And what would 'buff' be without 'in the'?

In a small circle, it would be a slip opinion (opinion so recently released that it is not yet in the books, but has been distributed as printed on unbound papers) from the Michigan Court of Appeals. "Buffs" is short for slip opinions of the Court of Appeals, while "blues" refers to slip opinions of the Supreme Court, because of the color of the paper on which the opinions are printed. "Pinks" refers to Court of Appeals opinions which are not designated for publication. This long-standing usage is on its way to obsolescence due to the substitution of electronic distribution of opinions.