February 2013
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9th Circuit, Alex Kozinski, Benchslaps
Avast Ye Maties! Kozinski Benchslap Ho!
Judge Kozinski loves whaling. Well, maybe not, but he thinks the whalers have a better case and yanks a district judge off his own case for initially siding for the hippies. -
Bar Exams, Texas
Bar Exam Horror Stories: Losing Power > Losing Bladder Control
This is the kind of ridiculousness that happens when you don't pass the July bar and have to sit for it again in February. - Sponsored
Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
The rise of remote work has dramatically reshaped the relationship between Lawyers and Law Firms, see how Scale LLP has taken the steps to get… -
Anthony Kennedy, Gay, Gay Marriage, John Roberts, Politics, SCOTUS, Seth Waxman, Supreme Court, Ted Olson
Leading Republicans Send a Valentine to Justice Kennedy on Gay Marriage
Who are some of the prominent Republican politicians signing an amicus brief in support of gay marriage? And which major law firm is behind the effort?
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Biglaw, Boutique Law Firms, Confirmations, Deaths, Election Law, Eric Holder, Federal Judges, Morning Docket, Politics, SCOTUS, Securities and Exchange Commission, Supreme Court, White-Collar Crime
Morning Docket: 02.27.13
* The Supreme Court will be hearing oral arguments today on a challenge to the Voting Rights Act. If for some reason you’re not sure why you should care about this, here’s everything you need to know to sound intelligent at the water cooler. [New York Times]
* If the sequester goes into effect this Friday, Attorney General Eric Holder warns that we’re probably going to see “profound” effects across the entire justice system. America, f**k yeah! Coming again to save the motherf**kin’ day, yeah! [National Law Journal]
* It looks like the tiny and terrifying Mary Jo White is currently on the Congressional pageant trail ahead of her March confirmation hearing for SEC leadership, and now she’s even vowed never to return to Debevoise & Plimpton. [DealBook / New York Times]
* A coup for Cadwalader and a casualty for Cravath: Jim Woolery chose another firm over his former home of 17 years, and it may have something to do with the Biglaw bonus market leader’s “sometimes antiquated” regime. [Am Law Daily]
* “There are many more fish chasing the same business,” but that’s not stopping new white-collar boutiques from trying to compete for business in what some say is an overly crowded market. [New York Law Journal]
* Louis Oberdorfer, district judge of the D.D.C. and former SCOTUS clerk, RIP. [Blog of Legal Times]
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Fashion, Law Schools, Ridiculousness, Vicious Infighting
The Time For Honoring Yourselves With Sweatshirts Is Almost At An End
Law student government is just as stupid and useless as you think. -
Celebrities, Copyright, Federal Government, Lindsay Lohan, Non-Sequiturs, Nude Dancing, Pets, Rape, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Non-Sequiturs: 02.26.13
* For any Catholics hitting up PaddyPower to lay down money on the conclave, you’ve probably had some restless nights wondering if Pope Gregory XIV’s edict per the Ius Decretalium still applies. It doesn’t. That’s a load off. [Canon Law Blog] * A number of strip clubs are challenging San Antonio’s new regulations. One key to their argument: “the presentation of expressive dance performances is a beneficial social activity which creates an improved self image for the dancer….” Yeah, good luck with that argument. [KEGL] * If you’re looking for emotional distress damages, maybe lay off the “I’m just embarrassed to be seen with him now” arguments. [Lowering the Bar] * To challenge the law letting the government tap your communications in secret, you need to have full knowledge that the secret recording is happening. Thanks Joseph Heller. [Volokh Conspiracy] * Lindsay Lohan can’t catch a break with her legal counsel. Hey, LiLo! Next time check Avvo to find a higher rated lawyer. [Perez Hilton] * The new Copyright Alert System goes into effect, allowing copyright holders to make your service provider slow your Internet to a crawl if you’re identified as a repeat violator. I don’t see what the big deal is, but then again, I’m still using a Prodigy account. [Gawker] * MC Hammer is softening, but still a tad miffed after police booked him for an expired registration after he told them, “U Can’t Touch This.” [Los Angeles Times] * Are you kidding? University of North Carolina’s “Honor Court” is threatening to expel a student for “intimidating” her attacker by discussing that she was raped — without identifying her attacker. This is why North Carolina can’t have nice things. [Feministing] -
Crime, Federal Judges, SCOTUS, Sentencing Law, Supreme Court
Today at the Supreme Court: Moving The Starting Point
What happened at the U.S. Supreme Court today? Our SCOTUS correspondent, Matt Kaiser, offers an eyewitness report. -
English Grammar and Usage, In-House Counsel
Moonlighting: Why Law Firm Lawyers Care About Commas And In-House Lawyers Don’t
Susan Moon explains why you shouldn't sweat the small stuff when you're in-house counsel. - Sponsored
Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
In this CLE-eligible webinar, we’ll explore the most common accounting pitfalls and how to avoid them for your firm. -
Career Center, Career Files, Law Schools, Law Students, Pre-Law
Law Schools May Appear Worse in the Rearview Mirror
Which law schools' alumni have the worst views of their alma maters? Let's find out! -
Bar Exams
Bar Brrr: Missouri Bar Exam Gets Snowed Under
We hope your BAR/BRI books came with a snow shovel. -
Attorney Misconduct, Benchslaps, Drugs, Minority Issues, Racism, SCOTUS, Screw-Ups, Sonia Sotomayor, Stephen Breyer, Texas, Trials, U.S. Attorneys Offices
Benchslap of the Day: Justice Sotomayor Thinks You Should Turn Off Your Racist Light Bulb
Justice Sotomayor is generally very nice, but don't get her angry. A federal prosecutor in Texas who made improper, racially charged remarks during a trial learned this the hard way. -
Job Searches, Screw-Ups, Small Law Firms
Gradenfreude: Two of the Best Rejection Letters I've Received
Because it stings just a little more when a firm sends a rejection letter to "Mr. [INSERT NAME HERE]." -
New Jersey
Judge Facing Ethics Challenge Because He's Also a Stand-Up Comedian
New Jersey may shut down the career of a successful stand-up comic who also sits on the bench.
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The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
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Generative AI In Legal Work — What’s Fact And What’s Fiction?
Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
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Biglaw, General Counsel, In-House Counsel, Partner Issues, Rankings
Who's Got the Best Biglaw Brand in the Business?
These are rankings that Biglaw attorneys should care about, since firm survival depends on branding. -
Law Professors, Politics, R. Ted Cruz, Ridiculousness, Texas
Ted Cruz Doubles Down On Idiotic, Incorrect Statement About Harvard Law
Ted Cruz is sticking to his guns about Commies at Harvard Law. -
Biglaw, Money, Partner Issues, Partner Profits
Buying In: Still Outside the Gates
What does Anonymous Partner think of K&L Gates's new and improved financial disclosures? In short, he is not impressed. -
10th Circuit, Benchslaps, Biglaw, Confirmations, Constitutional Law, Guns / Firearms, McCarter & English, Mergers and Acquisitions, Minority Issues, Money, Morning Docket, Musical Chairs, Politics, Racism, SCOTUS, Securities and Exchange Commission, Sonia Sotomayor, Supreme Court
Morning Docket: 02.26.13
* Our own Elie Mystal isn’t the only one who’s capable of fanning the flames of race baiting — it seems that Supreme Court justices can do it, too! We’ll probably have more on Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s benchslap later today. [The Two-Way / NPR]
* Patience is obviously one of this judge’s virtues, because this took a looooong time. After waiting more than a year for people to put their petty political pandering aside, the Senate confirmed Robert Bacharach to the Tenth Circuit. [Blog of Legal Times]
* Mary Jo White, the nominee to lead the SEC, will probably face her confirmation hearing in March. Her legal wranglings at Debevoise may be of interest to some, but really, who cares? She’s so cute and tiny! [Reuters]
* Mayer Brown and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year: gross revenue is up overall at most Biglaw firms, but not this one. In 2012, Mayer Brown’s revenue dipped 3.7 percent for a six-year low. [Am Law Daily]
* Kirkland & Ellis, now the fifth-largest Biglaw firm in the nation, is leading the market in terms of top dollar merger-and-acquisition deals. Now, if only the firm could get some bananas. [Crain’s Chicago Business]
* Orderly liquidation authority may be a legitimate exercise of power under the Bankruptcy Clause, but as far as these states are concerned, it’s just another reason to hate the Dodd-Frank Act. [DealBook / New York Times]
* Remember Peggy Ableman, the judge who ordered lawyers to attend a course on remedial civility in their “jammies”? She’s now at McCarter & English, so mind your manners. [Thomson Reuters News & Insight]
* An “astronomically stupid” legal loophole? Unpossible! Gun trusts are seeing the limelight because Chris Dorner claims he used one to purchase his paraphernalia without a background check. [New York Times]
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Guns / Firearms, Police
Mouthy, Gun-Toting Law Student Talks Back To Police Officer, Doesn't Get Shot 51 Times
Talking back to cops while black is a dangerous game. -
Baseball, Inappropriate Venue, Law Schools, Non-Sequiturs, Sports
Non-Sequiturs: 02.25.13
* Ben Weiss suggests that the third year of law school be replaced by special certifications in practice areas. He calls these “O’Wendells.” I like the idea, but the name sounds dirty. If he really wants to keep with the SCOTUS theme, he could just call it a “Bushrod.” [St. Louis Post-Dispatch] * A guide to the legal landscape surrounding high-frequency trading (the new fad of super-fast, computer-driven trading algorithms swapping stocks in split-seconds). Good, because I like my trading like I like my women: capable of collapsing economic markets at any given notice. [New York Law Journal] * In fairness to this judge accused of “inappropriate conduct” with an inmate, the Miami Correctional Facility is considered the most romantic correctional facility in America. [RTV6 ABC] * Calvin and Hobbes impart an important lesson in International Law. [Invisible College Blog] * Professor Howard Wasserman examines the economics of the infield-fly rule. There’s not even a jokey blurb here; this is intriguing. [Sports Law Blog] * Man suing a church and some of its staff after being invited to a service and then allegedly being accused of demonic possession and beaten. In fairness to the church, if the man was really the devil, filing a lawsuit is the most logical means of revenge he could employ. [Legal Juice] -
Divorce Train Wrecks, Family Law, Gay, Gay Marriage, Lesbians, Money, Romance and Dating, Weddings
The Gay Divorcees: From Marriage Equality to Divorce Equality
Gay marriage brings with it gay divorce. And when same-sex unions fall apart, things can get especially complicated....