In a case of first impression, the Rhode Island Supreme Court this term held that a homeowner has (1) ten years following the substantial completion of an improvement to real property to discover a latent defect and (2) three...more
2021 has ushered in not only a new Rhode Island Supreme Court, but also significant technical upgrades as the Court officially converts to electronic filing. Beginning January 29, 2021, attorneys must submit all filings to...more
For the first time in a decade, the Rhode Island Supreme Court is about to have a new composition. Justices Melissa A. Long and Erin Lynch Prata will fill the seats vacated by retired Justices Gilbert V. Indeglia and Francis...more
In the first Rhode Island Supreme Court decision to address the Rhode Island Judiciary’s new electronic filing system, the Court cautioned counsel to confirm the accuracy of their service contact information to ensure receipt...more
In a decision that impacts most litigators in Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Supreme Court has held that affidavits or testimony offered to support a claim for attorneys’ fees must be from a member of the Rhode Island Bar who...more
In a case of first impression, the Rhode Island Supreme Court recognized a statutory right for trustees to recover their attorneys’ fees when a trust beneficiary refuses, without any basis, to release the trustee of his or...more
Prebriefing Statements, which are sometimes referred to as Rule 12A Statements, are often viewed and treated as preliminary statements of the issues that will be later briefed on appeal. A recent Rhode Island Supreme Court...more
Through an order issued on January 29, 2016, the Rhode Island Supreme Court has made amendments to the Rhode Island Judiciary Rules of Practice Governing Public Access to Electronic Case Information (the “Public Access...more
The Rhode Island Supreme Court’s recent decision in Roma v. Moreira, No. 2014-141-Appeal, 2015 R.I. LEXIS 106 (R.I. Nov. 13, 2015) serves as a reminder to trial counsel that if you hear something that leads you to believe...more
The raise-or-waive rule, arguably one of the most important rules of appellate practice, also is one of the Rhode Island Supreme Court’s most frequently invoked legal doctrines. In its last term, the Rhode Island Supreme...more
On October 16, 2015, the Rhode Island Supreme Court issued an order making important amendments to Article I of the Supreme Court Rules of Appellate Procedure....more
A recent Rhode Island Supreme Court decision serves as an important reminder of the need to engage essential expert witnesses early in a case and, at a minimum, before discovery responses are due....more
In addressing an issue of first impression under Rhode Island law, the Rhode Island Supreme Court has held that a trial justice may not make decisions on the merits based on documents submitted in camera....more
Rhode Island has long honored the late Professor Robert B. Kent’s teachings on civil procedure, including his opinions concerning depositions. In keeping with Professor Kent’s teachings, Rhode Island courts take the position...more
In 2007, the United States Supreme Court in Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007), significantly modified the standard of review applied to motions to dismiss in federal courts. A few years later, in 2009,...more