Deaths

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 09.30.19

* In a series of tweets (because where else would this happen), President Donald Trump demanded to meet the Ukraine whistleblower, accused the person who gave information to the whistleblower of being a spy, and said he wanted House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff “questioned at the highest level for Fraud & Treason.” [The Hill] * In related news, the Ukraine whistleblower is expected to testify before Congress “very soon,” and he’ll be given all of the protection he’s due, including the concealment of his identity (especially considering the fact that the president recently warned that he’d face “big consequences” for his actions). [Wall Street Journal] * According to a recent poll, more than half of Americans now approve of the Trump impeachment inquiry, but there’s division across political lines over whether the president actually deserves to be impeached. [CBS News] * Jones Day has filed a motion to dismiss against the married former associates who sued over the firm’s parental leave plan, claiming their policies are “sex-neutral in every respect” and calling the the lawsuit “legally meritless.” [American Lawyer] * Here’s an update on Robert Cicale, the judge who pleaded guilty to a felony after breaking into a former intern’s home and stealing her underwear: His suspension will now be without pay, and he’ll lose his license to practice upon sentencing. [New York Law Journal] * Plato Cacheris, a premier member of Washington’s defense bar who played prominent roles in the Watergate, Iran-contra, and Clinton/Lewinsky affair scandals, RIP. [Washington Post]

By Staci Zaretsky
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By Barbri
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 08.12.19

* Accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, who’d reportedly been taken off suicide watch, died by suicide this weekend as he awaited trial. AG Bill Barr is “appalled,” and has called for an investigation into the circumstances of Epstein’s death. [New York Times] * In light of Epstein’s death, his victims want prosecutors to turn their sights upon Ghislaine Maxwell, who has been described as the financier’s “protector and procurer, his girlfriend and his madam.” [Washington Post] * Will the Supreme Court be able to delay hearing cases about expanding Second Amendment rights considering the fact that this country has quite the problem with mass shootings? Not too hopeful here. [USA Today] * Joel Sanders, defunct firm Dewey’s former CFO, wants his criminal conviction to be tossed out and his $1 million fine to be vacated with it. [New York Law Journal] * So much for those Biglaw raises... According to a report recently published by the ABA, lawyers’ wages have been pretty stagnant, growing slower than inflation from 2017 to 2018. [Big Law Business]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 07.24.19

* Donald Trump seems particularly irritated that former special counsel Robert Mueller will be testifying today before the House Intelligence and Judiciary Committees on the "witch hunt" that's plagued his presidency. Get ready for a tweetstravaganza! [CNN] * Professor Amy Wax of Penn Law has been professionally scolded by the dean of the school after condemning her recent comments as racist and "repugnant," and now comes news that she'll soon be taking a previously scheduled -- but awfully conveniently timed -- sabbatical. [Law.com] * But before you get too excited, Professor Wax says that she has "no plans" to leave Penn Law on a permanent basis. In fact, here's what she said about the speculation that she'd be leaving for good: "The students need me. When I’m gone, the place goes full North Korea. (It’s 95% there)." [Big Law Business] * Professor Bruce Hay of Harvard Law gets taken for the ride of his life after an alleged paternity trap left him homeless, out of work thanks to sexual harassment claims, and up to his eyeballs in litigation. [The Cut / New York Magazine] * This personal finance website wants to know: What is Biglaw, and what kind of salary should you expect? Very cute! If you want to know the real deal, you happen to be looking at the website that most closely tracks Biglaw salaries. [Nerdwallet] * Xi Chen, the bus driver who struck and killed Kimberly Greer, a law clerk at the Southern District of New York, took a no-jail plea deal earlier this week. He'll lose his license for six months and must pay $1K in fines. [New York Post]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 07.17.19

* A divided House of Representatives voted to “strongly condemn[] President Donald Trump's racist comments” that were recently lodged against four Democratic congresswomen of color “that have legitimized and increased fear and hatred of new Americans and people of color.” [NBC News] * Plaintiffs in the census citizenship case are seeking sanctions against the Department of Justice for committing “fraud on the court” after allegedly hiding the truth about the case’s origins during trial. This should be interesting, considering the Supreme Court seemed to agree... [Reuters] * Which Biglaw firms are playing host to 2020 Democratic presidential candidates? Quite a few, actually! From Milbank to Kirkland to Paul Weiss, these politicians are getting cozy with their future lawyers. [American Lawyer] * Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner has Pennsylvania Supreme Court to declare the death penalty unconstitutional because he claims it’s arbitrary and racially biased. [Philadelphia Inquirer] * Salary news you can use: If you’ve got a law degree and you work in a compliance role, you can expect to make more money than your colleagues without JDs at each and every stage of your career. [Corporate Counsel] * Retired Justice John Paul Stevens, the former leader of the liberal wing of the Supreme Court, RIP. [New York Times]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 07.05.19

* Okay, fine, whatever, the Trump administration is apparently going to look for a way to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census. We're governing by tweet these days, and this is the latest information on this debacle. [Washington Post] * And it looks like the way President Trump is thinking of adding a citizenship question to the 2020 Census is through an executive order. The Justice Department has until this afternoon to straighten this out. [ABC News] * Nope, you still can't use money that was supposed to go to the Defense Department to build a border wall. The Ninth Circuit upheld an injunction on the use of these military funds just before the holiday. [Los Angeles Times] * Which Biglaw firms have received the most money from presidential candidates’ 2020 election campaigns? As you might have guessed, lawyers from Jones Day have gotten a lot to Republicans, and lawyers from Perkins Coie have gotten a lot to the Democrats. [National Law Journal] * Prosecutors have dropped the manslaughter charge filed against an Alabama woman who was five months pregnant and lost her unborn child after being shot in the stomach. Congratulations, Alabama! Way to be normal! [CBS News] * If you’re interested in going to law school, you should know that the average debt for the class of 2018 was pretty hefty at $115,481 — that’s $130,900 for private school graduates and $89,962 for public school graduates. Good luck paying it off! [Nerdwallet] * Matthew Benedict, a student at Buffalo Law, RIP. [New York Law Journal]

By Staci Zaretsky