Federal Judges
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Bankruptcy, Biglaw, Canada, Eric Holder, Federal Government, Federal Judges, Gay, Gay Marriage, Intellectual Property, Money, Morning Docket, Partner Issues, Trademarks
Morning Docket: 02.10.14
* Secrets secrets are no fun, secrets secrets hurt someone: Chief Justice Roberts named two judges to two secret courts. Congrats to Judges Boasberg and Tallman. [Legal Times]
* Bankruptcy just got a lot more fabulous. AG Eric Holder announced that the government would extend recognition of same-sex couples in federal legal matters. [New York Times]
* With reports of firms’ financials beginning to trickle out, partners are getting anxious. No one wants to be the next Dewey — or the next Gregory Owens. [Am Law Daily]
* This is the second year in a row that Greenberg Traurig has posted financial declines. Perhaps the firm started its lower pay, non-partner track residency program for a reason. Something to think about. [Daily Business Review]
* “It’s our duty as partners to help.” Law students articling at the recently dissolved Heenan Blaikie are learning a lesson in Canadian collegiality. The firm is trying to help them get new jobs. [Montreal Gazette]
* Speaking of Heenan Blaikie, we’re hearing chatter that the firm’s talks with DLA Piper may be in trouble. HB says the talks they’re off, but DLA says they’re ongoing. Hmm, that sounds dramatic. [WSJ Law Blog]
* “It’s a very L.A. thing. We’ll see how long it lasts.” If you had to choose, you’d probably go to Dumb Starbucks over Starbucks. Order a Dumb Frappuccino before they get a C&D letter. [Los Angeles Times]
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Biglaw, Canada, David Boies, Federal Judges, Gay, Gay Marriage, Law School Deans, Law Schools, Morgan Stanley, Morning Docket, Partner Issues, Ted Olson
Morning Docket: 02.05.14
* Morgan Stanley will settle with the Federal Housing Finance Authority for $1.25 billion to resolve a suit over the sale of craptastic mortgage-backed securities. It’ll be the third-largest settlement of its kind. [DealBook / New York Times]
* “Sometimes the voters and the legislature get it wrong. So, we have you.” With those bold words from Ted Olson, the federal judge overseeing the challenge to Virginia’s ban on gay marriage has promised a speedy ruling in the case. [Washington Post]
* DLA Piper announced changes to its leadership, naming Roger Meltzer and Nigel Knowles as Earth’s co-chairs. We look forward to news on the DLA Venus and Mars outposts. [WSJ Law Blog]
* In other DLA Piper news, it looks like the one of the world’s largest firms may be coming to the rescue of a Canadian Biglaw firm in financial trouble. Welcome aboard, Heenan Blaikie lawyers! [Globe and Mail]
* Dean Michael Fitts of Penn Law School is leaving his position after 15 years to take a position as the president of Tulane University. There’s no word yet on who’ll serve as interim dean. [Daily Pennsylvanian]
* In case you haven’t heard about it yet, a former Roger Williams Law student was involved in an all-day standoff with police after threatening school administrators. We may have more on this. [ABC 6 News]
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Federal Government, Federal Judges, Quote of the Day, Samuel Alito, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Justice Alito Secretly Cries Himself To Sleep At Night Because He's Unpopular
There, there, Justice Alito. Don't cry.
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8th Circuit, Death Penalty, Deaths, Federal Judges, Quote of the Day, SCOTUS, Sentencing Law, Supreme Court
Wheels Of Justice Move Too Slowly For State That's Really Excited To Kill Prisoners
Which state has been executing prisoners before courts have finished reviewing their appeals? -
Federal Judges, Old People, Quote of the Day, Trials
Do Boring Trials Double As Nap Time For 90-Year-Old Judges?
She may be 90 years old, but that doesn't mean she was asleep on the bench. -
5th Circuit, Federal Judges, Money, Plaintiffs Firms, Tax Law, Texas, Tobacco / Smoking
If You Win A Massive Judgment, Try Not To Put It Into An Illegal Tax Shelter
Smoking is bad for you -- and winning massive judgments against tobacco companies can also be hazardous, if you don't pay taxes on the money. -
Associate Advice, Biglaw, David Boies, Federal Judges, Gay, Gay Marriage, Morning Docket, Pregnancy / Paternity, Samuel Alito, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Susman Godfrey, Technology, Ted Olson, Texas, Trials
Morning Docket: 01.27.14
* Choose your own adventure: Will you read this to see how many times Justice Alito recused himself during OT 2013? Or will you read this to see Justice Alito’s doofy-looking picture? [National Law Journal]
* Hackers took down the entire PACER system as well as various federal court websites on Friday. No, the FBI says it was “technical problems.” Oops, nope, still hackers. 🙁 [Switch / Washington Post]
* It seems the best way to train new associates is to do the opposite of what Biglaw has been doing for decades. Take Stephen Susman’s word for it — you could probably end up with a $40k bonus. [The Careerist]
* A decision hasn’t been rendered in the Chevron case yet, but is Steven Donziger feeling pessimistic? He’s already hired impressive appellate counsel. [WSJ Law Blog]
* “Everybody’s been very nice to us, even though we’re lawyers.” Shocker. David Boies, Ted Boutrous, and Ted Olson had fun at the Sundance Film Festival promoting “The Case Against 8.” [Associated Press]
* Finally, a happy ending to an absurd science experiment. Over the weekend, a judge ordered that Marlise Munoz, a brain-dead pregnant woman in Texas, be removed from her respirators and ventilators. [CNN]
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2nd Circuit, Biglaw, Federal Judges, Gay, Law Schools, Lesbians, Weddings
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Generative AI In Legal Work — What’s Fact And What’s Fiction?
Zach Warren from the Thomson Reuters Institute discusses the potential and the pitfalls. -
6th Circuit, Department of Justice, Federal Government, Federal Judges, Legal Ethics, Travel / Vacation
Was This 'Judicial Giant' Toppled By An Ethics Investigation?
How much did the judge agree to pay back to the federal government in travel expenses? A six-figure sum.... -
Email Scandals, Federal Judges, Judge of the Day, Legal Ethics, Racism
Judge Who Sent Racist Email Sent Lots Of Racist Emails... Probably Because He's Racist
Judicial bias, one racist email at a time. -
2nd Circuit, Crime, Federal Judges, Gerard Lynch
Second Circuit Did Something Incredible Last Week (If You Care About The Rights Of The Accused)
In a sharply divided en banc decision, the Second Circuit changed the playing field for criminal defendants. -
10th Circuit, Benchslaps, Federal Judges, Quote of the Day
Federal Judge Benchslaps Himself
After falling behind, a judge issues a mea culpa in a concurring opinion. -
Clerkships, Fabulosity, Federal Judges, Feeder Judges, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Supreme Court Clerks
Supreme Court Clerk Hiring Watch: October Term 2014 Is Filling Up Fast
Which justices have completed their law clerk hiring for October Term 2014?
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California, Constitutional Law, D.C. Circuit, FCC, Federal Judges, Gay, Gay Marriage, LSAT, Money, Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 01.15.14
* The D.C. Circuit just spanked the FCC and its net neutrality rules for the second time in a row, but at least the court was polite enough to give the agency a reach-around by saying that it had authority to govern broadband providers. [National Law Journal]
* Current and former judges of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court wrote a strongly worded letter in opposition to Obama’s proposed surveillance reforms. Apparently they don’t want their secret workload to increase. [Washington Post]
* Oooooooklahoma, where gay marriage comes sweepin’ down the plain! A federal judge ruled that the Sooner state’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, issuing a stay pending the obvious appeal to come. [BuzzFeed]
* California can prevent LSAC from notifying law schools when prospective law students were given extra time on the LSAT. LSAC values its ability to discriminate, so expect an appeal. [San Francisco Chronicle]
* Yo, Kanye West, I’m really happy for you, I’ma let you finish… I’m sorry, but Coinye had one of the best bitcoins of all time. ONE OF THE BEST BITCOINS OF ALL TIME. [MoneyBeat / Wall Street Journal]
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Antitrust, Biglaw, Federal Judges, Quote of the Day
Federal Judge Informs Biglaw Partner That His Peers Do, In Fact, Charge Lots Of Money
Wherein a Biglaw partner is shocked that another Biglaw partner charges a high hourly fee. -
Clerkships, Federal Government, Federal Judges, Feeder Judges, Job Searches, Law Schools
Should 1Ls Start Applying For Clerkships?
Who are the winners and losers from clerkship chaos? -
A. Raymond Randolph, Clerkships, D.C. Circuit, David Sentelle, Douglas Ginsburg, Federal Judges, Feeder Judges, Harvard, Hedge Funds / Private Equity, Insider Trading, Law Schools, S.D.N.Y., U.S. Attorneys Offices, Wall Street, White-Collar Crime
Harvard Law Students Are The Best -- At Making Up Fake Transcripts
Which D.C. Circuit judges almost hired Mathew Martoma, defendant in the biggest insider trading case ever, back when he was a Harvard law student? -
6th Circuit, Benchslaps, Federal Judges, Jury Duty, Pornography, Quote of the Day, Trials
Benchslap Of The Day: District Judge, You Better Work
This whole "district judge" thing sounds like a lot of work, doesn't it? -
2nd Circuit, ACLU, California, Constitutional Law, Divorce Train Wrecks, Facebook, Federal Judges, Gay Marriage, Immigration, Morning Docket, Police, Privacy, Shira Scheindlin, Social Networking Websites, Utah
Morning Docket: 01.03.14
* Now that a federal judge has ruled against the NSA’s domestic spying program, maybe government prosecutors will cut Edward Snowden some slack — or maybe haha, yeah right. [WSJ Law Blog]
* On that note, the ACLU is appealing the other federal ruling that says the agency’s activities are constitutional. The NSA will let you know what the Second Circuit’s decision is this spring. [Guardian]
* Alas, Judge Shira Scheindlin knew from the get-go that her stop-and-frisk ruling would be contested, and she even warned the lawyers involved that they ought to consider a jury. [New York Times]
* “How do you say, ‘I’m married, but not really? I’m divorced, but not really?’” Thanks to Utah’s same-sex marriage ruling, unhappy gay couples who married in other states are rejoicing over the fact that they can finally get divorced. [Deseret News]
* Facebook, a social network that constantly changes its privacy settings to make your life less private, is being sued over its alleged interception and sharing of messages with advertisers. Shocking. [Bloomberg]
* It goes without saying that Sergio Garcia is having a happy new year. The California Supreme Court ruled that the undocumented immigrant will be able to legally practice law in the state. ¡Felicitaciones! [CNN]
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9th Circuit, Biglaw, Blogging, CIA, Federal Judges, George Bush, Lateral Moves, Law School Deans, Law Schools, Non-Sequiturs, Partner Issues, Tax Law
Non-Sequiturs: 01.02.14
* Man tried to rob a convenience store so he could go back to prison. And he almost screwed that up… [KMOV] * The CIA’s former lawyer explains how torture came to be a go-to national policy. According to John Rizzo, author of the forthcoming Company Man (affiliate link), George W. Bush basically had no conception of what was going on, which makes a lot of sense anyway. [The New Yorker] * Brooklyn Law’s Dean Nick Allard makes predictions for law schools in 2014. “[P]eople will look back at 2014 and say it marked the start of the new world of law: a renaissance where the respect and reputation of lawyers and law schools began to rise by measurable benchmarks.” Go ahead and laugh, I’ll wait. [TaxProf Blog] * Paul, Weiss picks up tax partner Scott Sontag from Weil Gotshal. (Congrats to both firms, by the way, on tying for the #9 spot in our list of top-ranked law firms for 2013.) [Paul, Weiss] * Nooooooooooooo! Judge Richard Kopf is ending his blog. [Hercules and the Umpire] * And the hits keep on coming. Professor Kyle Graham is also leaving the blogosphere. [Non Curat Lex] * The Ninth Circuit will start streaming all of its oral arguments next week. If you want to help them out, tune in. No promises that the panel will excoriate any prosecutors this time. [Ninth Circuit]