Morning Docket: 05.31.17

* It's a party, and all of Donald Trump's friends are invited! The president's longtime personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, has been dragged into the probe of Russia's efforts to influence the 2016 election. House and Senate investigators asked him to provide testimony, but he politely declined because "the request was poorly phrased, overly broad and not capable of being answered." [ABC News] * "It's nice knowing this will definitely be a beacon for other trans kids and other members of the community to look to as a source for hope." A three-judge panel of the Seventh Circuit has affirmed a lower court ruling, stating that Title IX protects transgender students' rights to use the bathrooms of their choice. This is the first time that an appellate court has issued a ruling of this kind. [Reuters] * "No one knows how many qualified individuals never even advance their names." Biglaw attorneys would usually jump at the chance to leave private practice and take a gig working for the Labor Department, but under this presidential administration, there seems to be a bit of hesitancy due to their unwillingness to "incur a lifelong Trump association." [Bloomberg BNA] * More and more Biglaw firms have decided to reevaluate the way they evaluate their attorneys. Following Allen & Overy's decision to eliminate performance reviews, Berwin Leighton Paisner, Fieldfisher, Withers, and RPC will each be changing the way they conduct their appraisal policies, and Linklaters will drop financial targets and partner reviews. We may have more on this. [Law.com] * "Death to the enemies of America! You call it terrorism, I call it patriotism. Die." Jeremy Christian, the Portland man accused of killing two men in a racially motivated attack on a train, didn't enter a plea at his arraignment. Instead, he made incendiary outbursts, inviting spectators to shout back at him, calling him a "murderer." His next hearing is on June 7. [Courthouse News Service]

Donald Trump (Photo by Isaac Brekken/Getty)

Donald Trump (Photo by Isaac Brekken/Getty)

* It’s a party, and all of Donald Trump’s friends are invited! The president’s longtime personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, has been dragged into the probe of Russia’s efforts to influence the 2016 election. House and Senate investigators asked him to provide testimony, but he politely declined because “the request was poorly phrased, overly broad and not capable of being answered.” [ABC News]

* “It’s nice knowing this will definitely be a beacon for other trans kids and other members of the community to look to as a source for hope.” A three-judge panel of the Seventh Circuit has affirmed a lower court ruling, stating that Title IX protects transgender students’ rights to use the bathrooms of their choice. This is the first time that an appellate court has issued a ruling of this kind. [Reuters]

* “No one knows how many qualified individuals never even advance their names.” Biglaw attorneys would usually jump at the chance to leave private practice and take a gig working for the Labor Department, but under this presidential administration, there seems to be a bit of hesitancy due to their unwillingness to “incur a lifelong Trump association.” [Bloomberg BNA]

* More and more Biglaw firms have decided to reevaluate the way they evaluate their attorneys. Following Allen & Overy’s decision to eliminate performance reviews, Berwin Leighton Paisner, Fieldfisher, Withers, and RPC will each be changing the way they conduct their appraisal policies, and Linklaters will drop financial targets and partner reviews. We may have more on this. [Law.com]

* “Death to the enemies of America! You call it terrorism, I call it patriotism. Die.” Jeremy Christian, the Portland man accused of killing two men in a racially motivated attack on a train, didn’t enter a plea at his arraignment. Instead, he made incendiary outbursts, inviting spectators to shout back at him, calling him a “murderer.” His next hearing is on June 7. [Courthouse News Service]

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Staci ZaretskyStaci Zaretsky has been an editor at Above the Law since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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