How to Make Your Point in a Five-Page Amicus Brief

Bob Kohn opposes the DOJ’s proposed ebook pricing settlement with three book publishers. District Judge Denise Cote granted him leave to intervene as an amicus — but wouldn’t take his a 55-page brief. She gave him leave to file only five pages.

Kohn responded with the most unusual amicus brief I’ve ever seen: a comic strip. And it makes his point.

Here, if the embedding works, is the full text.

Kohn Amicus

(Spotted via EFF’s James S. Tyre’s posting to a mailing list.)

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3 Responses to How to Make Your Point in a Five-Page Amicus Brief

  1. Just me says:

    Very creative, but he takes to many cheap shots at the Judge’s decision to limit the brief to 5 pages. Those cheap shots combined with the use of a comic strip could very easily upset a thin skinned Judge with an overblown sense of importance. Hopefully for Mr. Kohn, this Judge has a good sense of humor.

    • Vic says:

      I agree. You would definately have to know the judge before attempting this. This is exactly the sort of thing that would lead a lot of judges to turn a little too much attention upon you. I’ve seen attorneys get sanctioned for less.

  2. Kaleberg says:

    I don’t buy the argument, but it’s cute. My professional cartoonists would object that it’s all exposition and relies on an especially agreeable tell-to, but exposition is what legal briefs are all about. Still, I have one question. You’re a lawyer. What could have been in the other fifty page of his brief? Maybe the judge did the right thing imposing a limit in that it forced him to stick to the main points of his argument.

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