Patrick Bryant
@patrickbryant.bsky.social
Appellate federal public defender. Alexandria, Va. Speaking only for myself; usual disclaimers apply.
Every once in a while during a SCOTUS argument, someone will call the Justices "judges," and sometimes they get snippy about that. One time when it happened, (I think) Justice Stevens very kindly noted that Article III uses the word "judges" to include the ones on the Supreme Court.
Reminder: John Roberts is the Chief Justice of the United States. He is not the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. It doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme, but if you get it wrong, SCOTUS watchers will judge you!
November 21, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Every once in a while during a SCOTUS argument, someone will call the Justices "judges," and sometimes they get snippy about that. One time when it happened, (I think) Justice Stevens very kindly noted that Article III uses the word "judges" to include the ones on the Supreme Court.
November 15, 2025 at 10:30 PM
This bear is the creature that shows up to remind you that it is a federal felony punishable by up to six years in prison to cause a false distress signal to be sent to the Coast Guard when no help is needed.
November 15, 2025 at 8:31 PM
This bear is the creature that shows up to remind you that it is a federal felony punishable by up to six years in prison to cause a false distress signal to be sent to the Coast Guard when no help is needed.
Great opportunity here for a new attorney interested in public defense: The Federal Defenders of Eastern Washington and Idaho are hiring a fellowship attorney, a one-year position designed for a recent-ish grad with little experience. www.fd.org/sites/defaul...
November 15, 2025 at 3:58 AM
Great opportunity here for a new attorney interested in public defense: The Federal Defenders of Eastern Washington and Idaho are hiring a fellowship attorney, a one-year position designed for a recent-ish grad with little experience. www.fd.org/sites/defaul...
It is going to break some brains if half of the college football playoff field is Indiana, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Georgia Tech, Texas Tech, and Navy.
October 25, 2025 at 11:29 PM
It is going to break some brains if half of the college football playoff field is Indiana, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Georgia Tech, Texas Tech, and Navy.
@edsbs.bsky.social @celebrityhottub.bsky.social @stevengodfrey.bsky.social @alexkirshner.com So if Tommy Tuberville gets elected Governor of Alabama, and AJ McCarron gets elected Lieutenant Governor, will the Alabama capital building have to fly one of those "House Divided" flags?
October 23, 2025 at 7:24 PM
@edsbs.bsky.social @celebrityhottub.bsky.social @stevengodfrey.bsky.social @alexkirshner.com So if Tommy Tuberville gets elected Governor of Alabama, and AJ McCarron gets elected Lieutenant Governor, will the Alabama capital building have to fly one of those "House Divided" flags?
@beckyhammer.bsky.social Please keep Bluesky notified if the White House reaches out to your neighbor about where to buy doors.
October 22, 2025 at 10:47 PM
@beckyhammer.bsky.social Please keep Bluesky notified if the White House reaches out to your neighbor about where to buy doors.
That clerk probably wanted to crawl in a hole and never come out, but they did the admirable thing and disclosed the mistake right away. A good lesson not only to be careful whom you're texting about cases, but also about how to act if you do mess up.
Oof, relatable disclosure in Illinois's/Chicago's National Guard case: One of Judge Perry's law clerks tried to text a fellow clerk to complain about DOJ, accidentally texted a friend who worked for the opposing party (IL AG's office)
October 15, 2025 at 6:33 PM
That clerk probably wanted to crawl in a hole and never come out, but they did the admirable thing and disclosed the mistake right away. A good lesson not only to be careful whom you're texting about cases, but also about how to act if you do mess up.
Today's episode of "Why is this useless trivia stuck in my brain instead of something important?" is that I realized I knew the exact birthdays of all four Beatles. I wasn't in a fan club or anything; I just learned them at some point and haven't forgotten them. I would be happy to do so!
October 15, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Today's episode of "Why is this useless trivia stuck in my brain instead of something important?" is that I realized I knew the exact birthdays of all four Beatles. I wasn't in a fan club or anything; I just learned them at some point and haven't forgotten them. I would be happy to do so!
I wonder if he will threaten to move the Super Bowl from Santa Clara as a way to punish San Francisco.
Always interesting when someone learns just how far away Foxborough is from Boston. Apparently the President has yet to experience this.
www.espn.com/espn/story/_...
www.espn.com/espn/story/_...
Trump threatens to remove WC games from Boston
President Donald Trump threatened on Tuesday to revoke Boston's World Cup matches if local authorities don't get tougher on crime.
www.espn.com
October 15, 2025 at 1:22 AM
I wonder if he will threaten to move the Super Bowl from Santa Clara as a way to punish San Francisco.
I watched "One Battle After Another" today. Most reviews have been ecstatic, and I was trying to keep my hopes in check, but I really enjoyed it. It gets my highest recommendation.
October 13, 2025 at 2:11 AM
I watched "One Battle After Another" today. Most reviews have been ecstatic, and I was trying to keep my hopes in check, but I really enjoyed it. It gets my highest recommendation.
I look forward to eating at all the subsidiaries of ConSanGro, Inc.
October 12, 2025 at 11:43 PM
I look forward to eating at all the subsidiaries of ConSanGro, Inc.
Aw man, now I have to subscribe to Netflix.
October 9, 2025 at 11:05 PM
Aw man, now I have to subscribe to Netflix.
Saw this one posted elsewhere earlier and it prompted me to share it again -- perhaps my favorite magazine article of all time.
www.newyorker.com/magazine/200...
www.newyorker.com/magazine/200...
Up And Then Down
At the start of a weekend in 1999, Nicholas White got stuck on an elevator in a nearly empty office building.
www.newyorker.com
October 9, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Saw this one posted elsewhere earlier and it prompted me to share it again -- perhaps my favorite magazine article of all time.
www.newyorker.com/magazine/200...
www.newyorker.com/magazine/200...
The new Outlook design choice to automatically hide folders when the screen is oriented in portrait mode is driving me bonkers. It seems like a species of web UI design choices that assume everyone looks at everything on a phone. It ought to at least give me an option to restore folders permanently.
October 7, 2025 at 2:44 PM
The new Outlook design choice to automatically hide folders when the screen is oriented in portrait mode is driving me bonkers. It seems like a species of web UI design choices that assume everyone looks at everything on a phone. It ought to at least give me an option to restore folders permanently.
Somebody on reddit said that "certiorari" would be a cool name for a car, and now I'm going down that rabbit hole.
The Mitsubishi Mandamus
The Toyota Scienter
The Hyundai Subpoena
The Nissan Ultra Vires
And, for @smmarotta.bsky.social, the Ford Estoppel
The Mitsubishi Mandamus
The Toyota Scienter
The Hyundai Subpoena
The Nissan Ultra Vires
And, for @smmarotta.bsky.social, the Ford Estoppel
October 6, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Somebody on reddit said that "certiorari" would be a cool name for a car, and now I'm going down that rabbit hole.
The Mitsubishi Mandamus
The Toyota Scienter
The Hyundai Subpoena
The Nissan Ultra Vires
And, for @smmarotta.bsky.social, the Ford Estoppel
The Mitsubishi Mandamus
The Toyota Scienter
The Hyundai Subpoena
The Nissan Ultra Vires
And, for @smmarotta.bsky.social, the Ford Estoppel
If James Franklin just stayed in Los Angeles and took over as the UCLA coach, I think both teams would take that deal at this point.
October 5, 2025 at 12:14 AM
If James Franklin just stayed in Los Angeles and took over as the UCLA coach, I think both teams would take that deal at this point.
Here's a gift link to this story: defector.com/treasury-dep...
Treasury Department has plans to mint dollar coin featuring Donald Trump's likeness: defector.com/treasury-dep...
Treasury Department Has Plans To Mint Dollar Coin Featuring Donald Trump's Likeness | Defector
The United States Department of the Treasury has developed, to the brink of production, a dollar coin that features the face and likeness of President Donald Trump, according to a source within the Tr...
defector.com
October 3, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Here's a gift link to this story: defector.com/treasury-dep...
The human brain is so strange. I forget a million things a day, but somehow I remember the full name (first, middle, last) of a trial witness in an appeal I worked on as an intern almost 25 years ago. It wasn't even a Key & Peele-level odd name! I'd be happy to forget it!
youtu.be/gODZzSOelss?...
youtu.be/gODZzSOelss?...
Key & Peele - East/West College Bowl
YouTube video by Comedy Central
youtu.be
October 2, 2025 at 10:54 PM
The human brain is so strange. I forget a million things a day, but somehow I remember the full name (first, middle, last) of a trial witness in an appeal I worked on as an intern almost 25 years ago. It wasn't even a Key & Peele-level odd name! I'd be happy to forget it!
youtu.be/gODZzSOelss?...
youtu.be/gODZzSOelss?...
Nice story about the founder of Jake's Ice Cream and Jake's Gourmet Popcorn. They're worth a visit if you're in Northern Virginia!
wtop.com/virginia/202...
wtop.com/virginia/202...
Northern Virginia business owner honored for creating jobs for people with disabilities - WTOP News
Earlier this month, Rinearson was recognized with a humanitarian award for her work employing people with disabilities in Falls Church, Virginia.
wtop.com
October 1, 2025 at 12:16 AM
Nice story about the founder of Jake's Ice Cream and Jake's Gourmet Popcorn. They're worth a visit if you're in Northern Virginia!
wtop.com/virginia/202...
wtop.com/virginia/202...
After oral arguments, the Fourth Circuit routinely thanks attorneys who take cases by court appointment. Today, after a case with one FPD and three CJA attorneys, Chief Judge Diaz spent several minutes discussing the Judiciary's dire budget situation (at 1:29:50).
www.youtube.com/live/jsoE-rF...
www.youtube.com/live/jsoE-rF...
University of Richmond Law School - Fourth Circuit Court Oral Arguments
YouTube video by United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
www.youtube.com
September 27, 2025 at 1:40 AM
After oral arguments, the Fourth Circuit routinely thanks attorneys who take cases by court appointment. Today, after a case with one FPD and three CJA attorneys, Chief Judge Diaz spent several minutes discussing the Judiciary's dire budget situation (at 1:29:50).
www.youtube.com/live/jsoE-rF...
www.youtube.com/live/jsoE-rF...
If anyone knows of a way to remove the annoying "Copilot" box from the Microsoft Outlook WEB version, please for the love of all that is holy let me know.
September 27, 2025 at 12:12 AM
If anyone knows of a way to remove the annoying "Copilot" box from the Microsoft Outlook WEB version, please for the love of all that is holy let me know.
I kind of feel like an announcement for a vacancy for a (trial) federal public defender in Hawai'i is self-recommending for the right person.
www.fd.org/sites/defaul...
www.fd.org/sites/defaul...
a man wearing a red shirt with a floral pattern
Alt: Tom Selleck in "Magnum, P.I." wearing a red Hawaiian shirt with a floral pattern, turning to look at the camera and wiggle his eyebrows mischieviously
media.tenor.com
September 26, 2025 at 7:31 PM
I kind of feel like an announcement for a vacancy for a (trial) federal public defender in Hawai'i is self-recommending for the right person.
www.fd.org/sites/defaul...
www.fd.org/sites/defaul...