IJ’s Short Circuit Turns 10

Ten years ago, IJ’s Center for Judicial Engagement launched Short Circuit, a weekly email newsletter featuring tart, sometimes irreverent summaries of 15 to 20 rulings from the federal circuit courts. It’s a Friday afternoon treat for the legal world. Thousands of people—including judges, judicial clerks, journalists, litigators, and law students—read it each week to stay au courant on happenings in the nation’s courts of appeal.

Short Circuit began as an in-house effort to follow and summarize appellate cases that IJ could perhaps help out with and take “en banc,” which means asking a full appellate court (sometimes more than a dozen judges) to review a previous decision from a smaller panel. But the summaries were so good, we decided to share them with the rest of humanity.

With most media focused on the U.S. Supreme Court, Short Circuit has filled an important niche, and one we have mostly to ourselves. And with the Court taking up so few cases, most of the day-to-day action is going on in lower courts. At our 10th Anniversary celebration in April, The New York Times’ top legal correspondent, Adam Liptak, told the audience he reads Short Circuit “religiously” for that very reason.

The newsletter generates an enormous amount of goodwill for IJ in the legal community. When we call up outside lawyers looking for help with local rules, case searches, and other sundries, they often already know about IJ through Short Circuit and are eager to pitch in. 

We also include a heady mix of IJ news, so readers are learning what IJ is all about. And knowing that, one loyal reader even sought us out so we could bring Gonzalez v. Trevino, one of our big wins at the Supreme Court last year. The case set a vital speech-protecting precedent, but it would never have been possible if IJ hadn’t taken it pro bono from the trial court all the way up to the high court.

In addition to the email newsletter, we also produce the Short Circuit podcast, a weekly discussion with a rotating cast of IJers and guests who dig into two or three of the week’s most interesting or important circuit court opinions. As in the newsletter, we tend to focus on constitutional cases that relate to IJ’s work. But also as in the newsletter, we cover all manner of wild appellate goings-on, from international fights over stolen artwork to appellate procedure puzzles. And our live shows at locations around the country have brought us in person to hundreds of law students, lawyers, and other assorted fans.

Short Circuit even helps IJ bring in promising young attorneys to join our mission. Many applicants first learn about our cases through the newsletter or podcast and are inspired to join our ranks!

If you’ve ever read the newsletter or downloaded an episode, thank you for helping us short the circuits these last 10 years.

John Ross is the editor of IJ’s Short Circuit newsletter.