Supreme Court
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Clarence Thomas, SCOTUS, Sexual Harassment, Supreme Court, Weirdness
Ginni Thomas Sets the Bar for the Most Bizarre Thing Ever Done by the Spouse of a Sitting Supreme Court Justice
As I tweeted last night, and we mentioned in Morning Docket earlier today, this Ginni Thomas story is the most ridiculous thing ever. In case you’ve been excommunicated from the internet all day, here’s what happened. Virginia Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, called up Anita Hill — the woman Justice Thomas allegedly […] -
Elena Kagan, Eyes of the Law, Federal Judges, Food, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
The Eyes of the Law: Justices Eat Pizza Too
Here’s a fun little judicial sight-ation from the weekend. On Saturday night, at around 9 p.m., Justice Elena Kagan was spotted in the elevator of the luxury apartment building in downtown D.C. that she calls home. According to our tipster, Justice Kagan was wearing “mom jeans.” And carrying a pizza. The 112th justice of the […] - 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… -
Abortion, Politics, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Christine O'Donnell Pulls a Palin and Flubs a SCOTUS Question
Delaware Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell may not be a witch, but she won’t be mistaken for a legal scholar either. In last night’s debate, when asked by moderator Nancy Karibjanian to name a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision with which she disagrees, O’Donnell came up empty. After Karibjanian noted the important responsibility that senators have […]
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Politics, Quote of the Day, Samuel Alito, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Quote of the Day: It's More Fun to Watch at Home Anyway
I doubt that I will be there in January. — Justice Samuel Alito, making a humorous and self-deprecating reference to the last time he attended the State of the Union, in response to an audience question after he delivered this year’s Wriston Lecture at the Manhattan Institute. -
Clerkships, Fabulosity, Federal Judges, Feeder Judges, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Supreme Court Clerks
Supreme Court Clerk Hiring Watch: Over Half of October Term 2011 Clerks Have Been Hired
With a new Term underway, the Supreme Court geeks among you might want to check out, and sign up for, FantasySCOTUS. You can read about it here and register here. (There’s also an educational version for the kiddies.) The SCOTUS geeks among you might also be interested in the continued action on the law clerk […] -
Fashion, Fashion Is Fun, Quote of the Day, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Washington Post
Quote of the Day: Actually, That Would Be Fabulous
[W]ouldn’t we be perturbed if a justice decided that a little rhinestone trim along the sleeves would be quite nice? Or what if a justice decided that a mink collar would be quite lovely in the winter? — Robin Givhan, fashion critic of the Washington Post, opining on Supreme Court fashion. -
Anthony Kennedy, Money, Politics, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Money's Assault on American Politics Is Well Underway -- Thanks to the Psychological Effects of Citizens United
I hope Anthony Kennedy is happy. It’s Justice Kennedy’s world now, and we’re all just playing by the rules he lays down. Despite all the talking points you may have heard about how Citizens United really isn’t that big of a deal, what Justice Kennedy calls speech is flooding American politics ahead of this November’s […] -
Clarence Thomas, Clerkships, Elena Kagan, Feeder Judges, John Roberts, Politics, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Supreme Court Clerks
Supreme Court Clerk Hiring Watch: New Term, New Hires
Monday, October 4, marked the start of a new Supreme Court Term — October Term 2010, to be more specific. It also marked the first day of oral arguments for the newest member of the Court — Lady Kaga, aka Associate Justice Elena Kagan. As Justice White famously observed, a new justice makes a new […] - 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. -
Anthony Kennedy, Gay Marriage, Quote of the Day, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Quote of the Day: Already Working on His Gay Marriage Opinion?
[A]ll of us in a pluralistic society have components to our identity; we are Republicans or Democrats, we are Christians or atheists, we are single or married, we are old or young. — Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, waxing poetic at oral argument in Snyder v. Phelps (via Jan Crawford). -
Clerkships, Neal Katyal, SCOTUS, Solicitor General's Office, Supreme Court, Supreme Court Clerks
Quote of the Day: Except Baristas Don't Get 'Venti' Bonuses
[T]hat’s how law clerks are hired. That’s how baristas at Starbucks are hired. You have to ask these open-ended questions because as an employer, you don’t really know… where the pressure points or danger spots in an individual application are. — Acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal, comparing hiring law clerks to hiring Starbucks baristas, during […] -
Linda Greenhouse, Quote of the Day, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Quote of the Day: Yes, Even in the Legal Profession
[A] résumé need not be destiny. — Linda Greenhouse, former Supreme Court correspondent for the New York Times, discussing the Roberts Court. -
Anna Nicole Smith, Boutique Law Firms, Celebrities, Holland & Knight, Hotties, Orin Kerr, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
The Estate of Ms. Smith Goes to Washington (Again)
Anna Nicole Smith: her candle burned out long before her legend ever did. And the great beauty’s legend continues to grow, over three years after her untimely death in February 2007, as litigation involving her estate contributes to the development of a rich body of law regarding bankruptcy and probate law — in a tribunal […] -
Biglaw, Clarence Thomas, Federal Government, Litigators, Litigatrix, Musical Chairs, Office of Legal Counsel, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Supreme Court Clerks
Musical Chairs: From Supreme Court Clerk to Winston & Strawn Partner
A Supreme Court clerkship is, in the words of Adam Liptak of the New York Times, “the most coveted credential in American law.” When SCOTUS clerks leave their posts at the Court to join private law firms, they get signing bonuses of as much as $250,000 (on top of normal associate salaries and bonuses). But […]
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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…
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Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
How to best leverage generative AI as an early adopter with ethical use.
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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…
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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.
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The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
ChatGPT ushers in the age of generative AI – even for law firms.
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Books, Federal Judges, Jeffrey Rosen, Quote of the Day, SCOTUS, Stephen Breyer, Supreme Court
Quote of the Day: Judicial Restraint?
As for doing what I like, I never do what I like! Ask my wife Joanna…. — Justice Stephen Breyer, rejecting the notion that unelected judges can do whatever they want, at an event at the New York Public Library to promote his new book, Making Democracy Work: A Judge’s View. -
Adam Liptak, New York Times, Politics, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Supreme Court Clerks
Supreme Court Clerk Hiring: Is It Becoming More Political?
Today’s New York Times has a meaty and interesting front-page article about political ideology and Supreme Court clerk hiring. The piece, written by SCOTUS correspondent Adam Liptak, reminded us a lot of one that Liptak wrote last year (which we discussed here). But since there’s no such thing as too much talk about The Elect, […] -
10th Circuit, Eugene Volokh, Religion, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Utah
Crosses Memorializing Dead State Troopers in Utah Ruled Unconstitutional
Today the Tenth Circuit told the state of Utah that it could no longer erect crosses by the side of the highway memorializing state troopers who have died. The WSJ Law Blog excerpts this part of the opinion in American Atheists, Inc. v. Duncan (PDF): “This may lead the reasonable observer to fear that Christians […] -
Clerkships, Elena Kagan, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Supreme Court Clerks
Supreme Court Clerk Hiring Watch: Justice Kagan's Clerks!
As of yesterday, Justice Elena Kagan had not hired her four law clerks for October Term 2010, as reported by Tony Mauro in the National Law Journal. But that was then, and this is now. Justice Kagan, who was sworn in on Saturday, isn’t wasting any time in getting her chambers up and running. Lady […] -
Elena Kagan, Martha Minow, Politics, SCOTUS, Senate Judiciary Committee, Solicitor General's Office, Sonia Sotomayor, Supreme Court
Congratulations to Associate Justice Elena Kagan!
This should not come as a huge surprise, but Solicitor General Elena Kagan was just confirmed by the Senate as to be the 112th justice of the United States Supreme Court. Kagan, the first woman to serve as Solicitor General, is the fourth woman ever to serve on the Court. CORRECTION: I replaced “as” with […] -
Death Penalty, Gregory Garre, New York Times, Pro Bono, SCOTUS, Screw-Ups, Supreme Court
Sullivan & Cromwell's Mailroom of Death: A Law Firm's Error Could Cost a Man His Life
Last year, we covered a mistake made in a death penalty case by the white-shoe firm of Sullivan & Cromwell. It was a noteworthy development because of the rarity of the occurrence — S&C doesn’t often make mistakes, at least not ones as elementary as missing a deadline — and because of the stakes involved. […] -
Clerkships, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Supreme Court Clerks
Supreme Court Clerk Hiring Watch: Into OT 2011 We Go(Plus information about SCOTUS clerk signing bonuses.)
Apologies for the tardiness. We’re a little late on this; we promised you a Supreme Court clerk hiring update last week. But we suspect that Above the Law readers, unlike the Clerk of Court at One First Street, are willing to accept a late filing. In an earlier post, we also asked for information about […]