As the docket of the U.S. Supreme Court has gradually become smaller over time, the number of amicus briefs filed in the court has significantly increased. Recently, Anthony Franze, a Supreme Court lawyer at Arnold & Porter who has conducted a detailed analysis of amicus filings in the high court over more than ten years, pointed out that a decline in cases leads to more focused attention on the ones that are being reviewed. He also noted that we have reached a point where cases involving more than 100 amicus briefs are no longer considered extraordinary or surprising.
Over time, many lawyers have discovered various ways to make their friend-of-the-court filings resonate enough with the court to end up in majority opinions. If you’re interested in understanding what makes these filings more effective, check out the full exploration on this topic over on Law.com.