Death Penalty

Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 07.05.16

* Tips from a Biglaw partner on balancing work and motherhood. [Big Law Business] * But not everyone thinks that Biglaw is conducive to balancing family life with work. [Law and More] * Which attorneys were most victorious at oral argument in front of the Supreme Court this Term? [Empirical SCOTUS] * Legal pot growers have a looming battle with the IRS. [Slate] * Is now the time to end the death penalty? [Guile is Good] * RIP, Judge Abner Mikva, whose career also included work as a U.S. congressman from Illinois, White House counsel to President Bill Clinton, and mentor to Barack Obama. He died this 4th of July. [Washington Post]

By Kathryn Rubino
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 07.01.16

Ed. note: In observance of the Fourth of July, Above the Law will not be publishing on Monday. Have a great weekend! * The little known religious history behind America's seal. Separation of church and state be damned. [Wall Street Journal] * Fireworks are super pretty to look at, but dangerous. So be careful out there. [Southeast Missourian] * 5 prosecutors are responsible for 440 death sentences. That is incredibly disturbing. [The Guardian] * U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves blocked a Mississippi law that would allow those with religious objections to deny wedding services to gay couples. Good to see the concept of precedent in action. [Reuters] * Republican delegates can do... pretty much whatever they want to. It is a political issue, not a legal one. [Huffington Post] * It is shockingly easy for the government to spy on journalists. [The Intercept] * Lawyer that sued Led Zeppelin is suspended. [MSN] * Donald Trump is definitely coming to Pennsylvania Avenue (he's building a hotel there). [Denver Channel]

By Kathryn Rubino
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 06.10.16

* Lawsuits matter: in the wake of the $140 million verdict against it in the Hulk Hogan sex tape case, Gawker Media is filing for bankruptcy and putting itself up for sale. [Gawker] * Declaratory judgment: according to Judge Brett Kavanaugh, Judging Statutes (affiliate link), by fellow feeder judge Robert Katzmann, is "a pleasure to read," "succinct," and "educational." [Harvard Law Review] * SCOTUS sez: a judge shouldn't hear an appeal in a death penalty case that he worked on as a prosecutor. [How Appealing] * Speaking of the Supreme Court, Gabe Roth of Fix the Court makes the case in favor of mandatory retirement for the justices. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch] * Worst fellow airplane passenger ever (yes, even worse than the drunken law firm partner). [U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit] * 9 "Musts" for Privacy & Data Security Risk Management and Compliance. [Legaltech News]

By David Lat
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 05.26.16

* Did you know Virginia allows people with only a bachelor's degree to be magistrates? And they are the ones approving search warrants. [Katz on Justice] * Domino's Pizza is the latest target of Eric Schneiderman, and the pizza chain is accused of discounting the hours employees have worked. [Pacific Standard Magazine] * One way to avoid law firm layoffs is to totally restructure the way law firms operate. [Bloomberg BNA] * What does one do when they retire from the Supreme Court? [SCOTUSblog] * How much do Supreme Court justices interrupt each other? An interesting analysis. [Empirical SCOTUS] * The Baston rule and the integrity of the criminal justice system. [Slate] * The repeal of Connecticut's death penalty will now apply to the men currently on death row. [Huffington Post]

By Kathryn Rubino
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By Barbri
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 05.25.16

* Sorry to ruin your childhood, but a Pennsylvania judge found that there is enough evidence for Bill Cosby to stand trial for his felony assault charge in the Andrea Constand case. Cosby has waived his right to a formal arraignment, and could face up to 10 years in prison if he's convicted. Cosby has been free on $1 million bail since December. [Associated Press] * "You need to have order in a courtroom. And there needs to be proper decorum with attorneys." A Las Vegas Justice of the Peace ordered that a deputy public defender be handcuffed for interrupting him as she tried to represent a client. A tipster has referred to this judge as "demented." We may have more on this. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] * According to inside sources, Hunton & Williams is in advanced merger talks with Addelshaw Goddard, a London-based firm. These talks have reportedly been going on for months, and Addelshaw partners supposedly met last night to discuss the tie-up. If successful, the combined firm would have more than 1,300 lawyers. [Big Law Business] * Silicon Valley staple Fenwick & West is opening up an office outpost in New York City. The firm's clients in Manhattan include BuzzFeed, FanDuel, Blackrock, Citi, and JPMorgan. Associates will be working around the clock in the city that never sleeps -- with a roster like that, they won't be getting shuteye anytime soon. [WSJ Law Blog] * AG Loretta Lynch announced yesterday afternoon that the Justice Department would be seeking the death penalty against Dylann Roof, the suspect alleged to have gone on a shooting spree in a Charleston church last summer, killing nine and wounding numerous others. It's said Roof hoped to incite a race war as a result of the massacre. [USA Today] * Carl Buchholz, managing partner of DLA Piper's Philadelphia office, RIP. [Philadelphia Business Journal]

By Staci Zaretsky
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 05.06.16

* Are vacancies on the federal judiciary causing a crisis in North Carolina? It does have the longest-running hole on the federal bench. [Raleigh News Observer] * Jodi Arias is planning a wedding from prison. I don't know you guys, I think those crazy kids might just make it. [Law and More] * If racism and the death penalty can never be separated, is the only just move to eliminate the death penalty? [Slate] * More revelations in the stomach-turning Sandusky case. Who at Penn State knew what when? [Lawyers, Guns and Money] * An analysis of cases where federal clemency has been granted that identifies trends in President Obama's decisions. [LinkedIn]

By Kathryn Rubino