A long-simmering problem in U.S. Supreme Court practice is gaining new attention: the allegedly sorry state of advocacy at the court on behalf of criminal defendants. As the Supreme Court relies more and more on the specialized Supreme Court bar, criminal defendants are still represented mainly by “novice” advocates. Some dispute the magnitude of the problem, and any possible remedy may run up against the long-standing culture of resistance by criminal defense lawyers who are loath to give up cases they have handled for years. READ MORE »