Racism
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Copyright, Depositions, FCC, Intellectual Property, Non-Sequiturs, Paul Caron, Racism, Technology
Non-Sequiturs: 08.27.13
* Mike Brown, the man at the center of the would-be South Carolina restaurant racial discrimination suit, has a post over at xoJane telling his story. [xoJane] * Time for a Team Prenda update! Now they are making really embarrassingly terrible “your mom” jokes. [Popehat] * Contrary to Elie’s tweet, there is kind of a legal angle to the debacle at the VMAs that was Miley Cyrus dancing with an aging Michael Keaton dressed as Beetlejuice Robin Thicke. MuckRock has submitted a FOIA request to find out how many complaints were filed with the FCC. Unfortunately, my bet is that the number is more than zero, despite the FCC having no legal authority over indecency on MTV. If you have no idea what we’re talking about, here’s a collection of GIFs. [MuckRock] * Shots fired! Law Librarian Blog snarks on Law Professor Blogs 2.0 re-design. Palace Intrigue: Blogger Edition. [Law Librarian Blog] * A new website provides an online course in general deposition prep for witnesses. Will this work? Pro: Deposition prep involves haphazard application of life lessons from a lawyer’s individual career and a professionalized course is beneficial. Con: Why would a firm forfeit all those billable hours to a third-party? [The Perfect Witness] * Not every law school is cutting back. San Joaquin College of Law is expanding its enrollment. It’s not ABA-accredited, so all these students are sure to land on their feet. [KFSN] * Since we’re likely to be at war with Syria by the end of the week, here’s a thoughtful piece on the legality of intervention in light of the UN charter and moral obligations. [Boston Review] -
Civil Rights, Department of Justice, Food, Minority Issues, Racism
South Carolina Restaurant Refuses To Serve Black Patrons -- Denny's Redux
The firestorm over a restaurant's decision to kick out a group of black patrons because a white woman felt "threatened" brings back memories of the 1990s. - 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… -
Attorney Misconduct, Biglaw, California, Celebrities, Depositions, Divorce Train Wrecks, Federal Judges, Gay, Gay Marriage, Law Schools, Legal Ethics, Minority Issues, Money, Morning Docket, Practice Pointers, Racism
Morning Docket: 08.15.13
* The Poly Prep alumni who settled their sex abuse suit against the school are going after O’Melveny & Myers for allegedly playing a part in prolonging the litigation by doing what lawyers do best: lying. [Am Law Daily]
* If you’ve got a case up on appeal and you’re like a virgin, giving oral (arguments) for the very first time, then you should probably consider taking a look at the top 10 tips that’ll help you to prepare for it. [The Recorder]
* The California Supreme Court denied petitions from Proposition 8 proponents seeking to enforce a ban on same-sex marriage across the state. Kamala Harris, the country’s best looking AG, approves. [BuzzFeed]
* The Chapman School of Law will change its name after receiving the second-largest donation ever made to a law school. N.B. The donor isn’t a law school graduate, which certainly explains why he has cash to spare. [National Law Journal]
* Notebooks from the most famous law school you’ve never heard of are now on digital display thanks to Harvard Law. Unlike today’s students, Litchfield lawyers had lovely handwriting. [Brainiac / Boston Globe]
* Keep ya head up: Legendary lawyer Roger Rosen, whose clients range from O.J. Simpson to Phil Spector, will hang up his shingle to avoid prosecution for leaking info to Tupac’s killers. [New York Post]
* Just think, if the judge in Paula Deen’s case had permitted counsel to stay discovery, perhaps the celebrity chef wouldn’t have been able to serve up a slice of her piping hot racism casserole. [Daily Report]
* Sure, Lamar Odom allegedly cheated on Khloe Kardashian with a lawyer, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to get divorced. If they do, we’ll be there for the train wreck. [Ministry of Gossip / Los Angeles Times]
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American Bar Association / ABA, Conferences / Symposia, Crime, Drugs, Eric Holder, Minority Issues, Racism, Sentencing Law
Eric Holder Preaches To The Choir At ABA: It's Nice When Lawyers Think People Will Listen To Them About Laws
Holder's speech at the ABA would have been more interesting if the ABA could have done anything about it. -
Alston & Bird, Biglaw, Celebrities, Facebook, Federal Judges, Law Firm Mergers, Law Schools, Morning Docket, Musical Chairs, Police, Privacy, Racism, Ted Frank
Morning Docket: 08.13.13
* In the latest round of musical chairs, Skadden Arps managed to scoop up products liability queen and top woman litigator Lisa Gilford from Alston & Bird. Congratulations! [The Recorder (sub. req.)]
* Is merger mania a thing of the past? With pocketbooks tighter than ever, “pseudo-mergers” are starting to look great. No one will complain about more lawyers with less liability. [Legal Intelligencer]
* Man, it’d be great if you could represent plaintiffs in a class action suit and keep all of the settlement funds without having to pay your clients a cent. Oh wait, you can actually do that? [New York Times]
* “It shows he’s adventuresome and he’s got good taste.” Peter Zimroth, the lawyer appointed to oversee the reform of the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk policies, married very, very well. [Wall Street Journal (sub. req.)]
* The ABA approved Texas A&M’s acquisition of Texas Wesleyan’s law school. Hello to the Texas A&M Johnny Football School of Law! We hope to see the Heisman of employment stats. [National Law Journal]
* A judge says the woman who sued Paula Deen for racial discrimination was nothing more than an “accidental victim.” And like that, her race-based claims have melted away like butter, y’all. [ABC News]
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Constitutional Law, Crime, Federal Judges, Minority Issues, Police, Quote of the Day, Racism, S.D.N.Y., Shira Scheindlin
New York Can No Longer Stop And Frisk The 'Right People' For Being The 'Wrong Color'
It is now considered unconstitutional to stop and frisk New Yorkers solely on the basis of race. -
American Bar Association / ABA, Bar Exams, Law Schools, Minority Issues, Racism
What's More Racist? The Trouble With Low Bar Passage Rates At Historically Black Law Schools
What is to be done about low bar exam passage rates at historically black law schools? -
Food, Holidays and Seasons, Minority Issues, Racism, Texas
Law Firm Allegedly Serves Up Racist Stereotypes
A law firm is sued for throwing a fried chicken feast for black employees. - Sponsored
Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
The rise of remote work has dramatically reshaped the relationship between Lawyers and Law Firms, see how Scale LLP has taken the steps to get… -
Biglaw, Feminism, Gay, Gender, Minority Issues, Racism, Rankings, Vault rankings, Women's Issues
The Best Law Firms for Diversity (2014)
Which firms demonstrate a true commitment to diversity? Check out the latest rankings from Vault and from Am Law. -
9th Circuit, Banking Law, Bar Exams, Biglaw, Books, Federal Government, Federal Judges, Law Schools, Money, Morning Docket, Racism, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, SCOTUS, Sentencing Law, Sports, Student Loans, Supreme Court, United Kingdom / Great Britain, Video games
Morning Docket: 08.01.13
Ed. note: We are having an Above the Law retreat this afternoon, so we may be less prolific than usual today. We will return to our regularly scheduled programming tomorrow.
* “I think I am now the hardest-working justice. I wasn’t until David Souter left us.” Justice Ginsburg celebrates her twentieth year on the high bench in true diva style. [USA Today]
* Sorry, EA, the Ninth Circuit thought your First Amendment free expression defense to allegedly stealing college sports players’ likenesses was a load of hooey. [Wall Street Journal]
* “It’s a decision that clearly favors the merchants.” A federal judge gave the Fed a spanking in a ruling on its cap for debit card fees earned by banks after consumer swipes. [DealBook / New York Times]
* “What makes this discriminatory? I don’t think there’s anything in Title 7 that says an employer has to be consistent.” Ropes & Gray’s “token black associate” had his day in court. [National Law Journal]
* The firm that outed J.K. Rowling as author of “The Cuckoo’s Calling” will make a charitable donation as an apology — getting the book to the bestseller’s list wasn’t charitable enough. [New York Times]
* As the bar exam draws to a close today, here’s something to consider: 12,250 people signed up to take the test in New York alone. Are there jobs out there for them? Best of luck! [New York Law Journal]
* The feds want to make a better return on their investment on law student loans. Perhaps it’s time for those good old gainful employment regulations. [Student Loan Ranger / U.S. News & World Report]
* Cleveland kidnapper Ariel Castro is expected to speak at his sentencing hearing today, where a judge will decide if a term of life in prison plus 1,000 years is appropriate punishment for him. [CBS News]
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Barack Obama, Lexis-Nexis, Non-Sequiturs, Patton Boggs, Politics, Racism
Non-Sequiturs: 07.19.13
* USDA requiring a magician to develop a disaster plan for his rabbit. I don’t think this is such a bad idea — have you ever seen Bullwinkle? [Lowering the Bar] * The Middle Class is disappearing in the country. Why can’t we get a disaster plan for them like we have for that rabbit? [Lawyers, Guns & Money] * Patton Boggs is rebooting. Just like when a TV show adds a long-lost cousin in season 8, this isn’t a sign of weakness at all. [Politico] * President Obama, speaking of the Trayvon Martin case, notes: “There are very few African-American men in this country who haven’t had the experience of being followed when they are shopping at a department store. And that includes me.” See, he was uniquely prepared for the job of being followed by security guys EVERYWHERE. The difference, of course, is he knows these guys aren’t going to shoot him. [NBC Politics] * A Miami firm is suing LexisNexis for “deceptive” fees. If they’re going to litigate this case, they’d better hope their Westlaw bill is paid in full. [Miami New Times] * The reporter’s privilege had a bad day. After all that’s been revealed in the last couple months, let’s all agree it’s only newsworthy when the reporter’s privilege has a good day. [PrawfsBlawg] -
Bankruptcy, Crime, Guns / Firearms, Law Schools, Money, Racism, Student Loans, Violence
3 Legal Stories That Dominated the Week
The George Zimmerman verdict, Detroit's bankruptcy, and revisiting the "$1 million law degree" -
Education / Schools, Lawsuit of the Day, Minority Issues, Racism
Nursing Student Sues School After Complaining That Her Classmates Wouldn't Stop Speaking Spanish
Because in Arizona, anything discriminatory is possible.
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Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
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Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
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Law Schools, Nancy Grace, Non-Sequiturs, Politics, Racism
Non-Sequiturs: 07.17.13
* While “Stand Your Ground” only played a small role at the criminal trial, it can still loom large over a subsequent civil suit. [Time] * Nancy Grace summed up her objection to the Zimmerman verdict thusly: “Give Zimmerman back his life? He’s out on bond driving through Taco Bell every night, having a churro.” For some reason I couldn’t get this American Dad scene out of my head after hearing that. [Newsbusters] * The Twitterverse killed Juror B37′s book, but this article asks if that’s a good thing? For my part, it seems disturbing to profit off a civic duty like that, but on the other hand, it would’ve been interesting to get more insight into B37′s psyche now that the other jurors are calling her crazy. [The Read Zone] * How about some non-Zimmerman news? Ever wonder which firm is the most liberal and which is the most conservative? Here are the charts you need. [Excess of Democracy] * Incoming law students: Here’s a guide to building your law school wardrobe. Or more accurately, a networking wardrobe because you can basically wear pajamas to class. [Corporette] * Yale is offering a Ph.D. in law because there are so few lawyers with ample experience looking for academic jobs. In all seriousness, though, I think it would be worth it — there’s a study out there that says a Law Ph.D. is really worth $2 million! [Ramblings on Appeal] -
Crime, Minority Issues, Racism, Violence
Florida Lawmaker Stands His Ground Against Me Over 'Stand Your Ground' Law
I stand my ground for the maligned duty to retreat. -
Minority Issues, Racism, Wall Street
More Evidence That Black People Should Never Defend Themselves: This Time In New York City
If you are black in America, you better never fight back. -
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? -
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? -
Crime, Jury Duty, Minority Issues, O.J. Simpson, Racism, Trials, Violence
Will George Zimmerman Join O.J. Simpson In The Hunt For Real Killers?
As George Zimmerman walks free, who is happy about it? -
Crime, Jury Duty, Minority Issues, Racism, Trials, Violence
George Zimmerman: NOT GUILTY
George Zimmerman has been found not guilty. UPDATE (10:16 p.m.): Here are more details and commentary on the Zimmerman trial verdict.