Department of Homeland Security
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Biglaw, Federal Government, Partner Issues
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson Returns Home -- To Paul, Weiss
What career advice does he have for law students and young lawyers? -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 11.29.16
* Despite facing uncertainties, per a recent Am Law survey conducted before the election, the vast majority of law firm leaders are moderately optimistic about how 2017 will pan out for their firms and more than a quarter of them expect profits per partner to grow by more than 5 percent. Unfortunately, “the reality for […]
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Why Do AI And Legal Professionals Make The Perfect Partnership?
For many legal departments, generative AI is the technology they’ve been waiting for. -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 10.06.16
* Rudy Giuliani will be taking a “voluntary leave of absence” from Greenberg Traurig thanks to his activities related to Donald Trump’s campaign for the presidency. Is Giuliani’s move truly voluntary, or was the prominent partner forced to take a break as Election 2016 draws closer and the race for the White House becomes even more heated? We’ll have more on this development later today. [Observer]
* In 196 deals with a total volume of $379.6 billion, White & Case is ranked No. 1 on Bloomberg’s M&A charts for global deals in the first three quarters of 2016. The firm surpassed the likes of SullCrom (No. 2), Wachtell Lipton (No. 3), Davis Polk (No. 4), and Skadden (No. 5). This time last year, Skadden was leading the pack. [Big Law Business]
* In one of the first cases related to race that SCOTUS grappled with this Term, some say it appeared as though the justices may side with a black death row inmate in search of a new sentence because his own lawyer used an expert witness at trial who testified that the man was more likely to be dangerous in the future because of his race. [Reuters]
* Government lawyers continue to flock to Biglaw firms, and this time, the lateral hire is a “true patriot, who believes in service to the nation as a calling.” WilmerHale welcomes Alejandro Mayorkas, a former U.S. Attorney who has worked for the the past three years as No. 2 at the Department of Homeland Security. Congratulations! [WSJ Law Blog]
* “I just hope that when people think the rules don’t apply to them, they will think twice before they abuse their power.” Thanks to a California law signed by Gov. Jerry Brown, it is now a felony punishable by up to three years in prison for state prosecutors to tamper with evidence or hide exculpatory material from the defense. [Los Angeles Times]
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Barack Obama, Constitutional Law, Politics
Obama Chooses Iran Over The Constitution
Another week, another unconstitutional action by President Obama -- and this week's episode features his administration’s favorite state sponsor of terrorism, Iran. -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 11.17.15
* “[F]irms have increasingly turned to mergers in hopes that rubbing two coins together might create a third.” Per the chairman of Seyfarth Shaw, Biglaw firms that are facing stagnant growth must change ASAP or suffer the consequences. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg BNA]
* Given the recent terror attacks in Paris, many U.S. governors have threatened to stop accepting Syrian refugees within their states’ borders — whether they have the legal authority to actually refuse them, however, is another question entirely. [ABC News]
* The Department of Homeland Security will publish rules governing privacy protections concerning the use of drones. The world can’t wait to see the “best practices” the government recommends for spying on citizens without a warrant. [WSJ Law Blog]
* Mississippi College School of Law has decided to freeze its tuition for students entering in the fall of 2016. Incoming students will get to pay the low, low price of $32,040 (seriously, that’s low for tuition at a private school) for all three years. [National Jurist]
* If you want to put together a compelling admissions package when applying to law school, then during your college summers, you should work at a law-related internship instead of drinking all day and having fun. Sorry! [Law Admissions Lowdown / U.S. News]
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Cars, Contracts, Guns / Firearms, Insider Trading, Law Schools, Money, Morning Docket, Police
Morning Docket: 10.24.14
* Thanks to this Government Accountability Office ruling, the company that cleared NSA leaker Edward Snowden and Navy Yard shooter Aaron Alexis may lose a $210M contract. [Legal Times]
* After being acquitted on insider trading charges, Rengan Rajaratnam agreed to settle the civil suit filed against him for a cool $840K. At least he’s not in jail like his brother. [DealBook / New York Times]
* Those interested in going to law school may want to know that Philadelphia is purportedly home to some of the cheapest law schools in the country — not Penn Law, though, sorry ’bout that. [Main Street]
* Professors at WUSTL Law held a “teach-in” to discuss the Michael Brown police shooting case. According to them, the likelihood Darren Wilson will be federally charged is “slim to none.” [Student Life]
* Attack of the aggrieved ex: a man drove a burning pickup truck loaded with explosives into a law firm, destroying much of the building. He had apparently dated one of the firm’s former clients. [Virginian-Pilot]
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Email Scandals, Janet Napolitano, Technology
If DHS Boss Has A Staffer Write Her Emails... Does It Count As Her Email Under A FOIA Request?
The government tried shady techniques to avoid leaving a paper trail? No! -
Barack Obama, Biglaw, Fabulosity, Federal Government, Military / Military Law, Partner Issues, Politics, Pro Bono
Departure Memo Of The Day: Jeh Johnson Parting With Paul Weiss
Have you ever seen such an inspiring Biglaw departure memo? - Sponsored
Law Firms Now Have A Choice In Their Document Comparison Software
Six months on since its launch, over 200 firms worldwide are now using Draftable Legal for accurate and reliable document comparison, including UK Top 50… -
Barack Obama, Biglaw, Celebrities, Labor / Employment, Law Schools, Morning Docket, Pro Bono, Rankings, Technology, U.S. News
Morning Docket: 10.18.13
* Former top Pentagon lawyer Jeh Johnson previously told us he was done with public service, but when the president asks you to join the Cabinet, it’s kind of hard to say no. Plus this Paul Weiss partner is filthy rich, so he can secure our Homeland any day. [Washington Post]
* Earlier this year, Gibson Dunn appointed a seventh-year associate as the firm’s first ever global pro bono director. We wish her the very best of luck as she tries to make lawyers do work for free. That can be a really tough sell in Biglaw. [Am Law Daily]
* Law school rankings existed long before U.S. News was even conceived of, and they broke schools into two lists: those that matter, and those without the “slightest significance.” Sick burn. [National Law Journal]
* Arizona Law alumni really don’t need to worry themselves about the fact that the school’s servers were hacked. Come on, your credit couldn’t be much worse than it already is with all that debt. [KVOA News 4]
* Lady Gaga is nearing settlement with a disgruntled ex-employee, which is too bad, because we were dying to see her get on the stand. The dropping of F-bombs been fabulous. [New York Post]
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Bloomberg, Career Alternatives, Federal Government, Food, Videos, YouTube
Just Desserts For A Federal Government Lawyer
Who doesn't love ice cream? One lawyer turned ice-cream maker comes up with delicious, creative flavors. -
Animal Law, S.D.N.Y.
Cretaceous Law: Bone Smuggler Pleads Guilty
Mongolian presidents and American lawyers fight the good fight and win... -
Animal Law, Crime, S.D.N.Y., U.S. Attorneys Offices
Cretaceous Law: Dinosaur Smuggler
Who knew dinosaur smuggling was even a viable criminal occupation? -
Bankruptcy, Biglaw, Celebrities, Dewey & LeBoeuf, Federal Government, Federal Judges, Law Schools, Minority Issues, Morning Docket, Partner Issues, State Judges, Student Loans
Morning Docket: 09.03.12
Ed. note: Due to the Labor Day holiday, we’ll be on a reduced publication schedule today. We’ll be back to normal tomorrow. A restful and happy Labor Day to all!
* The lone ex-Dewey partner who was sued by Citibank for defaulting on his capital loan is fighting back, claiming that he was “fraudulently induced” into signing up for the plan even though the bank knew that the S.S. D&L was sinking. [Reuters]
* If you’re trying to avoid additional questions being raised about your alleged bad behavior, a resignation amid scandal isn’t the way to do it. Suzanne Barr, the ICE official accused of running a federal “frat house,” has quit her job. [New York Daily News]
* A federal judge taught the members of the Louisiana Supreme court that the year 1994 did, in fact, occur before the year 1995. Justice Bernette Johnson will now ascend to the rank of chief justice. [Times-Picayune]
* Because we’re all a little hopeless these days: given the bleak realities of our economic situation, perhaps it’s finally time to change the standard for a discharge of student loan debt in bankruptcy. [New York Times]
* “The groups that attempt to rank schools are involved in a lot of hogwash.” Even if that’s the case, people are still going to care about the University of Illinois’s rankings nosedive after the Paul Pless to-do. [News-Gazette]
* Don’t be scared by the absurd tuition rates or the abysmal job prospects, because law school is still a great investment for African-Americans — and for law schools in search of diversity, too. [National Law Journal]
* “[T]hat a lawyer would take this kind of case is shocking.” Sadly, it’s not. Angelica Marie Cecora, the alleged escort who filed a $5M suit against Oscar de la Hoya, now has to pay all of his legal fees. [New York Post]
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Federal Government, Lawsuit of the Day, Sexism, Sexual Harassment
ICE Official's Suit Is Littered With Allegations of His Superior's 'Sexually Offensive Behavior' and 'Frat House-Type' Antics
How can the chief of staff of a federal agency allegedly turn her office into a frat house? Check out this complaint and find out... -
Animal Law, S.D.N.Y.
Cretaceous Law: Attorneysaurus Rex
This Dinosuit now involves S.D.N.Y. and Homeland Security. All we need is Jeff Goldblum and it's a party... -
Crime, Drugs, Immigration, Marijuana, Technology, Texas
Famed Hacker Arrested for Pot Possession En Route To SXSW
Last week, the hacker who became famous as the first person to “jailbreak” an iPhone was booked and charged with felony marijuana possession, police in Sierra Blanca, Texas, told Above the Law. Let's learn more about George Hotz, his brush with Texas justice, and the legally questionable drug-busting strategy employed by local law enforcement in Sierra Blanca...