Amicus Advocacy
The Amicus Advocacy Project
An amicus brief comes from the Latin term “amicus curiae” which means “friend of the court.” Although most amicus briefs are persuasively written to support one side of a case, they allow interested, third parties the chance to provide the court with information that is relevant and helpful to the case but that may not otherwise be brought to the court’s attention.
CHILD USA files amicus briefing in cases whose outcomes impact the civil rights of children. We have been delighted to work with numerous attorneys across the United States, and welcome partnerships with law firms to work on pro bono matters with us.
If you are an attorney who needs amicus support or would like your firm to have the opportunity to work on cutting edge amicus briefs involving child protection, please contact us at [email protected].
Briefs
RIA WILLIAMS v. KINGDOM HALL OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES, ROY, UTAH
This amicus brief was written to request a ruling by the Supreme Court of Utah after a lower court found that the First Amendment immunizes religious institutions from liability for tortious claims arising from a religiously-motivated sexual assault investigation....
GALLAGHER v. DIOCESE OF PALM BEACH, INC.
This amicus brief was written to request a United States Supreme Court ruling after a lawsuit initiated by a priest for defamation against a Catholic diocese was dismissed based on the ecclesiastical abstention doctrine. Issues include whether the Florida case should...
MORROW v. FORD
This amicus brief was written to support Petitioner’s writ of habeas corpus following a murder conviction and death sentence, claiming ineffective assistance of counsel where trial counsel did not conduct an investigation into the Petitioner’s childhood. Issue...
MONTANA v. TIPTON
This amicus brief was written in support of a Petition for Writ of Certioari where the Supreme Court of Montana concluded that the DNA provision was constitutional, but that it did not allow for the revival of previously expired claims. Issues include whether...
IN RE: FORTIETH STATEWIDE INVESTIGATING GRAND JURY
This amicus brief was written in response to Defendant dioceses subjected to a grand jury investigation and its argument that private attorneys who have knowledge of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report must keep all information confidential. Issues include whether the...
IN RE JOHN DOE
This amicus letter was written to support a Petition for Writ of Mandamus where a Plaintiff’s lawsuit was barred based on the ecclesiastical abstention doctrine. Includes issue of whether a private school with a religious sounding name and/or loose religious...