Isn’t “secure leave” wonderful? It’s the one time YOUR schedule overrides the COURT schedule. Just designate a week or two or three, at least 90 days in advance, and you are off the hook for in-court appearances.
Our appellate courts have made it increasingly easy to designate such vacation periods through the e-filing portal. And now, it just got even easier, with a helpful “reminder” system for NC Supreme Court appeals.
Here’s how it works.
As you may recall, the Supreme Court’s calendar page forecasts the Court’s oral argument dates for the rest of the calendar year:
As soon as the dates for the upcoming year are posted, a secure leave reminder will be triggered in the e-filing system, and will appear the next time you log in:
All attorneys of record will also get an email reminder whenever the first appellant’s brief is filed in any Supreme Court appeal:
These helpful reminders come with a bit of a warning. Suppose you have a vacation planned for the week of April 14, but you fail to heed these reminders and don’t put in for secure leave. March comes, and your case gets calendared for oral argument in the Supreme Court for April 15. The kids are counting on you to join the family for vacation. So, you move the Supreme Court for a continuance of your argument.
My guess is that your motion will be DENIED going forward.
So plan ahead!
