John Roberts
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Affirmative Action, Blogging, D.C. Circuit, Job Searches, John Roberts, Non-Sequiturs, U.S. News
Non-Sequiturs: 06.03.13
* Slave law is still considered “good law” by the courts? Originalism is alive and well! [Post & Found] * For the first time ever, the Washington Post’s scavenger hunt/riddle/prove how pretentious we are competition was won by a single individual. Congratulations to Sullivan and Cromwell’s Sean Memon, an ’08 Duke grad, who prevailed after figuring out that nothing was happening. That makes sense when you read the article. [Constitutional Daily] * Here’s an argument against affirmative action based on the premise that black people at the barest of margins may be hindered by having too good of a résumé. This is, well, wrong, but much more intellectual than the arguments against affirmative action advanced by the Chief Justice. [Ramblings on Appeal] * A San Diego lawyer is seeking a young attorney in L.A. to work for slightly more than peanuts. But the requirements are entertaining, like confidence that “you are going to be the next F. Lee Baily or Johnny Cochran.” The poster is also an “elderly gay man (late 50′s).” Is that really elderly anymore? [Craigslist] * More on the problems facing the D.C. Circuit. Probably a good reason to shrink the complement of the Circuit. [SSRN] * Another look at the business benefits of blogging. Get out there, people! [Likelihood of Confusion] * Hey there, lawyers! The Wall Street Journal would like you to know that you and your ilk are responsible for the student loan bailout. Video after ye olde jump… -
Barack Obama, D.C. Circuit, John Roberts, Judicial Conference, Judicial Nominations, Politics
Senators Call For Shrinking Small, Overworked D.C. Circuit
Republicans accuse President Obama of wantonly fulfilling his legal obligations. - Sponsored
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
How to best leverage generative AI as an early adopter with ethical use. -
Biglaw, D.C. Circuit, Election Law, Environment / Environmental Law, Eric Holder, John Roberts, Labor / Employment, Law Schools, Non-Sequiturs, SCOTUS, Small Law Firms, Supreme Court, Technology
Non-Sequiturs: 05.24.13
Ed. note: Above the Law will not be publishing on Monday, May 27, in observance of the Memorial Day holiday. * Manhattan Justice Paul Wooten has ordered CBS to produce all emails between it and the Brooklyn DA’s office concerning “Brooklyn D.A.” and ordered a hearing this afternoon. CBS attorneys are irritated. Now they know how everyone feels when they have to watch Two and a Half Men. [WiseLaw NY] * Lois Lerner, the embattled IRS supervisor at the heart of the recent scandal, invoked the Fifth Amendment in her congressional hearing, but in a way that may open the door to contempt. Ironically, maintaining innocence while invoking the Fifth opens one up to “heightened scrutiny.” As noted in Morning Docket, she’s been put on administrative leave. [Simple Justice] * T.J. Duane of Lateral Link was named one of the 17 Stanford business students who is going to change the world. Duane is working on technology to “provid[e] solo and boutique attorneys the benefits without the drawbacks of big law.” That’s much better than my proposal to provide solo and boutique attorneys the drawbacks without the benefits of big law, which is just a device that passive-aggressively second-guesses every decision a lawyer makes. [Business Insider] * The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has asked the Supreme Court to uphold the D.C. Circuit’s decision holding Obama’s NLRB recess appointments unconstitutional because the appointments caused “major confusion for both employers and employees alike.” They’ve got a point. Not having a quorum on the NLRB because the Senate refuses to confirm anyone and plays parliamentary games does provide certainty… the certainty that the NLRB cannot function and its a free-for-all against workers. [Free Enterprise] * Law school applications are down, but not as drastically as expected. [Faculty Lounge] * In any event, law schools are facing an economic reckoning dubbed “Peak Law School.” [Lawyers, Guns & Money] * A new CBO report analyzes the impact of a carbon tax, in case you’re preparing to start papering cap-and-trade deals. [Breaking Energy] * Do potential clients really care about social media? I “Like” this story. [Associate's Mind] * Courtesy of the ABA Journal, you can check out the swag Chief Justice Roberts and Eric Holder got from foreign nations in 2010 after the jump…
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Antonin Scalia, Benchslaps, Constitutional Law, John Roberts, Politics, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Righteous Indignation: Conservatives Benchslapping Conservatives
Oh no he didn't! Watch Justice Scalia ladle out the sauce to Chief Justice Roberts. -
Angelina Jolie, Antonin Scalia, Health Care / Medicine, Insurance, Intellectual Property, John Roberts, Patents, Samuel Alito, Supreme Court, Technology, Women's Issues
Yes, It Is Worth Making A Federal Case Over Angelina Jolie's Boobs
Angelina Jolie took action to address her cancer risk. If the Supreme Court gets its act together, more women can follow her example. -
Anthony Kennedy, Antonin Scalia, Celebrities, Clarence Thomas, Elena Kagan, Federal Judges, John Roberts, Media and Journalism, Reality TV, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Samuel Alito, SCOTUS, Sonia Sotomayor, Stephen Breyer, Supreme Court, Television
Is Anybody Shocked That Americans Trust TV Judges More Than Supreme Court Justices?
This is just another reason why the justices of the Supreme Court need to be on TV more often. -
Anthony Kennedy, Barack Obama, Biglaw, Clarence Thomas, DUI / DWI, John Roberts, Keker & Van Nest, Law Schools, Melvyn Weiss, Milberg Weiss, Minority Issues, Money, Morning Docket, Racism, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Morning Docket: 05.06.13
* It’s springtime, and the nation’s highest court is getting ready to drop some of its biggest decisions yet. If Tolkien had written this, Justice Kennedy would be the one to bear the One Vote. [UPI]
* But for SCOTUS to maintain legitimacy in the eyes of the people, its justices must do battle against a “modern-day tsunami of special interests.” How well are they doing? [National Law Journal]
* To answer that question, let’s look at their record. Political labels aside, thus far, the Roberts court has shaped up to be “the most pro-business court since the mid-1930s.” [New York Times]
* Meanwhile, Justice Thomas has been busy taking shots at President Obama, noting that he always knew the first black president had to be pre-screened by “the elites” and “the media.” [Mother Jones]
* Sometimes even federal prosecutors are willing to take pity upon rich old white men: Mel Weiss, formerly of Milberg LLP, won’t be returning to jail after his foray into DUI territory. [Am Law Daily]
* “Chevron can afford to litigate this case ‘until hell freezes over.’ But [Steven] Donziger can’t.” As it turns out, clients who can’t pay their bills are problematic for John Keker of Keker & Van Nest. [Reuters]
* Penn State Law is continuing with its plans to fleece students at two separately accredited sites, because clearly what the world needs right now is MOAR LAW SCHOOLS. [Centre Daily Times]
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John Roberts, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
The Supreme Court Holds That Corporations Are Not Pirates
Can a citizen of a foreign country who is abused by a foreign corporation in a foreign country bring suit in a U.S. court under the Alien Tort Statute? SCOTUS says.... - 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… -
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. -
Federal Judges, Hair, John Roberts, Money, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Chief Justice John Roberts: Just Like Us!
Chief Justice Roberts is on an oversharing tear. What did His Honor recently reveal? -
Antonin Scalia, Federal Government, Gay, Gay Marriage, John Roberts, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
The DOMA Arguments at SCOTUS: Five Money Quotes
What were the best quotes from today's Defense of Marriage Act arguments in the Supreme Court? Here are Michelle Olsen's top five. -
Anthony Kennedy, California, Constitutional Law, David Boies, Gay, Gay Marriage, John Roberts, Samuel Alito, SCOTUS, Solicitor General's Office, Supreme Court, Ted Olson
The Proposition 8 Supreme Court Arguments: Standing and Standing
How early did Supreme Court bar members have to arrive to make it into the courtroom for the Prop 8 arguments? What was the atmosphere like before the arguments began? -
California, Gay, Gay Marriage, John Roberts, Lesbians, Quote of the Day, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Even Supreme Court Justices Have Lesbian Cousins
But which justice is it?
Sponsored
Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
Sponsored
Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
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Election Law, John Roberts, Quote of the Day, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
You DARE Enter Nate Silver's Domain, SCOTUS?
Nate Silver politely slaps down Chief Justice John Roberts and his use of statistics during oral arguments. -
Dorsey & Whitney, Election Law, Job Searches, John Roberts, Law Schools, Money, Morning Docket, Patents, Sandra Day O'Connor, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Morning Docket: 03.04.13
* “Do you know which state has the worst ratio of white voter turnout to African American voter turnout? Massachusetts.” Sorry, Chief Justice Roberts, but the Bay State’s top elections official begs to differ with your assessment. [WSJ Law Blog (sub. req.)]
* This retired SCOTUS justice — the first woman to ever serve on the nation’s highest court — now refers to herself as “an unemployed cowgirl.” We wonder what Justice Scalia will refer to himself as in interviews after he retires. [Sacramento Bee]
* Mayer Brown wasn’t the only Biglaw firm that had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year. Dorsey & Whitney’s 2012 revenue was also at a six-year low, but firm leaders think they can turn it around. [Star Tribune]
* Billion-dollar patent verdicts, so hot right now: 2012 was a “banner year” for for Biglaw firms representing winning clients, with K&L Gates leading the pack for the highest monetary award. [National Law Journal]
* “I wouldn’t want to be coming out of law school now.” Oh my God, you guys, the legal job market is still really tough for brand-spanking new law grads. This is new information that no one’s heard before. [Buffalo News]
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Anthony Kennedy, Gay, Gay Marriage, John Roberts, Politics, SCOTUS, Seth Waxman, Supreme Court, Ted Olson
Leading Republicans Send a Valentine to Justice Kennedy on Gay Marriage
Who are some of the prominent Republican politicians signing an amicus brief in support of gay marriage? And which major law firm is behind the effort? -
Anthony Kennedy, Barack Obama, Elena Kagan, Guns / Firearms, Immigration, John Roberts, Politics, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, SCOTUS, Sonia Sotomayor, Stephen Breyer, Supreme Court
A Lawyer's Guide to Getting Drunk During the State of the Union
Were you waiting for a State of the Union drinking game featuring Justice Ginsburg and Ted Nugent? Wait no longer! -
Eyes of the Law, Federal Judges, Food, John Roberts, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
The Eyes of the Law: What the Judge Had For Breakfast
Chief Justice Roberts went out to lunch yesterday with a quirky companion. Where did they dine, and what did the Chief order? -
2nd Circuit, Abortion, Bar Exams, Barack Obama, Biglaw, Books, Crime, Disasters / Emergencies, Holland & Knight, Job Searches, Joe Biden, John Roberts, Law Professors, Law Schools, Money, Morning Docket, Parties, Politics, SCOTUS, Sonia Sotomayor, Student Loans, Supreme Court, War on Terror
Morning Docket: 01.22.13
* “Given health care, I don’t care if he speaks in tongues.” Chief Justice John Roberts botched Barack Obama’s presidential oath at his first inauguration, but this time he managed to get it right. [New York Times]
* What was more important to Justice Sonia Sotomayor than swearing in Joe Biden as VP at noon on Sunday? Signing books at Barnes & Noble in New York City. Not-so wise Latina. [Los Angeles Times]
* D.C. Biglaw firms — like Holland & Knight, Covington, K&L Gates, and Jones Day — allowed others to bask in their prestige at their swanky inauguration parties. [Capital Business / Washington Post]
* It’s been 40 years since SCOTUS made its ruling in Roe v. Wade, and this is what we’ve got to show for it: a deep moral divide over women being able to do what they want with their own bodies. [Huffington Post]
* The latest weapon in the fight against terrorism is the legal system. The Second Circuit recently issued a major blow to those seeking to finance militant attacks in secret. [Thomson Reuters News & Insight]
* “Firms don’t just hire a body anymore.” The 2012 BLS jobs data is in, and if you thought employment in the legal sector was going to magically bounce back to pre-recession levels, you were delusional. [Am Law Daily]
* Three months have come and gone since Hurricane Sandy rocked law firm life as we know it in Manhattan, but firms like Fragomen and Gordon & Rees are still stuck in temporary offices. [New York Law Journal]
* This seems like it may be too good to be true, but it looks like New York’s chief judge may be on board to grant law students bar eligibility after the completion of only two years of law school. [National Law Journal]
* Law professors may soon be in for a nasty surprise when it comes to their salaries if their schools follow Vermont Law’s lead and remove them as salaried employees, paying only on a part-time basis. [Valley News]
* Resorting to a life of crime in order to pay off your law school debt is never a good thing — unless you’re doing it while waring a Bucky Badger hat. We’ll probably have more on this later. [Wisconsin State Journal]
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Anthony Kennedy, Antonin Scalia, Barack Obama, Clarence Thomas, Elena Kagan, Fashion, Fashion Is Fun, Federal Judges, John Roberts, Merrick Garland, Neal Katyal, SCOTUS, SCOTUS Potential, Supreme Court
The Supreme Court in President Obama's Second Term
How will the Supreme Court affect President Obama, and how will President Obama affect the Supreme Court, as we enter the 44th president's second term?