Amicus Curiae Brief Criteria

AAJ participates as amicus curiae in cases in the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Federal Courts of Appeals, and state supreme courts. AAJ's amicus curiae practice is limited to cases that present a question of significant interest to the trial bar at large and address an issue of nationwide scope or potential impact on a substantial number of jurisdictions.

AAJ may appear as amicus curiae in a lower court or at a stage other than merits (e.g., petition for writ of certiorari; petition for rehearing) if good cause is shown. However, AAJ does not participate in a case as amicus curiae if the appellate dispute is largely factual in nature.

How to Request an AAJ Amicus Curiae Brief

To request AAJ's participation as an amicus curiae, please click on the button below or email legal.affairs@justice.org. AAJ staff and members will review request to determine which cases AAJ will be able to participate and will contact you directly with any questions. 

Please submit requests for amicus participation as early as possible, as consideration and preparation of briefs requires substantial time, consultation, and research. To view filed AAJ amicus curiae briefs, visit www.justice.org/amicusbriefs.

We recommend including the following information in your request:

• The full title of your case and the court in which it is pending

• A statement identifying issues of national importance an AAJ amicus brief could address

• An explanation of why the issue presented is important to AAJ members

• A copy of the underlying lower court opinion and any relevant briefing

• The amicus curiae brief deadline or an explanation of the anticipated briefing schedule

• The names of any other groups  you expect will participate as amicus curiae

• Whether you are a current AAJ member or interested in joining AAJ