Rich Phillips

Now that’s fny.

And they think that “comput.” is preferable to “computer”

I went to Eastland yesterday to argue a case in the Eastland Court of Appeals. And no trip to the Eastland County Courthouse is complete without paying respects to Old Rip. #AppellatePlaces

I’m so sorry for your loss, my friend.

Reminds me of the scene from A Man for All Seasons about the importance of the rule of law:

This story obliterates the claim that the lack of due process was no big deal.
A court order protected him from deportation. Now the government says it messed up but the court can’t do anything about it.
If due process doesn’t protect everyone, it doesn’t protect anyone.

When “early spring” golf turns out to be “late winter” golf.

7. And today … it’s in Greensboro, North Carolina. Still moving the wrong direction. I’m hoping it will start heading west soon. Stay tuned for updates.

6. The next day, it departed Knoxville.

5. Two days later, it left Maryville. Hopefully heading my way? Nope. It went to Knoxville (wrong direction).

4. Surprise. Four days later, the package was in Maryville, Tennessee.

3. On March 6, the package departed the Dallas distribution center. I hoped it was headed for delivery to me.

2. On March 5, the package arrived in Dallas and was handed off to the USPS. So far, so good.

1. I ordered a book and selected standard shipping, which involved a commercial carrier transporting the package from Arizona to Dallas and delivering it to the USPS who would then deliver the package to me (in Dallas).

I hereby present the continuing adventures of my misdirected package. 🧵

Newest Ranger fan and her proud grandpa. Can’t wait for her first game.

Current view. Loving the grandpa life.

an elderly man is getting out of a car and the caption says grandpa shuffle viralhog ALT: an elderly man is getting out of a car and the caption says grandpa shuffle viralhog

Last year, I passed a few milestones that make me “old” (turning 50, needing reading glasses). But this week, I passed the best one: I became a grandpa.

Argument No. 1 ✅
Famous Ferdi ✅
Red beans and rice ✅
Now to work on argument number 2 (which I’m only second-chairing).

Ditto. I think it’s driven by the same impulse that leads to using defined terms (the “Terms”) in briefs. The reader is smart enough to know which motion you’re talking about even if you don’t use the full name in Title Case.

On my way to New Orleans to start the new year with a couple of days in the Fifth Circuit. I’m arguing tomorrow and then second-chairing an argument on Wednesday. #AppellateNewYear

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Merry Christmas to all!

Helping my 8th grader with a writing assignment that baffles me. Other than proper nouns, no word in the first paragraph can include the letter “e.” I get the idea of making them think about word choice but the paragraph is demonstrably worse after applying the rule.

The chief has been the Court’s liaison to the committee his entire time as a justice on the Supreme Court. #SCOTX

Took an early flight this morning to Austin for the last meeting of the Texas Supreme Court Advisory Committee meeting that Chief Justice Hecht will preside over. The rules process is yet another area of the law that has benefitted from his leadership. #AppellateSky

I’ve got the perfect res ipsa loquitor joke—but you’ll see the punchline coming from a mile away.

It’s Schrödinger’s typo. It’s both there and not there, and you can’t know which until you file it (or publish it).

The Ion King

The Emperor’s New Grove

Plane of the Apes