Media and Journalism
-
Antitrust, Biglaw, Books, Deaths, Divorce Train Wrecks, Douglas Ginsburg, Fenwick & West, Free Speech, Intellectual Property, Law Professors, Law Schools, Media and Journalism, Morning Docket, Partner Issues, Patents, SCOTUS, Suicide, Supreme Court, Technology, Theater
Morning Docket: 09.13.13
* Congrats to @FenwickWest on landing the big Twitter IPO! #yaylegalfees [American Lawyer]
* The Deal Professor, Steven Davidoff, surveys the legal landscape around the Twitter filing, focusing on the #JOBSAct. [DealBook / New York Times]
* Jamie McCourt, a former family law attorney, strikes out in trying to set aside her divorce settlement with Frank McCourt, former owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. She’s stuck with $131 million and several luxury homes. #richpeopleproblems [National Law Journal (sub. req.)]
* An inquest reveals that a Hogan Lovells partner who took his own life had warned a colleague that he was going to kill himself the day before his death. [Daily Mail via ABA Journal]
* Good news for the news business: the Senate Judiciary Committee approves a federal media-shield bill. [Washington Wire / Wall Street Journal]
* Nathan Myhrvold, the CEO of a patent holding company, warns that anti-patent-troll sentiment could have unforeseen consequences. [Corporate Counsel]
* Praise in the WSJ for Unprecedented: The Constitutional Challenge to Obamacare (affiliate link), the new book by Professor Josh Blackman (who recently wrote a guest post for us on Supreme Court beauty contests). [Wall Street Journal (sub. req.)]
* Congrats to George Mason Law on its two high-profile hires: D.C. Circuit Judge Douglas Ginsburg and Covington antitrust partner Damien Geradin. [The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times]
* If you’re in New York this weekend, go see Arguendo. Or buy tickets for the 7 p.m. performance on September 22, when I’ll be doing a talkback with artistic director John Collins after the show. Enter the discount code “ABOVE” for $35 tickets (a special rate for ATL readers). [Public Theater]
-
Admin, Blogging, Law School Deans, Law Schools, Media and Journalism
Welcome to Law School: The 5 Essential Tips on Being an ATL Tipster
When it comes to ATL-worthy events at your law school, "If you see something, say something." - Sponsored
The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
ChatGPT ushers in the age of generative AI – even for law firms. -
Banking Law, Career Alternatives, Holy Crap, Hotties, Media and Journalism, Pictures
This Costumed 'Bank Reform Bitch' Once Worked As A Lawyer
Meet the protest princess who has rocked Wall Street with her fabulous costumes.
-
2nd Circuit, Biglaw, Department of Justice, Education / Schools, Enron, Football, H. Rodgin Cohen, John Roberts, Law Schools, Media and Journalism, Money, Morning Docket, Police, State Judges
Morning Docket: 08.20.13
* Chief Justice John Roberts appointed Second Circuit Judge José A. Cabranes to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review. Roberts must be happy; few will criticize a moderate. [Washington Post]
* The Department of Justice plans to hire Leslie Caldwell, Morgan Lewis partner and ex-Enron prosecutor, to fill Lanny Breuer’s shoes. Way to leak the news while she’s on vacation. [DealBook / New York Times]
* Tell us again how sequestration isn’t having an impact on the judiciary. Private federal indigent defense attorneys are going to see their already modest rates slashed due to budget cuts. [National Law Journal]
* Sixteen lawyers will receive the New York Law Journal’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and a list like this obviously wouldn’t be complete without the names of some of Biglaw’s best and brightest. Congrats, Rodge! [New York Law Journal]
* Thomas D. Raffaele, the judge who was karate chopped in the throat by a police officer last summer, is now suing over his crushed larynx and similarly squashed constitutional rights. [Courthouse News Service]
* Future gunners, unite! If you’re set on becoming a lawyer, there are things you can do to prepare your law school application, even as a college freshman. [Law Admissions Lowdown / U.S. News & World Report]
* Here’s something to aspire to for the ongoing law school lawsuits: Career Education Corp., a system of for-profit colleges, will pay $10 million to settle a dispute over its inflated job statistics. [Wall Street Journal]
* Penn State University is starting to issue settlement offers to young men who claim they were sexually abused at the hands of Jerry Sandusky, the school’s former assistant football coach. [Legal Intelligencer]
-
Benchslaps, Federal Judges, Gay, Gay Marriage, Judicial Divas, Legal Ethics, Lesbians, Media and Journalism, State Judges
Benchslap Of The Day: Federal Judge Tells State Judge To Shut His Mouth
A federal judge takes a state court judge to task for his extra-judicial writing. -
Fabulosity, Lawyerly Lairs, Media and Journalism, Money, New Yorker, Real Estate, Trusts and Estates
Lawyerly Lairs: Sixth-Year Associate Snags Seven-Figure Pad
How many sixth-year associates can afford $2 million apartments? -
Law Schools, Media and Journalism, U.S. News
U.S. News Puts Out Misleading Guide For Prospective Law Students
It's all about how you say it, and U.S. News offers law admissions advice designed to convince everyone that T14 is within reach. -
3rd Circuit, Attorney Misconduct, Baseball, Biglaw, Breasts, Education / Schools, Free Speech, In-House Counsel, Law Schools, Legal Ethics, Media and Journalism, Morning Docket, Sports, Technology, Washington Post
Morning Docket: 08.06.13
* Judges on the Third Circuit bench must really ♥ boobies. Breast cancer awareness bracelets can’t be banned by public schools if they aren’t lewd and if they comment on social issues. [Legal Intelligencer]
* A bevy of Biglaw firms were involved as advisers in the sale of the Boston Globe, Newsweek, and the Washington Post, including Cleary Gottlieb, Cravath, and Morgan Lewis, among others. [Am Law Daily]
* After surviving a motion for disqualification, Quinn Emanuel will continue to represent Snapchat. A short video of John Quinn laughing his ass off will be available for the next 10 seconds. [TechCrunch]
* Alex Rodriguez, the only MLB player who will be appealing his drug-related suspension, has hired Reed Smith and Gordon & Rees to hit it out of the park during arbitration proceedings. [Am Law Daily]
* Don’t say we never did you any favors: Here are the top 5 mistakes new in-house counsel make from the perspective of outside counsel. Take a look before you make them yourselves. [Texas Lawyer]
* We saw this coming back in June (seventh item), but now it’s official. Prenda Law has dissolved after posting six figures in bonds for various ethical sanctions. Next step, bankruptcy? [National Law Journal]
* If you’re interested in applying to a top 14 law school, make sure your stats and your story are both compelling. No one likes a boring law student. [Law Admissions Lowdown / U.S. News & World Report]
- Sponsored
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
How to best leverage generative AI as an early adopter with ethical use. -
Blogging, Media and Journalism, Practice Pointers, Small Law Firms
Writing For Lawyers
If you're a lawyer who wants to write, what's stopping you? Here are some useful tips to get you started on the right foot. -
Layoffs, Lexis-Nexis, LexisNexis / Lexis-Nexis, Media and Journalism, Technology, Westlaw
Nationwide Layoff Watch: Large Layoffs at LexisNexis
If the estimates are accurate, LexisNexis laid off enough people to staff a sizable law firm. -
2nd Circuit, Biglaw, D.C. Circuit, Insider Trading, Judicial Nominations, Media and Journalism, Morning Docket, Securities and Exchange Commission, Securities Law, Senate Judiciary Committee
Morning Docket: 07.25.13
* It’s just business as usual: Amid accusations of liberal court-packing, D.C. Circuit nominee Nina Pillard faced questions on abortion and religion during her testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. [USA Today]
* Biglaw isn’t as dead as we’ve been told and made to believe. Some of the largest firms are actually doing quite well, says American Lawyer’s editor-in-chief, who’d like her job to retain some meaning for now. [Am Law Daily]
* Fried Frank knew that it’d take a banker to pull the firm from its monetary funk, so it picked up David Greenwald, deputy general counsel of Goldman Sachs, to act as co-chair through 2015. [New York Law Journal]
* With the change in SEC policy, from allowing companies to use neither-admit-nor-deny language, to forcing them to admit guilt in “egregious” cases, lawyers may soon be very busy. [Corporate Counsel]
* Raj Rajaratnam is a firm believer in the “three strikes and you’re out” theory of law. A month after the Second Circuit affirmed his insider trading conviction, he’s asking for a rehearing en banc. [Bloomberg]
-
Media and Journalism, Murder, Quote of the Day, Trials
A Harsh Reality Brought To You By Trayvon Martin's Mother
Moving forward, how will we address issues of race and gun violence in this country? -
Media and Journalism, Politics, Racism, Rank Stupidity, Rudeness
Egyptian Politics As Filtered Through The Dumbest Attorney Alive
Let's check out more from this attorney's bats**t editorial, shall we?
Sponsored
Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
Sponsored
The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
-
Crime, Media and Journalism, Minority Issues, Racism, Trials
It Was Just Another Criminal Case: Why The Outrage Over George Zimmerman's Acquittal?
Why do we want the Zimmeman trial to mean something beyond the trial itself? Is it because it’s safer to talk about race and ethnicity this way? -
Media and Journalism, Quote of the Day, Rudeness, Samuel Alito, SCOTUS, Sexism, Supreme Court, Supreme Court Clerks, Washington Post, Women's Issues
Accusations Against Alito: Not True, Not True
Two former law clerks to Justice Alito speak out in defense of their former boss. -
Abortion, Alan Dershowitz, Blogging, Constitutional Law, Football, Guns / Firearms, Law Schools, Layoffs, Media and Journalism, SCOTUS, Sports, Supreme Court
Five Stories That Made This an Exhausting Week of Legal News
My this was a busy week. Here's a list of the big-ticket stories that struck my fancy this week. -
Boalt Hall, California, Defamation, Drugs, Media and Journalism
Husband and Wife Lawyer Duo Once Accused of Planting Drugs Now Suing For Defamation
This prestigious pair had their criminal charges dismissed, and now they're mad as hell... -
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]
-
B for Beauty, Conferences / Symposia, Constitutional Law, Eric Holder, Jury Duty, Law Professors, Law Schools, Media and Journalism, Murder, Non-Sequiturs, Weddings
Non-Sequiturs: 06.20.13
* If you thought Stephen Kaplitt’s epic cease-and-desist response was awesome, then you’ll love this work of parody in response to the response, courtesy of New York Law School. [Legal As She Is Spoke] * Eric Holder comes clean on his involvement with the James Rosen search warrant, and to the chagrin of many, he isn’t plotting the death of journalism. That, or he’s a big liar. You pick. [Volokh Conspiracy] * George Zimmerman is going to be staring down an all-female jury for the next few weeks in his murder trial. And let me tell you, that’s going to be so much fun when everyone’s cycles start to sync up. [CNN] * It’s amazing that the Framers’ intentions can be applied to true love. Best wishes to Ilya Shapiro on his new marriage. Professor Josh Blackman is one hell of a wedding speaker. [CATO @ Liberty] * Is there an appropriate way to deal with cosmetic surgery — like a breast enlargement, breast reduction, or a nose job — in the office? Just be ready for people to talk about you. [Corporette] * Former Above the Law columnist Jay Shepherd offers up the secret to lawyer happiness in just six minutes, while taking shots at the world’s largest law firm and the world’s shortest movie star. [jayshep] -
Media and Journalism, Practice Pointers, Small Law Firms, Television
The Truth About Media Appearances
If you've got a media appearance coming up, take some advice from Brian Tannebaum to avoid making mistakes.