when it is filed with the Clerk as provided in paragraphs 1, 3, and 5 of this Rule, or in Rule 12.5. However, a conditional cross- petition (which except for Rule 12.5 would be untimely) will not be granted unless another party's timely petition for a writ of certiorari is granted. cler$$RULE 02-13-99 19:26:49 PGT*CTRULE 10 SUPREME COURT RULE 14 5. For good cause, a Justice may extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari for a period not exceeding 60 days. An application to extend the time to file shall set out the basis for jurisdiction in this Court, identify the judgment sought to be reviewed, include a copy of the opinion and any order respecting rehearing, and set out specific reasons why an extension of time is justified. The application must be received by the Clerk at least 10 days before the date the petition is due, except in extraordinary circumstances. For the time and manner of presenting the application, see Rules 21, 22, 30, and 33.2. An application to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari is not favored. Rule 14. Content of a Petition for a Writ of Certiorari 1. A petition for a writ of certiorari shall contain, in the order indicated: (a) The questions presented for review, expressed con- cisely in relation to the circumstances of the case, without unnecessary detail. The questions should be short and should not be argumentative or repetitive. If the petitioner or respondent is under a death sentence that may be affected by the disposition of the petition, the notation "capital case" shall precede the questions presented. The questions shall be set out on the first page following the cover, and no other information may appear on that page. The statement of any question presented is deemed to comprise every subsidiary question fairly included therein. Only the questions set out in the petition, or fairly included therein, will be considered by the Court. (b) A list of all parties to the proceeding in the court whose judgment is sought to be reviewed (unless the caption of the case contains the names of all the parties), and a corpo- rate disclosure statement as required by Rule 29.6. (c) If the petition exceeds five pages, a table of contents and a table of cited authorities. (d) Citations of the official and unofficial reports of the opinions and orders entered in the case by courts or adminis- trative agencies. UNIT: cler$$RULE 02-13-99 19:26:49 PGT*CTRULE SUPREME COURT RULE 14 11 (e) A concise statement of the basis for jurisdiction in this Court, showing: (i) the date the judgment or order sought to be re- viewed was entered (and, if applicable, a statement that the petition is filed under this Court's Rule 11); (ii) the date of any order respecting rehearing, and the date and terms of any order granting an extension of time to file the petition for a writ of certiorari; (iii) express reliance on Rule 12.5, when a cross-peti- tion for a writ of certiorari is filed under that Rule, and the date of docketing of the petition for a writ of certio- rari in connection with which the cross-petition is filed; (iv) the statutory provision believed to confer on this Court jurisdiction to review on a writ of certiorari the judgment or order in question; and (v) if applicable, a statement that the notifications re- quired by Rule 29.4(b) or (c) have been made. (f) The constitutional provisions, treaties, statutes, ordi- nances, and regulations involved in the case, set out verba- tim with appropriate citation. If the provisions involved are lengthy, their citation alone suffices at this point, and their pertinent text shall be set out in the appendix referred to in subparagraph 1(i). (g) A concise statement of the case setting out the facts material to consideration of the questions presented, and also containing the following: (i) If review of a state-court judgment is sought, speci- fication of the stage in the proceedings, both in the court of first instance and in the appellate courts, when the federal questions sought to be reviewed were raised; the method or manner of raising them and the way in which they were passed on by those courts; and pertinent quo- tations of specific portions of the record or summary thereof, with specific reference to the places in the rec- ord where the matter appears (e. g., court opinion, ruling on exception, portion of court's charge and exception cler$$RULE 02-13-99 19:26:49 PGT*CTRULE 12 SUPREME COURT RULE 14 thereto, assignment of error), so as to show that the fed- eral question was timely and properly raised and that this Court has jurisdiction to review the judgment on a writ of certiorari. When the portions of the record re- lied on under this subparagraph are voluminous, they shall be included in the appendix referred to in subpara- graph 1(i). (ii) If review of a judgment of a United States court of appeals is sought, the basis for federal jurisdiction in the court of first instance. (h) A direct and concise argument amplifying the reasons relied on for allowance of the writ. See Rule 10. (i) An appendix containing, in the order indicated: (i) the opinions, orders, findings of fact, and conclu- sions of law, whether written or orally given and tran- scribed, entered in conjunction with the judgment sought to be reviewed; (ii) any other relevant opinions, orders, findings of fact, and conclusions of law entered in the case by courts or administrative agencies, and, if reference thereto is necessary to ascertain the grounds of the judgment, of those in companion cases (each document shall include the caption showing the name of the issuing court or agency, the title and number of the case, and the date of entry); (iii) any order on rehearing, including the caption showing the name of the issuing court, the title and number of the case, and the date of entry; (iv) the judgment sought to be reviewed if the date of its entry is different from the date of the opinion or order required in sub-subparagraph (i) of this subparagraph; (v) material required by subparagraphs 1(f) or 1(g)(i); and (vi) any other material the petitioner believes essen- tial to understand the petition. UNIT: cler$$RULE 02-13-99 19:26:49 PGT*CTRULE SUPREME COURT RULE 15 13 If the material required by this subparagraph is voluminous, it may be presented in a separate volume or volumes with appropriate covers. 2. All contentions in support of a petition for a writ of certiorari shall be set out in the body of the petition, as pro- vided in subparagraph 1(h) of this Rule. No separate brief in support of a petition for a writ of certiorari may be filed, and the Clerk will not file any petition for a writ of certiorari to which any supporting brief is annexed or appended. 3. A petition for a writ of certiorari should be stated briefly and in plain terms and may not exceed the page limi- tations specified in Rule 33. 4. The failure of a petitioner to present with accuracy, brevity, and clarity whatever is essential to ready and ade- quate understanding of the points requiring consideration is sufficient reason for the Court to deny a petition. 5. If the Clerk determines that a petition submitted timely and in good faith is in a form that does not comply with this Rule or with Rule 33 or Rule 34, the Clerk will return it with a letter indicating the deficiency. A corrected petition received no more than 60 days after the date of the Clerk's letter will be deemed timely. Rule 15. Briefs in Opposition; Reply Briefs; Supplemental Briefs 1. A brief in opposition to a petition for a writ of certiorari may be filed by the respondent in any case, but is not manda- tory except in a capital case, see Rule 14.1(a), or when or- dered by the Court. 2. A brief in opposition should be stated briefly and in plain terms and may not exceed the page limitations speci- fied in Rule 33. In addition to presenting other arguments for denying the petition, the brief in opposition should ad- dress any perceived misstatement of fact or law in the peti- tion that bears on what issues properly would be before the Court if certiorari were granted. Counsel are admonished that they have an obligation to the Court to point out in the brief in opposition, and not later, any perceived misstatement cler$$RULE 02-13-99 19:26:49 PGT*CTRULE 14 SUPREME COURT RULE 15 made in the petition. Any objection to consideration of a question presented based on what occurred in the proceed- ings below, if the objection does not go to jurisdiction, may be deemed waived unless called to the Court's attention in the brief in opposition. 3. Any brief in opposition shall be filed within 30 days after the case is placed on the docket, unless the time is ex- tended by the Court or a Justice, or by the Clerk under Rule 30.4. Forty copies shall be filed, except that a respondent proceeding in forma pauperis under Rule 39, including an inmate of an institution, shall file the number of copies re- quired for a petition by such a person under Rule 12.2, to- gether with a motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis, a copy of which shall precede and be attached to each copy of the brief in opposition. If the petitioner is proceeding in forma pauperis, the respondent may file an original and 10 copies of a brief in opposition prepared as required by Rule 33.2. Whether prepared under Rule 33.1 or Rule 33.2, the brief in opposition shall comply with the requirements of Rule 24 governing a respondent's brief, except that no sum- mary of the argument is required. A brief in opposition may not be joined with any other pleading, except that any motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis shall be attached. The brief in opposition shall be served as re- quired by Rule 29. 4. No motion by a respondent to dismiss a petition for a writ of certiorari may be filed. Any objections to the juris- diction of the Court to grant a petition for a writ of certiorari shall be included in the brief in opposition. 5. The Clerk will distribute the petition to the Court for its consideration upon receiving an express waiver of the right to file a brief in opposition, or, if no waiver or brief in opposition is filed, upon the expiration of the time allowed for filing. If a brief in opposition is timely filed, the Clerk will distribute the petition, brief in opposition, and any reply brief to the Court for its consideration no less than 10 days after the brief in opposition is filed. UNIT: cler$$RULE 02-13-99 19:26:49 PGT*CTRULE SUPREME COURT RULE 16 15 6. Any petitioner may file a reply brief addressed to new points raised in the brief in opposition, but distribution and consideration by the Court under paragraph 5 of this Rule will not be deferred pending its receipt. Forty copies shall be filed, except that petitioner proceeding in forma pauperis under Rule 39, including an inmate of an institution, shall file the number of copies required for a petition by such a person under Rule 12.2. The reply brief shall be served as required by Rule 29. 7. If a cross-petition for a writ of certiorari has been dock- eted, distribution of both petitions will be deferred until the cross-petition is due for distribution under this Rule. 8. Any party may file a supplemental brief at any time while a petition for a writ of certiorari is pending, calling attention to new cases, new legislation, or other intervening matter not available at the time of the party's last filing. A supplemental brief shall be restricted to new matter and shall follow, insofar as applicable, the form for a brief in oppo- sition prescribed by this Rule. Forty copies shall be filed, except that a party proceeding in forma pauperis under Rule 39, including an inmate of an institution, shall file the number of copies required for a petition by such a person under Rule 12.2. The supplemental brief shall be served as required by Rule 29. Rule 16. Disposition of a Petition for a Writ of Certiorari 1. After considering the documents distributed under Rule 15, the Court will enter an appropriate order. The order may be a summary disposition on the merits. 2. Whenever the Court grants a petition for a writ of cer- tiorari, the Clerk will prepare, sign, and enter an order to that effect and will notify forthwith counsel of record and the court whose judgment is to be reviewed. The case then will be scheduled for briefing and oral argument. If the rec- ord has not previously been filed in this Court, the Clerk will request the clerk of the court having possession of the record cler$$RULE 02-13-99 19:26:49 PGT*CTRULE 16 SUPREME COURT RULE 17 to certify and transmit it. A formal writ will not issue un- less specially directed. 3. Whenever the Court denies a petition for a writ of cer- tiorari, the Clerk will prepare, sign, and enter an order to that effect and will notify forthwith counsel of record and the court whose judgment was sought to be reviewed. The order of denial will not be suspended pending disposition of a petition for rehearing except by order of the Court or a Justice. PART IV. OTHER JURISDICTION Rule 17. Procedure in an Original Action 1. This Rule applies only to an action invoking the Court's original jurisdiction under Article III of the Constitution of the United States. See also 28 U. S. C. § 1251 and U. S. Const., Amdt. 11. A petition for an extraordinary writ in aid of the Court's appellate jurisdiction shall be filed as pro- vided in Rule 20. 2. The form of pleadings and motions prescribed by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure is followed. In other re- spects, those Rules and the Federal Rules of Evidence may be taken as guides. 3. The initial pleading shall be preceded by a motion for leave to file, and may be accompanied by a brief in support of the motion. Forty copies of each document shall be filed, with proof of service. Service shall be as required by Rule 29, except that when an adverse party is a State, service shall be made on both the Governor and the Attorney Gen- eral of that State. 4. The case will be placed on the docket when the motion for leave to file and the initial pleading are filed with the Clerk. The Rule 38(a) docket fee shall be paid at that time. 5. No more than 60 days after receiving the motion for leave to file and the initial pleading, an adverse party shall file 40 copies of any brief in opposition to the motion, with proof of service as required by Rule 29. The Clerk will dis- tribute the filed documents to the Court for its consideration UNIT: cler$$RULE 02-13-99 19:26:49 PGT*CTRULE SUPREME COURT RULE 18 17 upon receiving an express waiver of the right to file a brief in opposition, or, if no waiver or brief is filed, upon the expi- ration of the time allowed for filing. If a brief in opposition is timely filed, the Clerk will distribute the filed documents to the Court for its consideration no less than 10 days after the brief in opposition is filed. A reply brief may be filed, but consideration of the case will not be deferred pending its receipt. The Court thereafter may grant or deny the mo- tion, set it for oral argument, direct that additional docu- ments be filed, or require that other proceedings be conducted. 6. A summons issued out of this Court shall be served on the defendant 60 days before the return day specified therein. If the defendant does not respond by the return day, the plaintiff may proceed ex parte. 7. Process against a State issued out of this Court shall be served on both the Governor and the Attorney General of that State. Rule 18. Appeal from a United States District Court 1. When a direct appeal from a decision of a United States district court is authorized by law, the appeal is commenced by filing a notice of appeal with the clerk of the district court within the time provided by law after entry of the judgment sought to be reviewed. The time to file may not be ex- tended. The notice of appeal shall specify the parties taking the appeal, designate the judgment, or part thereof, ap- pealed from and the date of its entry, and specify the statute or statutes under which the appeal is taken. A copy of the notice of appeal shall be served on all parties to the proceed- ing as required by Rule 29, and proof of service shall be filed in the district court together with the notice of appeal. 2. All parties to the proceeding in the district court are deemed parties entitled to file documents in this Court, but a party having no interest in the outcome of the appeal may so notify the Clerk of this Court and shall serve a copy of the notice on all other parties. Parties interested jointly, severally, or otherwise in the judgment may appeal sepa- cler$$RULE 02-13-99 19:26:49 PGT*CTRULE 18 SUPREME COURT RULE 18 rately, or any two or more may join in an appeal. When two or more judgments involving identical or closely related questions are sought to be reviewed on appeal from the same court, a notice of appeal for each judgment shall be filed with the clerk of the district court, but a single jurisdictional statement covering all the judgments suffices. Parties who file no document will not qualify for any relief from this Court. 3. No more than 60 days after filing the notice of appeal in the district court, the appellant shall file 40 copies of a jurisdictional statement and shall pay the Rule 38 docket fee, except that an appellant proceeding in forma pauperis under Rule 39, including an inmate of an institution, shall file the number of copies required for a petition by such a person under Rule 12.2, together with a motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis, a copy of which shall precede and be attached to each copy of the jurisdictional statement. The jurisdictional statement shall follow, insofar as applicable, the form for a petition for a writ of certiorari prescribed by Rule 14, and shall be served as required by Rule 29. The case will then be placed on the docket. It is the appellant's duty to notify all appellees promptly, on a form supplied by the Clerk, of the date of filing, the date the case was placed on the docket, and the docket number of the case. The no- tice shall be served as required by Rule 29. The appendix shall include a copy of the notice of appeal showing the date it was filed in the district court. For good cause, a Justice may extend the time to file a jurisdictional statement for a period not exceeding 60 days. An application to extend the time to file a jurisdictional statement shall set out the basis for jurisdiction in this Court; identify the judgment sought to be reviewed; include a copy of the opinion, any order re- specting rehearing, and the notice of appeal; and set out spe- cific reasons why an extension of time is justified. For the time and manner of presenting the application, see Rules 21, 22, and 30. An application to extend the time to file a juris- dictional statement is not favored. UNIT: cler$$RULE 02-13-99 19:26:49 PGT*CTRULE SUPREME COURT RULE 18 19 4. No more than 30 days after a case has been placed on the docket, an appellee seeking to file a conditional cross- appeal (i. e., a cross-appeal that otherwise would be un- timely) shall file, with proof of service as required by Rule 29, a jurisdictional statement that complies in all respects (including number of copies filed) with paragraph 3 of this Rule, except that material already reproduced in the appen- dix to the opening jurisdictional statement need not be re- produced again. A cross-appealing appellee shall pay the Rule 38 docket fee or submit a motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis. The cover of the cross-appeal shall indi- cate clearly that it is a conditional cross-appeal. The cross- appeal then will be placed on the docket. It is the cross- appellant's duty to notify all cross-appellees promptly, on a form supplied by the Clerk, of the date of filing, the date the cross-appeal was placed on the docket, and the docket num- ber of the cross-appeal. The notice shall be served as re- quired by Rule 29. A cross-appeal may not be joined with any other pleading, except that any motion for leave to pro- ceed in forma pauperis shall be attached. The time to file a cross-appeal will not be extended. 5. After a notice of appeal has been filed in the district court, but before the case is placed on this Court's docket, the parties may dismiss the appeal by stipulation filed in the district court, or the district court may dismiss the appeal on the appellant's motion, with notice to all parties. If a notice of appeal has been filed, but the case has not been placed on this Court's docket within the time prescribed for docketing, the district court may dismiss the appeal on the appellee's motion, with notice to all parties, and may make any just order with respect to costs. If the district court has denied the appellee's motion to dismiss the appeal, the appellee may move this Court to docket and dismiss the ap- peal by filing an original and 10 copies of a motion presented in conformity with Rules 21 and 33.2. The motion shall be accompanied by proof of service as required by Rule 29, and by a certificate from the clerk of the district court, certifying that a notice of appeal was filed and that the appellee's mo- cler$$RULE 02-13-99 19:26:49 PGT*CTRULE 20 SUPREME COURT RULE 18 tion to dismiss was denied. The appellant may not thereaf- ter file a jurisdictional statement without special leave of the Court, and the Court may allow costs against the appellant. 6. Within 30 days after the case is placed on this Court's docket, the appellee may file a motion to dismiss, to affirm, or in the alternative to affirm or dismiss. Forty copies of the motion shall be filed, except that an appellee proceeding in forma pauperis under Rule 39, including an inmate of an institution, shall file the number of copies required for a peti- tion by such a person under Rule 12.2, together with a mo- tion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis, a copy of which shall precede and be attached to each copy of the motion to dismiss, to affirm, or i