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Morning Docket 4.10.09

mastiff.jpg* Eric Holder is trying to restore confidence in the Justice Department. [Bloomberg]

* The Roberts court’s first major affirmative action case will happen later this month when they decide whether or not a group of 17 white firefighters were discriminated against because of their race. [The New York Times]

* A divorced Michigan couple went to court to fight over ownership of their dog’s semen. The couple bred bull mastiffs together, and even though they split custody of their six dogs in a civil manner—they have been bitterly fighting about who owns their dogs’ frozen semen. Judge Cheryl Matthews asked “Am I being punk’d?” No Cheryl, this is real. [The Los Angeles Times]

* “A Wisconsin appeals court was so angry with a lawyer’s sloppy work that it fined him $500, asked for an investigation into his conduct and gave him tips on proofreading.” [The Chicago Tribune]

* Florida’s attorney general sued a company that manufactures a Michael Vick dog toy, claiming the company never gave the proceeds to charity as promised. [The Associated Press]

Comments

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1 Posted by guest | Permalink Friday, April 10, 2009 9:10 AM

First winner!

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2 Posted by guest | Permalink Friday, April 10, 2009 9:11 AM

Nothing ROCKS like Seyfarth Toxic Torts.

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3 Posted by guest | Permalink Friday, April 10, 2009 9:12 AM

This is from the Student Loan EXIT INTERVIEW. What happens if you have to take out loans to cover your top 10 law school and expenses for 3 years????

"Based on student loan debt of $150,000.00 to be repaid over 25 years at 8.5 percent interest, my estimated monthly payment is $1,207.84.

To support repayment of the debt, I should earn at least:
# $87.10 Hourly
# $15,098.01 Monthly
# $181,176.09 Annually"

HA! NY to $181,176.09!!!!!!!!!!!!

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4 Posted by guest | Permalink Friday, April 10, 2009 9:29 AM

Dear Thompson Hine,

Thanks for cutting my pay by 1/6th, making work miserable for those of us that haven't been laid off, and for being dicks in general.

-Rogue Associate.

"I am in yor lawferm. Wright nau U R peying mi to wright this abowt U. NJOY"

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5 Posted by guest | Permalink Friday, April 10, 2009 9:45 AM

Shit #3, the estimated annual cost of my school is over 65k! Their estimate seems to be off by quite a bit however, people making 100k can pretty comfortably pay 1200 a month in student loans.

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6 Posted by guest | Permalink Friday, April 10, 2009 9:46 AM

Picture of the female dog for story about about male dog (?)

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7 Posted by guest | Permalink Friday, April 10, 2009 9:49 AM

That Wisconsin court is on to something. Is there any way the readers of ATL could arrange a system of fines for Elie's sloppy work?

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8 Posted by guest | Permalink Friday, April 10, 2009 9:51 AM

3, you can repay a chunk of the loan with the money you "earned" working hard during 2L summer.

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9 Posted by guest | Permalink Friday, April 10, 2009 9:52 AM

Sorry, socialists can't restore confidence in anything.

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10 Posted by guest | Permalink Friday, April 10, 2009 9:53 AM

5 -

True. However, I found it highly amusing that less than .001% of all law school graduates will make enough money straight out of school to cover expenses, so says the DOE.

I am Jack's utter sense of bemusement.

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11 Posted by guest | Permalink Friday, April 10, 2009 9:59 AM

I think the current 3L's are poised for a new golden age of BIGLaw. After my paid sabbatical to ease the transition from school, I won't start cranking it out until Spring 2010 or maybe Fall 2010. By then, all the juniors and midlevels will be axed, clearing an open path for my riches. What's more, housing is more affordable and condo prices will go down, so it will be easier to live the lifestyle. JD '09s timed the market dead on.

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12 Posted by guest | Permalink Friday, April 10, 2009 9:59 AM

8 -

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. If I was 23, if I didn't have a family, and if I didn't have to eat, sleep, etc., then sure. I could've used the entire sum to offset prior debts . . . creating the need for more future debt to cover 3L living expenses.

Don't get me wrong here . . . I'm a big girl. I'm not complaining. I knew exactly what I was getting into, and I'll be able to pay the bill when the time comes (hopefully!!!). I simply found the DOE's calculations absurd.

Of course, there are many out here who will not be able to pay the bill when the time comes. For them, this absurdity is more poignant. I _do_ have sympathy for their plights.

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13 Posted by guest | Permalink Friday, April 10, 2009 10:23 AM

Too bad the Wisconsin appeals court can't do the same thing to the people who run this blog.

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14 Posted by guest | Permalink Friday, April 10, 2009 11:00 AM

I believe the SAT and ACT math sections are discriminatory because asians typically do much better than whites and every other ethnicity for that matter. I was discriminated against and deserve to go to MIT just as much as the asians (who are clearly better at math than I am) do.

The Effects Discrimination argument is ridiculous.

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15 Posted by guest | Permalink Friday, April 10, 2009 11:19 AM

14, while I partially agree with your sentiments you ahve to understand that part of the argument is about the validity of the tests for what you are selecting. Clearly a pencil and paper math test can be a very good predictor if you are looking to enroll strong math students. Reasonable people can disgaree about how much sense it makes to test firefighters for promotion in a similar manner.

I do agree 100% that these particular firefighters got screwed over. They were told the rules of the game, they prepared for that game and they won but they are denied their victory. I think we can all agree that is unfair but it still leaves some of the legla issues unresolved.

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16 Posted by guest | Permalink Friday, April 10, 2009 11:41 AM

#5 obviously doesn't have kids. Do you plan to have any of those within that 25 year repayment period?

Do you have any idea what it costs to live here with kids? $2500/month for childcare, $2000/month for school, $4k/month rent/mortgage. $100k/year = about $6k per month takehome. It's not enough.

These law school bills ($40k+/year) can only be supported by high 6-figure incomes.

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17 Posted by guest | Permalink Friday, April 10, 2009 11:50 AM

16, actually I never plan on having kids and I don't live in NYC (mortgage is 1000 a month), but yes, those are factors that could change your calculation.
-5

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18 Posted by guest | Permalink Friday, April 10, 2009 11:57 AM

The Supreme Court is not hearing an "affirmative action" case. The case in question--Ricci v. DeStefano is not about affirmative action. It is about Title VII.

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19 Posted by guest | Permalink Friday, April 10, 2009 11:57 AM

The Supreme Court is not hearing an "affirmative action" case. The case in question--Ricci v. DeStefano is not about affirmative action. It is about Title VII.

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20 Posted by guest | Permalink Friday, April 10, 2009 12:02 PM

18/19 is being priggish.

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21 Posted by guest | Permalink Friday, April 10, 2009 12:22 PM

And, Kentucky Bar results are in. I passed! :)

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22 Posted by guest | Permalink Friday, April 10, 2009 12:58 PM

Anyone who would borrow $150,000 at 8.5% interest to go to law school is dumber than the guy who bought a Florida condo with a nothing down reverse amortizing teaser ARM at the peak of the housing bubble.

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23 Posted by guest | Permalink Friday, April 10, 2009 12:59 PM

At least the condo buyer can just mail in the keys.

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24 Posted by guest | Permalink Friday, April 10, 2009 1:07 PM

8.5%??? Where did you borrow from "Vinnie's Student Loans n' Sh*t"?

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25 Posted by guest | Permalink Friday, April 10, 2009 1:46 PM

24 -

8.5% is the GRAD Plus rate. Anyone who borrowed any money above and beyond the stafford amounts got 8.5% as their best offer for the remainder. I think that law school costs more than 16K per year. Therefore, anyone without a scholarship or private wealth borrowed something at 8.5%.

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26 Posted by guest | Permalink Friday, April 10, 2009 2:13 PM

Holland & Knight had a meeting with their associates on Thursday morning to discuss compensation. Who has the scoop on this?

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27 Posted by guest | Permalink Friday, April 10, 2009 2:19 PM

If you had our parents, you'd do well on the SAT too.

-Asian failure (630 math SAT = law school instead of med school)

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28 Posted by guest | Permalink Friday, April 10, 2009 2:49 PM

Elie = pathetic

Does anyone else find it ironic that Elie's link to a story on sloppy proofreading is to a correction on the original story (but no link to the actual story)? Elie, you are so, so very lame.

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29 Posted by guest | Permalink Friday, April 10, 2009 3:31 PM

25 -

Though you have to give it to him - "Vinnie's Student Loans n' Sh*t" is funny.

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