Books
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Books, Clarence Thomas, Clerkships, Federal Judges, Law Schools, Samuel Alito, SCOTUS, Sonia Sotomayor, Supreme Court
An Afternoon With Three Supreme Court Justices
Over the weekend, Justice Thomas, Justice Alito, and Justice Sotomayor participated in an extraordinary joint interview at their alma mater, Yale Law School. -
Bankruptcy, Biglaw, Books, Crime, Football, Kids, Law Schools, Libraries / Librarians, Money, Morning Docket, State Judges, State Judges Are Clowns
Morning Docket: 10.23.14
* Everyone knows Bingham McCutchen is considering a merger with Morgan Lewis, but not many know bankruptcy may be an option. It’s a remote option, but still an option. [Boston Globe]
* When Kaye Scholer moved offices, it left behind most of its library. “It tells you everything you need to know about law firm libraries”: they’re not necessary. [New York Times]
* Everyone loves the Sixth Amendment: Thanks to money from Koch Industries, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers will offer better indigent defense training. [WSJ Law Blog]
* The judge in Adrian Peterson’s case won’t be replaced, despite the fact that he called the lawyers involved in the case “media whores.” Meh, Peterson’s attorney says he’s been called worse. [Bloomberg]
* Gilberto Valle, better known as the “Cannibal Cop,” really wants to go to law school. He’s apparently scored quite well on LSAT practice tests. Do law school ladies look delicious or what? [New York Post]
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Books, Non-Sequiturs, Sexual Harassment, Trademarks
Non-Sequiturs: 10.15.14
* Looks like someone took a lesson from ATL’s Worst Law School bracket and put out a Worst Colleges in America list. We provide a very important service. [NPR] * Converse is suing over 31 alleged Chuck Taylor imitators. Are they mounting a “full court press”? Get it? Yeah there was pretty much no way around that one. [Fashionista] * Lawsuit reveals that struggling business couldn’t keep stores open but could shell out to keep CEO in her 4,560-square-foot home. [Seattle Times] * Harvard Law faculty members join a statement protesting the university’s new sexual harassment policy. [Boston Globe] * Is a sheath dress acceptable interview attire? Asking for a friend. [Corporette] * An interesting review of Lat’s upcoming novel Supreme Ambitions viewing the characters through the lens of William Deresiewicz’s Excellent Sheep (affiliate links) [Huffington Post Books] * Which is more galling? That the magistrate tried to weasel out of performing a legal same-sex marriage or that the newspaper felt this worthy of a poll? [The Virginian-Pilot (Hampton Roads)]
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Books, Caption Contests, Contests, Law Schools, Pictures, Vicious Infighting
Caption Contest Winner: Wherein Law Students Fight Over Politically Incorrect Margin Notes
This just goes to show that law students will fight over just about anything. -
Books, Crime, Jeffrey Toobin, Murder, New Yorker, Quote of the Day, Scott Turow
A Prosecutor's Perspective
What did Scott Turow's time as a prosecutor teach him? -
Books, Caption Contests, Contests, Law Schools, Pictures, Vicious Infighting
Caption Contest Finalists: Wherein Law Students Fight Over Politically Incorrect Margin Notes
Law students find the most ridiculous things to argue about... -
9th Circuit, Books, Federal Circuit, Gay Marriage, Hair, Non-Sequiturs, Sex, Supreme Court
Non-Sequiturs: 10.08.14
* Some marriage equality enthusiasts applauded the Supreme Court’s decision to stay out of the way and let the circuits do their thing. But the history of miscegenation in America suggests the Supreme Court had a moral obligation to interject. [USA Today] * On this subject, Professor Dorf presents a fascinating hypothetical: is it in the strategic interest of an anti-gay marriage conservative lower court judge to strike down same-sex marriage bans in light of the Supreme Court’s cert denials? [Dorf on Law] * One more story while we’re at it, after the Ninth Circuit struck down bans on same-sex marriages, District Judge Robert C. Jones of Nevada, who upheld the ban in the first place, recused himself rather that be forced to issue an opinion in accordance with Ninth Circuit precedent. [BuzzFeed] * If you’ve ever wondered how Islamic State manages to recruit Western youth to the cause, the answer is a “Disney-like” social media campaign. It’s like a Biglaw summer program, but for murder. [Cornell Journal of Law and Public Policy] * “Better Hold Off Sexting With High School Students” in Indiana. The Indiana Supreme Court finally weighed in last week after the lower court had okayed a teacher texting a 16-year-old to sneak out of the house for sex. Wait, this required the Supreme Court to weigh in? What is wrong with you Indiana? [Valpo Law Blog] * Looking professional with a pixie cut. [Corporette] * Enter for a chance to win a Chief Judge Randall Rader bobblehead! Yes, these exist. [Santa Clara Law] * The Zephyr Teachout book tour for Corruption in America (affiliate link) begins. Is your town on the list? [Teachout-Wu] * New Orleans taxpayers spent around $75K traveling judges to conferences and resorts last year. Quoth the tipster: “I could make a joke about New Orleans judges going to the third world to learn how to run their courtrooms, but I think I already did.” [The Times-Picayune] -
Antonin Scalia, Books, Fabulosity, Parties, SCOTUS, Sonia Sotomayor, Supreme Court
Scalia On Sotomayor: 'I Knew She'd Be Trouble'
Did the Wise Latina engage in unwise behavior at a Supreme Court party? - Sponsored
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
How to best leverage generative AI as an early adopter with ethical use. -
Books, Copyright, Intellectual Property, Law Professors, Law Reviews, Law Schools
Is The Bluebook About To Be Killed Off?
What kind of silver bullet could kill this venerable institution? -
Books, Caption Contests, Contests, Law Schools, Pictures, Vicious Infighting
Caption Contest: Wherein Law Students Fight Over Politically Incorrect Margin Notes
Way to show that guy who's boss, brave law student. -
Books, In-House Counsel, Litigators
Proof That The Internet Did Not Destroy The Ability To Write
What is the secret to good writing? -
Antonin Scalia, Biglaw, Books, Boutique Law Firms, Crime, Department of Justice, Immigration, Mergers and Acquisitions, Morning Docket, Pro Bono, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Morning Docket: 10.02.14
* Justice Scalia spoke at CU-Boulder last night. For his sake, we certainly hope he didn’t speak about any issues that might someday appear before SCOTUS, lest he be asked to recuse. [Boulder Daily Camera via How Appealing]
* Another one bites the dust over at Main Justice: David O’Neil, the head of the criminal division, is stepping down in the wake of the BNP Paribas case, and will likely have many white-shoe law firm suitors. [DealBook / New York Times]
* Fox Rothschild picked up a 18-lawyer boutique firm in Texas, which will serve as the home of its first outpost in the Lone Star State. Energy law, surprisingly, wasn’t the driving factor. [Legal Intelligencer]
* “I have a heart and I have two kids.” That’s a pretty damn good reason for Biglaw attorneys to take a break from their corporate billable hours to represent undocumented children pro bono. [WSJ Law Blog]
* Scott Greenfield reviews Lat’s forthcoming novel, Supreme Ambitions (affiliate link). Of course, in SHG style, it contains a spoiler. Try to skip that clearly marked paragraph. [Simple Justice]
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Books, Erwin Chemerinsky, Quote of the Day, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
The Guy Who Wrote Your Con Law Book Thinks The Supreme Court Sucks At Its Job
Why did he have such a sudden change of heart?
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Books, Law Schools, Movies, Non-Sequiturs, Solo Practitioners, Supreme Court, Tax Law, Technology
Non-Sequiturs: 09.29.14
* Well here’s a headline: My Solo Practice Ended My Marriage. [Law Firm Suites] * Pennsylvania Attorney General claims officials sent and received porn via state email accounts for years, “including top state jurists and 30 current employees of the state Attorney General’s Office.” If the AG’s office is swapping porn at all hours, somehow […] -
Books, Department of Justice, Eric Holder, Facebook, Non-Sequiturs, Politics
Non-Sequiturs: 09.26.14
* A list of lawyers who followed their passions. Let’s be honest: I just like that Lat’s in the same listicle as Jerry Springer. [One 400] * Another report on the Brian Leiter kerfuffle (by Professor Jonathan Adler). [The Volokh Conspiracy / Washington Post] * Postal carrier hoarded 40,000 pieces of mail. Newman! [The Smoking Gun] * Another court allows service via Facebook. [Peter S. Vogel] * Eric Holder is resigning. Time for the speculation that he must have done something awful to begin! [New York Observer] * D.C. lawyer Ronald Goldfarb reviews John W. Dean’s new book (affiliate link) about the Nixon tapes. [Washington Independent Review of Books] -
Books, Facebook, Football, Gay, Non-Sequiturs, Trademarks
Non-Sequiturs: 09.22.14
* New York court authorizes service over Facebook. Finally, a reason to use Google Plus. [Slate] * Texas struck down the statute banning upskirt photos. The decision is more interesting than the sound byte press it’s getting. [Popehat] * Some PR advice may be privileged. Which is good because the law needs to incentivize companies trying to cover up possible legal liabilities. It might be more nuanced than that, but still. [Corporate Counsel] * In the wake of the passing of Tommy Boggs, a profile on his power within Patton Boggs, including details of the final year leading up to its merger. [National Law Journal] * A roundup of early reviews for Supreme Ambitions (affiliate link). [Supreme Ambitions] * On choosing a criminal defense lawyer and why you might not want some reformed prosecutor. [Katz Justice] * The Senate confirmed Gordon Tanner as general counsel to the Air Force. This is noteworthy because it reflects just how quickly the country has progressed from affirmative witch hunts, to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” to confirming a gay man as the top lawyer for a branch of the Armed Forces. [Washington Blade] * A 49er fan is suing the NFL for $50 million for a policy that limited ticket sales to customers in Seahawks territory. Based on the season so far, he luckily won’t have to worry about the 49ers in the playoffs this year. [ESPN] * Speaking of football, South Park ran an ad limited to D.C. during the Washington-Eagles game. See Eric Cartman school Dan Snyder on trademark law after the jump…. [SB Nation] -
Barack Obama, Biglaw, Books, Crime, Insider Trading, Law Schools, Morning Docket, Politics, Securities Law
Morning Docket: 09.22.14
* Politics and Biglaw just don’t mix: House Republicans hired Quinn Emanuel to handle their suit against President Barack Obama after Baker Hostetler withdrew from the representation due to “political pressure” the firm was facing. [Politico]
* The paper and napkin-eating “Middleman” in the post-it note insider trading ring pleaded guilty to securities fraud charges. This might make it difficult for his cohorts to substantiate their not-guilty pleas. [DealBook / New York Times]
* “This is a tale with no shortage of knaves or villains.” If you’re interested in learning about Chevron’s legal wranglings in Ecuador and with plaintiffs attorney Steven Donziger, there are a bunch of interesting new readings for you to peruse. [WSJ Law Blog]
* Crisis in legal education be damned! They may have bad timing, but these law schools are focusing on building bigger and better facilities for students they’re unable to put in their seats. [National Law Journal]
* Ohio law schools have taken a bruising in terms of decreased enrollment, but the University of Toledo has faced the worst of it. With a 25.9% reduction in 1Ls, tuition cuts can only do so much. [Toledo Blade]
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Books, Jury Duty, Quote of the Day
On The Importance Of Jury Trials... Sort Of
A famous author explains how important jury trials are. Or at least how important he imagines they might be. -
Books, Contract Attorneys, Election Law, Insider Trading, Non-Sequiturs, White-Collar Crime
Non-Sequiturs: 09.17.14
* Law student sends naked selfie to her father. Hilarity ensues. [Inside Edition] * “Is insider trading bad?” Asking for a friend. [The Atlantic] * Judge catches law firm cheating on the page limit. Apparently, Judge Carl Barbier was well-versed in the “slightly less than double-spaced” trick. [NPR] * What’s the matter with (statutory interpretation in) Kansas? [KSN] * You may have heard that technology is going to gut the market for low-level lawyering. If not, here’s a wakeup call. [Forbes] * This year’s MacArthur genius grant recipients. Is your name on the list? SPOILER: No. But a William Mitchell Law professor is. [New York Times] * Steve Klepper’s fair-minded and favorable review of Lat’s forthcoming book, Supreme Ambitions (affiliate link). [Maryland Appellate Blog] -
Asians, Biglaw, Books, Career Alternatives, Minority Issues, Partner Issues, Time Warner, Women's Issues
From Lawyer To Novelist: An Interview With Helen Wan, Author Of The Partner Track
How can you write a novel while holding down a demanding day job as a lawyer? How can women and minority lawyers position themselves for success in Biglaw? Author Helen Wan shares her insights.