Financial Disclosure for Amicus Filers Weighed by Judiciary (1)

The judiciary grappled with a proposal over whether to require groups filing friend-of-the-court briefs to disclose financial backers.

Judge Jay S. Bybee of the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit floated a plan on Thursday that would require amicus filers to disclose to the court if any attorney or litigating party had contributed, in the past 12 months, more than 25% of their gross revenue for the prior fiscal year.

The Appellate Rules Committee of the Judicial Conference, which Bybee chairs, is considering revising rules to include disclosures so judges are aware if a party through its finances ...