Opinion ID: 2572681
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Petitioners' NRAP 21(a) burden

Text: NRAP 21(a) requires a petition for extraordinary relief to contain: a statement of the facts necessary to an understanding of the issues presented by the application; a statement of the issues presented and of the relief sought; a statement of the reasons why the writ should issue; and copies of any order or opinion or parts of the record which may be essential to an understanding of the matters set forth in the petition. Petitioners carry the burden of demonstrating that extraordinary relief is warranted. [29] The reasons for NRAP 21(a)'s requirements are simple. A petition for writ relief invokes this court's original jurisdiction. Our review in a writ proceeding is limited to the argument and documents provided by the parties. If essential information is left out of the petition and accompanying documentation, we have no way of properly evaluating the petition. [30] We routinely receive and deny writ petitions that fail to comply with NRAP 21(a). The time and energy expended reviewing these deficient petitions wastes this court's valuable and limited judicial resources. Here, petitioners failed to provide a comprehensive factual analysis in the petition, and they neglected to submit necessary parts of the record. Although this petition challenges a district court order that dismissed petitioners' complaint based upon forum non conveniens, the resolution of this petition depends on the validity and enforceability of a forum selection clause in the March 15, 2002 stock purchase agreement signed by real party in interest Ming Tang Lin and Julie Tzoo Jy Pan. Petitioners, however, declined to explain their relationship with Julie Pan, who was a party to the disputed transaction, but is not a plaintiff in the underlying district court case, and is not a petitioner in this writ petition. In addition, petitioners failed to provide documents that they executed in escrow during the sale of the Shiatsu Center. The escrow documents and an understanding of Julie Pan's relationship with petitioners appear necessary to determine if the forum selection clause in the stock purchase agreement can be enforced against petitioners. Petitioners failed to carry their NRAP 21(a) burden, and consequently, they have not demonstrated that extraordinary relief is warranted. Accordingly, we deny their petition for a writ of mandamus.