Bureau of Labor Statistics

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 01.09.17

* "It's Washington's bloodsport. It's like the gladiator going into the arena and the public watching." Senator Jeff Sessions has been preparing for his confirmation hearing for U.S. attorney general since December, and he expects to be grilled on the same allegations of racism that precluded him from landing a federal judgeship in 1986. Something tells us that he won't have a similar problem this time around. [CNN] * "We are very pleased to announce that after extensive discussions with our regulators, we will be starting classes as scheduled." Charlotte School of Law will be reopening for the spring semester (albeit one day later than previously scheduled), but at this point in time, there's no word on whether students will be able to procure federal loans to finance the costs of attendance. How are these students supposed to pay? [Charlotte Observer] * According to the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the legal sector had a great month in December, adding 2,000 jobs and outpacing national figures for the month. All in all, the legal industry is up by 4,100 jobs since the start of 2016, but this is a far cry from where the numbers used to be prior to the recession. By that logic, the legal industry still down by 52,000 jobs since its high in 2007. [Am Law Daily] * On January 19, the justices of the Supreme Court will discuss whether they will take up the case to legalize polygamy being brought by the reality TV "Sister Wives" family. If they decide to grant certiorari, it will be the first time in more than 100 years that an issue of this kind will be reviewed by the high court. Just imagine the special episodes and the ratings extravaganza that could result from oral arguments. [FOX News] * IMDb.com doesn't care if celebrities don't want their true ages revealed online, so in the name of the First Amendment, the site is refusing to comply with a new California law that would require the removal of their age information upon demand. Instead of passing age discrimination laws, California has "chosen instead to chill free speech and to undermine access to factual information of public interest." [WSJ Law Blog]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 10.10.16

Ed. note: In honor of Columbus Day (and Canadian Thanksgiving), Above the Law will be on a reduced publication schedule today. We will be back in full force tomorrow. * NBC News was aware of Donald Trump's "grab 'em by the p*ssy" remarks days before they were made public, but the network's lawyers took so long to review the footage for fear of being sued by the presidential candidate that it was scooped on the story by another publication. The lewd footage was allowed to languish for nearly a week. [Washington Post] * Thanks to Donald Trump's latest scandal, the Republican National Committee has "an army of lawyers" exploring whether it would be possible to replace the party's presidential candidate with another nominee. What have they found? His cooperation would be necessary, and "[t]he fact remains that [Trump] can only be replaced if he quits or dies. And he’s declared ... he’s not planning on doing either." [POLITICO] * As our readers know well, the vast majority of New York's top law firms have raised first-year associate salaries to $180,000 from $160,000, but those new salaries will surely cut into the law firms' profits. How will they be able to make up for it? "Part of what makes this easier for law firms to absorb is that billable rates go up every year, and maybe this year they go up a little bit more than usual." [Crain's New York Business] * According to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the legal sector added about 400 jobs in September, with the biggest job gains coming in the form of management consulting, which seems fitting given the depressed demand for legal services right now. In case you were wondering, the legal profession would need to add around 55,000 jobs to return to pre-recession levels of employment. [Am Law Daily] * "His behavior was disturbing enough to warrant action...." A former Montana Law student was permanently barred from campus late last week after he returned to the school and allegedly disrupted a professor's class, prompting the dean to send out a warning email to the student body. A police officer was stationed outside the professor's classroom thereafter. We may have more on this story later today. [Missoulian] * Kenneth Thompson, Brooklyn District Attorney, RIP. [New York Law Journal]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 05.09.16

* Because he'd like to stop "freeriding on the services of Bryan Cave," Stephen DiCarmine, Dewey & LeBoeuf's former executive director, told a judge that he'd like to dump Austin Campriello as his lawyer and represent himself in the retrial of his criminal case. DiCarmine, a current textile design student, was warned that this likely wasn't a very wise choice on his part. [WSJ Law Blog] * Kaye Scholer's managing partner "wouldn't comment on any speculation or rumor," but word on the street is that his firm and Arnold & Porter may potentially be discussing a possible merger. Information related to this merger is really just a game of Biglaw telephone at this point. Let us know if you have any credible details. [Big Law Business] * This seems like the plotline of a reality TV series: A trial date has been set for one of the three Trump University lawsuits, and if all goes according to plan for likely Republican nominee Donald Trump, it looks like we may have a president-elect taking the witness stand to testify about allegations related to fraud before his inauguration. [CBS News] * Just in time for law school commencement ceremonies, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has some depressing news about employment statistics. In April, the legal services sector lost 1,500 jobs. Thus far, the only month in 2016 when jobs were added in the legal services sector was March. Well... this really isn't very encouraging. [Am Law Daily] * "It's been one step forward, two steps back since [2009]." The job market for law school grads is still challenging, but due to the fact that class sizes are smaller now, job prospects may seem a bit brighter for some. Are things really looking up? This John Marshall Law grad -- with a job! -- thinks things are going to be fine. [Chicago Tribune]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 04.04.16

* "Say you'll remember me, standing in a black robe, waiting for a hearing, babe. Begging the SJC, say you will confirm me, even if it's just in my wildest dreams, ah-ha ohh." SCOTUS nominee Judge Merrick Garland has something in common with an overwhelming number of teenage girls: he loves Taylor Swift sing-alongs. That's cute! [People] * "A judge does not check his First Amendment rights at the courthouse door." Judge Olu Stevens has filed suit against the Kentucky Judicial Conduct Commission on free-speech grounds in an attempt to stave off an ethics sanction for publicly commenting on Facebook about all-white juries and their "disproportionate and disparate impact on black defendants." [Courier-Journal] * Hardly any partners leave Cravath, but a very important one just did, and his exit is making people talk. Scott Barshay, once a top M&A partner at the firm that tends to set the associate bonus scale, has defected to Paul Weiss, where he'll become its global head of M&A. Which clients will he take to the "dream team"? [DealBook / New York Times] * This plaintiff's antitrust allegations against Uber's CEO may be "wildly implausible" and representative of an "impossibly unwieldy conspiracy," but in Judge Jed Rakoff's eyes, they were enough to overcome a motion to dismiss that was filed by Boies Schiller. Something tells us Uber's legal bills are going to see some surge-pricing. [WSJ Law Blog] * Per a study by Ravel Law, in a new index that tracks federal judges by their rulings and subsequent citations to those rulings, Michigan produces the most influential judges on the federal bench, followed by Chicago, Harvard, and Yale. Harvard has finally gotten one over on Yale -- but for a measly bronze trophy. [Crain's Detroit Business] * According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the legal sector gained 1,200 jobs in March. On top of that positive news, February's numbers were revised from a loss of 1,500 jobs to a gain of 100 jobs. In any case, what with the huge discrepancy, we're happy to see Dewey's bookkeepers found new work. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 03.08.16

* This peeping Tom better have a big bankroll: A jury awarded sportscaster Erin Andrews $55 million in her case against a stalker who recorded unauthorized nude videos of her in a hotel. Defense attorneys seem peeved that she won since her "career skyrocketed" and wasn't completely destroyed by the incident. [NBC News] * "[W]e are sort of reaching the height of the most frustrating part of this process for those of you who are trying to cover it." Even if the judges purportedly being vetted for a Supreme Court nomination had visited the White House to speak with President Obama, the public would never know it thanks to the strict secrecy protocols involved. [CNN] * Despite the fact that most Supreme Court justices don't themselves read the numerous amicus curiae briefs filed in support of the cases being heard before the high court, according to a new study, it takes an "amicus machine" -- including amicus wranglers and whisperers -- and a lot of hard work to get them into shape. [New York Times] * Uh-oh... some 4-4 ideological splits may be in our future this Term. In the wake of Justice Scalia's death, Justice Alito and Justice Thomas seem to have decided to team up to stabilize the Supreme Court's conservative wing, joining in each other's dissents from the majority's unsigned opinions in otherwise routine matters. [WSJ Law Blog] * February may have been a great month for those with Leap Day birthdays, but it was pretty terrible for the legal profession. Per the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics figures, 1,500 jobs were lost last month. In other news, we've not yet fully recovered from the recession in terms of employment numbers. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg BNA]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 02.08.16

* Remember Kent and Jill Easter, the married lawyers who planted bags of weed and pills in the car of Kelli Peters, a PTA volunteer at their son's school? Kent's law license was suspended, Jill was disbarred, they're now divorced, and to top it all off, a jury recently awarded Peters $5.7M in her case against them. [Orange County Register] * The horror! The horror! Not only did Marco Rubio get his ass handed to him during this weekend's Republican debate, but it turns out he's accused of having been a law firm lobbyist for Florida firms Becker & Poliakoff and Broad and Cassel. [BuzzFeed News] * A proposed ABA resolution that local bar groups think has to do with non-lawyer ownership of law firms -- they're not entirely sure, of course -- is making the hair stand up on the back of attorneys' necks. What could possibly go wrong? [WSJ Law Blog] * Career alternatives for attorneys law school deans: David Yellen, dean of Loyola Law - Chicago for more than a decade (and former ATL columnist), will be leaving the law school game to assume the presidency at Marist College. [Poughkeepsie Journal] * Applications may be down at Yale Law School when compared to prior years, but administrators aren't exactly concerned about it. Come on, get real: It's Yale, and the law school "still [has] more qualified applicants than [it] can accept." [Yale Daily News] * According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the legal profession celebrated the New Year by shedding 1,400 jobs. Don't worry, 2016 graduates, there's still a chance the job market could improve, but we'll have to wait it out. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg BNA] * Miriam Cedarbaum, longtime federal judge of the S.D.N.Y., RIP. [New York Times]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 12.07.15

* "People who have a dream of going to law school should go into it with their eyes wide open." In case you haven't heard, not all of the law school lawsuits were dismissed; in fact, one of them filed against Thomas Jefferson School of Law is going to trial in March. [ABC News] * Dewey know which D&L defendant will likely be able to escape a retrial? It seems that Steven Davis, the failed firm's former chairman, may find himself on the receiving end of a deferred prosecution agreement instead. [DealBook / New York Times] * At this point, it's anyone's best guess as to what the future of net neutrality may be: The FCC's latest proposal for equal treatment of internet traffic apparently left a bad taste in the D.C. Circuit's mouth during oral arguments at a recent hearing. [WSJ Law Blog] * Baker & McKenzie used to be the largest law firm in the world before Dentons arrived on the scene, but now it's got its eyes on expansion in a territory that the Biglaw behemoth hasn't completely claimed: the United States. [Crain's Chicago Business] * Give thanks, because according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the legal sector added 600 jobs last month. If you've got a job on your Christmas wish list, Santa just might deliver one to you this year. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg BNA]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 11.09.15

* On Friday night, Judge Julie Kocurek, the presiding felony judge for Travis County, Texas, was shot outside her home. Her condition has been upgraded from critical to stable, and some say that she may have been a target of retaliation. We may have more on this terrible news later today. [American-Statesman] * Apparently it takes podcast stardom to get a post-conviction hearing these days: A Maryland judge has agreed to reopen the case against Adnan Syed, the man whose murder conviction received an in-depth look during the first season of "Serial." [CNN] * Per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the legal sector added 700 jobs in October, bringing the industry to its highest level of employment all year. Don't get too excited -- we're still a long way from reaching pre-recession era glory. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg BNA] * It took almost 10 years without putting anyone to death, but California has finally proposed a one-drug alternative to its three-drug lethal injection protocol after it was struck down as unconstitutional in 2006. Was this worth the wait? [WSJ Law Blog] * Following a much-deserved public excoriation from our very own Elie Mystal, Mizzou Law's Student Bar Association has decided to do away with its absurd social media policy. In a media statement, the SBA even agreed that it was "poorly written." [Huffington Post]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 08.10.15

* Hot on the heels of the news that the majority of students enrolled in California's "failure factories" unaccredited law schools drop out before graduation, legislators are pushing for the state bar to do something about it before even more prospective students are conned. [Los Angeles Times] * Robots will be coming for your jobs more quickly now thanks to the largest law firm in the world. Dentons invested an untold sum in Ross, an app that will inevitably replace first-year lawyers by utilizing super computer Watson's artificial intelligence to perform legal research. [Globe and Mail] * Slowly but surely, the legal industry is making a comeback in terms of headcount. Sure, the entire profession is only employing 3,500 more people now than it was at this time last year (sorry about that, law school grads), but it's still an improvement. [Am Law Daily] * Just because it doesn't look like the Securities and Exchange Commission has been doing anything doesn't mean that lawyers at the agency have been twiddling their thumbs. They've got some major things in the works, they swear. [DealBook / New York Times] * "I wonder how it feels to save the life of a mass murderer? Good job." In a shocking verdict, convicted Colorado movie theater shooter James Holmes was sentenced to life in prison. All it took was one holdout juror to take the death penalty off the table. [Reuters]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 07.07.15

* Vikram Amar, the incoming dean of the University of Illinois College of Law, says that he demanded a pay cut before taking the job to help make legal education more affordable for students. The piddling amount of money he'll be sacrificing will absolutely infuriate you. [WSJ Law Blog] * When law firms break up and partners attack, it can sometimes be pretty entertaining (and a little sad, all at the same time). In this case, former partners have accused each other of being mentally unstable and going online shopping for hours instead of practicing law. [Daily Business Review] * In case you don't remember the law school lawsuits about deceptive employment stats, some of them are still alive and kicking. One of the last surviving suits against Widener Law was recently denied class certification. [New Jersey Law Journal via ABA Journal] * Per Altman Weil MergerLine, 2015 is on pace to be a record year for law firm mergers. Statements like this have been made since the recession, but this time, it's the highest number of mergers recorded in the company's history. [Crain's Cleveland Business] * According to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the legal sector lost 800 jobs in June. That's not exactly a comforting thought for those of you who are studying for the bar exam and don't have a job lined up yet. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg BNA]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 06.08.15

* After a particularly bootylicious performance in Morocco that was aired on live TV, singer Jennifer Lopez is facing a lawsuit which alleges that she “disturbed public order and tarnished women’s honor and respect.” Her first affirmative defense: Dat ass tho. [Newsweek] * Our congratulations go out to Texas Supreme Court Justice Don R. Willett (@JusticeWillett) for achieving the rare and prestigious honor of being recognized as the “Tweeter Laureate of #Texas." Way to dole out judicial wit and humor 140 characters at a time, Your Honor. [WSJ Law Blog] * Howrey gonna pay our creditors if we can't cash in on unfinished business? A judge recently overturned this failed firm's bankruptcy court win, noting that since "[t]he law firm defendants performed the work; they deserve the pay." [Dow Jones Business News] * Sorry, job hunters, but despite what you may have heard about the boom years being back, the legal job market is stuck in a "pattern of anemic growth," and it's been that way since the Great Recession. Please give your mother our condolences. [Am Law Daily] * It's only a matter of time before the majority of U.S. states legalize marijuana, and Illinois may be the next in line to do so. If you're thinking about joining the green rush and want to learn more, come to our marijuana law reception next week. [Chicago Tribune]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 03.10.15

* "While some argue that going to law school is still a safe bet, little evidence exists to support this position." This law professor thinks law schools are in a "death spiral," and that a "top" school may soon be in danger of closing. Uh oh! Which one could it possibly be? [Washington Post] * "Rascal was the perfect law student because he never missed a class. If Rascal was asked a question he never said 'pass.'" In 1937, Samford's Cumberland School of Law graduated its first and only dog. In 2015, dogs bark and howl at Samford because of its new U.S. News rank. [Alabama.com] * "You do not need to have a law degree to understand how troubling this is." Politicians are pissed at Hillary Clinton over the email scandal she got herself into at the State Department, but it turns out she technically obeyed the law. [National Law Journal] * Why do law firms fail? Dean Frank Wu of UC Hastings Law thinks that it's because "[s]mart people overestimate the importance of being a smart person" -- that is, your firm can still flop even if its lawyers are the best lawyers in the world. [Huffington Post] * According to the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, after two months of soul-sucking declines in the market, the legal sector gained 3,100 jobs in February. Wow, we only need 40,000 more jobs until all of last year's class is employed. [Am Law Daily]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 02.09.15

* People keep asking Justice Ginsburg how many women she thinks will be "enough" for the SCOTUS bench, and she keeps giving us the same amazing answer. Flip the page to find out what the Notorious R.B.G. thinks. [Mother Jones] * Law school deans gone wild! From sex scandals to rankings rumpuses, here's a look at the crazy and sometimes criminal activities that law school administrators and faculty members have been accused of over the years. [National Law Journal] * "That’s it. Case dismissed. Your behavior is contemptuous." Adriana Ferreyr, the on-again, off-again girlfriend of George Soros who filed a $50 million lawsuit over a $2 million apartment, allegedly went "berserk" in court... yet again. [Dealbreaker] * The job market would like to wish the legal profession a very unhappy New Year. According to the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the legal sector lost 1,400 jobs in January, with overall jobs down by 4,500 since last year. [Am Law Daily] * "I felt like my head was just mush inside, and I thought, 'I’m dying.'" Mary Margaret Farren, the former Skadden attorney who survived her ex-husband's brutal attack on her life, recounts the flashlight bludgeoning that nearly killed her. [ABC News] * Is there no relief in sight for law schools? Moody's says: "This continued decrease in student demand is consistent with our belief that the legal industry is experiencing a fundamental shift rather than a cyclical trend." [Indianapolis Business Journal] (Flip to the next page to see how many women Justice Ginsburg thinks SCOTUS needs.) http://youtu.be/vJs1H5tQlDc

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 12.08.14

* A student at Barry Law claims someone stole her phone and used it to call an African-American blogger an N-word on Instagram. We'll have more on this believable story later. [Miami Herald] * Mark Wahlberg wants to be pardoned for a crime committed before he was known as Marky Mark. He should also consider asking to be pardoned for The Happening and Planet of the Apes. [CNN] * The job market was flat last month, and in 2014, the legal sector lost 3,000 jobs. Don't worry, you'll get a job eventually, per the hopes and prayers of your career services employees. [Am Law Daily] * Shine bright like A. Diamond: Howrey's bankruptcy trustee says he'll have a confirmed creditor-repayment plan "well before" the end of next year. [WSJ Law Blog] * iF*ckedUp? The last named plaintiff in the Apple iPod class action may not have bought an iPod during the time period at issue in the suit. [Bits / New York Times] * We suppose that with new tech comes new logos, because Covington & Burling is dropping the "& Burling" for global branding purposes. [National Law Journal] * David Lat, ATL's founder and managing editor, doesn't "think [he's] defamed anyone" in his book, Supreme Ambitions (aff. link). Yay! We'll have more on this later. [New York Times]

By Staci Zaretsky