8th Circuit
-
8th Circuit
What A Load Of Bologna! 1st Amendment Doesn't Protect Absolute Right To Feed The Homeless
My Bologna has a first name, it's S P E E C H! -
Courts
Eighth Circuit Judges Won't Respect Pronouns Because They Lack Writing Skills, Common Decency
It's honestly not difficult. - Sponsored
Document Automation For Law Firms: The Definitive Guide
Legal document automation is no longer only for the exclusive few. -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 10.14.18
* Adam Feldman examines the historical record to look at how Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s brutal confirmation process could affect his jurisprudence. [Empirical SCOTUS]
* And Joel Cohen looks at how Justice Kavanaugh’s confirmation fight might affect his judging of the accused. [Law and Crime]
* Meanwhile, David Oscar Markus argues that criminal defendants in federal court get treated much worse than Justice Kavanaugh. [The Hill]
* Jemele Hill points out the support and sympathy for Justice Kavanaugh from a possibly surprising quarter: African-American men. [The Atlantic]
* Packing the Supreme Court? There ought to be a constitutional amendment about that, Jim Lindgren says. [Volokh Conspiracy / Reason]
* In fact, is it time for progressives to fight against, rather than within, the courts? Howard Wasserman offers thoughts on the recent Slate debate between Daniel Hemel and Christopher Jon Sprigman. [PrawfsBlawg]
* Patrick Gregory reports on the latest controversy in the world of lower-court nominations: the ABA’s “not qualified” rating of Eighth Circuit nominee Jonathan Kobes. [Big Law Business]
* Edmund Zagorski has multiple legal challenges to his execution (which is now on hold); former federal defender Stephen Cooper looks at the one based on the method of execution. [Tennessean]
* Congratulations to Pedro Hernandez on the dismissal of his case — and to his counsel, Alex Spiro of Quinn Emanuel, on the great result.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2YPLmtwkug
-
Courts
President Trump's Eleventh Wave Of Judicial Nominees
Look for more confirmations in the very near future. -
Courts
The Latest And Greatest In President Trump's Judicial Nominations (Part 2)
President Trump just announced his tenth wave of judicial nominees -- who are they? -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 11.01.17
* “Nothing about recent events or any of these actions of the special counsel has altered the president’s determination to support the special counsel and fully cooperate and that is where we are,” said White House lawyer Ty Cobb, twirling his mustache as he presumably wondered how to extricate himself from this situation. [Big Law Business]
* An Akin Gump partner who initially refused to testify before the grand jury in Paul Manafort’s case was ordered to do so under the “crime fraud” exception to attorney-client privilege. She’s (understandably) not responding to media requests for comment at this time. She’s already said her fair share. [National Law Journal]
* The American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary gave Eighth Circuit nominee Leonard Steven Grasz, who happens to be a Husch Blackwell partner, a “not qualified” rating because its members were concerned he wouldn’t be able to follow precedent due to his “passionately-held social agenda.” [ABA Journal]
* Foley & Lardner is in merger talks with Gardere Wynne Sewell. Last we heard, the firm was in merger talks with New York boutique Friedman Kaplan Seiler & Adelman. While the firm claims that a final decision on the merger hasn’t been made yet, they’ve already set up a new website. That’s probably just a coincidence. [Am Law Daily]
* Speaking of mergers, the one between Womble Carlyle and Bond Dickinson is now official, and the combined firm, Womble Bond Dickinson, is now one of the world’s 100 largest. More than 1,000 lawyers work for the new firm across 24 offices in the U.S. and U.K. As with most mergers, some layoffs could be ahead. [Chronicle Live]
-
Federal Judges, Politics
Obstructing Judicial Confirmations: Two (Or Three, Or More) Wrongs Don't Make A Right
Is it time to bury the hatchet when it comes to judicial confirmations? -
Federal Judges, Politics
The Trump Train -- Of Federal Judicial Nominations -- Rolls On
Congratulations and good luck to the next ten judicial nominees. - Sponsored
Profit Powerhouse: Elevating Law Firm Financial Performance
In this CLE-eligible webinar on April 10th, we’ll explore the most common accounting pitfalls and how to avoid them for your firm. -
Federal Judges, Politics
Circuit Court Nominees In The Trump Administration: The Latest News And Rumor (Part 2)
These highly qualified women and men should be swiftly confirmed to the federal bench. -
Federal Judges, Politics
The Latest Legal Luminaries Nominated For Federal Judgeships By President Trump
Prominent conservatives are hailing this latest slate as "a fantastic list." -
Federal Judges, Politics
More Judicial Nominations From The Trump Administration
We were right about a number of nominees; let's look ahead to the next batch. -
Federal Judges, Politics
Circuit Court Nominees In The Trump Administration: A Nationwide Round-Up
Names, names, and more names, for federal judgeships around the country. -
8th Circuit
Eighth Circuit Pollution-Exclusion Opinion: A Cautionary Tale For Natural Gas Industry
The interpretation and application of a pollution exclusion in a commercial general liability policy is often a fact-specific and jurisdiction-specific exercise.
Sponsored
Are Small Firms Going Big On Legal Tech?
Profit Powerhouse: Elevating Law Firm Financial Performance
How AI Is The Catalyst For Reshaping Every Aspect Of Legal Work
Sponsored
Document Automation For Law Firms: The Definitive Guide
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
-
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 04.15.16
* Pharmacists are hoping the Supreme Court will allow them to stop upholding the law. [Bloomberg BNA]
* The University of Mississippi tried to contextualize a Confederate statue on its campus. It failed. Miserably. [Lawyers, Guns and Money]
* The phenomenon of rap lyrics being used against criminal defendants in court. [Genius]
* Yes, you may be an educated professional, but social media can still be hard. [Med City News]
* The evidence is mounting: basic legal services may soon stop being the province of lawyers in favor of tech solutions. Can anything be done to stop the future? [Law and More]
* The Eighth Circuit may not be happy about it, but North Dakota is paying a settlement over its overly restrictive abortions laws. [Slate]
* Don’t forget, the deadline is Monday at 5pm! We are taking submissions for ATL’s annual Law Revue Contest. Deadline is April 18th. [Above the Law]
* The University of Mississippi tried to contextualize a Confederate statue on its campus. It failed. Miserably. [Lawyers, Guns and Money]* The phenomenon of rap lyrics being used against criminal defendants in court. [Genius]
* Yes, you may be an educated professional, but social media can’t still be hard. [Med City News]
* The evidence is mounting: basic legal services may soon stop being the province of lawyers in favor of tech solutions. Can anything be done to stop the future? [Law and More]
* The Eighth Circuit may not be happy about it, but North Dakota is paying a settlement over its overly restrictive abortions laws. [Slate]
* Don’t forget, the deadline is Monday at 5pm! We are taking submission for ATL’s annual Law Revue Contest. Deadline is April 18th. [Above the Law]
-
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 08.28.15
* Police can shoot beanbags from drones. Oh good, that doesn’t sound like a recipe for abuse at all. [Ars Technica] * Lawyers for Steven Davis move to dismiss as the prosecution rests. Dewey think the judge will laugh this motion out of court? You know, I hate the “Dewey” jokes but they are kind […]
-
8th Circuit, Benchslaps, Federal Judges, Litigators, Quote of the Day
Benchslap Of The Day: Hot Stuff Gets A Sick Burn
A lesson in what NOT to do when filing a reply brief. -
8th Circuit, Bill Clinton, Constitutional Law, Elena Kagan, Federal Government, Federal Judges, Judicial Nominations, Politics, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
How Health Concerns Dashed A Judge's Supreme Court Dreams
Which distinguished lower-court judge came extremely close to landing a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court? -
8th Circuit, Football, Gay, Law Professors, Law Schools, Non-Sequiturs, Prisons, Television
Non-Sequiturs: 08.19.14
* They’re making The Devil’s Advocate into a TV show. That is all. [io9] * Lingerie brand is suing its former lawyer for screwing up its patent filing. What a boob. [NY Post] * Chris Kluwe and the Minnesota Vikings have reached a settlement to avoid potential embarrassment. Now if only they could reach settlement with the Packers for the same reason. [NBC Sports] * The world of raising hogs meets the Eighth Circuit. The fifth “H” stands for what the hell? [The Legal Geeks] * Shares in Taser have gone up 25 percent since Michael Brown’s shooting. Oh, remember Taser? The company that makes a product that stops fleeing suspects without executing them? Looks like the market is expecting a sea change in how police do business. [Lawyers, Guns & Money] * Jesus. A teenager who waited in jail for three years pending trial died in solitary confinement at Rikers Island when his heart exploded. A new lawsuit alleges that the prison just ignored the condition. So much for innocent until proven guilty. [Gawker] * A new study undermines the myth that the gender imbalance in tenure is not related to productivity. But hey, who cares, tenure is passé according to Laurence Tribe. [Inside Higher Ed h/t TaxLaw Prof] * When times are tough, lawyers are denying their law degrees in job applications. No matter how hard you pretend, your debt isn’t going away. [Law and More] -
8th Circuit, Baseball, Dahlia Lithwick, Daily Show, Football, Gay, Law Schools, Non-Sequiturs, SCOTUS, Student Loans, Supreme Court
Non-Sequiturs: 07.15.14
* There’s a company with no revenue and no profit run out of Belize with a $6 billion market cap. And this lawyer might be the reason why. [Fortune] * The discrimination claim brought by former professor Teresa Wagner against the University of Iowa College of Law must be retried. Congrats, Teresa! Celebrate with a round of shots. [Iowa Appeals] * Chris Kluwe intends to sue the Minnesota Vikings. He has a good chance because the Vikings can't beat anybody. [Sports Illustrated] * Judge Judy is suing a lawyer over advertisements. [ABA Journal] * A-Rod is being sued by his lawyer for $380,000 in unpaid bills. Life’s hard for multimillionaires when the income stream is temporarily suspended. [NY Daily News] * Breaking up is hard to do. But it doesn’t have to be difficult to dissolve a law firm ethically if you follow this advice. Dewey know anyone who could have used this advice earlier? [Legal Talk Network] * Indiana Tech law school is in desperation mode. Who would have seen this coming? [Third Tier Reality] * The horrors of law school debt are becoming more obvious even to non-students. [Law School Lemmings] * Jon Stewart chats with Dahlia Lithwick about the Supreme Court. Embed after the jump…. [The Daily Show] -
8th Circuit, Biglaw, Celebrities, Law Firm Mergers, Law Professors, Law Schools, Morning Docket, Movies, Murder, Sexual Harassment, Small Law Firms, Trials, Wall Street
Morning Docket: 04.08.14
* The Eighth Circuit axed a $900K jury award after a lawyer recounted her tale of sexual harassment by a law professor at Drake University Law during closing arguments. Well, that sucks, but we’d really love to know which professor this was. [ABA Journal]
* If flat is the new up, then mergers must be the new growth. The new year is upon us, and law firms are on track to either meet or break the merger record set in 2013. Thus far, 22 firms have announced mergers or acquisitions in 2014. [Washington Post]
* A lawyer in Minnesota who’s been in trouble with the bar quite a few times was recently charged with setting his girlfriend on fire. Yikes, someone’s way too excited about the Fargo mini-series. [Star-Tribune]
* Oscar Pistorius took the stand in his murder trial yesterday, revealing that when he killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, he was really trying to protect her. This case gives us the sads. 🙁 [New York Times]
* Sorry we’re not sorry about the toupee: Paramount wants this Wolf of Wall Street suit dismissed since it’s undeniable the plaintiff was part of “bizarre travesty that was Stratton Oakmont.” [Hollywood Reporter]