A new legal advocacy group, The Family Defense Center, today unveiled a Web page designed to solicit amici curiae to support its bid to secure Supreme Court review of a decision of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Dupuy v. Samuels. This struck me as an interesting way to use the Web to drum up amicus support — one I do not recall seeing in quite this way before.

I have not considered the merits of the case, which challenges a policy of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. But I am intrigued by the group’s approach. The page sets out the background of the case in some detail, describes the rulings of the trial court and the 7th Circuit, sets out the group’s grounds for appealing, and suggests grounds on which amicus briefs could support its petition. Using the Web in this way is such an obvious way to build support for a petition that I am surprised it is not more common. Or is it and I’ve just missed it?

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Bob is a lawyer, veteran legal journalist, and award-winning blogger and podcaster. In 2011, he was named to the inaugural Fastcase 50, honoring “the law’s smartest, most courageous innovators, techies, visionaries and leaders.” Earlier in his career, he was editor-in-chief of several legal publications, including The National Law Journal, and editorial director of ALM’s Litigation Services Division.