Friday, November 20, 2009 9:01 AM - By Elie Mystal
* Reaction to Full-Cravath’s (f.k.a. Skadden) bonus continues to ripple through the blogosphere. [ABA Journal]
* Details continue to leak out about a merger between Hogan & Hartson and Lovells. Apparently, Ho-Love will retain separate profit pools for the two sets of partners. [The BLT: Blog of the Legal Times]
* Junior Gotti is so close to a mistrial he can feel it. [Daily News]
* Nic Cage got ruined during the financial crisis, according to his estranged business manager. [Courthouse News Service]
* Oprah Winfrey will end her popular talk show in 2011. Notice how I wrote that blurb without using the words “queen,” or “throne.” You’re welcome. [ABC]
Thursday, November 19, 2009 9:03 AM - By Kashmir Hill
* Duke law grad Stanley Hilton, 60, sues San Francisco Airport (and some 500 others) for $15 million for ruining his life. The airport noise, which sounds like “bombs dropping in a war zone,” caused his marriage and career to fall apart, he alleges. [San Mateo County Times via San Francisco Chronicle]
* The Ninth Circuit rules that L.A. public defender is entitled to health benefits for his same-sex spouse. [Mercury News]
* ‘I don’t. Furthermore, I am pressing charges.’ New Jersey attorney Steve Hallett accuses woman of harassment after she runs a fake engagement notice. [Trentonian]
* Eric Holder still feeling the heat from his decision to try 9/11 masterminds in a civilian court. [Chicago Tribune]
* … Some questions about the trial that are actually interesting. [Concurring Opinions]
* Terrorist attorney Lynne Stewart is heading to jail. [Associated Press]
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 9:31 AM - By David Lat
* Judge David Hamilton (S.D. Ind.), nominated to the Seventh Circuit, will (finally) be put to an up-or-down vote in the Senate today. [Christian Science Monitor]
* A veto for Iraq’s election law means that elections might not happen in January as expected. [New York Times]
* Speaking of things that aren’t happening in January, Obama admits that Gitmo won’t be closed by the January 2010 deadline he set for himself. Elie wants to know if he has a Restatement ยง 90 claim. [Washington Post]
* But at least Obama is on the case when it comes to almost $100 billion in improper payments by the federal government. Expect an executive order shortly. [CNN]
* So much for the (Linda) Greenhouse effect: Justice Kennedy is ticked off at the Times. [WSJ Law Blog]
* Judicial reform may be coming to West Virginia. [How Appealing]
* The Empire State cracks down on drunk drivers — especially those who take their kids with them. [New York Times]
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 9:13 AM - By Kashmir Hill
* Utah college student can’t use “global warming” as a defense. Tim DeChristopher was indicted in April on felony charges for interfering with a government auction and making false representations when he bid $1.8 million for land near Utah’s national parks knowing he could not make good on the bids. [New York Times]
* ATL grammar police will hate this ruling. A misplaced modifier is not a $2.45-million mistake. “[W]hile misplaced modifiers are syntactical sins righteously condemned by English teachers everywhere, our job is not to critique the parties’ grammar, but only, if possible, to adduce and enforce their contract’s meaning,” wrote Judge Gorsuch of the 10th Circuit. [Courthouse News Service]
Monday, November 16, 2009 9:07 AM - By Kashmir Hill
* The Wall Street Journal digs into the Scott Rothstein scandal. “The Rothstein story is also a quintessential tale of the Sunshine State, where wealthy retirees and other well-heeled investors have been known to chase outsize returns while ignoring myriad warning signs.” [Wall Street Journal (subscription) and WSJ Law Blog]
* How do you defend the Fort Hood killer? [New York Times]
* The 9/11 mastermind, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and four alleged accomplices will stand trial in New York. Congress isn’t happy about it. [Newsday]
* …Rick Ungar defends the justice system against the congressional attack. [True/Slant]
* Trying to be a legal entrepreneur? There’s a school for that. [Brisbane Times]
* A pair of California lawyers wrote a law and then made lots of money off of it. [Associated Press]
* New York AG Andrew Cuomo will make a run for governor. [New York Post]
* Confirmation for Obama’s judicial nominees is moving at a snail’s pace. [Los Angeles Times]
Thursday, November 12, 2009 9:15 AM - By Kashmir Hill
* Special report: What a first-year law student looks like to an outsider. “It might surprise some students to learn that talking to a real-life law student is not actually all that scary,” writes the reporter. [Oregon Daily Emerald]
* The paralyzed still have the right to bear arms. [Associated Press]
* The ex-communications director for California AG Jerry Brown has been recording all of his phone calls with reporters without notifying them, a violation of the two-party consent requirements in California. Now all those transcripts have been turned over to news agencies thanks to FOIA. [Los Angeles Times]
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 12:03 PM - By David Lat
In today’s Morning Docket, we mentioned the recent benchslap administered to Sidley Austin by Judge Diane Cannon (pictured), an Illinois state court judge. Lynne Marek of the NLJ reports:
A court hearing on Tuesday in Chicago at which former Northwestern University journalism students planned to fight a subpoena for their records and grades turned into a judicial lambasting of their Sidley Austin lawyers.
It started when Judge Diane Gordon Cannon of the Cook County Circuit Court called the lawyers, partner Richard O’Brien and associate Linda Friedlieb, to the bench before prosecutors from the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office had even arrived. She asked who had written the brief she was holding. O’Brien and Friedlieb responded that they had submitted the reply supporting the motion to quash the subpoena.
Judge Cannon was, suffice it to say, not happy about the Sidley Austin brief.
Her Honor’s complaints — plus discussion of whether they were justified, and a reader poll — after the jump.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 8:56 AM - By David Lat
* Judge Diane Cannon — no relation to actress Dyan Cannon (who played a judge on Ally McBeal) — benchslaps Sidley Austin for its brief in the high-profile case involving Northwestern University journalism students fighting a subpoena for their records and grades. [National Law Journal]
* Speaking of journalistic freedom, was prior restraint applied to a high school newspaper — by Justice Kennedy? [New York Times]
* Meet John Galligan, the lawyer who will be representing the accused Fort Hood shooter. [WSJ Law Blog]
* Another prominent notorious gunman — John Allen Muhammad, aka the “DC sniper” — has been executed. [Washington Post]
* Professor John Yoo appeals a ruling allowing a suit against him to proceed to the Ninth Circuit (which might not be the friendliest court for Yoo, but we’ll see). [How Appealing]
* “L is for Lawyers… And That’s Good Enough for Them”: Zach Lowe interviews two of the lawyers behind the success of Sesame Street. [Am Law Daily]
* Judge Charles Sifton (E.D.N.Y.), RIP. [New York Times]
Tuesday, November 10, 2009 9:00 AM - By Kashmir Hill
* SCOTUS will decide whether juveniles can get life sentences for non-homicide crimes. [New York Times]
* Another law professor is heading to court. Columbia’s Philip Bobbitt sued the law firm formerly known as Milberg Weiss this week for allegedly messing up a class action suit. [WSJ Law Blog]
* Blind gamer sues Sony because its video games discriminate against the visually impaired. Perhaps just stick to Rock Band? [True/Slant]
* Ex-SEC lawyer pleads guilty to helping Marc Dreier scam hedge funds. [Bloomberg]
* J-Lo would like to keep her sex tape on the downlow. [True/Slant]
* Scott Rothstein’s assets seized. If you know a lawyer who has eight houses worth $18 million, several luxury cars, a yacht, and two other boats, you might know a lawyer running a Ponzi scheme. [Associated Press]
Monday, November 9, 2009 9:03 AM - By Kashmir Hill
* The National Law Journal has their annual headcount at the top 250 law firms. Law firms saw their biggest decline in the three decades that NLJ has been keeping track, with headcount falling by nearly 5%. [National Law Journal]
* The links of the Galleon insider trading ring. Ropes & Gray had some uncomfortable calls to make to clients Hilton, Avaya Inc., 3Com Corp. and Axcan Pharma Inc., thanks to Arthur Cutillo. [Bloomberg]
* Law firms may want to come up with a “dos and don’ts” list for clients with regard to insider trading. [New York Times]
When we emailed him on Wednesday to set up an interview, we received this rather straightforward Out of Office message:
I’ll be traveling on client and professional business Monday, 11/2 through Saturday, 11/7. I will have access to email, but my response may be delayed. Thanks.
How modest! If we had been in Sanders’s shoes, we would have used this Out of Office auto-reply:
Oyez, bitchez!!! Today I’m arguing before the freakin’ Supreme Court of the United States. Later, haters!!!
But that’s not Steve Sanders’s style. He is dignified and professional, as we discovered when we caught up with him by phone after his argument.
* Doesn’t anybody respect attorney-client privilege anymore? This isn’t ‘Nam. There are rules. [Am Law Daily]
* Honestly, I’m more worried about gamma rays from distant black holes than I am about cell phone radiation. And no, I’m not at all worried about gamma rays. [Law.com]
* People seemed to like music on Fridays. So, in honor of the (Damn) Yankees:
* Bank of America’s general counsel was not on active status to practice law in Massachusetts during his first (crucial) eight days as the company’s top lawyer. [Boston Globe]
* Big pay day for the lawyers who helped Walmart workers get their overtime money. [National Law Journal]
* NY AG Andrew Cuomo is going after Intel. [Wired]
* The attorney general of Kenya is mulling a lawsuit against the U.S. for revoking his travel visa. [Associated Press]
Wednesday, November 4, 2009 9:05 AM - By David Lat
* Prosecutors prevail at the polls: former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie (pictured) wins the gubernatorial race in New Jersey, and former state attorney general Robert McDonnell seizes victory in Virginia. Both are Republicans. [New York Times]
* Meanwhile, Maine voters reject a state law that would have allowed same-sex marriage. [Associated Press]
* Lawyers for John Allen Muhammad, the “D.C. Sniper” behind random shootings that killed 10 people, want the Supreme Court to stop his execution. [Washington Post]
* Former Day Casebeer lawyers, embroiled in messy disciplinary proceedings over discovery problems, claim their ex-client Qualcomm misled them. [WSJ Law Blog]
* Which three law firms are involved in the gigantic, $34 billion Berkshire Hathaway / Burlington Northern deal? [Am Law Daily]
Tuesday, November 3, 2009 5:43 PM - By Kashmir Hill
As we’ve noted in Morning Docket for the past twodays, lawyer Scott Rothstein is in all kinds of trouble in Florida. From what we understand, it’s Marc Dreier redux, the sunshine state version.
We’re still trying to wrap our heads around the story, but as the Bard would say, the sh** hath hitteth the fan this week.
The WSJ Law Blog is similarly perplexed by the scandal (See What’s Going on at Rothstein Rosenfeldt? Part I and Part II).
Scott Rothstein, a founding partner of Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler, has been out of the country for the last few days, making this all even more confusing. He just flew back into Miami an hour ago and police have surrounded his firm. We give you context after the jump.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009 9:03 AM - By Kashmir Hill
* Florida has its own Marc Dreier. Scott Rothstein is accused of swindling investors. His 70-lawyer firm, Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler, will dissolve. [AmLaw and Associated Press]
* Store clerk steals man’s $1 million lottery ticket. The Texas Lottery Commission considers the thief to be entitled to the prize, because he signed the back of the winning ticket. [Associated Press]
* The Supreme Court will decide whether mutual fund advisors are paid too much. [New York Times]
* Conman who posed as a lawyer “to win the affections of women” has been jailed for three years. [BBC News]
* Attorneys for sniper John Allen Muhammad plan to appeal to the Supreme Court to try to prevent next week’s execution. [Associated Press]
* RIP, Prof. Michael Goldsmith of BYU. [TaxProf Blog]
This year we decided to dress up as Judge Denny Chin (S.D.N.Y.), recently nominated by President Obama to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. If you’re a criminal, Judge Chin can be quite frightening — he sentenced Bernie Madoff to a whopping 150 years.
And where did we get the idea for our costume? ATL comments (see #2 and #17).
A slideshow of photos showing us in our Judge Chin costume, after the jump.
* Schools warn parents that their children shouldn’t wear scary Halloween costumes. [New York Times]
* Under New York employment law, companies that require a uniform are supposed to provide that uniform for their employees. Apparently that is not happening at Hooters. [Daily News]
* Cancer patients want to put bone marrow on the open market. [National Law Journal]
* Everyone knows that monkeys are funny. But are they service animals? [Courthouse News Service]
* Am Law 200 lawyers are flocking to Chris Christie over Jon Corzine. [Am Law Daily]
* Reaction to Full-Cravath’s (f.k.a. Skadden) bonus continues to ripple through the blogosphere. [ABA Journal]
(31) Comments
* Judge David Hamilton (S.D. Ind.), nominated to the Seventh Circuit, will (finally) be put to an up-or-down vote in the Senate today. [
* Judge Diane Cannon — no relation to actress 
As we 
* Prosecutors prevail at the polls: former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie (pictured) wins the gubernatorial race in New Jersey, and former state attorney general Robert McDonnell seizes victory in Virginia. Both are Republicans. [
What’s your Halloween costume this year? A 
