How to Avoid Annoying Your Judge with Your Sealing Requests
Among other things, "Don't do things that shift work from lawyer to judge."
Right of Access
Court Rejects Sealing of Summary-Judgment-Related Filings in Trump Media Libel Suit Against Washington Post
"Highlighting the absurdity of the sealing requests, one of the exhibits TMTG seeks to seal is the Post’s 2023 article, which was widely disseminated to the public when it was published and has been on file in the public docket in this case since July 2023."
"ICE Expected the Court to Accept … [Its] Basis for Detaining Petitioner, but Shield Its Rationale from the Court"
"Such practices are repugnant to the rule of law, and ICE is warned that further obfuscation and misuse of sealing and redaction before the undersigned will lead to sanctions against the agency."
No Pseudonymity in Lawsuit by Inmate Who Claims Detectives Endangered Him by …
actions signaling that he might have sent law enforcement information about another inmate.
"Plaintiff Was Enticed by an Attractive, Busty Jewess, and Wet His Mouth with a Drink of Partially Unknown Provenance"
"Plaintiff suspects he was poisoned by Jews."
Use This One Weird Trick to Keep Your Name Out of an Upcoming Sexual Assault Lawsuit Against You
Or at least try: A court considered it, but ultimately said no.
Plaintiff Can Sue Pseudonymously Because She's a Criminal Defense Lawyer with a Gambling Addiction
But reputational and professional harm is generally not a basis for allowing pseudonymity in most cases (since so many litigants face some such harm from the allegations in their cases being public). Did it make sense to allow it here?
Injunction Against Publicly Identifying Pseudonymous Litigants Is Content-Based Prior Restraint,
and thus presumptively a First Amendment violation (though here the presumption was rebutted by national security interests).
"Once the [Rainbow Flag] Cat Is out of the Bag, the Ball Game Is Over"
No pseudonymity for teacher challenging removal of pride flags from classroom, because his identity had already been disclosed through public records requests.
Seventh Circuit Reaffirms: No Pseudonymity in Title IX Suits Claiming Wrongful Discipline
Many other courts do generally allow pseudonymity in those particular cases, but the Seventh Circuit disagrees.
Petitioner's Regret No Grounds for Sealing of 8-Year-Old Restraining Order Documents
Petitioner's new-found "public figure" status, and concerns that records are "impeding his employment, professional credibility, and personal safety," don't justify sealing, either.
Court Dismisses Suit Against N.Y. Times & Serial Productions over The Idiot Podcast
The podcast is M. Gessen’s story about cousin Allen Gessen (who is the plaintiff in this case) and his murder-for-hire conviction. Extra juicy tidbit in this case: Venue!
Court Refuses to Block Continued Distribution of DOGE Witness Deposition Videos
"[T]he materials at issue concern the conduct of public officials acting in their official capacities, which substantially diminishes any cognizable privacy interest and weighs against restriction."
No Pseudonymity for Plaintiffs Alleging Sean Combs (P. Diddy) Sexually Assaulted Them
The Second Circuit just affirmed lower court decisions so holding.
No Pseudonymity for Man Suing Harvard Alleging Jews Aim "to Exterminate or Enslave All Non-Jews"
The plaintiff claims he was denied admission to Harvard Business School, apparently because he is a "non-veteran, non-queer, non-Jewish White male applicant[]."
"Any Business in America Would Rather Not Have Their Internal Documents out in the Public"
"But that does not mean that litigants have a right to hide them from the public once they are implicated in court proceedings."
Multi-Billion Dollar Corporation Drops Suit Against Inter-American Development Bank, After Court Holds It Can't Sue as "Doe Corporation"
The case helps illustrate why the legal rules surrounding when parties can litigate under pseudonyms are so important.
Court Refuses to Seal Case Involving Government's Motion to Authorize Disclosure of Tax Returns
"The substantial public interests implicated by questions of the proper scope of Executive power and the statutory limits on access to tax information warrant public disclosure. While this case, and ... this decision, are now unsealed, the underlying Application and its supporting materials will remain under seal, at least while the investigation remains active ...."
