THE MATTER LIBRARY · 10 SHAPES × 2 TIERS
Every practice shape appears twice: once in the fictional State of Meridian — a complete canon with its own courts and citation scheme — and once in a real jurisdiction, where finding the governing law is part of the exercise.
SHAPE
Halden Regional Transit District v. Marceline Osgard and Meridian Alliance of Public Workers, Local 7 (Arbitration)
Marceline Osgard, an eleven-year mechanic for the Halden Regional Transit District, was fired after refusing to return three buses to service she flagged as having failing brake lines, then emailing the safety complaint chain to a regional oversight board.…
Prairie State Logistics, Inc. v. Yusuf Adeyemi (Employment Arbitration)
Yusuf Adeyemi, an operations supervisor at Prairie State Logistics in Illinois, was terminated a few weeks after reporting off-the-clock work and blocked fire exits to HR and a state hotline. The company cites a documented performance plan and a headcount…
SHAPE
In re Petition for Disciplinary Action against Gregor A. Winterhalt, a Meridian Attorney
The Meridian Office of Lawyer Conduct petitions to discipline solo practitioner Gregor Winterhalt, alleging he deposited a client's settlement funds into his operating account, was slow to disburse, and failed to answer two clients' calls for months.…
In re Petition for Disciplinary Action against Delphine A. Karsgaard, a Minnesota Attorney
The Minnesota Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility petitions to discipline attorney Delphine Karsgaard, alleging she let a client's claim lapse past a deadline, then filed a motion overstating when she had learned of the problem. Karsgaard says…
SHAPE
Lorraine Petimeyer v. Douglas Ashcombe
On an icy February morning at the Elleston Road intersection, Douglas Ashcombe's pickup struck Lorraine Petimeyer's stopped sedan. Ashcombe says he was traveling below the limit and slid on black ice with no time to stop; Petimeyer says he was following…
Sofia Reyes v. Bradley Hutchins
Rideshare driver Sofia Reyes was struck in the side by Bradley Hutchins's SUV when, she says, he ran a stale yellow-turning-red at a Florida intersection; Hutchins says Reyes accelerated into the intersection late and shares fault. Reyes has a torn…
SHAPE
In re Purchase of 4400 Kestrel Point, Sable County (Renard–Meskin)
Developer Talbot Meskin wants to buy 4400 Kestrel Point on Lake Verdant from Ruth Renard to build four rental cabins. Access runs over a gravel lane crossing the neighbor's land, and the plat is ambiguous about whether it is a recorded easement or a…
In re Purchase of the Cimarron Tract (Whitfield–Nakamura)
Kenji Nakamura is under an earnest-money contract to buy the Cimarron Tract from Garrett Whitfield in Texas for a combined solar array and small cattle operation. Title turns up a questionable shared-road easement and a prior mineral reservation, and…
SHAPE
State of Meridian v. Devon R. Halvard
Devon Halvard was stopped in Norsholm for a broken taillight after leaving a restaurant, failed field sobriety tests the officer describes as clearly impaired, and a later breath sample allegedly read at or near the per-se limit. Halvard says he had two…
State of Minnesota v. Travis O. Wenzloff
Travis Wenzloff was pulled over in Minnesota after a report of a weaving vehicle, showed signs the deputy attributed to impairment, and provided a breath sample near the per-se threshold; a prior incident several years back raises the stakes. Wenzloff says…
SHAPE
Northlake Surgical Instruments, Inc. v. Adaeze Okwuosa
Adaeze Okwuosa left Northlake Surgical Instruments to join a competitor after twelve years as a sales engineer. Northlake moves for a temporary injunction to enforce her non-compete and non-solicitation covenant, claiming she downloaded a customer-pricing…
Hudson Valley Biometrics, Inc. v. Priya Iyer
Priya Iyer resigned from Hudson Valley Biometrics in New York to join a competitor building similar face-and-gait recognition software. The company seeks a preliminary injunction enforcing her non-compete and trade-secret covenants, arguing her knowledge…
SHAPE
Cloverdyke Dairy Cooperative v. Brandt Refrigeration Systems, LLC
Cloverdyke Dairy Cooperative bought a large bulk milk-cooling and refrigeration unit from Brandt Refrigeration Systems, which allegedly failed to hold temperature three times in its first two months, spoiling milk and forcing emergency repairs. Brandt says…
Empire Provisions Corp. v. Ostervold Packing Co.
Empire Provisions Corp., a New York distributor, ordered multiple truckloads of packaged specialty foods from Ostervold Packing Co. and rejected several deliveries as mislabeled and short-dated, refusing payment. Ostervold sues for the contract price,…
SHAPE
In re the Welfare of T.M., a Minor
Fifteen-year-old Tobias Merrow is charged in the Juvenile Division after allegedly walking out of a Norsholm electronics store with an unpaid gaming console; a loss-prevention guard was knocked down in the doorway scuffle, adding an assault allegation.…
In re J.C., a Minor (Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code § 602)
Sixteen-year-old Jasmine Cordero is the subject of a California juvenile petition alleging she helped tag and damage cars in a school parking lot with two friends. Jasmine says she was present and filmed it on her phone but never sprayed anything, and that…
SHAPE
In re the Marriage of Renata Sitko and Harlan Aldergrove
After fourteen years, Renata Sitko petitions to dissolve her marriage to Harlan Aldergrove, who owns a small home-remodeling business. They dispute custody and a parenting schedule for their two children, the value and division of the marital home and the…
In re the Marriage of Camille Beaumont and Andre Lassiter
After eight years, Camille Beaumont petitions to dissolve her California marriage to Andre Lassiter, with whom she co-owns a restaurant started during the marriage. They dispute how to characterize and divide the business and home under community-property…
SHAPE
In re the Estate of Mabel R. Thornquist
Mabel Thornquist signed a new will eight months before her death leaving her lake home and most of her estate to her daughter Eleanor, naming Eleanor personal representative and largely cutting out her son Ronald. Ronald contests the will, alleging their…
In re the Estate of Harold W. Prewitt
Harold Prewitt's Florida will, updated a year before his death, leaves the marital home and much of his estate to his second wife Vivian, largely bypassing his adult son Dale from an earlier marriage. Dale contests, alleging undue influence and that the…