Manatt Appellate Partner Benjamin Shatz authored an article for Daily Journal in which he discussed the history of appellate civility standards, with a focus on the Texas Standards for Appellate Conduct, and how California could consider adopting or improving upon the template set by Texas.
In the article, Shatz described the origins of Texas’ civility standards, noting that the “Standards are meant to ‘educate the Bar,’ especially younger lawyers or lawyers unaccustomed to appellate practice,” and “give appellate lawyers a tool to use with clients who demand unprofessional conduct.” While the California Lawyers Association issued a report in 2021 setting forth recommendations for improving civility, there was no specific appellate focus, and Shatz argued that California appellate courts should consider building on the Texas Standards for Appellate Conduct to help improve the state’s “lawyerly professionalism.”
Daily Journal subscribers can read the full article here.