I am off at the end of the week to a conference of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, where I serve on the board.  (http://www.appellateacademy.org/)  Congratulations to the newest Maine member of AAAL, Margaret McGaughey at the U.S. Attorney’s office and Donald Macomber at the Attorney General’s office!  (Now there are four of us – Margaret, Don, Gerry Petrucelli and moi.)

As previously reported (A long way - 10/16/2015), Mary Bonauto was this year’s speaker for the Coffin lecture at the University of Maine Law School, which took place last night.  It was a packed house, with many judges (I believe I saw at least Judges Kayatta, and Lipez and Chief Judge Saufley) and illuminati (e.g., US Attorney Delahanty, Peter Mills) in attendance, along with lots of law students.

A decision in a recent reported question before the Maine SJC shows how far and fast the law has traveled on marriage equality.  Kinney v. Busch.

So here’s a difference between the motion practice in the Maine SJC and the First Circuit that I didn’t notice until now.

We have previously blogged on a Maine SJC decision rejecting an 80B appeal as untimely, with the Chief Justice in that case noting some problems and pitfalls under current law, and us noting a few more.  (Is your 80B clock ticking?)  Last Tuesday, the Court issued a decision rejecting an 80C appeal as untimely, so beware on that front as well.  (Bailey v. Dept. of Marine Resources, 2015 ME 128)

Per my recent blog, I attended the Maine Historical Society’s event honoring the Mills family (Dora, Janet, Paul and Peter), and, as anticipated, it was a delightful event.  If we were all as involved in our communities as each of these folks, the world would be a different (and better) place.  Dora Mills has even worked with Mother Theresa!

The latest (Summer 2015) edition of the Council of Appellate Lawyers’ Appellate Issues addresses a hot and important topic in appellate law – the record.  Or, more accurately, discusses the current assault on the record as we have traditionally known it.  This is a topic upon which I have blogged before (sometimes responding to Judge Posner’s views on the subject, whom I believe takes a rather liberal view of the need to color within the lines of established rules). 

The Maine SJC’s latest decision includes a ruling that could have fatal implications for some land use appeals.  Campbell v. City of South Portland, 2015 ME 125

The Maine SJC has asked for amici briefs in a pending appeal: http://www.courts.maine.gov/maine_courts/supreme/amicus_invites/me.html

The Maine SJC is on the move.  The newspaper says the Court will hold two sessions a year in Augusta and two in Bangor (Former Kennebec County Courthouse ready to host high court).  It does the Tour o’ Maine in October.  It only holds nine argument sessions a term according to their on-line calendar [http://www.courts.maine.gov/maine_courts/supreme/calendar.shtml], so this means that the Court will now spend a majority of their time on the road.  Back to riding the circuit?