Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia Hates Acronyms, Loves Marisa Tomei
Those law students at Fordham University have a new tidbit to add to their dossier on SCOTUS Justice Antonin Scalia. He made an appearance last night at the Friendship Heights Village Center in Chevy Chase, Maryland, to talk about his book, “Making Your Case: The Art of Persuading Judges.”
Politico reports that he gave out some pieces of advice, namely:
- “Don’t beat a dead horse.”
- “Be brief. And when your time expires, shut up and sit down.”
- Avoid acronyms in brief writing and oral arguments.
- Lawyers should study a judge’s background and likes and dislikes before they appear in court. “At the very least, these details will humanize the judge before you, so that you will be arguing to a human being instead of a chair.”
That last bit of advice can be taken too far, of course. Nino was annoyed when he found out about Fordham Law’s background research on him earlier this year.
Justice Scalia was willing to add to the files, though, revealing his favorite legal movie. What is it?
As reported by Amie Parnes at Politico, during a question and answer period with a “spillover crowd of mostly senior citizens,” Justice Scalia was asked to reveal his favorite legal movie:
Scalia didn’t hesitate: “My Cousin Vinny,” he replied. “I can watch that over and over again.”Then, speaking about the character actress Marisa Tomei played in the movie, Scalia added, “God, she’s a killer.”
Actually, in the movie, Tomei’s character is against killing. Nino, don’t you remember the deer hunting discussion scene?
P.S. Justice Scalia isn’t the only judicial fan of My Cousin Vinny. It’s also adored by Chief Judge Alex Kozinski (9th Cir.).
Justice Reveals Favorite Legal Movie [Politico]
(55) Comments
Comments
I repaired cars with mona Lisa Vito. I knew Mona Lisa Vito. Mona Lisa Vito was a friend of mine. Kash, you're no Mona Lisa Vito.
AnTTTonin Scalia
I'm extremely disappointed that he didn't select "The Devil's Advocate".
I have two: "Legally Blonde" and "Che."
His head reminds me of a canned ham. mmmmmm ham.
Mystal the Walrus
The has jumped the shark.
I wonder how many utes were at this event.
third times a charm?
Not for this guy it wasnt...
2 - isn't the whole "TTT" thing getting old? For instance, I could've addressed you as "TTTwo" but I chose not to because it was beneath me.
Uh, everything that guy just said is bullshit. Thank you.
THIS POST IS RACIST PLEASE MODERATE
Never heard of this guy. Next
"Ladies and gentleman of the J-J-J-J-J-J....JURY"
Nino's no Harriet Miers, but Harriet is no Marisa Tomei.
Suggestion: Create two ATL comment threads. One for the big boys and another - Junior Comments - for those like Commenter No. 9 in who are insecure about their TTTs. Hate to sound like a snob, but I don't come to this site for stories about some firm I've never heard of. The new site could be called Below the FirsTTT or Below Above the NinTTTh.
Lol at Fordham UniversiTTTy just for being Fordham UniversiTTTy......a few years it will be Fordham UniversiTTTTy.....
Scalia for president!
Antonin Scalia went to Pace University SchooTTT of TTTaw
BIDEN CAPTION CONTEST
OMG WHERE IS IT
OM NOM NOM
10-
If you were ever going to argue before the Supreme Court, which you're not, I would suggest rethinking your idiotic and uninformed opinion.
You may dislike Scalia because of his politics or his conservative/libertarian views, but his advice is good. Play to your audience. There is a reason that every firm you go to (assuming you ever get hired) has a "Judges" binder with information on every judge in the jurisdiction. If Scalia doesn't like acronyms than don't use them. If there is a judge that doesn't like overlength briefs, don't file a motion for overlength.
Stop letting your idealism get in the way of being an effective advocate.
Looks like PE's doc review captors have blocked him from posting.
I bet Antonin would LOVE the movie The Wrestler.
Hey 20! pull your head out of your ass -- 10 was just quoting a line from the movie.
20 = 1L Federalist Society member who will never stand before a judge as an advocate.
@20 ...it was a line from the movie. Douche.
@20 ...it was a line from the movie. Douche.
wheres above the law below the law guy?
Hello Above The Law.
I was wondering if it wouldn't be too much to ask that you create another blog? You know, one for all the people who aren't important enough to go to the only firms that truly matter, firms like Cravath and Wachtell? I've just noticed that time sometimes gets spent on talking about firms that I personally don't care about, and it really seems unfair to me that your blog spends any time on things I don't want to read about. Can you create another blog for all the people who aren't me and keep this blog just for me? I know it's a lot to ask, but I think you understand how very important I am.
Thanks, Above The Law!
20 = 23 = 24 =25
20 - binders on judges? You're either fresh out of the library introduction at law school or 74 and afraid of computers. I can't decide which.
@29: Complete the conspiracy theory: 10 = 20 = 23 = 24 = 25
I suppose I should know this but is Antonin Scalia fully accredited as a supreme court justice by the president and the senate?
20: biggest moron ever.
10 ftw
it is wrong for judge trotter to hold vincent gambini in contempt for dressing up in a ridiculous outfit when alls he did was dress up in that outfit because he knew the judge hated his leather jacket. if you agree, please copy and paste this as your facebook status.
31-
Agreed. 10 = 20 = 23 =24 =25 = 26 = 33 = Mystal
-29
What kind of retard would choose My Cousin Vinny as his favorite law movie?
Charlie Nesson (HLS) also loves "My Cousin Vinny." The world is an amazing place...
36 - a supreme court justice - that kind of retard
epic faillll
Can we please stop using the dumb acronym "SCOTUS" already? It sounds absolutely retarded. Just say Supreme Court. It's not hard.
SCOTUS, POTUS, etc. sound as dated and moronic as saying "I hear that". You don't sound clever saying SCOTUS, you sound like a cretin.
39 - Are you aware that the leading Supreme Court blog is called SCOTUSblog - http://www.scotusblog.com/wp/?
SCOTUS SCOTUS SCOTUS. Get used to it.
I hope you realize that I posed about 13 of these comments, often bashing myself in many of them. I also do this on JDU and TLS, give conflicting advice, etc.
I do this because I am the devil.
My firm has a "judge's binder" filled with blackmail material. Pictures of Scalia in assless leather chaps at the Manhole= reversed and remanded.
what's a scalia
Here is some advice for appearing before Scalia:
Don't worry about what the law is or about what the law should be. Scalia will ignore it if he disagrees with it.
Agreed, but that's kinda the point... isn't it?
Excuse me, but I think a modicum of gratitude would not be outta line here. www.Goodsharks.com
It's called disclosure, dickhead
Hey - when did someone appoint Tony Soprano to the Supreme Court?
Hey - when did someone appoint Tony Soprano to the Supreme Court?
I wonder if Scalia's next piece of advice, after "Don't beat a dead horse," was "Avoid overused clichés."
Hey 34: the judge's name is Chamberlain Haller. Trotter was the DA. I'm dead on balls accurate.
Justice Scalia and B. Garner provide tips and a more expansive discussion in their book, Making Your Case. Note that in challenges to a federal agency's decision brought under ESA, following the authors' guidance re "brevity" is virtually certain to generate an attack on your standing.
Am I the only one to understand he meant Marisa Tomei is a killer as in, killingly funny? Which she was?
Am I the only one to understand he meant Marisa Tomei is a killer as in, killingly funny? Which she was?
Apparently, the only way anyone from from the Brooklyn Academy of Law (a.k.a. Brooklyn Law School) can get into the SCOTUS chambers in on a DVD.