Free Speech
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Bar Exams, Constitutional Law, Free Speech, Texas
Texan Claims Bar Exam Is Unconstitutional -- Which Kind Of Proves Why We Need Bar Exams
It's unconstitutional to make me take this exam... -
Constitutional Law, Free Speech, Kids, Social Media, Social Networking Websites, Texas, Violence
Terroristic Threat Laws & A Texas Teen: There But For The Grace Go We
Have you ever written something stupid and intemperate on the internet? Watch out. - Sponsored
Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
If 2023 introduced legal professionals to generative AI, then 2024 will be when law firms start adapting to utilize it. Things are moving fast, so… -
Biglaw, Department of Justice, Free Speech, Law Schools, Media and Journalism, Money, Morning Docket, NALP, National Association for Law Placement (NALP), SCOTUS, Social Media, Social Networking Websites, Supreme Court, Technology
Morning Docket: 06.24.13
* With a sharp focus on the Supreme Court and the legal definition of equality, only one thing’s for sure with respect to this week’s anticipated rulings: at least one group of people is probably going to get screwed. [New York Times]
* And lest we forget, thanks to our society’s near slavish obsession with social media and knowledge on demand, we’ll salivate uncontrollably as we wait for those opinions while the justices blissfully ignore new technology. [New York Times]
* The Justice Department charged NSA leaker Edward Snowden with espionage, and now he’s pursuing political asylum in Ecuador with the assistance of legal counsel representing WikiLeaks. [NBC News]
* Biglaw firms are trying to strengthen their pricing power in a post-recession world, with average rate increases of 4.8% in 2012, and hourly rates soaring in New York City. [Wall Street Journal (sub. req.)]
* There were some bright spots in the otherwise dismal NALP job numbers for the class of 2012. Biglaw hiring is up, and so are median starting salaries. Sallie Mae is pleased as punch. [National Law Journal]
* If you’re considering law school, ask yourself these questions before applying. You should also ask yourself if you’re cool with unemployment. [Law Admissions Lowdown / U.S. News & World Report]
* Richard Trenk, author of the “ham-fisted” cease-and-desist letter that’s been read around the world, has been honored as the New Jersey Star-Ledger’s “Knucklehead of the Week.” Congrats! [Star-Ledger]
* There’s no solace for people who have had to pay to have their mug shot “depublished” from the internet. Sorry, the First Amendment allows people to turn a profit off your misery. [Washington Post]
* This lawsuit over unpaid internships filed against Gawker will sting any gossip girl’s heart to the core. But really, isn’t the privilege of working for Gawker enough? This fangirl thinks so. [New York Post]
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Cars, Constitutional Law, Crime, Free Speech, Rudeness
Fudge Your Crappy Town
Is there any free speech when you get a speeding ticket in Liberty? -
Election Law, Free Speech, Politics, Reality TV
District Attorney and Major TV Network Sued Over Stupid Reality Show
A reality show about a district attorney may violate campaign finance laws, -
Attorney Misconduct, Bad Ideas, Biglaw, Constitutional Law, Free Speech, Legal Ethics, Partner Issues, Summer Associates, Women's Issues
Lawyer Claims His 'Slut-Shaming' Is Protected By the First Amendment -- Just Like the Founders Intended
Hell hath no fury like a patent practitioner romantically scorned. -
Books, Copyright, Football, Free Speech, Golf, Non-Sequiturs, Rape, Sports, Television
Non-Sequiturs: 05.07.13
* A senior litigation associate at Paul Hastings, Ryan Nier, has decided to participate in something called the Death Race, and it has nothing to do with the drive for partnership. This Death Race is 50-mile mountain endurance/obstacle race that takes somewhere between 24 and 48 straight hours to finish. Only a handful complete the race every year, and Nier is determined to be one of them. From what we’re told, Paul Hastings has been entirely supportive of Nier, which is cool because he’s using it as an opportunity to raise money for charity. But who knows how supportive they’ll be when they realize he won’t have Blackberry access on top of the mountain for 48 hours. For more information about the Death Race, check out the website. [The Death Race] * Law student golfing across the U.S. So, I take it summer associate gigs are still scarce? [Golf.com] * “Guess What the Air Force’s Chief of Sexual Assault Prevention Was Just Arrested For…” Hard to top that headline. [Lowering the Bar] * Harper Lee suing over “To Kill a Mockingbird” (affiliate link), alleging that the son-in-law of her literary agent botched the copyright. *Insert cheap Atticus Finch joke here* [Washington Post] * Gigi Jordan case gets even uglier with misconduct charges flying around. [Thompson Reuters News & Insight] * Dr. Phil is suing Gawker alleging that the website posted a video of the pop psychologist’s interview with Manti Te’o, stifling ratings. So Dr. Phil thinks his audience strongly overlaps with Gawker’s. I’m incredulous. [Yahoo! Sports] * This is why an over-aggressive cease and desist letter can get you into more trouble. Enter the world of the “miniature war-gaming community.” [Popehat] * A guide to the questions applicants need to be able to answer at OCI. The best? “Describe a situation when you had to think on your feet to extricate yourself from a difficult situation.” This provides insight into how the applicant will deal with virtually every situation that ever comes up in Biglaw. [Ms. JD] -
Books, Conferences / Symposia, Free Speech, Pictures, SCOTUS, Sonia Sotomayor, Supreme Court
It's Her Beloved World, And We're Just Living In It: Justice Sotomayor Speaks on Free Speech
Justice Sotomayor spoke at a writer's conference in New York yesterday. Here's an account of what she had to say (plus pictures). - 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. -
Basketball, Continuing Legal Education / CLE, David Boies, Drinking, Drudge Report, Election Law, Eugene Volokh, Free Speech, Law Schools, Non-Sequiturs, Police, Politics, Racism, Sports, Women's Issues
Non-Sequiturs: 05.03.13
* Eugene Volokh analyzes the free-speech issues raised by the prosecution of Anya Bargh, the UConn law student accused of sending anti-Semitic and racist emails. [Volokh Conspiracy] * Lawyerist thinks you suck, not the gunners. Discuss. [Lawyerist] * Law and the Multiverse now has CLE courses about comic books. Maintaining this license just got that much easier. [Law and the Multiverse] * Some new developments in the Ed O’Bannon case against the NCAA. Basically, discovery has not been kind to the NCAA. [Bloomberg] * All the editors-in-chief at Michigan Law are women. Now, if another 90 or so journals follow suit, Staci’s article will seem outdated. [Michigan Law] * Ruh-roh. Did David Boies blow the lid off campaign spending limits last cycle? [Huffington Post] * No, Mike Bloomberg was not denied a slice of pizza yesterday. [Gawker] * WARNING: If you understand math, the latest from NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly will annoy the hell out of you. [PrawfsBlawg] * Man injured in a drunken fight sues the bar that he says should have cut him off. [Overlawyered] -
Free Speech, Nude Dancing, Quote of the Day, Sex, Texas
Judge Strips Gentlemen's Club Case to Bare Facts
To the Judge: I see what you did there... -
Blog Wars, Blogging, Free Speech, Media and Journalism, Sex, Sex Scandals
Gawker Tells Judge to 'Talk to the Hand' in Hulk Hogan Sex Case
Judge turns heel and enjoins Gawker. Gawker calls her bluff. -
Baseball, FCC, Free Speech, Sports
Red Sox' David Ortiz Unleashes An Expletive During Televised Speech; FCC Says 'F**k It'
FCC makes an entirely reasonable decision. I'm woozy. -
Diarmuid O'Scannlain, Free Speech, John Roberts, Media and Journalism, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
The Chief Justice, a Dean, and a Newspaper All Walk Into a Censorship Scandal
No good deed goes unpunished, as the Chief Justice's visit to an out-of-the-way law school leaves controversy in his wake.
Sponsored
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
Sponsored
The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
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Bankruptcy, Barack Obama, Biglaw, Confirmations, D.C. Circuit, Deaths, Federal Judges, Free Speech, Howrey LLP, Job Searches, Law Schools, Morning Docket, State Attorneys General, United Kingdom / Great Britain
Morning Docket: 04.08.13
* President Obama apologized to Kamala Harris after referring to her as the “best-looking attorney general in the country.” We’re guessing the First Lady was none too pleased with her husband’s behavior. [New York Times]
* If you’re unemployed (or were the victim of a recent layoff), try to keep your head up, because there’s still hope for you. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the legal sector added 2,000 jobs last month. [Am Law Daily]
* The 10 percent vacancy rate on the nation’s federal courts is unacceptable and the New York Times is ON IT. Perhaps D.C. Circuit hopeful Sri Srinivasan will have some luck at this week’s judicial confirmation hearing. [New York Times]
* Shine bright like A. Diamond: Howrey’s bankruptcy trustee is still trying to get “unfinished business” settlements from several Biglaw firms, but managed to secure funds from ALAS. [Capital Business / Washington Post]
* Contrary to what law deans tell you in the op-ed pages, if you want to work as a real lawyer, it actually matters where you go to law school. We’ll probably have more on this later today. [National Law Journal]
* Cooley Law took a hard hit in the appeal of its defamation case against Rockstar05, and now the disgruntled blogger may seek a dismissal. Score one for anonymous online speech! [Ars Technica]
* Margaret Thatcher, Great Britain’s first female Prime Minister, RIP. [CNN]
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Alan Dershowitz, Free Speech, Gambling / Gaming, Quote of the Day
Reversal of Fortune? Alan Dershowitz Loses in Las Vegas
The high-profile Harvard law professor fails to prevail in a First Amendment case in Nevada. -
Crime, Free Speech, Gambling / Gaming, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Things Oliver Wendell Holmes Didn't Say
Don't yell fire in a crowded old-folks home? -
Football, Free Speech, Sports
Can't We Get All Alabama Football Fans Declared Legally Insane?
Free speech, football, and trees. -
Blogging, Free Speech, Lawyer Advertising
Virginia Supreme Court Officially Blesses Above the Law
Virginia Supreme Court holds that lawyers can blog about their clients. This is awesome. Lawyers writing about their clients without their consent sounds like it will produce endless ATL fodder. -
Constitutional Law, Free Speech, Video games, Violence
Connecticut State Representative Proposes 10 Percent Tax On Mature Video Games
Another day, another effort from the nanny state to restrict violent video games. -
2nd Circuit, Cyberlaw, DealBreaker, Free Speech, Kellogg Huber, Racism, SCOTUS, Sentencing Law, Supreme Court
Non-Sequiturs: 02.07.13
* Above the Law promotes real-world change! Complaint filed against a Texas judge after Elie calls him out for being RACEIST! [ABA Journal] * If you were thinking of calling your friend from the Philippines a “skank” on Facebook, you may want to reconsider. [Philippine Inquirer] * If you’re a powerful financial executive, lay off the bath salts. [DealBreaker] * Judicial throwdown at the Second Circuit! Short version: Judge Raagi thinks Judge Jacobs should care way more about punishing guys sexting underage girls. Judge Jacobs thinks Judge Raagi watches too much Dexter. [Second Circuit / FindLaw] * Federal District Judge John Lungstrum calls out a couple trial teams for terrible trial work. Biglaw litigators may not be the best trial attorneys? You don’t say. [New York Personal Injury Attorney Blog] * Kenneth Anderson describes the U.S. government’s longstanding love affair with “imminence” in the context of the Obama drone strike white paper. To borrow from Rev. Lovejoy’s sermon: “Imminence…sweet imminence.” [Lawfare] * Judges: If you’re going to base a decision on a particular fact… don’t include pictures in the opinion that directly contradict that finding. Check out page six, line two and Appendix 2 [Court of Appeals, State of Oregon] * SCOTUSBlog and Bloomberg Law have a competition for law students. Beat your peers AND the SCOTUSBlog team and win $5000. [SCOTUSBlog]