Last month, Kaplan Hecker & Fink associate Michael Skocpol secured an impressive victory in a pro bono representation before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Our client, Brannen Marcure, had filed a Section 1983 lawsuit and represented himself in the district court, only to have several of his claims dismissed on the basis of a clerical error. The Seventh Circuit appointed Michael to brief and argue several questions of civil procedure relevant to the appeal. Adopting Michael’s arguments on a dispositive issue that was the subject of a circuit split, the Seventh Circuit issued a published opinion in favor of our client, reversing the district court’s premature dismissal and remanding for further proceedings. The case also marked Michael’s debut oral argument.

Michael’s work on the case was supervised by partner Joshua Matz and counsel Raymond Tolentino and supported by case managers Charlotte Karlsen and Rebecca Kao. Law clerk Arjun Mody also contributed to the briefing. You can read the Seventh Circuit’s opinion in the case here.