November 2015

Judge Posner's views on gays and gay marriage have evolved greatly since he was 13 years old -- and so have the American people's.

* Delaware bucks the trend of declining bar passage rates! Not such good news for Ohio. [Bar Exam Stats]

* Yeah, you’ve got tax law to blame for the terrible Star Wars prequels. [Federal Tax Blog]

* A second juror in the Sheldon Silver case tries to get out of jury deliberations. Judge denies it, the juror will do their “best or whatever.” [Wall Street Journal]

* The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court just named 5 attorneys as public advocates. Get the scoop on who they really are. [Ars Technica]

* Ayelette Robinson, a former corporate lawyer turned actress, is featured on a new podcast. [Hsu Untied]

* You wanna fix the problem of chronic overwork, stress, and dissatisfaction in Biglaw? Then LEAVE. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg BNA]

What does the government have to say in defense of the allegedly tweeting judge?

Unless and until we see marijuana legalized, decriminalized, or re-scheduled, cannabis consumers can expect both to continue having to pay for their medical marijuana and higher than normal life insurance premiums with most insurers.

Sure, Alcatraz was closed because of the high cost of maintaining it -- that's just what they want you to believe.

Amal Clooney is making a bold fashion choice, but will it take off in Biglaw?

The holiday season is upon us, and travel is a nightmare.

We can continue to foster toxic work environments where suffering is the norm, or we can imagine a better, more inclusive, mission-driven law firm, where lawyers actually want to work.

Courts won't let you blame your 30-hour boner on your motorcycle.

Instead of just pushing the mentally ill into corners and hoping to never see them again, Mayor Bill de Blasio's tackling the issue head on.

You'd think that a Biglaw bro could afford to enjoy a higher-quality beverage.

A well-crafted, China-focused NNN Agreement will almost always allow you to generate sufficient fear of litigation to greatly reduce the likelihood of your ever having to go to court.

What Separates The Mobile Health App “Millionaires” From The Rest? MedCity News Guy Hired To Catch Illegal Behavior At Goldman Sachs Forgot To Catch Himself Dealbreaker 5 Signs Of Texas’ Clean Energy Momentum In 2015 Breaking Energy

Judge Kozinski poses the question on 60 Minutes: Should we bring back the guillotine or the firing squad?

Looks like law students at one T14 school are getting an extra day of vacation... except it isn't for a reason anyone would wish.

Bonuses should be arriving soon -- perhaps as early as today -- and they should be as good as, or even better than, last year's.

The rules of legal ethics vary significantly among jurisdictions; could a clever lawyer represent a client more effectively by exploiting these differences?

* While you were feasting upon turkey this Thanksgiving, Dentons — otherwise known as the largest Biglaw behemoth in the world — was busy gobbling up yet another law firm. The megafirm will combine with 33-lawyer OPF Partners out of Luxembourg. [WSJ Law Blog]

* According to a survey from AlixPartners, over the past 12 months, GCs have reported more “bet the company” lawsuits compared to last year. Don’t get too excited, though, because growth in litigation spend hasn’t quite caught up yet. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg BNA]

* You really can do anything with a law degree — including things that have absolutely nothing to do with the law! Patrick Hobbs, dean emeritus of Seton Hall Law, has been tapped to become the athletics director at Rutgers University. [NJ Advance Media]

* What would happen if one of the largest publicly traded plaintiffs firms in the world went under? Ever since its stock price plummeted by 52 percent, industry analysts have started to wonder whether Slater & Gordon is on the verge of collapse. [ABC News]

* In the wake of the defacement of black faculty portraits and the administration’s apparent “ongoing failure” to address racism on campus, Harvard Law alumni are being asked to stop making donations to the school until changes are made. [Boston Globe]

* One of 92-year-old Sumner Redstone’s exes filed a probate suit questioning his mental competence and ability to run Viacom and CBS. His attorney from entertainment law powerhouse Loeb & Loeb essentially called her client’s ex a gold digger. [CNBC]

* That was fast! When Howard Bashman (of our sister site How Appealing) talks, the U.S. Supreme Court listens. [How Appealing]

* She doesn’t mention it much on the campaign trail, but Carly Fiorina is the daughter of Article III aristocracy — the late Judge Joseph T. Sneed III, a prominent conservative on the Ninth Circuit. [New York Times]

* Is the supposed “hate crime” at Harvard Law School, involving the placement of black tape on the portraits of African-American law professors, actually a hoax? [Powerline via TaxProf Blog]

* Elsewhere in academia, Professor Glenn Reynolds wonders: “If a cabal of Evil Conservatives set out to destroy academia from within, what, exactly, would it be doing differently?” [Instapundit]

* Star Wars fans, discuss: “The Law is a Sith,” according to Professor Adam Kolber. [PrawfsBlawg]

* Can states bar Syrian refugees? Professor Ilya Somin thinks not (at least under current Supreme Court precedent). [Volokh Conspiracy]

* Thoughts from Professor Ronald K.L. Collins on Hines v. Alldredge, the occupational speech case previously discussed by Tamara Tabo. [Concurring Opinions]

* What can be done about problematic prosecutors? [New York Times via How Appealing]

How did Michele Roberts become such an influential figure in the legal profession, and what lessons does her inspiring career offer?