* The recession has turned 21st century America in to Victorian England with the reinstatement of debtor’s prisons. You’ve got to love a good recession trend story. [The New York Times]

* Emboldened by the recent coup in Iowa, activists push for the expansion of gay marriage rights in New England. [The New York Times]

* Between Guantanamo, Senator Stevens, and the mysterious 2006 dismissal of 9 US attorneys, Attorney General Eric Holder has been busy cleaning up after the last administration. [USA Today]

* Madonna returned home this weekend after her request to adopt a second child from a Malawi orphanage was denied. [Los Angeles Times]

* Watch this wicked, hilarious SNL skit about Madonna and Angelina and their love of adopting “exotic babies.” [Morninpaper.com]

* The lawyers arguing the criminal case over Brooke Astor’s fortune just can’t seem to get along. [The New York Times]

* Who is this really protecting? Do women really need someone to tell us we can’t date this guy? Judging by an unscientific sample of good women dating assholes, kind of. [Feministing]

* Angelina’s lawyer self-deprecates; Angelina doesn’t disagree with his bone-headedness; even Jon Stewart is not immune to her charms. [Legal Profession Blog]

* ABC and Fox look the same to me right now. [BreitBart]

* If 22-year-old graduates with little (if any) teaching experience are fortunate enough to get a coveted, resume- and Ivy-worthy job with Teach for America, they will get health benefits — plus a free pass to say things like “I found my fellow teachers intelligent, caring and effective” and “I have no idea why so many low-income parents make sacrifices to send their kids to private schools” (to peers who did indeed survive public schools) — before bailing for law school. [Citizen-Times]

* And because I am grateful to live in the free world, I encourage everyone to voice his or her opinions whenever given the chance. Of course, these bloggers do so with full disclosure of their identities in the face of harsh political consequences, but we can’t help that we’re cowardly, coddled, self-obsessed risk-averse lawyers living in the U.S. [All Africa]

Why is Robert Offer our Lawyer of the Day? Because he’s taking bullets for his superhottie client, Angelina Jolie.

Chivalry is not dead! Even among people who bill by the hour.

(Also, any lawyer who is willing to describe himself as “bone-headed” to the New York Times scores points in our book.)

A Deal Too Far: Interviewers Balk at Jolie’s Terms [New York Times]
Managing the Media: Angelina Jolie’s Media Contracts [Gawker]
The Sloane Offer Partners [Variety]

* It’s that time of the year, when you yet again resolve to no longer be an attorney. You have one more chance to make this same futile resolution when Chinese New Year rolls around. [The Complete Lawyer]

* Any food substance that sustains armies and people still living in Y2K bunkers deserves nothing less than a full-on defense of its rights. You go, Hormel. [Likelihood of Confusion]

* Healthy parenting or affirmative action? I We wonder if little Shiloh will turn out like that other token biological celebrity offspring, Satchel Ronan Seamus (or just another needy, rich, hot girl, whose mommy never loved her). [Hot Gossip at MSN Entertainment]

* Darwinism resurfaces, and thank God, because I really hate tiny dogs. [St. Petersburg Times]

* Bonus season may be behind us, but we still have money on our minds. [May It Please the Court]

* I am open to all genres of TV shows, as you may know. But this? Almost makes me long for the days of Ally McBeal. [QuizLaw]

From the Daily Mail of the U.K. (where newspapers are more fun to read):

Angelina Jolie has attacked Madonna for adopting a child ‘illegally’. She said the singer should never have visited an impoverished African country with the sole intention of choosing an infant.

Her comments follow accusations that Madonna used her fame and money to speed the adoption of one-year- old David Banda late last year.

‘Madonna knew the situation in Malawi, where he was born,’ said Miss Jolie, who has adopted two Third World youngsters of her own

But Ms. Jolie was diplomatic in her criticism:

“Personally, I prefer to stay on the right side of the law. I would never take a child away from a place where adoption is illegal.’”

Because, you know, following the law is such a personal decision.

This struck us as a little silly:

“‘Brad and I want to continue to adopt, but keeping a big family uses up a lot of money.”

Because it’s just so hard to make ends meet when you earn $10 million per picture, and your partner earns $17 million per picture.

Angelina Jolie attacks Madonna for ‘illegal adoption’ of baby David [Daily Mail]

Angelina Jolie may soon be defending a lawsuit — and not from Jennifer Aniston alleging alienation of affection. Reuters reports:

A Cambodian charity threatened on Wednesday to sue Angelina Jolie for breach of contract, saying the Hollywood star had reneged on a promise to give $1.5 million over five years to wildlife conservation.

Some of you may recall, from first-year Contracts, that a promise to make a charitable contribution may be enforceable without consideration (under certain circumstances).

How worried should Jolie be about this possible legal action?

“I have been asking Jolie and her lawyer to give me an appropriate answer, but so far no answer,” [Cambodian Vision in Development head] Mounh Sarath told Reuters from the western town of Battambang.

“Now I give her one week and if there is still no answer I will a file suit in the local court of Battambang.”

“The local court of Battambang”? Angelina, watch out!

No, seriously. That court is probably more friendly to plaintiffs — and less sympathetic to defendants with deep pockets — than a state trial court in Mississippi.

(We have not addressed the issue of jurisdiction. But given how Angelina likes to cavort through developing nations — including but not limited to Cambodia, birthplace of her adopted son, Maddox — we think that adequte contacts exist.)

Cambodian Charity Threatens Actress Jolie with Lawsuit [Reuters]