First Things First is an independent resource dedicated to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. The site provides practitioners, journalists, students, and anyone interested in the federal courts with timely access to opinions, oral arguments, upcoming cases, judicial profiles, court statistics, and curated news coverage from across the circuit.
The First Circuit is the smallest of the thirteen federal appellate circuits and one of the oldest in continuous operation, yet it generates some of the most consequential federal litigation in the country. First Things First was created to give this court the kind of sustained, professional attention it deserves.
Nicholas Dubé
Founder & Principal Author
Nicholas Dubé is an attorney at Preti, Flaherty, Beliveau & Pachios in Concord, New Hampshire. He previously practiced at Ropes & Gray in Boston. A native New Hampshirite, Nicholas has spent extensive time living and practicing law within the First Circuit. He is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, where he served as an executive editor of the Harvard Law Review.
What you will find here
Opinions
A searchable database of First Circuit opinions with district and case-type filtering, updated from the court’s own published records.
Oral Arguments
An on-page audio player for recent oral argument recordings, searchable by case name or docket number.
Argument Calendar
The court’s upcoming argument sessions with case details and scheduling information.
Judges
Profiles of every active, senior, and visiting judge in the First Circuit and its five district courts.
News
Curated reporting and analysis on First Circuit cases and court administration, with topic and jurisdiction filters.
Statistics
Interactive charts and tables drawn from the Administrative Office’s judicial caseload data.
Rules
Quick-reference links to the First Circuit Rulebook, district court local rules, and federal rules of procedure.
History
A timeline of the First Circuit from the Judiciary Act of 1789 through the present day, with a table of all chief judges.