Latest Stories

Denise Richards: “Wild Thing,” Hates Old People

By

falling laptops Above the Law Denise Richards.JPGIf you’re like us, you spent way too much time this weekend fretting over whether Denise Richards might be in legal jeopardy over her recent laptop-hurling incident.
Despite her descent into tabloid fodder, owing to her disastrous marriage to Charlie Sheen, we’re longtime fans of Ms. Richards. Nobody can resist the starlet’s delectably campy turns in “Starship Troopers” and “Wild Things.” (Remember her infamous love scene with Neve Campbell?)
So we’re happy to report that Denise devotees can exhale now:

Denise Richards won’t face charges for throwing two laptop computers over a balcony in a tussle with paparazzi in western Canada, police said.

The actress was accused of hurling two laptops from a balcony at the River Rock Casino and Hotel on Wednesday, hitting two elderly women below.

The incident occurred after two photographers tried to snap pictures of Richards by gaining unauthorized access to the set where she’s filming a movie with actress Pamela Anderson.

Jeez. The two poor women who were injured by the falling laptops were 81 and 90 years old. Haven’t they been through enough?
On the other hand, let’s look on the bright side:

1. Things could have been worse: Richards could have thrown exploding Dell laptops at them.

2. Getting hit by celebrity-thrown laptops is WAY more fun than feeding pigeons.

3. Richards will probably cough up some cash to the old biddies, to forestall legal action and to end the bad publicity. And she’ll pay in U.S. dollars.

4. In addition to Denise’s dough, the two women got oodles of attention. And isn’t that what old people really want?

See, e.g., Justice Stevens (refusing, like Chief Justice Rehnquist before him, to retire from the Supreme Court, despite advancing age and failing health).
Police: Denise Richards won’t face charges for tossing laptops off balcony [Associated Press via Court TV]
Denise Richards’ Paparazzi Rampage Leaves Two Laptops, One Senior Injured [Defamer]
Denise Richards [IMDb]

0 Comments

An Addendum on Nino in New Haven

By

harold koh harold hongju koh.jpgAn interesting update to our prior post about Justice Antonin Scalia’s recent appearance at the Yale Law School. From a current YLS student:

Some of us were bothered — though not exactly surprised — by Dean Harold Koh’s tepid introduction of Justice Scalia. Koh couldn’t seem to find anything warm and welcoming to say about Scalia. Rather, he spent his entire introduction praising Christine Jolls.

It was as though Scalia wasn’t even there. Koh’s lack of hospitality was particularly striking when compared to how he often gushes about other relatively unremarkable visiting speakers.

Like our correspondent, we’re not entirely surprised. We haven’t met Dean Koh in person, and he wasn’t dean when we were at Yale. But we have heard through the YLS alumni grapevine that he is more ideologically motivated, and less evenhanded, than his predecessor as dean, Tony Kronman.
We’ve also heard Dean Koh compared to Dean Elena Kagan of Harvard Law School in this regard. Dean Kagan is politically active on the liberal side. Like Dean Koh, she served in the Clinton Administration (as a domestic policy advisor and in the White House Counsel’s office). She was nominated to the D.C. Circuit by President Clinton, but was denied a vote, and she’s a possible SCOTUS nominee in a Hillary Clinton Democratic administration. But despite her personal leanings, Dean Kagan has been widely praised for supporting intellectual and ideological diversity on the Harvard Law School campus.
(Also, Dean Kagan was a nominee in our Law School Dean Hotties contest. She did not prevail, losing out to a Yalie (Asha Rangappa). But just like the Oscars, it’s an honor just to be nominated.)
Earlier: The Eyes of the Law: Did Poor Justice Scalia Have to Spend the Night in New Haven?
Law School Dean Hotties: Your Female Nominees
“Harvard Law On A Heterodox Spree, Listing to Right” [Volokh Conspiracy]

10 Comments

Best Law Firm Nickname EVER

By

When Harry Met Sally Above the Law Orgasm.jpegAfter we posted Dewey Ballantine: “We’ll Have What She’s Having,” we received this email from one of you:

Picking up on the sexual overtones of the Dewey Ballantine / Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe merger, and with apologies for how vulgar and puerile this is:

Is anyone calling the new firm Dewy Orifice?

Uh, we are!
(A Google search for “dewy orifice” suggests that it has not yet been used to refer to the post-merger entity. But that’s about to change, as soon as Google picks up this post.)
Earlier: Dewey Ballantine: “We’ll Have What She’s Having”

0 Comments

Some Ruminations on Nominations

By

pioneer courthouse portland oregon.jpgIn the wake of the Democratic victories in the midterm elections, people are wondering:

How will federal judicial nominations be affected?

The answer is unclear. On the one hand:

“It’s going to be much harder to get hardline conservatives through,” says Michael Seidman, a professor at Georgetown University Law Center. Mr. Bush’s “history isn’t to move to the center much, but, then again, he’s never been in this situation.”

Outgoing Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) agrees:

“It could mean that the president would have to select a more moderate nominee,” Specter said.

On the other hand:

[S]ome political analysts and others don’t see the new crop of senators, many with reasonably conservative bents, significantly changing Senate voting patterns. Columbia University law professor Michael Dorf points to the Senate race in Rhode Island where moderate Republican Lincoln Chafee was ousted, and to the Pennsylvania and Virginia races, in which relatively conservative Democrats were voted in.

“These are really marginal changes,” says Mr. Dorf. In his opinion, the power-shift will be most visible at the committee level. “The Democrats will now be able to steer the process,” he says.

We’re somewhere in the middle. Our thoughts on the process, after the jump.

double red triangle arrows Continue reading “Some Ruminations on Nominations”

1 Comment

Do All White People Look Alike?

By

No, definitely not. Due to their variegated hair and eye color, white people have the best claim to internal diversity in appearance.
But these two white people DO look alike:
Amanda Sylvester Kayce Schildauer Above the Law Legal Blog.JPG
As a result, this screw-up — while mortifying and GI-normous — is somewhat understandable:

“We are horribly sorry,” the cop said. The 17-year-old girl who was wrongly locked in jail for seven days might be feeling terribly lucky.

Amanda Sylvester might still be in jail, facing criminal charges that included aiding and abetting a robbery [of a Kwik Stop convenience store], were it not for an anonymous tip to a Crimestopper hotline….

A week later, the Crimestopper tip led to the arrest of Kayce Schildhauer, 19, of North Platte.

Pretty bad. But hey, it could be worse. Remember this story?
Innocent Girl Held A Week In North Platte Jail [North Platte Bulletin]
(Gavel Bang: Drudge Report (of course, ’cause Matt’s a sucker for s*** like this))

1 Comment

A Further Update on Aquagirl: Is She Still Afloat?

By

aquagirl cleary gottlieb summer associate Above the Law aquagirl.JPGIn response to our last post about Aquagirl — the Clearly Goatlips Cleary Gottlieb summer associate who stripped down to her underwear and dove into the Hudson River, at a summer associate event — one of you wrote:

Aquagirl was in my bar review class, for the Virginia bar exam. But she is NOT on the list of those who passed the July 2006 VA bar exam. Did she not take the exam? Or did she fail?

There is also the issue of character and fitness. Does jumping in a river render you unfit to practice in the Commonwealth? I trust that Above the Law will find out for us all.

We’re inclined to answer this reader’s query with a “no.” If a single instance of poor, alcohol-clouded judgment were enough to preclude bar admission, then nobody would be left in practice. So please, Virginia bar examiners — give Aquagirl a break.

(Yes, we’re biased — we are big fans of Aquagirl, whom we have declared “magnificent.” And we want to see her succeed in the legal profession, which needs more colorful personalities.)

Update: We’re not alone in wishing Aquagirl well. One of you writes: “She’s actually a really sweet girl, so I hope it’s just that they held her app for C&F (and thus still has a chance of being admitted), and not that she didn’t pass the exam.”

If you can enlighten us about the fate of our favorite summer associate ever — she’s tied for first with this young lady — please drop us a line.

Earlier: An Update on Aquagirl: Things Are Going Swimmingly

6 Comments

Burger King: Vector for Criminality

By

whopper burger king Above the Law ATL.JPGWhat is in the frying oil over at Burger King? First they’re accused by cops of lacing their burgers with marijuana. And now, this:

A Burger King restaurant manager is being charged with shooting a teenage boy dead the two argued, and the boy spit in the manager’s face.

Police say 16-year-old Shaka Walcott and 45-year-old Ronald Johannes had been arguing for more than a week. Police say the teenager returned to the Bronx Burger King Saturday night and was shot several times in the chest by the manager.

And would you like fries with that?
We like Burger King’s onion rings as much as they next guy. But we don’t think they’re “to die for” — literally.
Burger King Manager Allegedly Shoots Teen [WCBS (New York)]
Earlier: Lawsuit of the Day: “Have It Your Way,” Indeed

0 Comments

The Eyes of the Law: Did Poor Justice Scalia Have to Spend the Night in New Haven?

By

Antonin Scalia Justice Antonin Scalia Justice Scalia Above the Law Legal Gossip Blog.JPGLast Thursday, Justice Antonin Scalia spoke before the Yale Political Union (an appearance we discussed here). And on Friday morning, Justice Scalia made an appearance at (the) Yale Law School.
Justice Scalia was introduced by his former clerk, the beautiful and brilliant Professor Christine Jolls. This past June, Professor Jolls was lured away from Harvard Law School by Yale, causing the HLS faculty “hotness quotient” to plummet. Professor Jolls, for the record, is less conservative than her former boss; during her clerkship with Justice Scalia, she was the designated “counterclerk” (see comments to this post).
An excellent account of Justice Scalia’s appearance at YLS is provided by Vivek Krishnamurthy. It’s commendably detailed, insightful, and witty. You can check it out here (via How Appealing).
A few excerpts, with our commentary, after the jump.

double red triangle arrows Continue reading “The Eyes of the Law: Did Poor Justice Scalia Have to Spend the Night in New Haven?”

0 Comments

Morning Docket: 11.13.06

By

* NY accidentally cracks down on gargling mouthwash and driving. [MSNBC]
* The less-than-unique trend among ex-athletes running for office this year: Dems won, Repubs lost. [AP via Yahoo]
* This is how bad it was for Republicans last week: “Dead woman wins county race.” [MSNBC]
* Lexis and Westlaw might want to throw a yellow triangle and maybe a frowny face next to Grutter v. Bollinger. [Michigan Daily]
* It’s Ohio State-Michigan week! How can you think about Congress at a time like this? [Dispatch]

1 Comment

ATL Week in Review: November 6-10

By

Shakira Above the Law Legal Tabloid Nude Pictures Naked Pictures Nude Pics Shakira Shakira Shakira.JPG* The Democrats are in the House — and Senate, too. Say hello to the new chairmen of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the House Judiciary Committee. (And goodbye to Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.)
* It was a big week for politics — and celebrity divorces. Parting ways: Britney Spears and Kevin Federline.
* Dewey Ballantine + Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe = Sexytime!!!
* Hit movie Borat + Two dumbass frat boys = Lexytime!!!
* “Shake-It-Like-Shakira” contest + Drunken Jersey girl = More Lexytime!!!
* Rumors of Justice Stevens’s retirement: Greatly exaggerated? Or for real this time around?
* Speaking of the SCOTUS, here’s a fun fact: “It is unlawful to… make a harangue or oration… in the Supreme Court Building.”
* For the record, onetime Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork “doesn’t go seducing women at a convent.”
* News flash: Your friends who went into investment banking make WAY WAY WAY more money than you. (Unless you’re a new Wachtell Lipton partner, in which case they make WAY more money than you.)

2 Comments

ATL Email: Back to Normal

By

red envelope Above the Law pictures pics photographs nude naked celebrities.jpgIn case you’re wondering, the email problems that we alluded to earlier today have been solved.
So if you have a Supreme Court justice sighting for Eyes of the Law, a law firm interview horror story, salary information for Skaddenfreude, or any other juicy gossip or funny story, please send it to us at our usual address:
tips AT abovethelaw DOT com
Or just click here. Thanks for your patience!
Earlier: Some Technical Difficulties: Issues With Our Email

0 Comments

Non-Sequiturs: 11.10.06

By

* A rather innocuous profile of New York’s new first lady, ex-attorney Silda Wall Spitzer (who was an up-and-coming corporate superstar at Skadden, but aren’t they all). She was previously married to a Harvard Law classmate for 29 days. Another HLS classmate, Jim Cramer, thinks she’s pretty, and the journalist probably does not understand the notion of billable hours. [New York Times]
* They’re much stricter about using office services for personal use up north. [The Globe and Mail]
* A headbutt is fined $15,000, and a groin-kneeing $25,000. If I were a pro athelete, I’d say that was an extra $10,000 well spent. [Seattle Post-Intelligencer]
* You can still stand firm and refuse to hand over your taxes. After all, you have balls and they don’t. [Washington Post via TaxProf Blog]

0 Comments
Page 1404 of 14511...140014011402140314041405140614071408...1451