California
-
Antonin Scalia, California, Drugs, Election Law, Fashion, Fashion Is Fun, Gay Marriage, Marijuana, Non-Sequiturs, Politics, Richard Posner, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Technology
Non-Sequiturs: 09.21.12
* You can kiss your dreams of seeing Prop 8 being taken up by the Supreme Court goodbye if the justices decide to proceed with “more cautious DOMA challenges.” [Slate] * Well, at least one person is getting annoyed by the endless back and forth between Posner and Scalia. But that’s just one person. We’ll continue to beat that horse until it’s extra dead. [Althouse] * Is this like the new WebMD, but for law? With prompts like, “Can that crazy neighbor buy a gun?,” it looks like a suitable place for legal hypochondriacs to call home. [myRight] * Oh yay, I don’t like to get into election law and politics, so it’s a good thing that The Simpsons did all my work for me on this one: “Stopping all Americans from voting is for the protection of all Americans.” [PrawfsBlawg] * Kat over at Corporette wants to know what your top five tailoring alterations are — because after all, it’s pretty hard to dress for success in Biglaw if your pants are dragging on the floor. [Corporette] * You’d have to be super-dee-duper high to think that disguising your pot plants as Christmas trees in the middle of the desert to throw the police off your tracks would actually work. [Legally Weird / FindLaw] -
American Bar Association / ABA, Bankruptcy, Biglaw, Boutique Law Firms, California, Deaths, Federal Judges, Food, Gay, Gay Marriage, Intellectual Property, Law Firm Mergers, Law Firm Names, Law Schools, Legal Ethics, Morning Docket, Movies, Partner Issues, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, YouTube
Morning Docket: 09.20.12
* Are you ready for some Supreme gossip? In remarks delivered at Colorado Law, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg predicted that the Defense of Marriage Act would be argued “toward the end of the current term.” [CBS News]
* Dewey’s version of trying to curry favor for the proposed $72M partner settlement? Filing a deposition transcript noting that others could’ve also been blamed for D&L’s downfall, but weren’t due to time constraints. Gee, thanks. [Am Law Daily]
* Novak Druce + Quigg and Connolly Bove Lodge & Hutz will merge to form Novak Druce Connolly Bove & Quigg, the 7th largest IP firm in the U.S. Guess seven name partners was a bit much. [Delaware Law Weekly]
* Michael McShane was nominated by President Obama to fill a judgeship in Oregon. If confirmed, he’d be one of the few openly gay judges on the federal bench, which, of course, would be absolutely fabulous. [Oregonian]
* The Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession wants the ABA to amend the Model Rules of Professional Conduct to include a duty to promote diversity. Because we clearly need a rule on that. [National Law Journal]
* Cindy Garcia, an actress from “Innocence of Muslims” is suing, claiming that she was duped into the role under false pretenses. She wants the film removed from YouTube. Everyone else does, too, lady. [Bloomberg]
* A judge refused to issue an injunction against the California ban on foie gras, instead allowing a suit on the same topic to move forward. Oh mon dieu, judge, think of all the poor Francophiles! [San Francisco Chronicle]
* Joshua Morse III, former dean of Mississippi Law who defied segregation, RIP. [New York Times]
- Sponsored
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
How to best leverage generative AI as an early adopter with ethical use. -
California, Crime, Money, New York Times
Blurring the Line Between DAs and Debt Collectors
A recent New York Times article investigates district attorneys that give a helping hand to debt collection agencies.
-
Antonin Scalia, Benchslaps, Books, California, Constitutional Law, Federal Judges, Federalist Society, Richard Posner, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
The Benchslap Dispatches: Justice Scalia on Judge Posner's 'Hatchet Job'
Justice Scalia tells us what he REALLY thinks of Judge Posner's controversial review of Reading Law, the new book by Justice Scalia and Professor Bryan Garner. -
California, Celebrities, Deaths, Football, Non-Sequiturs, Sports
Non-Sequiturs: 09.05.12
* Are you ready for some concussions?! [The Nation] * Sorry, wrong song. How about: I’ve been waiting all day for student athlete’s rights, but Stanford’s getting tough like a prime-time fight. California wants to protect injured scholars in cleats. But Stanford doesn’t care for former athletes. (Go ahead, read the article, listen to the song chorus again, then come back here and tell me my fake lyrics were perfect. I’ll wait.) [Legal Blitz] * Amanda Bynes, charged with hit-and-run. A former child star running afoul of the law, what were the odds? What. Were. The. Odds. [Associated Press] * Stuff falls from the sky and kills a lawyer. That’s not the start of a joke, it really freaking happened. [The London Evening Standard] * Note the URL on Niki Black’s response to Brian Tannebaum’s article yesterday, then remember to keep your hands and feet inside the car at all times. [Sui Generis] * Dealbreaker headline of the day: Bank Of America Makes Policy On Flashing Your Bare Ass At The Office Clear. [Dealbreaker] * Conservatives in California are against deregulation. The party of Reagan is truly dead. [Slate] -
California, Masturbation, Nauseating Things
'You've Got Mail!' Woman Sues Mailman After He Allegedly Masturbates on Her Lawn
If your mail is all sticky, it could be because your mailman has been masturbating on your lawn... -
2nd Circuit, Bankruptcy, Biglaw, California, Dissolution, Lateral Moves, Partner Issues, Partner Profits, Robinson & Cole, S.D.N.Y., Thelen Reid & Priest, Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner
A Welcome Ruling for the New Law Firms of Refugees from Bankrupt Firms
A decision just handed down by a judge of the Southern District of New York has important implications for law firm dissolutions. -
Attorney Misconduct, Books, California, Law Schools, Legal Ethics, Military / Military Law, Morning Docket, Murder, Prisons, Texas, Unemployment
Morning Docket: 08.31.12
* These are some sad times in Texas, y’all. It really hasn’t been a very good week for the Lone Star state in the courts. First their redistricting plan got thrown out, and now their voter ID law has been struck down. [CNN]
* Jeh Johnson of the Defense Department may take legal action against the former Navy SEAL who wrote a book about the Osama bin Laden raid, calling it a “material breach” of duty. Must be good; go buy it! [CBS News]
* Bros will be bros: disbarment has been recommended for an attorney who failed to disclose to clients that he had been suspended for banging an underage chick who worked at his office. [National Law Journal]
* Here are 15 Northeast law schools ranked by employment rate. After getting excited that mine was on the list — albeit dead last — I realized I’m seriously a low expectation havin’ motherf**ker. [Boston Business Journal]
* George W. Huguely V, the UVA lacrosse player who beat his girlfriend to death, was sentenced to 23 years in prison. Distasteful joke alert: for his sake, we hope the prison uniforms have poppable collars. [Bloomberg]
* A Maryland lawyer with autism and Sensory Processing Disorder has created a way for people to stop getting up in your personal space while riding public transportation. Say hello to the Sensory Shield! [Huffington Post]
- 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. -
California, Divorce Train Wrecks, Family Law, Weddings
Prominent Investor Gets 'Screwed' By Ex-Wife's Lawyering Skills
Sometimes when women lawyers get married and decide to start having children, they leave the law -- but the law never leaves them... -
California, Federal Judges, Intellectual Property, john quinn, Jury Duty, Legal Fee Voyeurism, Money, Patents, Technology, Trials
Apple v. Samsung: Where Do We Go Now?
We take a look back at the Apple v. Samsung trial, and where things will go from here… -
California, Federal Judges, Intellectual Property, Jury Duty, Patents
The Apple Samsung Verdict Is In
Apple Samsung verdict expected soon... -
California, Federal Judges, Intellectual Property, Jury Duty, Patents, Technology, Trials
Dispatch from Apple v. Samsung Closing Statements: The World is Watching
Chris Danzig attended closing arguments in Apple v. Samsung. The day did not disappoint, with stellar performances by top lawyers from Morrison & Foerster, Quinn Emanuel, and WilmerHale. -
California, Federal Judges, Intellectual Property, Jury Duty, Patents, Technology, Trials
It's the Final Countdown in Apple v. Samsung
Closing statements in Apple v. Samsung are tomorrow. How will this case affect the global smartphone market?
Sponsored
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
Sponsored
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
-
California, Facebook, Federal Judges, Plaintiffs Firms, Privacy, Social Media, Social Networking Websites, Technology
I Don't Think Class Action Settlement Means What You Think It Means
Why did a federal judge say a recent Facebook settlement agreement may have been "plucked out of thin air"? -
Bankruptcy, Baseball, Biglaw, California, Defamation, Dewey & LeBoeuf, Morning Docket, Partner Issues, Pornography, Prostitution, Sex
Morning Docket: 08.17.12
* “I don’t think I should have to pay anything back, because I wasn’t part of the management that drove the firm into the ground.” Dewey know when it’s time to stop complaining, pay up, shut up, and move on? [DealBook / New York Times]
* Good news, everyone! According to the Citi Midyear Report, based on the first half of 2012, Biglaw firms may have trouble matching last year’s single-digit profit growth. You thought the worst was over? How embarrassing for you. [Am Law Daily]
* Apparently Andrew Shirvell didn’t do a very good job questioning himself on the stand, because the former Michigan AAG now has to shell out $4.5M in damages for defaming Chris Armstrong. [Detroit Free Press]
* Six of one, half a dozen of the other: Barry Bonds’s lawyers filed a reply brief in their appeal of his obstruction conviction, arguing that his statements were truthful but nonresponsive, as opposed to being misleading. [AP]
* “We’re crazy about sex in the United States. I call it ‘sexophrenia.’” The Millionaire Madam’s attorney had a nutty yesterday after a judge refused to dismiss a prostitution charge against his client. [New York Daily News]
* The opposite of a fluffer? Los Angeles officials seeking to enforce the city’s new adult film condom law are beginning a search for medical professionals to inspect porn shoots for compliance. [Los Angeles Times]
-
Benchslaps, California, Cocaine / Crack, Federal Judges, Intellectual Property, Judicial Divas, Patents, Ridiculousness, Technology, Trials
Benchslap of the Day: Are You On Crack?
Apple v. Samsung moves right along and still manages to maintain the crazy. -
Bankruptcy, Biglaw, California, Celebrities, Defamation, Dewey & LeBoeuf, Law Schools, Lindsay Lohan, Michael Jackson, Money, Morning Docket, Partner Issues, Pro Bono, Rap, Small Law Firms, Unemployment
Morning Docket: 08.16.12
* Dewey have some false expectations of success for this partner settlement agreement? Only one in four affected partners have signed on the dotted line, but advisers think the plan will win bankruptcy court approval. [Am Law Daily]
* “There comes a point where the prospects of substantially increasing your income just outweigh everything else.” Even on his $168K salary, this appellate judge wasn’t rich in New York City, so he quit his job. [New York Law Journal]
* The middle class needs lawyers, and unemployed law school graduates need jobs. The solution for both problems seems pretty obvious, but starting a firm still costs money, no matter how “prudent” you are. [National Law Journal]
* “This is a time when law schools are trying to look carefully at their expenses and not add to them.” New York’s new pro bono initiative may come at a cost for law schools, too. [Thomson Reuters News & Insight]
* Much to Great Britain’s dismay, Ecuador has announced that it will grant political asylum to Julian Assange of Wikileaks fame. Sucks for Ecuador, because Assange is known to not flush the toilet. [New York Times]
* A smooth criminal gets a break: Michael Jackson’s father dropped a wrongful death suit against Dr. Conrad Murray. It probably would’ve been helpful if his attorneys could actually practice in California. [Washington Post]
* Did Lindsay Lohan’s lawyers plagiarize documents from internet websites in their defamation filings against Pitbull? You can deny it all you want, but his lawyer is out for blood and sanctions. [New York Daily News]
-
Blog Wars, Blogging, California, Cyberlaw, Defamation, Free Speech, Media and Journalism, Technology
Anal-Retentive Hyperlinking Helps Gizmodo Sidestep Defamation Suit
And this is why bloggers always hyperlink…. -
California, Federal Judges, Intellectual Property, Judicial Divas, Litigators, Patents, Silicon Valley, Technology, Trials
Apple Rests Its Case, Samsung Claims Small Victory, and Judge Koh Continues Awesomely Busting Heads
We've got MOAR techno drama at the Apple v. Samsung trial this week, as Apple rests its case. -
Boalt Hall, California, Drugs, Kids, Midsize Firms / Regional Firms, Partner Issues
Lawyerly Lovebirds Accused of Planting Pills and Pot Now Face a Civil Suit From Alleged Victim
Remember the lawyers who were accused of planting drugs on the PTA president earlier this summer? Now they're facing a civil suit...