In cases in which we are not counsel, EarthRights International often submits amicus curiae ("friend of the court") briefs on important issues.  Most often, these amicus briefs are submitted in cases brought under the Alien Tort Statute (like ERI's cases against Unocal, Chevron and Shell), where a decision in the case could have a wide-ranging impact on other cases.  Typically, ERI submits such briefs to elaborate on a particular legal issue on which we have expertise; in other cases, ERI might submit a brief if the facts of the case are especially relevant to our work.  These briefs form an important part of international human rights and environmental litigation, and other organizations have also submitted amicus briefs in ERI's cases where appropriate.